Effectiveness of HRD Programs (Public and Privet sector) in Oman Dissertation

Effectiveness of HRD Programs (Public and Privet sector) in Oman - Dissertation Example Sadly though, there has not been an effective way of measuring the impact of human resource development in Oman. Once this continuous, it becomes very difficult to tell whether or not human resource management in its entirety is effective in the country. Research Questions 1. How well are companies in the private and public in Oman adhering to human resource management practices as outlined for Gulf Cooperation Council countries? 2. How has human resource managers in various private and public institutions instituted the use of technology in the development of the skills, knowledge and abilities of their human resource? 3. How has the present state of human resource development impacted on employee turnover and employee performance? 4. What systematic plans are needed in the human resource development agenda to ensure effectiveness? Aims and Objectives The overall aim of the study is to identify the effectiveness of human resource development in the private and public sectors of Oman . To achieve this overall goal, the following specific objectives will be targeted so that the collective achievement of the objectives will constitute the singular achievement of the research aim (quote). 1. ... 4. To identify new systematic planners needed to lead the pace in what may be termed the new face of human resource development. General Methodology The present research follows the qualitative research method. This means that the researcher is going to dwell on the use of personalised and focused system of data collection rather than the use of numeric indexes that makes the use of complex mathematical calculations and presentations (quote). The need for the qualitative method emanates from the structure of the research questions and specific objectives, most of which are structured with inductive focus. A major advantage that will come with the qualitative method is that the researcher shall have the opportunity of widening the scope of data collection by using not just primary data but secondary data as well (quote). Data Collection Mechanisms In relation to the use the qualitative research method, the data collection mechanism is going to be selected on a basis that shall allow f or the collection of subjective inductive data (quote). In line with this, a structured interview is going to be used in the data collection process whereby open ended questions are going to be posed to respondents. These open ended questions are the type of questions that do not limit respondents on the selection of specified answers but gives them the freedom to undertake thorough analysis of questions (quote). Research Justification Significance of the Study The significance of the study is one that can be termed to be multivariate. This is because the significance of the study cuts across several sectors and involves a lot of people. For instance, by the end of the study, it is expected that human resource

Discussion about the Play “A Raisin in the Sun” Essay Example for Free

Discussion about the Play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† Essay If the dreams between people clashed in a way that their desires are going towards different unparallel directions, will it be a significant factor that can suggest that the dream will no longer be achieved? Or will it remain to be a matter of what to do and dependent with the ability to adapt with all the situations – To create a new one or to stay as a victim of the failure that happened? Moreover, it can be the test of whether the dream will be created by a person or the situations like failures will create the dreamers. Either way, it is up to the dreamer which one he will allow to happen. The play A Raisin in the Sun portrayed a family bound with dreams, subjected for possibility and risks of failures and tended to stand up once again to bound themselves again with different dreams and start all over. Situations had become too oppressive that they found themselves sometimes, in the midst of dilemmas that are more likely to be considered as lack of options. Each members of the family has repressed wish that distinguished their character from another. In a way, this is the typical American family with their economical and social structure and reacting normally with the involvement of the other big factor that made the twist of the story – the factor of Money. With the flow of the story, the struggles the family had in dealing with their situations after the death of the father caused them to create the ideal situations in their head of what needs to be done. There remained their intentions to have better life for their family and better life for themselves individually. This later tested their grasp with their family ties. With the individual conception of what is good, what can only go wrong is the inability to be in alignment of what you wanted with what other family members wanted. It can also become a consequent question of whether you hold fast to your dreams or hold on to the bigger picture of what needs to be done as part of the family (Mintz and Kellogg 38). The characters of the play supplied the dreamers role and collectively, a set of contrasting roles carrying ideas and subjects. Set in mid 1800’s, the story was centered in the dreams of the Younger Family and clashes with prejudices that the characters had as they strive to have a better position in their community as a whole. Perspective to be used in the Analysis There are schools of thoughts that are highly applicable with the study of the family being portrayed in this play written by Lorraine Hansberry: first, we can see it in the perspective using functionalism or second, it can be through interactionism. Later, this will be used to reveal how the dreams are being formed and what the motivations that determined the creation of these dreams are. These are the schools that traced the families in America with their way of being developed, managed and designed. The material variable in the family structure can be seen through the role they are playing and be analyzed objectively. Also, we can also see it from the perspective of an interactionist who is primarily concerned with the way the people are acting in response to other people or situations. Yes, these schools have difference with the primary objects of their concern, but essentially they contribute with the thorough understanding with the functions and interactions aspect of a family (Hamilton 47). It can give us the ideas of where the dreams of the characters in the story are actually directed. The Dreamers, their Motivations, and the Clash It all started with Ten Thousand Dollars. The characters of the play provided the audiences with the humanistic range of possible thought process that can be derived from a single source of stimulus. There was an emphasis given earlier with the role of Money in this story for this is the stimulus that moved the characters to make their stand. The money pertains to the $10,000 insurance amount that Lena Younger, the maternal character not just a mother figure, got after her husband passed away. Lena is also called Mama in the story and she possessed the maternal qualities that exhibit a picture of a loving, caring, and understanding woman. Such a woman only has one goal in life – To make her children happy or happier with all of her ability. The material figure that conveyed this goal of Mama is the house that she bought for $3,000. It symbolizes the unity, stability, and economical status that she believes to be important for her family (Morrin and Hansberry 35-38). The picture of the house portrayed the whole dream of Lena. It extends from the social ground of its manifestation to the subtle emotion a mother could possibly feel. This dream clashes with her son’s concerns. Walter, the son, has concerns about the Money that can be categorized as the dream for continuous economic stability of the family. When it comes with the nature of his character, he can be the figure that represents masculine authority of the story. He supplied the protagonist role but with his racial prejudices paired with his conflicts while performing both role of a son and a husband makes him supply his own contrast as an antagonist. Walter became not excited about the house bought by Mama. He has ulterior motives for the money and had a clear image in his mind on what to do with the money. For quite a long time, he has a dream of participating in a business involved in Liquor products (Morrin and Hansberry 47). As a masculine role, the story puts more authority in Walter’s hand as he got the control over the Insurance money and managed it. Lena put his trust on Walter and this shows how Lena is more than willing to give whatever her child wants. Though this doesn’t show any touch of negligence in her part. The acquisition process of the dream in this context doesn’t have any conflict yet. The conflict happened with the aftermath of the decision that placed Walter in the position of higher authority with the Money. The first clash of dream is done with the two given characters and the structure of both dreams must be observed carefully. We can notice the function of money ranges from how it fueled the quest for the dream to the conflict the two characters had. The conflict didn’t last since one of these two dreams was restructured. Lena, whose dream is to provide what her children wanted still managed to achieve it in a way by fueling Walter’s procedure of achieving his dream. There was a conflict because the functions of the house Lena bought don’t go with the alignment of Walter’s dream. It was settled because Lena followed that alignment as a response without violating her desires that is basically structured solely for the happiness of her children. The other child of Lena is Beneatha, the twenty year old woman, who had dream of being a physician. She is considered as intellectual and also an ambitious college student and required Money for the matriculation of the course. The conflicts Beneatha had are related to the money she required for her education and this is directed to Walter who has the control over it. Her sole dream of becoming a doctor will be compromised without the money. She got mad at Walter when she learned that Walter did not put any amount for her study. It seems like a big turnaround from all of her aspirations and she went depressed. This clash is apparently hard for Beneatha since, if money is the fuel for her actions in making her dreams realized, then it is a big contrast to have none of it. Her dream almost vanished. How did she turn out to continue seeing hoe despite of what happened? There is another character named Asagai who became the voice of realization. He made Beneatha realized the key thing about this vision of the dream she formed in her head. The dream had already been in her thoughts even prior to the death of his father, so it means that equating money to her dream is a big nuisance. It would be similar to the terrible equation of his father’s death hand in hand with the money. This showed that there remained to be ways on how it could be fulfilled without that so-called fuel of money. It can be money coming from different source instead. Beneatha realized this important thing, found her hope, continued dreaming. With the structure of their dreams, it is apparent that money equates house, then money equates liquor store and finally, money equated matriculation. With its many form, money remained to be the prime motivation that was shown in the play. The big question would be, along this clash of dreams, for how long can money control or determine the actions of the characters? On the mid part of the play, Walter was betrayed by his business partner leaving him with no money. There came the confrontations with Walter and the other characters especially with his wife, Ruth, who was also driven by dreams of having financial stability. It made them start from the scratch and all realizations that they need were established. Money is just a motivation but never a determinant of the quality of life that a harmonious family could have. Moreover, the dreams are manifestations that we are living while seeking whatever we want out of life. Money is not much important although, yes, it rates reasonably as oxygen. Lorraine Hansberry’s approach in tackling the concept of American dream showed that Money can either be seen as a fuel or an obstacle. The dreams that we have though is a picture of what we can do. At the same time as what we can see in the play is the motivation that money can give us but it doesn’t match the quality of motivation that important people can give. Works Cited Hamilton, Peter. Reconsidering Blummer’s Corrective Against the excess of Functionalism. Talcott Parsons: critical assessments. 4 (1992), 47-49 Mintz, Steven and Kellogg, Susan. Domestic revolutions: a social history of American family life. New York: The Free Press, 1988 Morrin, Maxine and Hansberry, Lorraine. A raisin in the sun. USA: Research and Education Association, 1994.

