I Believe That Every Thing Happens for a Reason Essay

But now I have learned that it is true. I can’t really explain how I came to realize, because I don’t really know. I guess it was just through my parents and through me becoming more mature and understanding as I grew older. I have learned through my own experiences and struggles of accepting things that happen in my life that I didn’t expect. In my opinion, there is no such thing as luck. Everything that God does has its own special purpose in each of our lives. Acceptance is a very difficult concept to gain. For people who have lost a loved one or had something tragic happen to them, they don’t want to go around saying that there is a good reason that happened, because it doesn’t make sense to them. They don’t understand how something good could come out of all of their trouble and heartache. But God doesn’t make mistakes. Maybe this struggle will help them to understand their purpose in life; something that they never would have realized any other way. He knows what is right for you, even if you don’t think its right for you at the time. Through our experiences and the things that we think go wrong in our life, God reveals things to us. He shows us our weaknesses and the things we need to work out in our lives. Sometimes, God puts us in these situations to bring us closer to Him; so when things don’t go the way we planned, even if we are upset at first, we will run to Him for comfort and strength to get us through it. A lot of times, we don’t see clearly God’s reasons for the things that he does. And we may never know! Maybe it was to create a relationship with someone that you would have never met, or maybe something bad, in your eyes, happens to create something better in the long run. The things that go on in your life create a chain reaction; everything that you say and do leads to something else, which leads to something else. Everything that God does in your life fits in to that process somewhere, even if you don’t understand why. You have to remember this when things do go the way you had planned, because there is probably a really good reason why things happened the way they did. It’s a lot easier to understand through smaller situations. If you don’t get accepted into the college that you were hoping to get in to, maybe it’s because you are going to meet your future husband/wife somewhere else. Sometimes you may think that just because your parents won’t let you go to a party or spend the night at your friend’s house, your life is ruined, but you are wrong. Maybe God laid that on your mom’s heart to avoid you from getting in trouble with the police or in a serious car accident. You will never really know the true reasons for why these things happen, but all you have to do is remember that he has a reason for everything and have trust. If you put your trust in the Lord, you don’t have to question things in your life. You just know that he will take care of everything. Every day, I apply this to my own life. I pray that things will go according to His plan and that I will accept the things that happen and learn from the experiences I have as a teenager, and even as I become an adult. Although my beliefs get me through my struggles, I still have problems with the acceptance of situations sometimes. Sometimes our selfish human nature makes us want to question God and ask him why things happen the way they do. But he is the one who knows what is best for us and his way will be a lot better for you in the long run.

Evolution of Management Thinking Essay

It was an era where so many alterations in the world Economy took place. In the closing decades of the 19th century there was a quest of seeking innovative ways to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The Scientific Management Theory initiated on the basis of that. In this period of time crafts production was substituted by large factories in which a lot of technical revolutions have been taking place. The owners and managers were not capable of coping to these challenges therefore they hunted for advanced techniques to overcome this situation. As a solution the concepts of Job Specialization and division of labour came about. In this scenario workers who specialized in their respective tasks became more skilled. The Scientific Management Theory Fredrick W. Taylor was the architecture of the concept Scientific Management, â€Å"The systematic study of relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of redesigning the work process to increase efficiency†. It was believed that the most effective and efficient division of labour could best be determined by the concept of Scientific Management. There were four core principles in this concept. * Investigation and experimentation on organization performance * Codification of new methods/standards * Selection of employees according to codified standards * Establishing a level of performance and a pay system with rewards In 1910 most of the organizations were using this concept but selectively. Even though there was an increase in performance some disputes about this concept lead to an increase in trade union involvement. There were some major issues in this concept. * Availability of fewer jobs * Job dissatisfaction * Distrust among employees and employers. Some organizations redesigned the principles according to their vision. For example introduction of moving conveyer belts in Henry Ford’s factory can be taken in to consideration. However these approaches were not able to solve the emerged issues. Nevertheless Taylor’s work had a lasting effect on management production systems. Frank Gilbreth and Lillian Gilbreth who were the successors of Taylor studied how the working environment influences the performance of the employees. They made a heavy contribution in time-and-motion study. They demonstrated that by following arrangements organizations can solve their issues effectively. * Breaking up each job action into its components. * Finding better ways to perform the action. * Reorganizing each job action to be more efficient Administrative Management Theory Researchers attempted to discover how to create an organizational structure that leads to high efficiency and effectiveness. Theory of Bureaucracy was developed by Max Weber as a succession of these researches. Bureaucracy is basically a formal system of organization and administration designed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. There were several principles in this theory. Weber identified several factors there should be in a bureaucracy system. Simultaneously Henry Fayol identified 14 principles that should be vital to increasing the efficiency of the management process according to his perspective. These studies of Fayol and Weber laid the foundation of modern management theory. Behavioural Management Theory This is the study of how managers should behave in order to motivate employees and encourage them to strive towards high levels of performance as an organization. In the previous theory there wasn’t a major concern about the employee viewpoint. Thus Mary Farker Follett explained why it is important to think about the human side of management. According to the studies of Follett managers should behave as coaches and facilitators –not as monitors and supervisors and the importance of direct inter communication between managers of different departments to make speedy decisions. She also promoted the concept of â€Å"cross functioning† which has been used in a great scale at present. Hawthorne effect is the discovery that a manager’s behaviour and leadership approach can affect the level of performance of employees. From this study emerged the concept of human relations movement. It is basically how the supervisors should be behaviourally trained to spice up worker’s motivation, cooperation and increase their productivity. Informal organization is one of the implications of Hawthorne effect. This is the system of behavioural rules and norms that come out in a group. The study of factors that have an impact on how individuals and groups react to in organizations has been identified as the organizational behaviour. Apart from these mentioned here the most significant approach was developed by Douglas McGregor. He supposed two different sets of assumptions which were named as Theory X and Theory Y. Management Science Theory This is a modern extension of Scientific Management Theory in this approach describes how precise quantitative techniques can be used in order to make the best use of organizational resources. Quantitative management emphasises on how arithmetic can be manipulated to achieve best practises in inventory and financial capital control. Operations management presents a set of techniques that can be utilized to improve production efficiency Total quality management focuses on the art of how the whole can be managed to achieve excellence. Management information systems provide the managers with adequate information about internal and external events of an organization to effective decision making. Organizational Environment Theory This is the set of conditions and forces that functions externally to the organization but affect a manger’s capability to acquire and utilize resources. This clearly stresses on how important it is to study the environment. The open systems theory and contingency theory developed in 1960 ascertains the importance of the importance of studying the environment. The Open –Systems View This is a system where external resources are acquired and converted into goods and services then sent back to customers for purchasing. And the cycle carries on. This system is considered as an open system. Organizations which use a closed system are likely to experience entropy, the tendency of a system to lose its ability to control itself and thus to dissolve and collapse. Contigency Theory It discloses that there is no best way to organize therefore characteristics of the environment affect an organization’s ability to obtain resources. Types of structures Above describes the differences between the structures. In conclusion managers in a Mechanistic structure can obtain inputs at a lower cost preferably in a stable environment and managers in an organic environment can react more quickly in a rapidly changing environment. These contributions constructed the foundation of modern management theories. References: New Era of Management Concepts and Applications 2nd Edition Richard L. Daft, Vanderbilt University Contemporary Management fifth edition Gareth R. Jones, Texas A & M University Jennifer M. George, Rice University