Imagine you have been asked to direct J.B. Priestley’s “An Inspector :: Drama

Imagine you have been asked to direct J.B. Priestley’s â€Å"An Inspector Calls† what Instructions would you give to the actor playing the part of Mr Arthur Birling At the opening of the play, Priestley presents a typical Edwardian middle class business family. The arrogance and pomposity of the Birlings is clear immediately as Priestley remarks, â€Å"they are all feeling rather pleased with themselves.† As the audience are introduced to the play the Birlings are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. Mr Birling is a successful businessman who has been active in local politics and has had the honour of being Lord Mayor. He is a magistrate and has hopes of being given a knighthood which will make him socially closer to Sir George and Lady Croft, the parents of his future son in law, Gerald Croft. Mr Birling is self confident, but his more humble upbringing makes him â€Å"social outcast† and he enters the group of â€Å"noveau riche† the new rich. The way he speaks shows him up; he is not a highly intellectual man of upper-class grace, but a man who still speaks with limited interests and narrow-minded views. Mr Birling is the man of the house, and in the setting of the play, 1912, it was a patriarchal society, where men had more power and were considered more important than women, as even Mrs Birling accepts, â€Å"when your married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.† Mr Birling is a bully, he rules by intimidation and self importance. Mr Birling will be dressed appropriately for his daughter’s engagement, wearing an expensive tailor-made suit with tie, or a dinner jacket with bow tie. Mr Birling represents the older generation, where he cannot accept responsibility for mistakes he has done. It is a huge failing in him, and ends up in attempting to cover himself up. His weakness makes him appear desperate and foolish, and gives the Inspector the advantage of having Mr Birling cornered, â€Å"Look Inspector-I’d give thousands-yes, thousands-.â€Å" The Inspector has broken him, he has the call of the questions. The opening of the curtains starts with ironically with Mr Birling speaking in his very loud abrasive manor, â€Å"Giving us the port, Edna? That’s right. You ought to like this port, Gerald. As a matter of fact, Finchley told me it’s exactly the same port your father gets from him.† The atmosphere on stage at this point in the play, is very cheerful and light spirited, they are all celebrating the engagement of Gerald and Sheila, a very serene and joyous occasion.

Business Research Methodology & Quantitative Statistics Essay

The nature of business breed conflicts, obstacles and problems to discover, study and overcome. Every business has problems. They may be small or big problems in small businesses or global corporations, but they are still problems and all require attention. These businesses must address problems by identifying, analyzing and ultimately establishing their own research-based decisions and pursue actions for solutions to the problems. Business supervisors, managers and virtually all realms of leadership are constantly studying and analyzing such business issues. Organizational leadership is intimately involved in different forms of Business Research while they are addressing issues in their decision making processes towards their own business environment for the good of the company. The purpose of this paper is to apply a critical evaluation of the California InterContinental University (CalU) GRC 605, Mini Project for week one in the Business Research Methodology & Quantitative Statistics course (CalU, 2012). This paper will address the importance of business managers embracing the concept that research initiatives are vital to achieve and maintain a competitive business advantage. Discussion in this paper includes general and specific definitions of good and bad forms or research. Finally, this paper will explain the Research Process and provide relevant examples. Explain the Importance of Research The saying goes that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. The business leadership may be highly educated and accomplished in their specific industry. However, failure to keep up with business research in the industry they are operating in may result in missed opportunities to increase or even maintain optimum company revenue. Knowledge of business research resources allows business managers to be aware of successes and failures in their industry and can prevent making the same mistakes and enhance the propensity for success. Trends, processes, failures, successes and best practices in their business arena are all salient business insights research may provide. Savvy business managers have a healthy understanding of the virtues of business research and the Research Methods. Training in business research and research methods helps managers become cognizant of the complex nature of business situations. Bougie and Sekaran (2009) suggest the value of research training also enables manager to see through and reject overly simplistic answers to complex issues. Successful business managers study the pros and cons of all potential courses of action before making decisions. They will pursue targeted reviews of other Like-Industry Research findings, which assist these business Decision Makers (DM) in determining if research other than their own Primary findings may be of value as a form of positive or negative implementation for an internal evaluation process and business strategy. Accomplished DMs recognize the importance of Knowledge of Research tools and Methodology in the decision making process. Therefore, successful business DMs pursue the knowledge of research to better control, predict and understand events in their environments to make informed managemen t decisions (Bougie & Sekaran, 2009). Define â€Å"Good† Research Bougie & Sekaran (2009) emphasize the business industry recognized Good Research methods as those, which focus DMs on the multitude of variables in a business problem. Good research follows a focal point on the multi-causality and multi-finality of a given business event to assist in avoiding uninformed, simplistic thoughts of one variable causing another. Successful DMs acknowledge professional research project results originating from their own organizations primary research resources will aide them in the essential action plans with known propensities of success in their decisions. Good research is a bottom-line essential decision-making tool for DMs use (Gorelick, 1993). Good business research involves the use of scientific inquiry into a specific problem, which demands a sound solution for the DMs consideration. Good research requires a logical, step-by-step methodology that is both purposeful and rigorous to ensure a valid end-product. The scientific investigation process and DMs conclusions are essential aspects of an effective problem-solving course of action. Codes of conduct or business research ethics are paramount to the validation of good business research. Data collection, analysis, reporting and dissemination are all salient aspects of good research products, which must be conducted under business research ethical standards recognized in journals and professional publications devoted to the issue of business research ethics. Ethical issues must be addressed with industry standards and superintendence by industry watchdogs for the conduct of business research (Bougie & Sekaran, 2009). Explain the Research Process with Examples Bougie & Sekaran (2009) advance the Hypothetico-deductive research business research model. This Scientific Research method provides a systematic approach for basic and managerial problem solving through a seven-step process. The first step identifies a broad problem area such as a business’s drop in sales, which prompt the DM to initiate the business research project. The second step addresses a general objective of the business research with a well-defined problem statement. This step includes gathering preliminary information through interviews on topics intimately associated with the business environment or conducting a literature review to determine the extent to which the business problem has been exploited. The third step develops a hypothesis by fleshing out, identifying and testing probable variables that are causing the problem, and with gathered information, a prediction is made. A hypothesis follows the frame of an IF/THEN proposal. The primary trait of a hypothesis is that something can be tested and that those tests can be replicated (Zimmerman, 2012). An example of a hypothesis to the problem statement of declining sales may include overpricing as the reason why the business sales are dropping. Determining measures for testing the hypothesis is the fourth step in the business research process. Variables must be measurable or the hypothesis is not testable. The fifth, sixth and seventh steps in the business research method includes; data collection, data analysis and data interpretation. These include selecting the best method for gathering the data, analysis the gathered data to test the hypothesis and finally study the results of the business research project to determine if the hypothesis was correct or refinement of theories and testing is prudent. DMs can then take the results and determine management business decision courses of action (Bougie & Sekaran, 2009). Conclusion Business research is an essential tool that equips organizational leadership with the knowledge that guides informed decisions, grounded in the scientific process to address the business problems. Being educated in the research method process is a hallmark of a modern, successful, professional business manager. Knowing and believing that business problems have problem-solving processes, allow these business managers to proactively identify business problems and address them with strategies to overcome dilemmas before they reach a critical point. Today’s DMs turn to professional business research journals to study problems other industry competitors faced. That along with employing successful business practices, or best methods other industry organizations have used, may work to avoid problems in their own situation. A major factor for the business manager’s consideration is deciphering both good business research project reports and those not validated through the scientific method. In such, leaders may make calculated business decisions with full knowledge of all the risks and advantages involved. Their research knowledge provides sound insight of foreseeable probabilities resulting from the decision – eyes wide open. Further, a well-read, well-trained business manager is savvy to internal and external vested interests that may attempt to exert or advocate their decision preferences, which may be flawed or prejudiced. Practical experience and formal, scientific education and training in the business research field provide the business manager with the best possible combination for calculated, informed senior business decision making (Bougie & Sekaran, 2009). References Bougie, R., Sekaran, U. (2009). Research and markets: Research Methods for Business – A skill Building Approach. (5th Ed). John Wiley & sons Ltd Publishing. California InterContinental University. (2010, Jun 16). Study Guide, GRC 605, Research and Markets: Research Methods for Business – A Skill Building Approach, 5th ed. Gorelick, D. (1993). Good Research has Obvious – and Not So Obvious Benefits. Marking News, 27(19), 16-16. Retrieved 14 January 2013 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216424702?accountid=35996 Zimmerman, Kim Ann. â€Å"What is a Scientific Hypothesis? | Definition of Hypothesis | LiveScience .† Science News – Science Articles and Current Events | LiveScience . Live Sciences, 10 July 2012. Web. 17 Jan. 2013. .