The Street Lawyer

RUNNING HEAD: THE STREET LAWYER The Street Lawyer Social Work 3040-01I Apr. 30, 2008 SUMMARY John Grisham’s The Street Lawyer tells the story of Michael Brock a married wealthy attorney who has it all. Michael, a graduate of Yale University, works at Drake & Sweeny, one of the top and well respected firms in Washington D. C. While there he is making the money and rushing relentlessly to the top of Drake & Sweeny. He is only one step away from an early partnership. Until one rainy winter afternoon at Drake & Sweeny. An angry homeless man who only wants to be called â€Å"Mister† holds Michael and eight other lawyers hostage in an office at Drake & Sweeny. â€Å"Mister† demands the tax records be brought to him. After the tax records arrive he orders Michael to tell him what each lawyer including Michael has made in earnings for the year and how much of their money is donated to charities and the homeless. After several hours the hostage stand off is over leaving one man dead and another reborn. Mister† is shot in the head by a sniper policeman as he opens the office door to receive the soup he wants delivered from a local shelter. â€Å"Mister’s† blood and bodily fluids cover Michael’s entire face since he is standing directly behind him. The police escort Michael to a small gym in the building where doctors examine him and he is able to shower. After his shower Michael returns home. The next morning he returns to work at Drake & Sweeny. After reading an article in the Post he learns more about â€Å"Mister† whose real name is DeVon Hardy. After paying a visit to Mordecia Green the director of the 14th Street Legal Clinic, where â€Å"Mister† was a client, Michael begins to rethink his career as an anti-trust lawyer for Drake & Sweeny and his life as well. Leaving Drake & Sweeny to become a street lawyer would have profound affect on his home life and marriage as well. After telling his wife he will take a job with less money and no benefits the couple separate and eventually file for divorce. Michael moves to a smaller apartment on the rough side of Washington D. C. nd begins working at the 14th Street Legal Law Clinic with Mordeci Green. While working there Michael is harboring a dark secret: a confidential file. A confidential file from the law offices of Drake & Sweeny which contains information about the illegal eviction of â€Å"Misterâ€Å" and the other homeless people. Now Drake & Sweeny know their file is missing and want it returned immediately no matter what. Even if it means Michael losing his lic ense to practice law. His former partners have become his enemies and Michael is now the most dangerous man on the streets of Washington D. C. EXAMINATION Populations-at risk are the homeless in John Grisham’s The Street Lawyer and the environment that which they live in are considered the social environment. Populations-at risk are defined as populations or groups of people who share some identifiable characteristics that places them at greater risk of social and economic deprivation and oppression than the general mainstream of society. The social environment involves the conditions, circumstances, and human interactions that encompasses human beings. People are dependent upon effective interactions with their environment in order to survive and thrive. The social environment includes the actual physical setting that society provides. This involves the type of home a person lives in, the type of work that is done, the amount of money available, and the laws and social rules by which people live. â€Å"Mister† and the other homeless who were illegal evicted from their makeshift apartments are to considered members of a social environment. In reference to the social environment the actual physical setting that society provided to the homeless were homeless shelters. But once the homeless shelters do not begin to taken in borders because they are over crowded the homeless are forced into the streets in hopes of finding a safe and warm place to stay for the night. Sleeping on park benches and makeshift warehouses are the only means of shelter available to them. Even if they are working at a job the wages are usually not enough to provide adequate shelter. Society tends to blame the homeless for their choice of life and for being homeless. But at times it not the fault of the homeless but the fault of the government. For example a working middle class family loses their home to foreclosure because of lay-offs and budget cuts at their jobs. With being laid off both lose their pension and benefits that came along with their jobs. Even if both parents would find another job paying minimum wage it would not be enough to pay the $1000. 00 monthly mortgage and other expenses. Therefore, those individuals cannot be held at fault for becoming homeless the fault lies with the budget cuts made by the federal government to their jobs. At other times the fault lies with the individual themselves for becoming homeless. For example a woman works as a nurse in a hospital becomes addicted to prescription drugs and is later fired from her job because of stealing the prescription drugs to which is addicted to. Since the prescription drugs are no longer available to her she becomes addicted to crack/cocaine because it is accessible to her. She files for unemployment until she can find another job but her unemployment checks are going to support her habit instead of paying her monthly rent. She is evicted and thrown into the streets where and begins prostitution to support her habit. Receiving a â€Å"fix† has become her main priority in life. In that particular situation the individual is the blame for their choice to become homeless. ELUDICATION John Grisham’s characters Michael Brock and Mordecia Green worked not only as attorneys for the homeless but also as social workers too. Throughout The Street Lawyer Michael and Mordecia counseled each individual to gain a knowledge of what their lives were before they became homeless and why they have become homeless. Most lawyers would not take the time find out if whether or not their client had a place to sleep or food to eat the night before. Many lawyers would not offer their services free of charge. Michael and Mordecia worked as lawyers as well as social workers. Each day Michael and Mordecia traveled to a local homeless shelter to interview potential clients and help them with whatever they needed. Most of their clients were generally homeless people or individuals who were laid off from their job recently. The two helped these individuals fill out government forms, obtain job applications, and sometimes a rehab center for those who were addicted to drugs and alcohol. At times some clients could not be helped but Michael and Mordecia provided their counseling service as a means of help. Some individuals only needed some to talk to about what was going on in their life at that time. He wants his readers to see the similarities between social workers and attorneys. His examples with Michael and Mordecia with their clients express key elements in the career of a social worker. EVALUATION/CONCLUSION The Street Lawyer by John Grisham conveys its readers to the unknown world of homelessness and the cause. He wants his readers to see the cruel dark side of humanity and how society views homelessness. By having the story take place in Washington D. C. , the capitol of the United States, a place where many would not believe crack houses are a block away from the White House. Homeless women, men, and children are forced to seek shelter anywhere when all the shelters in the city are full. These same people are usually victims of layoffs and budget cuts by Congress. Grisham wants his readers to see the reality of homelessness and that it can happen to anyone. One’s whole perspective on their life can change in an instance because of one individual or many. He gives thorough examples throughout his book about the day and life of a homeless person and their family. The struggles they face day to day not knowing if he or she will have something to eat or a place to sleep by night fall. He contributes to the study of social work by having his main characters act as counselors to the homeless, employment agencies and location of rehabs for those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. The Street Lawyer is a learning tool in the world of social work for those who want to gain a better understanding of what a social worker does on a daily bases. One who enjoys helping others and making a difference in someone else’s life will definitely enjoy reading this book. After reading this book I now have a better understanding of homelessness and I will eventually use this book as learning tool while furthering my education in the study of social work. â€Å"

How did religious and political views shape or affect the conquest of Essay

How did religious and political views shape or affect the conquest of mexico - Essay Example The temporal realm was separate from life on Earth. The Nahua believe that natural and supernatural were entwined. Another defining aspect of religious influence was blood. Spaniards believed god had sent Jesus to spill his blood, but the Nahua believed that their gods needed human blood. Each religious influence controlled the outcome of the conquest. The Spanish were Roman Catholics. Although the Spaniards were Roman Catholics, different orders would shape the conquest and eventual conversion to Catholicism. Schwartz (2000:25) explains: The conversion of the indigenous peoples of New Spain (Mexico) was carried out in the sixteenth century primarily by missionary orders: the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and after 1574, the Jesuits. Depending upon the order, the priests would convert the Nahua and the other tribes in Mexico. The goal was to baptize and convert the people to Christianity. It must be noted that different orders handled the natives with diverse methods. Some p riests were harsh in the conversion. The Nahua had to convert, be baptized, and refute their native religion. Other orders would incorporate the local religion into their view of Christianity. It is important to note that in the end, the Christians conquered the Nahua, but the Nahua retained some of their traditions. The Nahua believed in a variety of god and goddesses. Schwartz (2000:9) states: The many gods and goddesses can perhaps be grouped into three major categories. As an agricultural people, the Mexica gave particular devotion to the gods of the earth and of fertility, to gods like Tlaloc, god of rain†¦A second group consisted of the creator deities†¦Finally, there were deities who formed part of the cult of war and sacrifice. The many gods and goddesses were entreated for rain, victory in war, and praise for creation. The impact of the religious differences between the Spanish and Nahua in the respect to gods and goddess influenced the conquest. The Spanish fough t for a trinity in one god. The Nahua asked their gods of war and sacrifice to beat the invaders. When mankind wages war for a religious purpose they will win at all costs. If a tribe is fighting for land alone it is easier to lose. The religious ties of homeland were not as important to either side. The difference was one side fought for a sole god, but the other fought for their homeland. Thus the Spaniards overcame the Nahua. Another impact religion made on the conquest of the Spanish over the Nahua was conversion. The Nahua did not want to expand their empire through conversion. The Nahua wanted to annihilate their enemies. If they conquered people, the Nahua let them keep their identity. The Spaniards wanted to conquer and convert. This provided slave labor, allies, and more resources. Different religious values of the two warring sides influenced the conquests. Christians wore crosses with arrows, swords, and other advanced weapons. Gold was not valued by the Nahua for their t raditions. However, the Christians believed in the value of gold. The Spaniards wanted the gold to give a tribute to the church. Gold could be made into crosses. The Nahua’s rituals were of complicated temples built of stone. Water, sacrifices, and other rituals made up the Nahua religion. The value of the territory made the Spaniards feel that their god wanted them to take the riches in order to further the Church’s mission of spreading Christianity throughout the world. The

The Cash Flow Budget of Hidetoseek Company Assignment

The Cash Flow Budget of Hidetoseek Company - Assignment Example This limit is only  £ 25000 but the negative balance of cash flows shows that in the month of July, the balance ( £ 36544) has crossed the limit. Therefore they have to think about any other source of the short-term loan. Another one issue is that before adopting the option of bulk purchase the company should determine the amount of short-term loan and their interest and they should compare it with the reduced cost. Because of cheap raw material if the company has to pay a huge amount of interest then it will be of no use. The difference between the cash and profit mainly lies between the working capital cycles. The process of calculating net profit and cash flow is different from each other. Before explaining or pointing out the differences it will be beneficial to understand the process of each method through the calculation of a particular month. In Task 1, the cash flow calculation has already been shown for the month of June now calculation of net profit can be shown. At first, it required the calculation of closing stock which will be as follows. {(8500 + 35000) - (16500*100/170)} = 33795. The next step is to calculate the gross profit and it will be {(33795+16500) – (8500+35000)} = 6795. Now all the expenses should be deducted from it to calculate the net profit. Therefore net profit will be {6795- (1333+2500+360+650+780+30000)}= (1828) whereas the closing balance of cash flow was  £ (9754). The above calculation depicts that not only the process but also the number of sales, purchase and other expenses are different. Here, the actual amount of all those items has been taken where in case of cash flows only the amount which is collected or paid during this month has taken. More specifically it can be stated that cash flow considers only the cash inflow and outflow but while calculating the profit all the actual sales, purchase and expenses are taken into account.  

Capital punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capital punishment - Essay Example Justice has been served. But this was before civilization knew about this thing called criminal justice system within a democratic government. Today, we have laws that define crimes and their penalties as well as the procedure for ascertaining the guilt or innocence of the accused. No less than the Fifth Amendment guarantees that, â€Å"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury†¦nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. In this view, I submit that capital punishment should be abolished. Death as a penalty for a crime has no place in a country that prides itself as the bastion of democracy and the grand protector of life and liberty throughout the world. Killing a person is not just a crime. It is wrong. It does not matter if the killer is a deranged individual or a government intoxicated in its immense power to take the life of another person. Capital punis hment is killing.

Questions about Marketing Concepts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Questions about Marketing Concepts - Assignment Example Marketing basically links all the functional departments of an organization to the customer's needs and wants. The idea behind marketing is that the customer is of prime importance and that the most significant task in any organization is first to identify the needs of the customer and then to ensure that all operations are geared toward meeting them efficiently and effectively. Marketing function concerns itself not only with customers but with competitors and suppliers as well. Thus marketing is not just a function but a management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably and responsibly with due regard for the environment and social foundation. A website is a crucial component of the company's to attract current and potential customers. It represents the company globally. A web site is a virtual front-line and direct link to suppliers, distributors, and potential and present customers. It is essential that a website conveys the company's objectives and goals immediately when a browser enters the site. The seven key design elements to achieve an effective web interface are Context, Content, Community, Customisation, Communication, Connection, and Commerce. (Rayporter & Jaworski, 2001) The context refers to layout or design of the website, created by...It is what makes the website easy to find and access and the website simple to use. Content is the text, pictures, sound, video, graphics, downloads, chat rooms, bulletin boards, service, products and information etc that the website contains.The community is described as the ways how the site enables user-to-user communication. E.g. blog, chat rooms etc. It allows users to know the opinions of other users to interact with each other and encourages them to make purchases or visit the site again. Customization refers to the ability of the site to allow different users to personalize their own profiles by means of content and context selection and other personalization tools.

Learning protfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Learning protfolio - Essay Example The three components that influence this include are the intellectual; the physical; and the emotional or motivational. The validation of this concept owes to the fact that I have always looked forward to know the reasons why some employees or even companies become rivals in work related settings, which answers my question that cultural intelligence exist within the body, the heart, and the head. In depth, communication is a key factor in realizing any objective, especially in long-term missions. Cross-cultural communication is an important factor in companies that need to have an edge over their competitors (Peterson, 2004). On the other hand, my research shows that both cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence have a strong coalition since they both work together to apply to the social affairs amongst individuals as well as their significance to modern establishments. The topic explores the essentiality of different cultural backgrounds versus emotional quotient in an organization and the manner in which they interrelate to find a perfect equilibrium through human perspectives. The focus deals with decision-making actions, the manner of intervening with emotions in management and building capacities for the development of a common resolution that eventually becomes an extra importance in personal associations (Peter & John, 1990). Evidently, an individual that poss esses a high emotional intelligence combined with cultural intelligence makes him or her a rational being and concurrently makes every individual different from another. The topic also illustrates that companies experience cross-cultural behaviours, which are frequently very differentiating. For example, any new employee who joins an organization always takes an opportunity in the first few days, weeks or months to interpret its cultural code. In any big firm, sparring subcultures also tend to encroach in their activities. 3. What

Applied Business 8-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applied Business 8-1 - Essay Example SOX aims to Act improved corporate control and gave strength to corporate accountability. It applies that by: Legalizing and strengthening the internal checks and balances inside public corporations establishing a variety of levels of control to guarantee that financial reporting practices revealing corporate governance is managed with full transparency. The SOX Act introduced new penalties for acts of wrong doing and standards for corporate liability as well. It changes how corporate boards and executives must communicate with each other and with corporate auditors. Investigation found that law eradicates the cover of "financial issues were not in my knowledge" from directors and management, holds them answerable for the accuracy of financial statements. As law specifies financial reporting obligations, including attachment to new controls and processes designed to assure the legality of their financial records. Directors and Officers should be personally kept responsible for violating the law and showed negligence in

Sleep in ICU setting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sleep in ICU setting - Research Paper Example From the results that were obtained from the patients, the study brought out the fact that quality of perceived ICU perceived sleep in ICU was poorer than the baseline sleep that the patients obtained from home. Perceived quality of sleep and sleeping during the day did not change during the time the patients were in the ICU and there was no difference in the environment stimuli (Randall, 2000). The study was designed to determine the quality of life mostly the physical functions of those that survive in the ICU during the early processes of recovery. The study is was also to describe the former critically harsh patients finished instruments on the general health and the life quality in the initial six months of their recovery (Lane, 1989). The method that was used in the study is that which involved response to a designed questionnaire and questions about the problems. From the study, it was found out that the survivors of critical illness and hospitalization in the ICU recover well despite feeling important control and disturbed sleep at the time they recover. The study was designed to analyze patients who had a past or are currently diagnosed with cancer and were consequently admitted in the ICU to enable characterization of the symptoms that are experience of a cohort of ICU patients at high risk of experiencing hospital deaths. The method used in the study involved analysis of patients’ self-reports of the one hundred cancer patients that were sampled after getting treated in medical ICU. The results that were obtained from the cancer patients showed that there were common distressing symptoms in the patients when they are in the ICU and they were also found to be at significant levels of severity. The results that were obtained also suggested that there should be strategies in the use of ICU therapies. The study was designed to investigate lack of adequate

Islam in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islam in Europe - Essay Example The chief among them is that Islamic law differs from the laws of ‘first world’ countries of Europe, and that Islam dominates lifestyle and culture of millions of Muslims in Europe (Roald, 2001, p 295- 296). Islam: Family Law The Islamic family law does not support the ‘liberal -minded ‘European family law. In European countries family laws support step families, unmarried spouse, nuclear families, free mixing of both the sexes, and above all, the equality of sexes. Conventional Islamic law holds male members of a family to be superior compared to their female counterparts. More importance is given to them and they also hold decision making power. Also, Islam propagates the doctrine of large family with many members (BuChler, 2013, p 100). Many orthodox Muslim families in Europe still abide by the Islamic family law which separates the rules and rights of women from men. However, in European countries like Bulgaria, modern age Muslim families are denouncing s ecularism (Ghodsee, 2009, p 5). The newer generations of Muslims are more in support of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘tolerance’ policies that are held by European nations. They are not much affected by the fact that predominantly Islamic nations like Egypt has stressed CEDAW, 15th and 16th article denying formal equality of rules and right among men and women. In other words, Muslims in Europe are trying to redefine their identity outside the realm of Islam (BuChler, 2013, p 100). Conventions and Practices: With change of perspectives and outlooks, social practices are also changing among Islamic families. As in England one can find that marriages are still held through the ‘nikah’ ceremony. It is not recognized by the English court of law. With the changing of perspectives, around two-thirds of Muslim couples are marrying again to enjoy the protection of English legal systems. Also, they are renouncing pluralism of marriages as it is not recognized . They are holding their religious roots on one hand and on the other adopting the newer form. This scenario can be found all over Europe (BuChler, 2013, p 77). ‘Talaq’, another important provision of Islamic family law is â€Å"taken into consideration in gender- neutral divorce law and legal practice†. Also, in Europe, no direct legal measures taken against polygamy as because European courts do not hold polygamy as an unlawful act (BuChler, 2013, p 100). Though from time to time social issues have been raised about use of head- covering or hijab, many Muslim women still continue to wear them as a part of their religious convention. Islam: Law Council In European countries, Muslims have their own quasi- judicial institutions. These institutions are basically the shari?ah law councils which impart judgment to large sections of Muslim communities in Europe, as most Muslims in Europe do not recognize the authority and legitimacy of any other legal system. Thus the y turn up to these councils mostly with problems regarding family matters. The law councils have a separate code of law and adopt unconventional modes of settling disputes, formulated according to legal norms of Islam. One such country is England where the unofficial yet autonomous shari?ah courts serve millions of Muslims (BuChler, 2013, p 76-77). Durham,  Kirkham,  & Torfs (2012, p 6) insist that from the view point of European Courts, no discrimination is made between Muslims and non- Muslim subjects, though their ways of resolving or