Low Interest Rate Long Term Effect

Low Interest Rates Long Term Effect â€Å"The prolonged low-interest rate environment is transforming the banking industry from savings and loans to service and loans,† said Dan Geller, executive vice president of research firm Market Rates Insight in San Anselmo, Calif. (Fitzpatrick) Consumers may think that the continued low interest rates are a profound thing, but banks on the other hand think much differently. Consumers are refinancing their houses at rates as low as 2. 875%, while big banks like Hudson City Bancorp Inc. , a mortgage lender, are being forced to sell themselves to M&T Bank Corp.These super low interest rates are complicating the industry’s journey to a recovery from the financial crisis. In the article† Low Rates Pummel Banks†, from the Wall Street Journal, Dan Fitzpatrick further explains the negative effect of long term low interest rates. Fitzpatrick describes it as â€Å"Borrowers Benefit, but Industry Lending Profits Hit Lowest Leve l in Three Years†. (Fitzpatrick) Usually, we would believe it to be true that lower interest rates are a good thing, because they make it cheaper to borrow. Like so, there are those in support of the lower rates for example, the Fed and the consumers.For the past four years, since the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve Board had been trying to bounce back the US economy. The short term interest rates are extremely low and by purchasing more bonds they are reducing long-term rates. In all this has lowered the Ten-year U. S Treasury yields to 1. 43%, the lowest since World War II. (Fitzpatrick) The Feds see this as a positive because they believe the low rates increase the economic growth along with employment. They support their belief by stating that the low rates make it easier and cheaper for companies and individuals to borrow money.These low rates developed, in part due to the Fed, have sprung a rush in the mortgage refinancing industry. The growth in mortgage refi nancing has assisted fee revenue at two major companies, J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. , which control nearly half of the mortgage market. Wells Fargo decided to keep nearly $10 billion of residential mortgages, which they would normally sell to investors just in search of more yield. Fitzpatrick speaks of a woman in N. Y. , Katherine Karl, which was able to refinance her house at 2. 875%, who expresses that her desire to refinance was because of the istoric low of interest rates. Many others like Karl have also taken opportunities to refinance their homes. Although those companies have survived, and Karl lowered her rate by 2. 5 percentage points, not all are seeing such positive effects. In an article by Robin Sidel of the Wall Street Journal, â€Å"Regional Bank Lands Big-City Deal†, we can see the downside of these low interest rates. (Sidel) Hudson City, a mortgage lender based in Parmus, N. J. , has 135 branches, and has assets of $43. 6 billion, decide d to sell itself to M&T Bank Corp. , which is a regional bank.Hudson City’s loan portfolio was largely focused in mortgages, due to the drop in interest rates and the refinancing, the value of the portfolio dropped along with the interest rates. Once Hudson City had started to see a devalue of their portfolio, they had considered transforming themselves into a commercial lender. However, after much thought the Chief Executive Ronald Hermance decided this would take too long and increase their staff tremendously. (Sidel)This then led to the selling of Hudson City to M&T Bank Corp. If interest rates continue to remain low we can expect to see more mergers and smaller banks selling out.In Chapter 5 of the book, there is an application called â€Å"Explaining Low Japanese Interest Rates†, which can help better understand the negative effect of low interest rates. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Japanese interest rates became the lowest in the world, in November of 1998, the interest rate on Japanese six-month Treasury bills actually turned negative. In correlation with the extremely low interest rates was a prolonged recession, which was followed with deflation. As we learned in the book, the negative inflation causes an increase in the demand for bonds, because of the decrease in expected return on real assets.This in turn caused the demand curve to shift to the right. The negative inflation also raised the real interest rate, thereby causing the supply of bonds to adjust, moving the supply curve to the left. In the end this led to an increase in the bond price and a decrease of interest rates. In the book it explains to us that the interest rate is negatively related to the bond price. In other words, when the equilibrium bond price rises, the equilibrium interest rate falls and vise-versa. There are other factors which led to the down fall of interest rates in the Japanese market.For example, the lack of profitable investments opportunities in Japan , and the business cycle contraction and the decrease of wealth during the business cycle contractions. These all would lead to the increase in bond price and the decrease of interest rates. This application shows us that low interest rates are not a good thing. In Japan’s case, the low and negative interest rates were a sign that their economy was in trouble with falling prices and a contracting economy. The interest will only rise back to normal levels when their economy returns back to a better economy.Fitzpatrick goes on to explain that because of the low interest rates banks will have to consider new ways to make money like Hudson City considered, by offering other services. However, higher cost of those banking services could lead to losing customers in the financial world which would then in return have a negative effect. He predicts that â€Å"Over time, subdues bank profits are likely to accelerate a shakeout that has halved the number of insured institutions over t he past two decades†. (Fitzpatrick) He states this will happen by the pressure for smaller banks to take advantage of new technologies.The banks are suffering from the low interest rates in more ways than one. The low interest rates affect the bank’s benefit of holding depositors’ cash at the low rates. The problem with this is that many banks are stuck with a large increase in money to invest during which returns on securities are decreased. These deposit rates are at their lowest since the 50’s. (Fitzpatrick) Another way banks are suffering is due to the fact that they bet on higher-yielding mortgage bonds before rates fall. To counteract their losses banks are increasing loan prices.They are doing this in hopes of regaining their losses from the low interest rates, or refinancing of mortgages. In conclusion, although the low interest rates show a profit for some, the long term effect of low interest rates is bad for us. The low interest rates are a sign that are economy is in trouble, opposite of what the Fed is trying, just as in Japan. For our economy to return to a healthy economy, the interest rates will need to return to a normal level. Many banks will be forced to merger or sell out. Other banks will be forced to create new services. There will be an increased cost in the banking system, by increasing loan prices.The financial crisis and the Fed attempt to strengthen the economy have proven to be the derivative of the low interest rates which is driving the banking system, and mortgage lenders into chaos. Fitzpatrick describes it perfectly by quoting Mr. Lied saying Many smaller banks will â€Å"throw in the towel† and sell, as Hudson City did, if low rates persist, Mr. Lied said. â€Å"There are no magic bullets and there is no easy answer. † Works Cited Fitzpatrick, Dan. â€Å"Low Rates Pummel Banks. † Wall Street Journal 23 October 2012: A1. Sidel, Robin. â€Å"Regional Bank Lands Big-City Deal. â₠¬  Wall Street Journal 28 August 2012: C1.

Is Going to College a Waste of Time

Is Going to College a Waste of Time Your whole life, you have been conditioned to believe that you will only get a good job and be successful if you say those four magic words: I’m going to college. More and more researches support the idea that it’s not necessarily true. In fact, although college graduates are more likely to have a higher wage and more stable life, non-college graduates can be just as happy and successful with the right attitude. A Self-Made Life: Can You Survive Without a Degree? Think about it. How many entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and successful businessmen have dropped out of college or never even attended? And, we’re not talking about no-name local success stories. Some of the richest men in the world (Facebook designer Mark Zuckerberg, Macintosh founder Steve Jobs, and Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, just to name a few) dropped out of college to pursue their fame and fortune. In fact, as college costs rise and jobs become more competitive, college graduates are asking whether the 4-year investment of time and money is really worth it. In a recent Salon article, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich eviscerates the higher education model as it currently stands. He says: â€Å"Too often in modern America, we equate â€Å"equal opportunity† with an opportunity to get a four-year liberal arts degree. It should mean an opportunity to learn what’s necessary to get a good job.† For many, that means getting a 2-year vocational degree, taking online courses, or starting their own passion-driven business. Since the unemployment rate for recent grads has increased dramatically since the 2007 recession, many savvy and driven students chose to create their own jobs and with amazing success. College-Bound: The Real Scoop Yet, dropping out of college or not attending is no guarantor of success. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that those who only receive a 2-year degree or less make almost half on average as those who get a 4-year degree. In addition, their unemployment rate is 30% higher on average. A recent report from the Economic Policy Institute shows that states with higher rates of college grads have corresponding wages and jobs, which means that more college grads actually bring up the wages for everyone else. Not only that, but having a college degree is one of the more basic requirements of getting and keeping a job. According to 2011 Pew Research study, 86% of post-graduate students say that their college degree was a good investment for them. Because so many students are getting college degrees, it is often necessary to have a 4-year degree just to stay competitive in many high-paying job markets. Graduating from college has more personally fulfilling benefits as well. According to Census Bureau statistics, people with college educations have almost half the divorce rate of their degree-free peers. Additionally, the recent Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey, five of the happiest states on earth (Colorado, Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts) have the highest percentages of college graduates. So, What Really Does Makes a Success? Despite the clear benefits of a college education, most Americans agree that education is not as important as attitude. When asked what makes a person successful, the overwhelming response from the Pew Education survey was that hard work (61%) and getting along with people (57%) were more important than education alone (42%). Additionally, Richard St. John recently shared a TED Talk about his research into what makes people successful. In face-to-face interviews with over 500 successful people in every industry imaginable, he found eight key factors that determine success: Passion Hard Work Focus Pushing Boundaries Ideas Consistently Improving Service Persistence What does this mean for your life? It means that you can be happy and successful whether or not you get a college degree. It all depends on how you approach your life. Whether you choose to get a degree or not, you still need the same basic drive to succeed, people skills, and ability to adapt to change. Final Line You can be successful or unsuccessful regardless of whether you get a college degree. People who are dedicated to being successful in their education will get the benefits of the long-term stability and personal connections that degrees generally provide. Those who are dedicated to being successful outside of the walls of a college building can achieve amazing results as long as they work hard enough and have the vision to change the world. No matter what you choose: whether to pursue a degree or not, your true success comes from knowing what you want and making the sacrifices it takes to achieve your goals. And whatever path you choose, you’ll have satisfaction in your choice. Finally, you’ll be able to say those truly magical four words: I knew I could. Do you think it is worth going to college? What benefits and drawbacks of college do you see? Your opinion is always welcome here!