Learner Analysis Essay Example for Free

Learner Analysis Essay Background Summary Flight nurse’s and Flight Paramedics perform as members of an aeromedical crew on helicopters (rotor wing), and airplanes (fixed wing) aircraft, providing for in-flight management and care for all types and ages of patients. Responsibilities of this job include the planning and preparation of each flight, to include such things as; safety, evaluation of an individual patients in-flight needs and request of appropriate medications, supplies, and equipment to provide continuing care from origination to the destination facility. They act as liaisons between facilities during an interfacility transport and from scene location to trauma center during medical and trauma related emergencies. They also initiate emergency treatment in the absence of a physician during in-flight medical emergencies. Flight nurses and flight paramedics have training in mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, vasoactive medications, airway, and other intensive care skills. Most air medical businesses expect nurses to have at least 2 to 5 years of experience in emergency or critical care units, and the more trauma experience, the better (flightnursetraining.com). This means nurses that have a proven ability to manage multiple patients with vastly different conditions, as well as being able to make split-second decisions about patient care with maximum attention to patient care and safety. Flight paramedics are expected to have a minimum of three years current experience as a paramedic on an advanced life support team and/or critical care transport team. Both of these roles may have to tend to multiple critical cases all at once, so it is important that he or she have the skills to cope with high stress situations. Even though those hired into the role of a flight nurse and flight paramedic come into the role with a core background in critical care and expected level of baseline knowledge,  higher level of autonomous critical thinking and rapid decisio n making is a new skill encountered for many coming into this role. A well-structured training program is an integral part of laying a strong foundation to build the necessary knowledge base needed to assure both a flight nurse and flight paramedic are prepared to perform in their role as a crew chief. Approximately six years ago a well-structured crew chief training program was in place that allowed for consistent and structured learning that allowed all crew member 2 (CM2) to obtain the necessary skills and knowledge expected to hold a position of crew chief. These modules covered areas of navigation, communications, safety, aviation, critical thinking; and incorporated reading material, practical exercises, quizzes and tests which the CM2 worked through in a systematic process. At the completion of the training module; the crew member then went through a question answer board (QAB) process. In the QAB, the crew member was asked a series of questions by a board consisting of a crew chief, clinical manager, pilot, medical director and given multiple scenarios. If the QAB was completed successfully the CM2 then advanced to status of a crew chief. Current State of Problem Currently a structured training program that assures all flight nurses and flight paramedics obtain this baseline level of knowledge that is expected of those in the crew chief role does not exist. The current practice is the assumption that all CM2’s obtain the skills and knowledge necessary by reaching their seventy fifth patient transport. This training plan does not allow for the structured delivery of expected skills and knowledge nor does it allow for a baseline competency to be demonstrated before being promoted from CM2 to crew chief. The current process was put into place to meet the increased demand for staffing experience by the company during a rapid growth period where eight bases turned into sixteen in four years. This current process put into place at this time did allow for rapid streamlined training of new staff; but it failed to take into account quality over quantity. This new process has resulted in CM2’s being promoted to the level of a crew chief w ithout the necessary knowledge that is expected of this role as determined by the management. Goal State All crew members at CM2 status go through a structured crew chief training program. This training will allow for the delivery of consistent, well-structured necessary skills and knowledge. A well-structured training program will assure that all flight crew who obtain crew chief status will have obtained the same base of knowledge and will have all demonstrated the same level of desired competence. Learner Analysis Demographic Information The instructional setting is primarily on the job training; information gained through the live patient care transport environment via ground, rotor or fixed wing aircraft. Nurses and paramedics work as partners in patient transport. This team configuration can be two nurses, or one nurse and one paramedic; but at all times one team member must be a nurse. The third person at the base is the pilot in command, who does not provide any patient care but does and can assist in aviation and safety training. These teams are on shift; stationed at their assigned base for a 24 hour period of time; where training through simulations, reading, and discussions will occur during non-patient transport times. There are 16 bases in the company; located in California, Texas and Oregon. There are 8 full time medical crew assigned to each base and an additional 2-3 part time staff at each base. Age of paramedics and nurses range from 27-61. English is native language spoken by all medical crew members. Educational levels in addition to holding an accredited paramedic license or registered nurse license are ranging from associate degree to doctorate. All Registered nurses in the capacity have received specialized training in critical care, trauma and hold specialized certificates in these areas. All paramedics in this capacity have also obtained additional critical care related training and certificates. Both the nurses and the paramedics receiving the crew chief training have been employed with this company in the flight role for a minimum of 1 year and have obtained the CM2 status. The content area is focused on five areas; to include aviation, safety, communications, navigation, and critical thinking. All medical crew have obtained the basic level of training in these areas have been deemed CM2 which puts them at â€Å"novice† status which deems them competent to s afely complete patient transports. The crew chief level of training is aimed at bringing crew  members from novice to expert level. Prior Knowledge Prior knowledge of all who will receive the crew chief training are those who are at the current CM2 level. They have been working in the capacity as flight nurses or flight paramedics at this company for a minimum of 1 year and have been on at least 75 patient transports. 25% of the total crew members have prior experience working as Flight Nurses or Flight Paramedics at another company; 10% of the flight paramedics have prior flight crew experience through the military prior to coming to this company. Those crew members who achieved crew chief status per the current model will be given a baseline written assessment and go through a crew chief QAB. Those who pass these two items will remain at the status of crew chief; and those who do not pass these assessments will complete a bridge crew chief training program, focusing on those areas of the training they did not pass during their assessments. A written assessment and QAB will be repeated at the conclusion of the bridge training. All crew members surveyed have positive feedback regarding this proposed process. Entry Skills Required Entry level skills required to the crew chief training is to be a CM2 and to have successfully passed the CM2 questions answer board. Successful completion of CM2 training demonstrates successful objectives completed as stated in the CM2 training. In addition to CM2 status; all crew members must have obtained a national certification. National certifications the nurses may obtain are critical care registered nurse (CCRN), care flight critical nurse (CFRN), or certified emergency nurse (CEN). These are each a 100-150 questions tests that are scheduled to be taken at independent test centers as determined by the certifying agencies. The CM2 must also be in good standing with the company; meaning no disciplinary actions in the crew members personal file in the previous six months. Attitudes and Motivation The majority of the flight nurses and flight paramedics are very driven; intense people with a high desire to obtain the crew chief status. Primary motivation comes from the desire to obtain the title status of â€Å"crew chief† and the increased pay rate of 5% per hour. Secondary motivation is the drive that comes from internal motivation to achieve additional training to  reach expert level knowledge in this field. Current attitudes towards training are positive with an overwhelmingly stated desire to have a more structured training program; with higher standards and rigor needed to become a crew chief. Based on the annual employee survey; one of the indicators as stated by employees to improve morale is for a more structured and rigorous crew chief training program. Unique Characteristics and Learning Styles The majority (70%) of the learners described themselves as learning best through â€Å"doing.† Those who stated they learn better through hands-on and learning state reading, watching or hearing the learning material is helpful if they can then have additional hands-on training through simulations or live on-the-job situational experiences. Another 40% of learners said they were not sure how they learned best; but felt having access to the material in writing or reading to be studied was very helpful. All learners wanted tangible resources available such as protocols, standard operating procedures, drug calculators, and other tools that could be obtained through electronic means such as their phones or IPADS; to be accessed as needed during simulated training and live patient transports. According to Kolbs Adult Learning Styles; adults have four distinct ways of preferred ways for examining, analyzing and integrating new knowledge. Converging (doing and thinking), diverging (f eeling and watching), Assimilating (watching and thinking) and Accommodating (doing and feeling). In the VARK model; Neil D Fleming described the primary ways adults acquire new knowledge; the preferred learning styles. In this VARK model; 41% are kinesthetic learners, 16% visual, 25% auditory and 18% readers. Crew member feedback of preferred learning styles and research based evidence regarding preferred adult learning styles appear to correlate. This will allow support from management to build a new crew chief training program that will be based in the delivery methods that will allow consumption of material to be presented through the desired learning styles of adult learners. Unique characteristics of this group of learners is their collective attitudes and internal drive to desire a more rigorous and structured training program with an extreme minority of the crew members desiring to hold title of crew chief without demonstration of knowledge and skills required. It will be  important to build a training program that accommodates all of the stated learning styles so as to use the crew member’s desire for the training to have a product that matches in quality and desired outcome of trainees. Accommodations According to Gregg, Talbert and Lentz (1999),An appropriately selected instructional accommodations not only provides equal awareness to learning opportunities but also minimizes the learners likelihood of failure. Appropriate educational accommodations are determined by taking into account the adults unique leaning needs. All crew members have demonstrated a prerequisite knowledge required to begin this training through successful completion of the CM2 training. All learners are primary English language learners without physical disabilities; as this is a requirement to obtain the role of flight nurse or flight paramedic in this company. The accommodations that should be considered for this training program is one that utilizes all learning styles to ensure the best possible success by all those beginning the training program. Performance Context Managerial Support Learners can expect full organizational support in the training process. One of the top goals of the organization as identified in their â€Å"Strengthen from Within Plan† is to re-build and strengthen a training strategy that will allow for employees to have a structured, well planned out, standardized training program. Employees have overwhelmingly voiced concern in the area of clinical training with regards to the crew chief training in the annual employee survey and through the Best of Practice Suggestion Forum. Management has acknowledged the priority of a structured crew chief training process lost priority in recent years; stating it has been likely to the rapid growth experienced by the company in the last 5 years and with this comes a need to recruit employees bring them to novice status in order to staff new bases. This has caused an oversight in strengthening crew chief training which brings employees to that of expert level in the field. Management has also acknowledged that current process that was put into place approximately 6 years ago; which brings a CM2 to crew chief status via a CM2 completing 75 patient transports and obtaining a national  certification has fallen short of hopes and expectations for this modality of crew chief training. All management are in agreement a more structured training program is needed. All would agree that the skills learned through a structured crew chief training program bring medical flight crew members from a novice to an expert level which translates to superior patient care, superior customer service, which lead to strengthening of the company as a whole. Physical Aspects of the Site The crew chief training takes skills learned by flight crew members during their CM2 training program and adds depth, strengthens critical thinking and problem solving processes and brings a CM2 at novice level up to crew chief which is considered expert level. This training will take place while the crew member is on shift. Training will occur via reading material, videos, discussion with preceptor, clinical manager and base manager, scenarios through case studies and live demonstration during patient transport. The CM2 will be required to complete a written test and sit on a QAB at the end of the crew chief training Process. All required training materials and equipment will be available at each of the 16 bases in the company. Base managers and clinical managers will work with the preceptors to assure all materials and equipment will be kept at each base, kept current with what is being used in live environment and kept in working order. Social Aspects of the Site In the performance setting, medical crew members work in teams. The teams always consist of two nurses, or one nurse and one paramedic. The third team member is the pilot; who are not involved directly in the patient care. Medical crew member’s work in team’s independent of direct supervision of a supervisor. Supervisors such as clinical managers, base managers and a medical director are always available by phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week as needed by the medical crews. The skills obtained in the Crew Chief training will not be being utilized by the medical crews for the first time. Many of these skills learned will have already been used by the crew members in the crew chief training; as much of the training had already been presented to some degree during the CM2 training. It is possible that some patient care skills learned by CM2 and again as crew chiefs will have only  been completed on mannequins in simulations and not on live patients until that patient condition presents itself. These skills are referred to as â€Å"infrequently used skills† and are practiced routinely by all medical crew members in the company. Those receiving initial first time skills and knowledge in their role are the crew member 1 (CM1) team members who are gaining the on-the-job training needed to achieve CM2 status. In these instances; a CM1 is always assigned into a work partnership with another crew member who is at least at the CM2 status. Relevance of Skills to Workplace All skills learned in the training will relate directly to all skills utilized in the actual workplace. There are not current perceived physical, social or motivational constraints. Crew members are highly motivated to have structured crew chief training due to the relationship between skills learned and skills used in work environment. High motivation also exists due to the desired status achievement of crew chief and due to the increased monetary stipend received. References Fleming, N.D. and Mills, C. (1992), Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection, To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, 1992., page 137. Flight Nurse Training. (n.d.). Flight Nurse Training. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://www.flightnursetraining.com Suggested Considerations Regarding Accommodations. (1999, January 1). Suggested Considerations Regarding Accommodations. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/7.1/coverweb/grover_hendricks/accommodations.htm Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). . Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Workplace Training and Education: Adult Learning Styles. (2013, January 1). Workplace Training and Education: Adult Learning Styles. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://tribehr.com/blog/workplace-training-and-education-adult-learning-styles/

Ethics From Immanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill

Ethics From Immanuel Kant And John Stuart Mill Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 12 February 1804) was an 18th-century German philosopher from the Prussian city of KÃ ¶nigsberg. Kant was the last influential philosopher of modern Europe in the classic sequence of the theory of knowledge during the Enlightenment beginning with thinkers John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume.[1] A philosopher who lived a life of stringent discipline routine. He took a passionate interest in American and French revolution. Kant has various writings to his credit which include: General Natural History and Theory of the Heavens (1755): in which he writes about the solar system Critique of Pure Reason (1781): is about his philosophical work in natural sciences mathematics. Critique of Judgement (1790): wherein he analyzes aesthetics biology. The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785): endeavours to show the foundations of genuine morality. The Critique of Practical Reason (1788): investigates implications of immorality for religion. Kants main concern is nature morality (starry heavens above and moral law within). He says that genuine morality i.e., a morality which is objectively and universally binding requires an a priori foundation. He adds that the universal basis of morality in man must lie in his rational nature, since this alone is the same in everyone. Thus a moral principle must be such that a man can will that all men including him should act upon it. Kant uses the test of consistency as the core of fundamental moral law which he calls categorical imperative: those actions are right which conform to principles one can consistently will to be principles for all men, and those actions are wrong which are based upon maxims that a rational creature could not will that all men should follow. Through the categorical imperative we can distinguish between right wrong actions. Kant emphasizes that it is not only the test but it is also the unconditional directive for behavior. It is binding upon everyone because each rational man acknowledges his obligation to follow reason. Thus categorical imperative is the only basis for determining our duties. He stresses that reason prescribes duty, and the moral law holds whether or not men actually follow it. In order to have an in-depth understanding of Kants philosophy we need to see how he built up his argument. Initially Kant carries out a critical analysis of the commonly accepted good things like health, wealth and friendship. He adds that the mentioned things are not good under all circumstances, but only in so far as they are conjoined with something that is unqualified good a good will. GOOD WILL represents the effort of a rational being to do what he ought to do, rather than to act from inclination or self -interest. Thus a good will appears to constitute the indispensable condition even of being worthy of happiness. Kant elaborates that good will is not good because is achieves good results. Even if it fails to attain the ends it seeks, it would be good in itself and have a higher worth than the superficial things gained by immoral actions. Kant mentions that reason is a very inefficient instrument for the achievement of happiness. He concludes that reason is not intended to p roduce happiness, but to produce a good will. Kant further explains the relation between good will duty highlighting that a good will is one which acts for the sake of duty. Indeed, human actions have moral worth only if they are performed from duty. He further says that even action in accordance with duty is not enough; only respect for duty, makes an action moral. Kant further differentiates praiseworthy behavior from moral action, he says that altruistic or selfless actions that result from feelings of sociability deserve praise and encouragement but they cannot be classified as possessing moral value. Moral worth of character which is highest of all is not brought out from inclination but from duty. Kant then puts forward his first ethical proposition wherein he states that an act must be done from duty in order to have moral worth. Taking this forward the second ethical proposition says that an act from duty derives its moral value not from the results it produces but from the principle by which it is determined. Taking the first two propositions Kant defines duty as the morally right action is one done solely out of reverence for the law and its unique and unconditioned worth is derived from this source. Third proposition which is a consequence of the first two expresses duty is the necessity of acting from respect for the law .For Kant the supreme principle or law of morality which the good man must follow is the Categorical Imperative. Rational beings as far they act rationally will always be guided by ethical principles or maxims which can be adopted by everyone else without generating any contradiction. Kant further distinguishes between categorical imperative and hypothetical imperative. Kant says that categorical imperative is an unconditional directive that prescribes actions to be done because of the moral worth of the maxim and not for the sake of some consequence that may result. On the other hand hypothetical imperative is a conditional directive which advises what ought to be done if a desired goal is to be achieved for example, One ought to tell the truth as a manner of principle is a categorical imperative, whereas if you want to avoid punishment, you ought to tell the truth is a hypothetical imperative. Kants first explicit formulation of categorical imperative requires an individual to obey a maxim which can, without contradiction, be willed to be a rule for everyone. This means that the essence of morality lies in acting on the basis of an impersonal principle which is valid for everyone, including oneself. Kant conceives the categorical imperative to be a two-fold test. It requires first, that maxims for moral action be universalized without logical contradiction and second, that they be universal directives for action which do not bring the will into disharmony with itself by requiring it to will one thing for itself and another thing for others. In one of Kants formulation of categorical imperative he talks of social implications, he emphasizes that it requires us to treat every human being as an end in himself and never as merely a means to an end. In brief, we should respect all human beings impartially and avoid exploiting anyone. Ends that are ends only because they are des ired give us hypothetical imperatives; but if there is an end in itself, the imperative to seek it is independent of desire and is therefore a categorical imperative. Kant shows the basic identity of the first and second formulations of the categorical imperative. Those actions which, on the first formulation, cannot be universalized without contradiction, example committing suicide or refusing to help the needy, will be seen on the second formulation to be inconsistent with the idea of humanity as an end in itself. Having brought to light with logical rigor the implicit pre-suppositions of the common mans awareness of duty and shown it to be a universal categorical imperative, Kant gives eloquent praise to pure moral philosophy and a word of caution to those moralists who would allow reason to be corrupted by empirical considerations. References: [1] Crane Brinton. Enlightenment, Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Vol. 2, p. 519. Macmillan, 1967. [2] www.wikipedia.com [3] E. Albert, T. Denise, S. Peterfreund Great Traditions in Ethics, 4th Edition, 1980. 2. John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill was the intellectual heir of the utilitarian movement in England. Mill dedicated himself to clarifying the teachings of his father, James Mill, and those of Jeremy Bentham, who championed the utilitarian doctrine. John Mill was nurtured and mentored to be an original thinker. Mills major works include: System of Logic (1843): which is his philosophical contribution wherein he defends the inductive method of logic, showing that general laws or universal principles must be derived from empirical facts. Principles of Political Economy (1848): wherein he relates the application of Utilitarian principles to Economics. Essays on Liberty (1859) and Considerations on Representative Government (1861): are classical statements of his social and political philosophy. Essay Utilitarianism (1861): is his only explicit contribution to ethics. Autobiography and Three Essays on Religion: both of which works were published after his death. John Stuart Mill did not attempt to originate an ethical theory, but rather to defend the ethical theory to which he was born. He modified and went beyond the utilitarian doctrine as it was propounded by his father and Jeremy Bentham. Bentham based his utilitarian philosophy on the principle that the object of morality is the promotion of the greatest happiness of the maximum number of members in the society. He proceeded on the premise that the happiness of any individual consists in a favorable balance of pleasures over pains. Consequently, those actions which tend to increase pleasure are called good and those actions which tend to increase pain are called bad. For Bentham The public good ought to be the subject of the legislator: General utility ought to be the foundation of his reasonings. To know the true good of the community is what constitutes the science of legislation; the art consists in finding the means to