What The U.S. Can Learn From Japan Essays - Fiscal Policy, Payments

What The U.S. Can Learn From Japan Essays - Fiscal Policy, Payments What the U.S. can learn from Japan Japan and the Four Little Dragons in order to achieve their industrialization goals have a diverse set of policies ranging from limited entitlement programs to a education and government bureaucracy that stresses achievement and meritocracy. But one of the most significant innovations of Japan and the Four Little Dragons is there industrial policy which targets improving specific sectors of the economy by focusing R&D, subsidies, and tax incentives to specific industries that the government wants to promote. The United States could adopt some of these industrial policies to help foster emerging high tech businesses and help existing U.S. business remain competitive with East Asia. In Japan the government both during the Meiji period and the post World War II period followed a policy of active, sector selective industrial targeting. Japan used basically the same model during both historical periods. The Japanese government would focus its tax incentive programs, subsidies, and R&D on what it saw as emerging industries. During the Meiji period Japan focused it's attention on emulating western technology such as trains, steel production, and textiles. The Meiji leaders took taxes levied on agriculture to fund the development of these new industries. Following World War II Japanese industries used this same strategic industrial policy to develop the high-tech, steel, and car industries that Japan is known for today. Some American industries are currently heavily supported by the government through subsidies and tax breaks to farmers, steel producers, and other industries that have been hurt by foreign competition because they are predominantly low-tech industries. But this economic policy of the U.S. is almost a complete reversal of the economic policies of Japan and the Four Little Tigers; instead of fostering new businesses and high tech industry it supports out of date and low tech firms who have political clout. The existing economic policy of the United States fails to help high tech businesses develop a competitive advantage on the world market instead it stagnates innovation by providing incentives primarily to existing business. The structure of U.S. industrial policy like the structure of an advance welfare state has emphasized rewarding powerful lobbying groups and has not targeted emerging sectors of the economy. The current U.S. industrial policy is a distribution strategy and not a development strategy. Instead of this ad-hoc industrial policy the United States should follow Japan's model of strategic targeting of emerging technology. The U.S. instead of pouring its money into subsidies and tax breaks for failing low-tech industries should provide loans, subsidies and R&D money for firms that are producing high technology products. Unfortunately, there are several impediments to copying Japan's model: first, tremendous political pressure from interest groups forces politicians to give corporate welfare to failing established firms and not emerging firms. Second, it is difficult for a government to select which sectors of the economy it will target. But despite these obstacles the U.S. is now confronted with trading powers who have coordinated government programs to foster the development of new technology; in comparison the U.S. governments reliance on individual initiative and a lack of government support for new industries has allowed Japan and the Four Little Dragon's to catch up to the U.S. in the area of high technology. In the coming years the U.S. could not just lose its advantage but fall behind if it fails to redirect government subsidies from failing firms to emerging sectors of the economy copying Japan's industrial development model.

How to Build and Organize the Best Marketing Team

How to Build and Organize the Best Marketing Team What does it take to build a modern marketing team? That’s a question every company should be asking itself right now. Even if you already have a fully-stocked marketing department. Why? Marketing hiring is set to increase by 10% overall by 2026  in the United States (the average growth rate across industries is 7%). Marketing hiring is set to increase by 10% overall by 2026  in the United States.Popular marketing channels are getting more saturated by the day, too. SEO and paid search are getting more competitive. Organic social media reach is on the decline, and as such, competition for social advertising is going up. Some companies are experimenting with direct mail, even if their product is all-digital. This means that success now and in the future requires top talent. The kind of talent that has creativity and foresight to see what’s coming next. But, finding those kinds of marketers has never been easy, and it’s only getting more difficult to recruit top talent. In order to build the team you need, you’ll need to have knowledge and a plan. Get Your Free Marketing Org Chart Template As you build your team, visualizing each role is important. With a clear org chart, everyone in the organization can know exactly where each team member fits, and how they impact the rest of the department. Grab this free template to map yours out easily.Introducing the  Team Management Dashboard in : Effectively Manage Your Marketing Team Once your marketing team is up and running, ensuring its success is key. However, keeping teams organized isn’t easy. That’s the problem our Team Management Dashboard in solves. Even if you don’t have a dedicated project manager on your team (and even if you do), it makes managing multiple team members (and all their projects and tasks) easy to do in one place. Here’s a look at how it works:Ready to try it yourself? Schedule a demo below: What is the Role of a Modern Marketing Team? You may expect a complex answer to this question. However, the real purpose of marketing can be boiled down into one simple statement: Marketing exists to drive profitable customer action. Sure, there are other broader business goals that marketing serves. Telling your story. Promoting your products. Converting customers into advocates (who tell your story and promote your products). But, in the end, building business and raising revenue is the ultimate purpose of marketing. Is your marketing team organized for success? Here's how to build a successful team.Which Positions Does a Marketing Team Need to Drive Profitable Action? The needs of your team will depend on: Your industry. Your company side. But, at a high level, here are some essential roles: VP of Marketing Team Leads Writers Designers Analysts Project Managers Content Strategists Specialists (SEO, Email, Social, Etc.) PR Digital Marketing Now, some of these roles are broad. But, what’s more important than job titles are the actual responsibilities and work you need to get done. Start with these: Writers. Content and copy are essential for practically every area of marketing. Competency with search engine optimization, email, content strategy, and social media marketing are all pluses as well. Designers. If your content and marketing collateral don’t look good, then everything else about it is bad, too. Analysts. Writers should know how to analyze data. Eventually, this may need to become a dedicated position. Project managers. Basic project management skills are useful for all marketers. Once your team reaches a mature level, adding this as a dedicated role may also be advisable. Needs for Advanced Marketing Teams What do marketing teams need when they mature past basic responsibilities and disciplines? Here are some areas to consider (including areas where the team at added and expanded after starting with just one marketer in 2013): Automation specialists. The ability to use platforms like Salesforce and Autopilot effectively is crucial. Demand generation. Beyond just doing content marketing, building demand for your product, or even product category as a whole, is powerful. Marketing operations. This area is becoming a hot buzz term for managing technology, data, and resources. At a high level, it’s a mix of project management and resource allocation. What Resources Do Marketing Teams Need to Succeed? Bureaucratic red tape, budget constraints, and insufficient tools are three common culprits behind why marketing teams struggle (or even outright fail). So, how do you avoid these traps? Give Teams Creative and Strategic Latitude Sometimes, it’s tough for the C-suite to let go of control over marketing. But, marketers get hired for a reason: they know what they’re doing. Companies should show that they understand this by letting marketers set the direction for their own teams. After all, you probably wouldn’t hire a firefighter to fix your drain, or a landscaper to work on your car. Let marketers do marketing, and let everyone else do what they do best, too. Permission to Forget 10% Projects It’s easy to get bogged down in projects that make a marginal impact. It’s also hard to make meaningful progress that way. Spending too much time focusing on low-value activities can often leave teams feeling overly busy and yet unproductive. That’s a toxic combination. Not only does that mean they aren’t delivering everything they could be, no one worth their salt will want to remain in such an environment when they could get hired somewhere else. So, don’t force marketers to waste their time on things that aren’t important. Instead, focus on projects that deliver 10X results. This means activities that can improve a metric tenfold. Stack up enough such projects, and you’ll start to see much more substantial success in less time than before. Don’t force marketers to waste their time on things that aren’t important.Give Marketers the Right Tools Companies often set up marketers with whatever tools and software other departments use. Sometimes, that’s okay. Other times, though, it’s a massive mistake. Marketers do a lot of specialized work that requires specific toolsets. They also have unique needs that generic communication and team management tools can’t adequately meet. What works for, say, software developers to manage tasks and projects, may not be ideal for marketers (even though they might grit their teeth and make it work). There’s also a heavy tendency toward using Excel for tasks that spreadsheets aren’t built to handle. What’s the solution? Invest in the right tools for the right jobs. Some essentials include: Marketing management platform. solves the issue of â€Å"makeshift marketing† (the act of stitching together a martech stack out of disparate tools) by being a single hub where every project starts. Social media management software. There are tons of options out there. integrates with top social networks and WordPress, making it easy to publish and promote content in one place. Email marketing platforms. MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor integrate with . Analytics tools. Data-driven marketers need more than just Google Analytics to make effective decisions. Collaborative editing suite. G Suite (integrates with ) and Microsoft Office 365 are both useful options. Recommended Reading: The 110 Best Marketing Tools to Consider When Building Your Marketing Toolstack Prioritizing Roles: Where Do You Even Start Building a Team? This is no small task (which is why you’re here). But, you’ve to start building somewhere. When every role is important, how do you choose roles for your starting points? Here are two strategies to consider: Starting with senior-level leadership. This person will know what kind of team they need. Finding someone looking to build from the ground up, in their own vision, could make this an enticing opportunity. Starting with a well-rounded generalist. Someone who can start executing effective work while figuring out what’s needed to take things to the next level. Either can be effective starting points. What Might a Complete Marketing Team Look Like? There’s no single way to structure a marketing team. And there isn’t really a specific point where a team might be considered â€Å"complete.† But, a small marketing team might look something like this: Which could grow into something more like this over time: Where to Find the Talent You Need A strong recruiting effort will leave no stone unturned to find the best talent possible to fit your team. Here are several places to consider starting your search. Networking Events Professional meetup groups, conferences, speaking events, and other public industry events fall into this category. Look for places where your company might be able to set up a booth, or just show up and talk to people. You never know who you might meet. Social Media Used strategically, social media can help you track down talented people looking for their next opportunity. LinkedIn. Twitter. Facebook. Now, it’s key here not to just reach out to strangers cold with no context. Try reaching out to qualified candidates with this messaging something like this: Hi, I’m [NAME], and I’m the [ROLE] at [COMPANY]. We’re looking to grow our marketing department, and I’m curious if you’re interested in opening up a conversation about what we have to offer? Let me know, it’d be great to grab a coffee when you have an opportunity. Thanks for your time. Feel free to edit this template. What’s most important is to offer a warm introduction and keep the focus on what you can do for the potential prospect’s career. Career Directories There are several sites where you can post job listings. Some popular ones include: Indeed. Monster. CareerBuilder. Glassdoor. But, there are some lesser known resources out there to consider, too. Some of those include: Craigslist. Local job boards. Newspaper ads. Cast a wide net. This author got their first job in the industry thanks to a late-night Craigslist search, and subsequent jobs through networking and cold outreach, so you never know which tactic might yield the best results. Internship Programs Successful interns can often make successful full-time employees. Have your interns shadow full-time staff, let them get some useful experience, and see if they have what it takes to deliver. Recommended Reading: How to Make Interns a Successful Part of Your Marketing Team Within Your Own Company You might be able to find great fits for marketing roles from other departments in your own company. Now, you don’t want to poach staff or cause tension between your team and others. But, there might be someone in a role where they don’t feel like they’re the best fit. Or, they might have some previous or otherwise relevant experience that would make marketing an ideal area for them to be in. Career Fairs You’ll have competition here, but you’ll also have face time with lots of potential candidates. There’s some investment involved in setting up a booth (printing collateral, developing talking points, and so forth) but the results can be worth the effort, particularly for finding intrepid interns and entry-level talent. Word of Mouth Sometimes the best opportunities come from people you know, who know other people. Take a colleague at another company out for coffee. Hit up an old mentor you haven’t heard from in a while. Just put yourself out there and talk to people. You might be surprised where those conversations lead. Recruiting Previous Co-Workers Some of the best hires you can make might currently be working at your (or your coworkers) former employers. If you like where you’re at (and you know your former coworkers, well, don’t enjoy their current positions so much), then they should be some of the first people you reach out to (so long as you’re not running the risk of burning bridges by poaching people). How To Structure Internal And External Marketing Teams (From CEO Garrett Moon) In order to build the world's best all-in-one  marketing management platform,   needs to understand how modern blogging teams work. So,  the team  called, emailed, and Googled its way to understanding. The results are valuable. Marketing teams are diverse, but 's research  concluded that there are really only two major types of team structures, and then two minor ones that branch off from there. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these teams makes a huge difference in how you  manage and organize your own writing team.

Read "Sticks and Stones 255-259 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Read "Sticks and Stones 255-259 - Assignment Example The controversial position taken by the Native American community led education institutions such as the Stanford University, to review the names of their teams. The move to stop the usage of Native American names, slogans and customs by sporting teams is very important. This is because sporting needs must be sensitive towards the feeling and opinions of the native communities. Adequate consent should be obtained from the leadership of the Native Communities for the usage of their traditional artifacts and practices. Consent will enhance the support and ownership of the Natives, in the sport teams. Sticks, Stones and Sporting Team Names, illustrate the controversial issue of representing an ethnic group through the sports mascots. Cases in point are the sporting teams that were known as the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians. The ethnic sporting names were not initially aimed at disparaging the Native Americans. This is because the noble symbols represent pride and strength. But, the concept of using human societies as mascots is very dehumanizing. The mascot practices, differentiates the affected communities from the rest of the American

My Writing Experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Writing Experiences - Essay Example I am an extrovert person even from my childhood which enabled me to communicate effectively with even strangers. Such communications often increased my knowledge level immensely. New knowledge or information always attracted me irrespective of whether it is useful to me or interesting to me. Topics like politics, sports, cinema, science, history, philosophy, sociology, psychology education, business, and economics; all attracted me and I always tried to collect information regarding the above topics in particular. I strongly believe that my interests in a variety of topics helped me a lot while writing something about a topic. Simple academic knowledge alone cannot make a good writer. Close observation of incidents or developments happening all over the world is necessary for a writer. Moreover, I have a strong temperament in listening others even though I am a bit, talkative person. I consider all the above qualities as the strengths of me as a writer. The main weakness about me as a writer is my inability to concentrate entirely on the topic. Because of a reasonable amount of knowledge I possess about different topics, my track quiet often deviated from the main theme while writing. I need a lot of proofreading sessions before making the topic back on track. I always tried to accommodate too many things in a small paper and hence quiet regularly exceeds the limits while writing my assignments. I always tried to incorporate interesting examples in my paper irrespective of the topic. I believe that the readers are the asset of a writer and hence in order to catch the attention of the readers, interesting examples or stories need to be included in the paper even if we are writing about boring subjects like philosophy or politics. I always like to have a calm and quiet atmosphere around me while writing which enabled me to focus entirely on the paper.

Interview paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interview - Research Paper Example Clishia Taylor acquired her nursing profession after attending an undergraduate program in the College of Rochelle leading to a degree in bachelors of Science in Nursing. She has also mastered in business administration from the University of Connecticut in which she majored in health care administration and finance, a course that she considers an upper hand in her career development in the nursing field. Along the way, she received a doctorate degree in health care Ministry in theological seminary school in the US, which she feels expanded her knowledge in the medical field. In addition, she has a rich experience in the medical field after working in different environment and acquiring a different experience in every place she worked. Among some of the experiences she considers relevant in her medical career is her internship in the National Health care Reform where she worked for the White house and enriched her knowledge in modeling health care units, which is a demand for the mod ern health environment. Also, she has served in the position of a psychiatrist in Yale Hospital and as a quality assurer in a nursing facility, which has backed her with over 30 years’ experience in this sector. In the year 1995, she founded AHCP in her endeavor to participate in modernizing the health care facilities not only in US but across the global scope. She is an active contributor in a the famous millennium magazine referred to as the Health Care Pulse Magazine that covers critical health issues in the international environment. The purpose of my interview with Clishia was to obtain clinical experience from a professional expert as part of the learning process. The Role of the Administrator DR Clishia, being the founder of this health institution, is the President of the American Health Care Professionals Hospitals and takes a leadership role in the organization. In the organizational chart, she forms part of the top level management and is involved in making of mana gement decisions within the organization. Second in the hierarchy of the organizational chart is the AHCP vice-president, Beatriz Arroyave, who answers directly to Clishia. In this interview, Clishia expressed the meeting in the organization as rather flexible though she explicitly stated that she meets with vice president at least twice in a week. With the lower level management, monthly meetings are scheduled for the last working day of the month when each administrator is required to report about the months experience and provide suggestions for program improvement in the next period. Being a nurse in profession, she also plays a role in patient evaluation and attendance to urgent matters within the hospital at her availability. She also reported that she plays a key role in financial management and control to ensure smooth running of the facility. Her strength in her administration role seems to emanate from her strong educational background coupled with her experience. During h er education, she acquired nursing skills in her undergraduate program and later reinforced it with health care administration. This integrative knowledge gives her an upper hand in handling matters in her own professional from an administrator’s point of view. While her knowledge in nursing helps her to understand the problems in this sector, her management skills help her solve the problems in that arise within the organi

Five easy pieces and the reflection of alienation in the 70s Essay

Five easy pieces and the reflection of alienation in the 70s - Essay Example Five Easy Pieces directed by Bob Rafaelson is among the greatest films of the Hollywood 1970’s golden era. In the film, the character of Bobby Dupea is the archetype of numerous heroes from that period. Bobby gets stuck in two worlds (Rafaelson). He is a man who cannot fit into the American society and is making efforts to find a place where he truly belongs. One of the outstanding features of the 1970’s films was the character’s struggle to deal with the problem of alienation that was prevalent in the America at that time. This emerged from the sixties as the rejection of both the working class and leisure class values. The film portrays an individual trying so hard to deal with the alienation problem without being a counter culture hippie. Most of the post sixties era exhibited the theme of alienation. The theme of alienation also defined the 70’s era. However, in recent films of the 1990’s and 1980’s era, alienation has been reflected to t he extreme with the so bloody and violent action films. The heroes in these movies are violent, anti-social and alienated. They have no societal respect at large. The first scenes of â€Å"Five Easy Pieces† show the main character Bobby as a typical oil mine worker. Bobby puts a lot of energy in his work to get his money. He spends his leisure time playing time drinking beer, playing cards, watching television and bowling.   At the beginning of the film, Bobby gets reflected as a happy person, but as the film progresses he gets revealed. as a man dissatisfied with his life (Rafaelson). Rayette’s clingy mature annoys Bobby so much. He loathes country music and dislikes the way his girlfriend lives her life through Tammy Wynette songs. Rayette seems to play songs for every occasion of her life. When they go out with their friends Stoney and Elton, Bobby could not enjoy the bowling. He is angry and highly competitive at Rayette’s inexperience in the game. At some point, he later cheats on his girlfriend with a woman named Sally Struthers. This shows the relationship trend at the time, where men cheated on their wives and girlfriends (Boyer 87). In contrast with his coworker and friend Elton, Bobby hates the life that comes with their job. Elton loves spending time with his wife and kid. His job at the oil field is due to lack of skills and that the job provides the basic needs for his family. Elton represents the working class who are in pursuit of the American dream. Bobby is more interested in worldly things. This film is a reflection of how the mid-seventies society got focused on the American dream. The contrast between the two characters gets clearly depicted in the scene where Elton and Bobby are in stuck in the freeway