realize that good. To implement this social and political ideal, he constructed a hedonistic calculus by means of which pleasures and pains could be measured. In this way, good and bad acts and, consequently, good and bad legislation, can be evaluated in terms of such factors as intensity, duration, extent, certainty, propinquity, fecundity purity.2 Mill restates the Bentham doctrine. In his restatement, he goes beyond Benthams contention that the essential differences among pleasures and pains are quantitative, maintaining that they are also subject to significant qualitative differentiation. Mill accepts in principle Benthams doctrine regarding the basic role of pleasure and pain in morality viz. Individual psychological hedonism: according to which the sole motive of an action is an individuals desire for happiness that is for a balance of pleasure over pain. This is primarily a descriptive doctrine since it gives an account of the actual motive of the behaviour. Universal ethical hedonism: according to which the greatest happiness of the greatest number ought to be the individuals goal and standard of conduct. This is a normative theory in that it stipulates what ought to be done. In it is a principle by which actions are evaluated in terms of their consequences irrespective of the nature of the motive. However there are gaps between Individual psychological hedonism and Universal ethical hedonism: If each individual is motivated solely by the desire of his own happiness, there is no reason to assume that his actions will at the same time always promote the interests of the society The descriptive fact that men do desire their own happiness, does not imply the normative principle that men ought to act in accordance with this desire. In order to fill the gaps and harmonize individual psychological hedonism and universal ethical hedonism Mill takes recourse to the concept of Sanctions the inducement to action which gives binding force to moral rules. In Mills system of ethics, sanctions are rooted in the hedonistic motive, i.e., moral rules are acknowledged and obeyed by virtue of anticipated pleasures or pains There are both external and internal sanctions. External sanctions are forces of reward and punishment in the universe about us which control mens actions through their fear of pain and propensity for pleasure. But Mill cautions that presence of such external sanctions is not to be taken as true sense of moral obligation. Thus ultimate moral sanction must come from within. The force of an internal action derives from the feeling of pleasure which is experienced when a moral law is obeyed and the feeling of pain which accompanies a violation of it. Thus the greatest happiness principle can be sanctioned from within. Moreover by means of this doctrine of internal sanctions, Mill is enabled to reconcile the psychological theory that everyone desires his own happiness with the moral theory that one ought to act as to serve pub lic good. Looking at Mills work in detail we see that Mill defends the utilitarian doctrine by identifying misrepresentations and clarification of the principle. He opposes those who fail to associate utility with pleasure and pain. Mill then states concisely the doctrine of utility. He says that Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness (pleasure and absence of pain), wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness or unhappiness (pain and deprivation of pleasure).He further states that pleasures vary in kind and degree and some kinds of pleasure are more desirable more valuable than others. Thus quantity quality both need to be considered when estimating pleasure. Mill relates that superiority of one kind of pleasure over another is determined by those who have experienced both kinds. Further says that among those who have experienced both prefer the pleasure of higher faculties. Mill further discounts the judgment of those who abandon higher pleasures for lower ones by explaining that they are incapable either inherently or by lack of opportunity of enjoying the higher kind. The only judges are those who have tested the spectrum of pleasures (lower higher pleasures).Mill relates the greatest happiness principle to include the difference between the quantitative and qualitative aspects of pleasure. Mill puts forward the realistic description of happiness and a suggestion for the social means of achieving it. This is a clarification to the objections to the utilitarian doctrine. Another objection Mill discounts is the claim that Utilitarian morality is incompatible with acts of personal sacrifice which are so sacred in Christian culture. Thus he concludes that each individuals happiness is equal to that of any other. The greatest happiness principle is not essential as a motive for conduct but is essential as the rule by which conduct is judged and sanctioned. Herein moral evaluation is directed to actions and to the manner in which they affect the general happiness. Having removed the major misconceptions about the principle of utility Mill proposes to investigate its ultimate sanction. Mill states that it is our feeling for humanity which provides the ultimate sanction of the principle of utility and this Mill calls the internal sanction. Regardless of whether this inner feeling or internal sanction for mankind is inborn or acquired, Mill argues that it can be a powerful force and a sound basis for utilitarian morality. Mills moving description of the origin and nature of the feeling for humanity may serve as a fitting conclusion to his exposition of the greatest happiness principle. References: [1] E. Albert, T. Denise, S. Peterfreund Great Traditions in Ethics, 4th Edition 1980. [2] www.wikipedia.com (3) Virtue Ethics Virtue ethics highlights or stresses on the basic virtues of moral character the main concept being of virtue, practical wisdom and eudaimonia. The founders of virtue ethics are Plato and Aristotle, though roots can be traced back to Greek Philosophy and the Chinese dominant approach1. Virtue ethics refers to a collection of normative ethical philosophy that place an emphasis on being rather that doing. In other words in virtue ethics morality stems from the identity or character of the individual rather than being a reflection of the actions (or consequences thereof) of the individual. There are various debates on virtue ethics however the link that connects all is that Morality comes as a result of intrinsic virtues2 VIRTUE: PLATOS IDEA Plato followed the Socratic dictum Virtue is Knowledge. Platos thesis was that life of reason is the happiest best. This means that knowledge produces a harmonious man in the sense that when reason governs desires passions, a well balanced organized personality results. Such a person is a rational man who is the virtuous man and the happy man. For Plato a morally virtuous man is one who is in Rational, Emotional and Biological balance . In Platonic terms a virtuous man is one who is wise, temperate, courageous and just. In a virtuous man desires or passions function harmoniously under the governance of reason. Such a man sets his own inner life is his own master and is at peace with himself. Platos answer to what is a Good Life is that a life of reasoning is the best life. He has written in the Republic It is better to be unborn than untaught: for ignorance is the root of misfortune.3 For Plato: A man of knowledge is the virtuous man Life of reason(knowledge ) is the best life Ultimate knowledge on which moral virtue is based is the knowledge of the Good. By achievement of justice ,temperance and wisdom the whole soul becomes perfect and noble VIRTUE: ARISTOTLES IDEA Aristotles theory is that everyone wants to live the good life, the happy life. The term used for happiness is Eudaimonia. By happiness Aristotle seems to mean well being the fulfillment of our distinctive functions. Aristotle says that Eudaimonia is the highest good because it is sought for its own sake and nothing else that is justice is sought because it leads to good life. According to Aristotle the best way to achieve happiness (Eudaimonia) was to inculcate and exhibit those qualities that are most productive to live in a society. He states that extremes of character are not good. For Aristotle Virtue lies in the Golden Mean that is the right balance between the two extremes. He has called each of the extremes Vice and the mean Virtue4. Exceptions to the Rule: Not everything has a means No means for murder or theft Thus following Aristotles thought every person should develop his own character by inculcating habit of virtue. Thereafter good actions will become a habit e.g. a good person will take good decisions. This goodness shall then ripple to the society coming generations from their elders since virtue is taught by example rather than set of rules. The virtues identified by Aristotle are of 2 types: Moral Virtues: The habitual choice of actions in accordance with rational principles. Intellectual Virtues: The contemplation of theoretical truths and the discovery of rational principles which ought to control everyday actions. The first set of virtues is developed by habits the second by training and education. According to Aristotle we are not born with virtues that are we are inherently good or bad, we learn by inculcating habits having role models of virtuous people.4 Thus according to Aristotle A life of reason is the best and most pleasant and this life is also the happiest one. Happiness thus depends on actualization of ones rationality. A virtuous man lives according to reason thus realizing his distinct potentiality.