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example The effectiveness of the role of the Federal Reserve System lies in the monetary policies of the bank. The responsibility of designing appropriate monetary policies is bestowed on the Federal Reserve System by the Federal Reserve Act in order to ensure availability of money and liquidity in the economy and to arrange for provision of affordable cost of credit in order to fulfil the national economic goals. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve System are aimed at sustaining the level of productivity and create a balance between the supply and demand. The responsibility of the Federal Reserve System also encompasses controlling of inflation rates by fixation of appropriate interest rates in the financial system. The basis of the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve System lies in the inter bank lending policy (Mankiw, 2011). During the phase of revival from the period of recession in the current economy, the Federal Reserve System modified its monetary policies in order to boost consumption demand in the economy by undertaking policies to inject sufficient flow of funds. The interbank rates depend on the Federal fund rate which is determined by the Federal Reserve System. ... The discount rate is determined by the Federal Reserve System looking at the demand of the economy and providing credits to the banks in required rates to fulfil the demand of liquidity in the economy. The reserve fund requirements are the deposit base held by the banks as a statutory requirement with the Federal Reserve System. The decrease in the reserve requirement as determined by the Federal Reserve policy would help to inject more liquid funds into the economy. The current economic conditions which showed a financial crisis led to the need of increased direct lending by the banks and financial institutions (Allen, 1999). The Federal Reserve System played an important role in determining appropriate inter bank rate to encourage increase in lending for the business. This has been done through increase in open market operations by the Federal Reserve System that has led to the increase in the flow of liquidity ion the economy. A higher level of production in the current economic c onditions has created the stage for revival of the economy. This in turn has led to the rise in income levels of the people thereby boosting the spending in the economy. As the banking system was severely hit during the current economic recession, the Federal Reserve System adopted measure to increase the credit to organisations other than banks. The central bank engaged in liquidity swaps with the other central banks of other countries. The usage of derivative products raised giving hope to the recovery of economic conditions. Thus the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System have been highly significant in establishing a position of stability for the current economy. It is through the policies of the Federal Reserve

Five easy pieces and the reflection of alienation in the 70s Essay

Five easy pieces and the reflection of alienation in the 70s - Essay Example Five Easy Pieces directed by Bob Rafaelson is among the greatest films of the Hollywood 1970’s golden era. In the film, the character of Bobby Dupea is the archetype of numerous heroes from that period. Bobby gets stuck in two worlds (Rafaelson). He is a man who cannot fit into the American society and is making efforts to find a place where he truly belongs. One of the outstanding features of the 1970’s films was the character’s struggle to deal with the problem of alienation that was prevalent in the America at that time. This emerged from the sixties as the rejection of both the working class and leisure class values. The film portrays an individual trying so hard to deal with the alienation problem without being a counter culture hippie. Most of the post sixties era exhibited the theme of alienation. The theme of alienation also defined the 70’s era. However, in recent films of the 1990’s and 1980’s era, alienation has been reflected to t he extreme with the so bloody and violent action films. The heroes in these movies are violent, anti-social and alienated. They have no societal respect at large. The first scenes of â€Å"Five Easy Pieces† show the main character Bobby as a typical oil mine worker. Bobby puts a lot of energy in his work to get his money. He spends his leisure time playing time drinking beer, playing cards, watching television and bowling.   At the beginning of the film, Bobby gets reflected as a happy person, but as the film progresses he gets revealed. as a man dissatisfied with his life (Rafaelson). Rayette’s clingy mature annoys Bobby so much. He loathes country music and dislikes the way his girlfriend lives her life through Tammy Wynette songs. Rayette seems to play songs for every occasion of her life. When they go out with their friends Stoney and Elton, Bobby could not enjoy the bowling. He is angry and highly competitive at Rayette’s inexperience in the game. At some point, he later cheats on his girlfriend with a woman named Sally Struthers. This shows the relationship trend at the time, where men cheated on their wives and girlfriends (Boyer 87). In contrast with his coworker and friend Elton, Bobby hates the life that comes with their job. Elton loves spending time with his wife and kid. His job at the oil field is due to lack of skills and that the job provides the basic needs for his family. Elton represents the working class who are in pursuit of the American dream. Bobby is more interested in worldly things. This film is a reflection of how the mid-seventies society got focused on the American dream. The contrast between the two characters gets clearly depicted in the scene where Elton and Bobby are in stuck in the freeway

Technology as Fast and Slow Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology as Fast and Slow Knowledge - Essay Example On the one hand, he is right to say that technology ruined the environment because of overproduction and industrialization. On the other hand, he does not consider how technology can also help promote ecological interests by developing slow knowledge. This paper argues that although technology has produced harmful effects on ecology, it can also be used in studying and resolving environmental problems through providing fast and slow knowledge. As stated above, Spayde contends that a gap exists between what people have (technology) and their capabilities in properly using it (ethics or moral development). Spayde argues that slow knowledge that is based on â€Å"ecological and cultural context† is better than â€Å"fast knowledge† that â€Å"zips through the terminals of information society† (68). He proves this by saying that fast knowledge provides technology, but this technology has no sense of morality and collectiveness. He also differentiates hard facts from having the slow knowledge or ethics in properly using facts. ... This essay will prove that these contentions on the balanced outlook on fast and slow knowledge and the importance of technology in ecology are correct through evidence and logic. Technology, especially through computing, has significantly helped the development of the study of ecology. In Chapter 24: Roles of Technology in Ecology, Klomp, Green, and Fry explore the role of technology in advancing environmental interests. They stress that computing technology has expanded the spatial reach of ecological studies through the use of remote sensing and related methods. They underscore that computers have eased the use of large data sets and sophisticated statistical packages and also enabled access to and accumulation of national and global data sets. Klomp, Green, and Fry add that using computer-generated models help simulate environmental events, can offer a greater understanding of ecosystems, and enhance predictive powers to conservation and land managers. Hence, technology can also be used as a tool in addressing environmental problems. Technology does not only produce fast knowledge, like what Spayde contents, because its fast knowledge can also be used to produce slow knowledge. Computer modeling, for instance, has affected ecological theory. Klomp, Green, and Fry explain that ecosystem connectivity is an illustration of a complex ecological problem that computer modeling has handled with substantial success. They underscore that computers have enabled simulations of experiments that real time or space would not otherwise permit. This fast knowledge produced slow knowledge that allowed the development of landscape ecology. Klomp, Green, and Fry argue that computer simulation of this complexity has helped ecologists to better

Determining the Rate of Osmosis with Water and Sucrose Essay Example for Free

Determining the Rate of Osmosis with Water and Sucrose Essay Determining the Rate of Osmosis with Water and Sucrose 10/3/2012 Determining the Rate of Osmosis with Water and Sucrose Author: Results: Bag 1 had a rate of osmosis equal to 0. 01 grams per minute. Bag 2 had a rate of osmosis equal to 0. 0543 grams per minute. Bag 3 had a rate of osmosis equal to 0. 0471 grams per minute. Bag 4 had a rate of osmosis equal to 0. 0886 grams per minute. Bag 5 had a rate of osmosis equal to -0. 0914 grams per minute (Figure A). Figure A: Shifting of mass in grams for each dialysis bag was measured every 5 minutes for 30 minutes. Data follows expectations of hypothesis on the basis that H2O will move from an area of high concentration to low concentration. Also, the rate of which it would move depending on concentration. The higher the concentration of sucrose inside of the dialysis bag, the faster the rate of water will travel into the bag. The rate of osmosis increases as the concentration of sucrose inside the bag is higher. Correspondingly, with bag 5, the water inside the dialysis bag would travel once again to a place of lower water concentration, the sucrose in the beaker. This is so because sucrose has a low concentration of water. Therefore, the water will travel from high to low concentration. The sucrose in bags 2, 3, and 4 are hypertonic to the water inside the beaker. Adversely, the water inside the beaker is hypotonic to the sucrose inside the bag. Another example to this would be swimming in the ocean (salt water) where the ocean’s water is hypertonic (lower water concentration) and the human body is hypotonic (higher water concentration), causing the water inside the human body to move from its high concentration to the ocean’s low concentration. Bag 1 represents an isotonic solution, where the water concentration inside the bag is close or equal to the concentration of water outside the bag. Another example of isotonic is 0. 9% NaCl, an I. V. olution, is isotonic to humans. This study interprets the importance of osmosis in daily biology as it can be detrimental to living cells and simultaneously profitable. For instance, plants need to be hypertonic to their hypotonic surroundings. If the solution outside the membrane has a lower concentration of solutes than the interior has, water will move into the vesicle via osmosis (Freeman p. g 91). Water travels into their cells, causing their cell to swell so that the ir stems may stand up straight.

Factors Causing Youth Violence Measures To Prevent It Criminology Essay

Factors Causing Youth Violence Measures To Prevent It Criminology Essay The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association (2000) describes the essential feature of a conduct disorder diagnosis is a persistent pattern of behavior, which violates the basic rights of others or disregards major societal norms or rules as demonstrated by a child. Oppositional defiant disorder is characterized by negative, disobedient, or defiant behavior that exceeds the normal testing behavior that most children display and may later lead to a diagnosis of conduct disorder in some youth. Many of the children diagnosed with conduct disorder end up committing criminal offenses because they lack empathy which overwhelms them to the extent that they act out in the face of social stigma or criminal laws. The present review has four purposes: (a) to identify the clinical and theoretical framework of violent youths, (b) to focus on specific risk factors that contribute to youth violence, (c) to outline protective factors t hat buffer youth violence, and (d) to explore preventive system-ecological therapeutic methods to address youth violence. For these purposes several articles and the data collected will be discussed. Youth Violence In recent years attention has been focused on the apparent rise in youth violence. Most of this attention has been fueled by several high profile cases in the media. Events like the Columbine shootings and the Virginia Tech massacre provide good case examples. Violence as defined legally refers to the use of physical force, specifically physical force with malice that attempts to or harms someone (Webster, 2010). Youth violence refers to violence that has started at the time of life between childhood and maturity. A number of behaviors such as the use of weapons, physical/sexual assault, bullying, etc., may be a part of violent behavior in young adults as illustrated in the cases denoted above. Studies have analyzed the prevalence of mental disorders and or behavioral issues such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, conduct disorder (CD) and as of late bipolar disorder in the development of violent youth (Juvenile Delinquency, 2010). For the purpose of this literary review I will focus on conduct disorder as the precursor to antisocial personality disorder which statistics show has been diagnosed in 80-85% of incarcerated criminals (Long, 2009). Conduct disorder accounts for approximately 50% of incarcerated youth males and females (Fazel et al., 2008). Conduct disorder develops during childhood and manifests itself during adolescence. The DSM-IV-TR Codes 312.xx (where xx varies upon the specific subtype exhibited) delineates that adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder disregard social norms and show lack of empathy. Violent youth who have gone through the criminal justice system on several occasions are likely to have been diagnosed with conduct disorder. This is particularly true of those violent youth who time and time again show a disregard for their own and others safety and property (Juvenile Delinquency, 2010). A documented history of conduct disorder before the age of fifteen represents one of the criteria used in diagnosing a young adult with antisocial personality disorder. An antisocial personality disorder diagnosis indicates a greater risk on the part of a young adult of exhibiting persistent and serious criminal behavior. Both conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder are characterized by unpredictable violent behavior and lack of empathy. Consequently, adolescents who have persistently been involved with the criminal system and have been diagnosed with conduct disorder are at a higher risk showing signs of antisocial personality disorder as they develop into adults (Conduct Disorder, 2010). Antisocial personality disorder is a common diagnosis for serial killers who often fantasize about killing several victims and then fulfill their impulsivity when they are no longer capable of suppressing it. Youth violence develops in different ways. Children/ adolescents who are diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder exhibit problem behavior early in childhood. This problem behavior can persist and increase as the child develops into a young adult. Studies suggest that aggression in childhood is a good predictor for the same in adolescence and young adulthood (CDC, 2002). The research indicates that there are several risk factors that contribute to youth violence. There are individual factors that are comprised of biological, psychological, and behavioral issues which may be exhibited in childhood or adolescence. A childs family, friends, culture and social setting may influence the individual factors. Of particular interest in most studies is the impact that family has and which is greatest in childhood and the peer impact which is of greater influence in adolescence (CDC, 2008). Some of the individual factors observed are; low IQ (substandard academic performance), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, drug and/or alcohol abuse, tobacco use, early history of problem behavior and or violent victimization. The latter is strongly associated with youth violence. A link between low IQ and violence is strongest among boys who have the following traits; dysfunctional family, exposure to violence, antisocial beliefs/attitudes, history of treatment for emotional issues, strong stressors, poor social cognitive abilities, poor impulse control and lower socioeconomic status (CDC, 2002). Parental behavior and family environment are central factors when it comes to youth violence. Parents who do not monitor and supervise their children and who discipline with harsh corporal punishment have been shown to be strong predictors of youth violence (CDC, 2008). As indicated, the onset of violent behavior in youth is strongly linked to parental conflict in early childhood as well as poor attachment between children and parents. In addition traits such as a large number of children in the family, a mother who had her first child at an early age, possibly as a teenager, and a low level of family cohesion have been shown to contribute to youth violence. These factors can have a detrimental effect on a childs social and emotional functioning and behavior barring the lack of social supports (CDC, 2002). Consequently, violent youths who have witnessed violence in the home, and or have been physically or sexually abused may see violent behavior as an acceptable way to resolving conflict (CDC, 2002). Social influences, in particular, peer pressure during adolescence may normally be seen as positive and important in shaping interpersonal relationships. Nevertheless, these influences may also have a negative effect if the peer pressure stems from aggressive and violent youth. That is, delinquency can cause peer bonding which, inversely causes delinquency (Harding, 2009). In fact, young adults with depression who socialize with youth offenders they are more likely to act out violently towards others. Harding (2009), indicated that the most significant contributing factors to youth violence were depression and having youth offenders as peers in addition to parents psychological abuse of a partner, antisocial personality, negative relationships with adults and family conflict. The composition of a family has also been shown to be a significant factor in the development of violent behavior in youth. Findings from studies conducted in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States suggest that there is a higher risk for violence in youth from single-parent households (CDC, 2002). The risk factors attributed to family include; dysfunctional family functioning, lack of child supervision, parental substance abuse or criminal history, parental lack of formal education, harsh and/or authoritarian parenting styles or inconsistent disciplinary practices. In terms of peer risk factors these are socializing with peers that are in gangs, who are themselves juvenile delinquents, being socially rejected by others, no involvement in extracurricular activities a little interest in school or school performance (CDC, 2009). Likewise the social groups in which children and adolescents live have a significant role in how they relate to their parents, friends and the circumstance in which they may be exposed to situations that lead to violence. Consequently, males in urban areas will most likely be involved in violent behavior than those living in rural areas. Similarly in urban settings children and adolescents who live in neighborhoods with high levels of crime are more likely to be involved in violent behavior than those living in other neighborhoods. In addition, a correlation has been found between children and adolescents who come from a low socio-economic status and youth violence (CDC, 2008). A national survey of young people in the United States indicated that the prevalence of self-reported assault and robbery among youths from low socio-economic classes was about twice than among middle-class youths (CDC, 2002). The effects that youth violence has on a community or community risk factors include ; neighborhoods that are in social disarray, little community cohesiveness, increase in family disruption, increase in transiency, greater numbers of poor residents and less economic opportunities (CDC, 2009). It is of equal importance to note the influence of culture on youth violence. There are cultures which endorse violence as an accepted manner to resolve conflicts. In these cultures the young adopt the norms and values that support violence. These cultures lack the ability to provide their youth with non-violent alternatives to resolve conflicts and consequently have been shown to have higher rates of youth violence. A study by Bedoya Marin and Jarramillo Martinez on gangs in Medellin, Colombia, analyzed how low-income youths are influenced by the culture of violence, in society in general and in their particular community. The authors indicated that the community enables a culture of violence through the growing acceptance of easy money and of whatever means are necessary to obtain it, as well as through corruption in the police, judiciary, military and local government (CDC, 2002). When considering the possible biological factors which contribute to youth violence, studies have focused on areas such as injuries and complications associated with pregnancy and delivery. The interest in these areas is fueled by the belief that they may contribute to neurological damage and in turn lead to violent behavior. The CDC noted that complications during delivery have been shown to contribute significantly to future violence when a parent had a history of psychiatric illness. It should be noted that complications during delivery when in conjunction with other familial factors is the stronger predictor of youth violence (CDC, 2002). Other studies of interest have indicated that low heart rates-studied in males have a correlation with behaviors such as sensation seeking and risk taking. These behaviors may act as a catalyst to violence in that they provide the necessary stimulation and arousal levels (CDC, 2002). Deficiencies of executive functions of the brain which are housed in the frontal lobe may be connected to impulsiveness, attention problems, low intelligence and low educational attainment. Additional deficiencies include the inability to sustain attention and concentration, abstract reasoning and concept formation, goal formation, anticipation and planning, effective self-monitoring and self-awareness of behavior, and inhibitions regarding inappropriate or impulsive behavior (CDC, 2002). The literature indicates that hyperactivity, impulsiveness, poor behavioral control and attention problems are behavioral/ personality factors that may precede violent acts by youths. Hyperactivity, high levels of daring or risk taking behavior, poor concentration and attention difficulties in youth younger than thirteen years have been shown to be good predictors of youth violence (CDC, 2008). The CDC also found that among some juvenile offenders, situational factors may act as a catalyst to youth violence. In order to conduct a situational analysis of the events it is necessary to determine the motives for the violent behavior, where the behavior occurred, whether alcohol or weapons were present, all parties involved to include the victim and aggressor, and if other actions were involved such as a robbery that would lend itself to violence (CDC, 2002). In terms of gender, the literature indicates that most of the perpetrators of youth violence are males. Feminist theorists who have analyzed this phenomenon have indicated that the concept of masculinity may put males more at risk to be violent. Behaviors such as appearing to be tough, powerful, aggressive, daring and competitive are ways in which males express their masculinity. Nevertheless, expressing these behaviors may be conducive to males participation in antisocial and criminal behavior. It should be noted that males may act in this manner due to societal pressure to conform to masculine cultural standards like in Colombia as mentioned earlier. However, one must keep in mind that males may be biologically more aggressive and greater risk takers than females (Juvenile Delinquency, 2010). This review of the literature shows that youth violence is a growing problem that affects and is affected by family, community and society at large. More and more children are not attending school out of fear of what can happen on their way to school or at school. A nationwide survey indicated that about 6% of high school students reported not going to school on one or more days in the 30 days preceding the survey (CDC, 2009). Additional ways in which Youth violence impacts the community at large are disrupts social services, decreases property value, decreases productivity, and it raises the cost of health care (Mercy et al., 2002). Health care is a topic that is on the nations political forefront. It is impacted by youth violence which contributes to the costs of health care and welfare services. The CDC reports that violent youth are also involved in a range of crimes and other problems which include truancy, dropping out of school, substance abuse, compulsive lying, reckless driving and high rates of sexually transmitted diseases. According to the CDC more than 780,000 young adults age ten to twenty sustain injuries due to violence and are treated in emergency rooms yearly (CDC, 2009). Factors that have been shown to buffer the risk of youth violence include individual/family protective factors listed as; high involvement with parents, high parental academic expectations, healthy family communication, good familial and/or adult support, healthy social orientation, high IQ and/or grade point average and no tolerance for antisocial behavior. The consistent presence, during at least one, of parents when their children wake up, arrive home from school, during dinner, at bed time and involvement in their social activities are also seen as protective factors . Peer/social protective factors are noted as involvement in extracurricular activities and an interest and commitment to school (Resnick et al., 2004). Based on the literature review, youth violence is embedded and linked to traits of the youth, youths family, peer group, school environment and community. A socio-ecological model would aim to ease the risk factors (individual/family, peer/social, etc.) by focusing on the youth and youths family strengths and doing so on a highly individualized and comprehensive basis. Of particular interest and focus would be the protective factors outlined earlier. This could be provided via home-based family services in order to assists those violent youth and their families who have limited access to therapeutic services. This would help the therapist to focus on parental empowerment in order to change the natural social network of the youth in order to maximize the treatment outcomes. The therapist would focus risk factors in the youths social network that are contributing to their problem behavior. The goals may include but would not be limited to; improving social support and network system, getting the youth involved in positive extracurricular activities, minimizing the youths association with juvenile delinquents, improving family functioning and communication, and improving the parenting skills of caregivers. The techniques used can be drawn from cognitive behavioral, behavioral and family therapies. The therapy sessions could take place at home, school or a community environment (a comfortable setting for the youth and the youths family). The treatment plan would be agreed upon with the help of family members and should then be driven by the family and not the therapist. In doing so the therapist would empower the family to promote healthy changes through the mobilization of the child, family and community resources. Given the information provided on youth violence, the therapist should focus specifically on the risk factors in the child/adolescent, and familys social networks that are linked to the violent behavior. Therefore, special attention would be given to improving a youths outlook on academics and academic performance, improving social and familial support systems, and decreasing the influence of violent peers by removing the youth from the negative environment. These therapeutic gains would in turn have a positive effect on the youth, the youths family and the community at large. This may begin to address and prevent the health care issues outlined earlier and other subsets of youth violence such as school shootings and cyber bullying to name but two.