An Introduction To Toyota Motor Corporation Marketing Essay

An Introduction To Toyota Motor Corporation Marketing Essay In 1933 company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda. In 1934 department of Toyota industries manufactured first product the product called Type A engine and its first passenger car AA in 1936. Toyota bought some other companies also and own and operates Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu and Hino Motors and shareholdings in Fuji heavy industry, Isuzu, Yamaha, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. All these and some other in total includes around 522 subsidiaries. Toyota is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi and in Tokyo. Instead of automobile Toyota also provides financial services through its division Toyota Financial Services and also builds robots for different industries. Toyota Motor Corporation its financial services and Toyota Industries all together form the bulk of the Toyota Group and one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Toyota is worldwide famous and well known company because of their high quality manufactured cars, Toyota is doing very well and growing very fast globally they have their operations, manufacturing facilities and valuable loyal customers all over the world. The new technology Hybird in Toyota cars gave a new pride to Toyota and the sales of Toyota going up day by day. In last few years Toyota became number one in automotive industry and became a number one in mostly selling their cars worldwide. Below chart shows the figures of manufactured cars in 2008 and the chart is showing other companies production also. In 2008 Toyota overtook GM and automotive industry announced Toyota the world biggest carmaker. But after that complains started arising and more customers stated blaming about the quality controls because of their rapid expansion. Due to the rapid expansion they recalled more than eight million cars in year 2009 the brake and accelerator defects and bearing, defending their selves against 98 lawsuits due to the deaths, injuries and damages happened to customer who were using their cars. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8626668.stm Toyota products were in high demand worldwide and they had a time when they felt they might not be able to meet the demand of customers but they were selling as normal routine and increase the production with huge volumes and increase the manufacturing speed. Contacted and started working with more suppliers for different parts which they are use to buy from different suppliers. Toyota Executives and Mr. Akio Toyoda had a strong feeling that working with new and more suppliers might give a bad impact for their quality and they might not be able to control well. They had very busy and high demand for their cars instead of finding good solution to cope this situation they didnt go for more alternatives like booking, reservation for cars instead of doing this they gave focus on rapid expansion. Rapid expansion met the demand of customers but on the other hand gradually they started receiving complains from their customers. In one period they were aware of the problem but they didnt recover it and took it easy which later returned back as a big problem for Toyota and did huge quantity recalls which cost a lot. Rapid expansion helped but put them in big problem also they lost the quality control and the spare parts purchased from different suppliers were the big problem also. They have basically three types of suppliers: Tier One Suppliers Tier Two Suppliers Tier Three Suppliers The car makers manufacturing system is known as Original Equipment Manufacturers, or OEM. After OEM system then they reply on Tier One Suppliers, Tier Two Suppliers and finally Tier Three Suppliers. Tier one supplier such as Bosch, Denso, Continental, Delphi, Valeo and Tenneco. These companies deliver big integrated system directly to the OEM. Tier two suppliers provides individual products to Tier one or directly to OEM. Tier three supplier make single products and deliver to Tier two suppliers. Due to the high demand of products the supplier did big mistakes and put Toyota in big problems. The unintended acceleration was problem happened because of the Tier Two Supplier. In Tier one supplier category they have few suppliers and they never faced any problem while working with them. But on Tier Two and Tier Three they have thousands of suppliers around the world which is quite hard for Toyota to control closely to all of them. OEM working smoothly closely with Tier One Suppliers but facing many problems with their thousands of Tier Two Suppliers and Tier Three Suppliers. These problems are increasing and they are losing market grip and the customers trust because of these kinds of inefficiencies and less quality control standards. Toyota Lean Production System Lean Production/Manufacturing Lean production is a model followed very well by Toyota which helped a lot to improve their working conditions and helped them to save time and money. The main concept behind this word lean is more outputs against less input in less time. The main sources of this less input are money, work force, working space, inventory and time. These wastes needs to be eliminated, in other words lean production means to minimize the waste and make easy, simple steps and speed up the working results. Toyota Production system called as lean manufacturing also because they introduced and worked on this concept of saving extra wastages. The system eliminates the overproduction, waste, useless transportation, inventory, motion, defective goods, over processing, waiting and implementation of the concepts like continuous flow and customer pull. The major areas which are very considerable and main causes are: Quality Delivery Safety Costs Morale Diagram showing components of Lean Production System Advantages of Lean Production Lean manufacturing helped Toyota to achieve many targets with the help of this system they achieved many benefits which helped them to save money, time and work force and many other factors also that indirectly strengthen the company and help their market share grow worldwide significantly. Within few years the lean production helped them to reduce wastages by around 80% which is very high for this type of big company, production costs were reduced by 50 percent and manufacturing cycle time decreased by around 50 percent also. Inventory reduction reduced significantly which helped them to save space for storing and work force decreased by 50 percent also. These reductions encourage them to increase facilities for employees and customers, improved the working environment. Friendly, comfortable working environment encourage employees and it helped to have higher quality and higher profits. They achieved many benefits through great system flexibility, more focus and good flow of shipping and billing frequencies. Below mentioned chart illustrates very clearly the different between the traditional manufacturing system and lean manufacturing system. Production system of 20th century was recognized as a mass production system of Toyota and lean production system is taken as 21st century production system. Toyota Production System (TPS) TPS based on 7 basic principles which really helped them to have good approach to meet the demand and in a good satisfied manner. The principles they followed tried their best to reduce setup time and to have better quality focused on small lot productions. Encourage and involved employees gave them job security and rights to involve and give full participation and their thoughts for improvements, quality increment and maintained the equipments with great new changes. Involvement of suppliers of all three types and the pull production is a part of those 7 basic TPS principles. http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/lean_production_main.html Toyota Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management Any company manufacture products and at the same time buy products from different suppliers and then these products sold to their customers, this procedure called supply chain. Supply chains are simple and difficult too depends on the company size and the products produced by them. There are some elements involved in supply chain which are customer, purchasing, planning, transportation, production and inventory. Those people who manage all these procedures involved in this case known as supply chain management. To make it sure that supply chain operating are efficient and producing high level of customer satisfaction and trust at low costs, companies adopted supply chain management technology and processes. The three basic activities involved which company follows which are: Operational Tactical Strategic To make it quicker companies bought and use special technology software which helps to have quicker information between customers and suppliers. ERP, SAP and Oracle are mostly used to give and take latest updates. http://logistics.about.com/od/supplychainintroduction/a/into_scm.htm http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071615490 All major automotive companies use supply chain management and lean production system. The rapid expansion gave big impact on its supply chain, when the requirement to expand the supply chain it meant they need to work with many unfamiliar and new suppliers who was not aware and dont had deep understanding of the culture of Toyota. In 2008 Toyota used parts which were not completely controlled and the chain didnt focus that much because of the rapid expansion and high demand. http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15576506 The company did a big mistake too highly depending on the supplier which are outside Japan, it would be better to have few suppliers and near and in approachable market where they can control easily. Toyota needs to have closer monitoring on supply base especially for tier two and tier three supplier. Due to the rapid expansion the supply chain also disturbed because of many reasons, its hard to work with new supplier suddenly and who are not aware well to our company structure and culture. http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=14131 Success Lean production system, supply chain management and the concept of product life cycle which is well followed by Toyota helped Toyota to reach the highest level in automotive industry. Other inspirations within organization also make a big contribution like an internal blog, rewards, hold creativity and ideology sessions, give positive feedback and respond to suggestions, celebrate on success, encourage risks celebrate failures too, use of mind maps, mix up work teams, understand consumer behaviour and innovation links to Jobs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4015831.stm http://videos.cnet.co.uk/39042972.htm Recommendations Toyota OEM is working closely to their Tier One Supplier and having good results, few suppliers come under Tier one category they have long term relations and never faced any problem regarding quality or other related issues. But Toyota has faced many issues and still facing and having problems with their Tier two suppliers and tier three suppliers. During rapid expansion they increased the quantity of suppliers and they were not aware completely about Toyota cultures and Toyota even could not check and focused that well on their supplies. They did a big mistake to reply on new and thousands of suppliers in Tier one and Tier two categories and other big mistake was they replied on those suppliers which are outside Japan. I would say it would be great if they take extra time for deliveries give more attention on lean and supply chain. Try to decrease the number of tier two and tier three suppliers try to list them and have few which are according to the Toyota standards. Give more focus on quality controls and the team must make sure there will be no space for recall after handover the vehicles to the customers. Chapter 3: Conclusion In short Toyota is doing well in the market and going at the highest level of their successes. Enjoying being number one in the automotive industry, ranks number one in highest units selling cars worldwide. Regularly struggles and keeps trying bringing innovation to their products helped them to be number one innovative company in the world. Toyota Prius Hybrid innovation gave more value to Toyota Corporation, after introducing Prius I and II finally they introduced new Prius III with many more facilities and functions for drivers to enjoy the journey and daily life on road while travelling to jobs, offices etc. Overall if you see they are doing well but from 2008 after rapid expansion and when they took over GM after that they started facing issues and complain. They are trying their best to cope and tackle this hard time, recalling all vehicles which parts are needed to exchange and working to get quality promised parts form their tier two and tier three suppliers. List of Sources Internet: Manchester Business School [Online] (Cited 24 November 2009) Available from Paggu [Online] (Cited 28 November 2009) Available from Exeter Business School [Online] (Cited 27 November 2009) Available from Yo Goy [Online] (Cited 27 November 2009) Available from Automative Industry [Online] (Cited 22 November 2009) Available from London Government Uk [Online] (Cited 2 December 2009) Available from Working Knowledge [Online] (Cited 2 December 2009) Available from MSN Autos [Online] (Cited 30 November 2009) Available from http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071615490> All Hybrid Cars [Online] (Cited 27 November 2009) Available from BBC News [Online] (Cited 26 November 2009) Available from CNET [Online] (Cited 27 November 2009) Available from Toyota [Online] (Cited 29 November 2009) Available from http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/03/dont_believe_everything_you_re.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-DAILY_ALERT-_-AWEBER-_-DATE Literature: E Ghaziri, H.M (2003) Knowledge Mangement (5th Edition). Prentice Hall Harvard Business Review on Innovation. Harvard Business School Press Joe Tidd and John Bessant, (2009) Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological,(4th Edition) Market and Organizational Change by Paperback April 2009. Semsar, E. (2009),Strategic Innovation Marketing 21 January 2009, London Chris Freeman Luc Soete (2005), The Economics of Industrial Innovation Chapter 8, page 197 to 204.