Plato’s Portrayal of Socrates Essay -- Plato Socrates

Plato’s Portrayal of Socrates The portrayal of Socrates by his student Plato creates one of the most controversial characters of all time. There are few other personalities in history that have drawn criticism and praise from the furthest ends of each spectrum. Socrates has been called the inventor of reason and logic, and at the same time has been condemned as a corruptor and a flake. Perhaps he was all of these. Despite this disagreement, one is a certainty: Socrates had a very interesting and active sense of humor. In order to successfully demonstrate Socrates’ sense of humor, it is necessary to define a few terms. To begin, we must define â€Å"comedy† as it was looked upon in the time of Socrates, Plato, and the Greek playwrights. Greek comedy comes in many different shades depending on both the author and the subject matter. There are two types of comedy that emerge as the most common when dealing with Socrates, slapstick and intellectual humor. Aristophanes uses the former as slapstick fart jokes and the like in Clouds. In an exchange with Socrates, Strepsiades exclaims, â€Å"Yes, I revere you, much honored ones, and wish to fart in response.† (Aristophanes, Clouds, 2931). On the other hand, Plato displays comedy as a more intellectual concept dealing quite a lot with puns and especially politics during Socrates’ trial. Socrates has been found guilty of impiety and corrupting the youth and the penalty of death has been suggested. Socrates uses his opport unity to suggest an alternative punishment and suggests â€Å"to be given [my] meals in the Prytaneum2,† (Plato, Apology of Socrates, 36d3). This ridiculous â€Å"hubristic and boastful†4 proposal can only be taken as comedy because having already been found guilty, Socrates... ...ophical Perspectives, Section 4: Sixth Handout.† Sources Aristophanes. Clouds. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1985. Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Paul Woodruff. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1998. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Plato. Apology of Socrates. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Euthyphro. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Sennet, Richard. Flesh and Stone, the Body and the City in Western Civilization. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994.

Cultural Site Paper: Starbucks Essay

Starbucks began as a coffee importing and roasting company in 1971. Since 1987, the company has expanded at an astonishing rate. America was ready for the third place provided by Starbucks. In 1987, Starbucks opened its first store outside of the State of Washington. Over the next eight years, the company spread throughout North America before opening its first overseas location in Japan. The company continues to open new stores at an impressive rate. 1,500 new stores have been planned for 2006. Starbucks has also grown through licensing relationships and by offering bottled drinks and bags of coffee for sale in grocery stores. (Corporate Website) It has zoomed up as one of the best companies globally. It shall also examine some of the visual representations of the place so that an overall impression is generated. It shall delve into the purpose of the kinds of representations it chooses to represent the group and analyze how this culturally represents the community where it is situated. The Workplace Visual images are natural means to enhance learning. Things become clear as vision plays a vital role in communication, since more than 60 percent of communication consists of nonverbal, visual cues. This paper will tackle Starbucks and look into the site’s â€Å"sense of place† and the effect this ambience has on the people who visit the place. Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian-style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, and coffee-related accessories and equipment, through its company operated retail stores. In addition to sales through its company-operated retail stores, it sells primarily whole bean coffees through a specialty sales group, a direct response business, supermarkets, and online at Starbucks.com. I.   Visual materials At Starbucks, there are certain objects which act as symbols or representations that have come to be generally accepted as standing for or representing something more than what it is there for (Vander, Zanden 1993). Usually this is an idea or something abstract. In Starbucks’ case, it is the smell of coffee that fills the air with the coffee smell that stimulates people to buy more, relax and savor the classy atmosphere. The coffee beans, brochures and CD purchased from the store are also objects that represent the outlet to everyone. People can get coffee mug with their personalized pictures on it. The displayed objects are powerful code or shorthand for representing and dealing with aspects of the corporate world (Hewitt, 1994). The significance of symbols as socializing mechanisms lies in the attitudes they conjure up and the accompanying behavior they stimulate. The space of the outlet is comfortably arranged with several sofa and chairs arranged to accommodate groups of people coming in the place. There is a sense of harmony in the layout and arrangement, which relaxes customers. According to anthropology professor Leslie White (1960), â€Å"All culture (civilization) depends upon the symbol. Much as we would like to think so, energy, pride, loyalty and a passion for work are not created by an organizational structure, a leader, a product, or a work process. They are all created by people who work together every day in organizations. These members of the workforce have dreams, hopes, and expectations. II.   Site’s sense of place Starbucks is one place where almost all the senses are stimulated. Foremost here is the sense of smell. All this smelling goes on at an almost subconscious level. Humans are least attentive to the olfactory sense. Yet it is our most ancient sense and is most closely linked to our memory and emotions. The maintenance and development of this quality experience requires a strong organizational commitment. The 1990s saw Starbucks expand its talent pool on the most influential senior levels, with key additions contributing greatly to the evolution of the company’s business lines. Howard Schultz began assembling an experienced team of professionals to drive Starbucks’ growth. The pursuit of first-class quality drove Starbucks back up the coffee supply chain when it encountered stiff competition. Coffee, though second only to petroleum in volume of global trading, was highly fragmented. It was estimated that a full one-third of the world’s coffee farms were three acres or less in size. This typically resulted in a consolidation process which handed off coffee from farmer to collector, collector to miller, miller to exporter or broker, and finally to importer. In the past, the importer and brokers then sold coffee to the large mass-market coffee roasters and producers. III. Connection to cultural context Starbucks defines their social responsibility as â€Å"conducting our business in ways that produce social, environmental, and economic benefits to the communities in which we operate. In the end, it means being responsible to our stakeholders.† (Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report). There is growing recognition of the need for corporate accountability. Consumers are demanding more than â€Å"product† from their favorite brands. Employees are choosing to work for companies with strong values. Shareholders are more inclined to invest in businesses with outstanding corporate reputations. Quite simply, being socially responsible is not only the right thing to do, it can distinguish a company from its industry peers.† (Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report). Starbucks is the place where groups gather for the expression of their values and attitudes. This cultural site, therefore, serves as a meeting place for those who just want to express themselves and their individuality, without any disturbances. The chairs are arranged closed to each other but everyone is there to mind his own business. Usually Starbucks is built near a commercial area but there are now outlets near exclusive villages and neighborhoods. In a big commercial area, relationships are more fragmented and it is unlikely that one would just by chance see a friend at a restaurant, simply because there are so many restaurants available to eat at in a large town. Thus, establishing a new one in the neighborhood encourages interaction with different types of groups. While employees clearly come first in the Starbucks culture, the customer is a close second. Starbucks’ fourth guiding principle is to â€Å"Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all the time.† â€Å"We recognized early on that the equity of the Starbucks brand was going to be the retail experience that the customers had in our stores,† says Schultz, the company’s CEO. Indeed, Starbucks has come a long way from its very beginnings. It has been able to identify the things it does so well – from the simplest service procedure to the massive, company wide operation. It has proven time and again that the business strengths will be small isolated islands of effectiveness. The key, as Starbucks has unlocked, is finding these strengths and using them as foundation cornerstones that support the entire reinvention strategy it does almost naturally.