Proposal for the Installation of Emergency Telephones On Highways in Connecticut :: Proposal Paper

Proposal for the Installation of Emergency Telephones On Highways in Connecticut Introduction I propose to install emergency telephones along Connecticut highways. Connecticut highways do not provide immediate help for emergencies. Daily, there is a 50/50 change of an accident or emergency happening. There are 45 and up to 70 emergencies in the Greater Hartford area alone. Proposal This report proposes that emergency telephones be installed on Connecticut highways. They would offer efficient ways to get help immediately for emergency situations and also would decrease the chances of crime that may occur while people have to wait for help. Benefits The following is a list of advantages Connecticut drivers would have along our highways when there is an emergency: It would be possible to get efficient help if there is an emergency. You would not have to wait for someone to stop or a police cruiser to come along. You will not have to walk miles before you get to a gas station or pay phone for help. Senior citizens and handicapped people would not have to do either 2 or 3. The chances of a crime happening will be decreased greatly. CURRENT SITUATION Connecticut Highways Connecticut highways do not provide efficient or accessible ways to get help immediately. There are between 45 and 60 emergencies in the Greater Hartford area that require roadside assistance. Usually, those people are helped by the state police, which are usually efficient, but emergency telephones would help greatly. Increasing Crimes Crime in the Greater Hartford area has risen 70% since 1988 and is still rising. Many times it may be dangerous to get stuck on certain parts of our highways. Emergency Illness If there were an emergency illness of some sort, the victim would no doubt suffer a while before help would arrive. What would happen if someone was having a heart attack? Weather Conditions We also have to consider bad weather conditions. It is almost impossible for a senior citizen or handicapped person to walk to a gas station or pay phone for help in a snow storm. PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE Installing Emergency Telephones Installing emergency telephones will create safer driving along our highways. Whenever there is an immediate emergency, help will not be far away. Senior Citizens and Handicapped People Senior citizens and handicapped people would have a better chance of getting help whenever they need it. It will not be as difficult for them as it is now. Eliminate Chances for Crime Emergency telephones would also lessen the opportunities for criminals to prey upon the disabled.

The Effects of Symbols In Tobias Wolffs Say Yes Essay -- Tobias Wolff

The Effects of Symbols In Tobias Wolff's "Say Yes"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author of the short story "Say Yes," Tobias Wolff, uses a number of symbols to express his different views on racism throughout the story. Wolff uses this literary device to express a message to his readers. Symbols, something representing something else by association resemblance or convention, are used efficiently in this short story. Wolff uses colors to symbolize a hatred for an alternative race in this short story. The husband more than once makes reference to dark colors which shows the reader that the husband sees this world in black and white. The husband sees the world as good vs. evil, white vs. black society. Furthermore, the reference to color in the short story ?Say Yes?, symbolizes the husbands strong dislike for African Americans. Wolff symbolize the husbands strong dislike for African Americans when the husband states, ?The water had gone a flat gray? (Wolff 518). To some this statement might not mean much. Wolff?s decision to make reference to dark colors symbolizes the characters dislike for an alternative race. The choice of dark colors shows it is one of the African American race. The husband made reference to colors briefly after he and his wife started discussing differences over the idea of interracial relationships. The heated argument caused the wife to clean the dishes poorly resulting in dirty dishes. The husband threw the dishes back into the sink and the water se...

Language and Imagery in Punching Out Essay example -- Punching Out Ess

Language and Imagery in Punching Out In the critical praise for the poetry of Jim Daniels which fills the back cover of the anthology, Peter Stitt of the New York Times praises Daniels’s ability to "articulate the feelings of inarticulate people," in his clear and often creative free verse style. But the culture which Daniels illuminates in his poetry is far from inarticulate, as the critic indicates; more precisely the culture articulates its feelings and emotions in a vernacular unfamiliar to those outside it and to those accustomed to the eloquence and expression of loftier themes in traditional poetry. Daniels simply distills the essence of these feelings through a gesture, a thought, an image or a scene more adroitly than the blue collar workers which surround him, using poetry to meet the hardships, hopes and concerns of this culture on its own terms. Throughout the poems contained in Punching Out, Daniels creatively manipulates the poetic devices of imagery, allusions, language and rhythm to vividly portra y the oppressive environment of the factory and the demoralizing effects of the repetitive labor on its workers. One image which Daniels frequently co-opts to highlight Fords’ ironic approach to its workers is the manufacturer’s slogan. Quality appears to be job one in Daniels’s portrayal so long as it does not impede on the bottom line. Buying a cheap radio from a merchant who assures him that he is purchasing "Quality Merchandise", (author’s italics) the author curses the mal-functioning machine, remarking to himself that he should "know all about quality by how." The shrewdly placed slash in the title of "Quality/Control", again highlights the company’s ambivalent stance on quality versus profits. In the poem,... ...over portrays the utopian vision of a fresco by Diego Rivera showing all type of workers, black and white, young and old working together for the common cause of the auto industry. Jim Daniels’s more disturbing vision shows that the industry’s real leveling effect comes not from some Socialist Unity of the workers of the world, but by stripping every worker equally of his or her human dignity. Daniels is able to capture, by the simplest of gestures and stories, the desperation of the auto workers’ lot. In "Old Green, he tells of the worker retiring after nearly half a century of dedication to the company, given an aerial photo of factory. "As hard as you look you’ll never find him," notes Daniels, and all of his poetry eloquently reflects this plight of the worker. Works Cited Daniels, Jim. Punching Out. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990. Â   Â   Language and Imagery in Punching Out Essay example -- Punching Out Ess Language and Imagery in Punching Out In the critical praise for the poetry of Jim Daniels which fills the back cover of the anthology, Peter Stitt of the New York Times praises Daniels’s ability to "articulate the feelings of inarticulate people," in his clear and often creative free verse style. But the culture which Daniels illuminates in his poetry is far from inarticulate, as the critic indicates; more precisely the culture articulates its feelings and emotions in a vernacular unfamiliar to those outside it and to those accustomed to the eloquence and expression of loftier themes in traditional poetry. Daniels simply distills the essence of these feelings through a gesture, a thought, an image or a scene more adroitly than the blue collar workers which surround him, using poetry to meet the hardships, hopes and concerns of this culture on its own terms. Throughout the poems contained in Punching Out, Daniels creatively manipulates the poetic devices of imagery, allusions, language and rhythm to vividly portra y the oppressive environment of the factory and the demoralizing effects of the repetitive labor on its workers. One image which Daniels frequently co-opts to highlight Fords’ ironic approach to its workers is the manufacturer’s slogan. Quality appears to be job one in Daniels’s portrayal so long as it does not impede on the bottom line. Buying a cheap radio from a merchant who assures him that he is purchasing "Quality Merchandise", (author’s italics) the author curses the mal-functioning machine, remarking to himself that he should "know all about quality by how." The shrewdly placed slash in the title of "Quality/Control", again highlights the company’s ambivalent stance on quality versus profits. In the poem,... ...over portrays the utopian vision of a fresco by Diego Rivera showing all type of workers, black and white, young and old working together for the common cause of the auto industry. Jim Daniels’s more disturbing vision shows that the industry’s real leveling effect comes not from some Socialist Unity of the workers of the world, but by stripping every worker equally of his or her human dignity. Daniels is able to capture, by the simplest of gestures and stories, the desperation of the auto workers’ lot. In "Old Green, he tells of the worker retiring after nearly half a century of dedication to the company, given an aerial photo of factory. "As hard as you look you’ll never find him," notes Daniels, and all of his poetry eloquently reflects this plight of the worker. Works Cited Daniels, Jim. Punching Out. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990. Â   Â  

Giant Pool of Money

In the story presented on the thematically. Org describes the process and the behavior patterns of parties involved. Mike Francis, Moody, and Standard and Poor represent the lending or investors side. When Mike Francis devised the mortgage backed securities which gave birth to Cods Investors jumped onto these securities based on AAA ratings given to these securities by rating agencies such as Moody, and Standard and Poor. These rating agencies did collect lot of data which were barely few years old. They did not have enough relevant and good quality data and collected data was simply to enough.These rating agencies used their preexisting theory – houses don't lose value In America – to Interpret the evidences that the performance of these securities were AAA (Heath, et al. 1998). Individuals use their preexisting theories to Interpret the evidence (Heath, et al. 1998) is a bias which played a major role here. The investors from the global pool of money jumped in with al l guns for these securities. As demand grew more and more these mortgages were bought and more and more securities were created to investors. The entire process showed a confirmation bias.People who took risky adjustable loans to buy houses which they really could not afford were essentially following other people. Since most of the people were buying houses by taking these loans, it made sense for other to replicate the act. Calling explains, In his book Influence Since and Practice (5th edition), this behavior as â€Å"the principle of social proof†. This principle states that we determine what Is correct by finding out what other people this Is correct (Lund et al. , 2007). Before 2000 most of people with low Income and low credit score were not able to afford buying the kind f house they bought during the period after 2000.In the radio program â€Å"Giant Pool of Money†, case of Clarence Nathan is presented. Clarence works 3 jobs, did not made good income and had b ad credit rating. â€Å"l wouldn't lend to myself† said Clarence. Even then he took the loan because everyone else was talking these kinds of loans and in fact the loan was made available to him. Even the behavior of investors, banks, and Wall Street followed the same pattern. Early on, investment banks were not interested in risky mortgages but when one bank started buying hose supreme mortgages others Jumped in. It was acceptable to invest in supreme mortgages.