Organizational Learning Success

Introduction Many scholars have defined organizational learning while considering key areas such as knowledge creation, transfer and behavioral change or adjustment. A widely accepted definition is that organizational learning is an incessant process of knowledge creation and acquisition as well as transferring the same knowledge with an effect of causing behavioral modification.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Organizational Learning Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The end result is that there shall be a display of a different knowledge as well as possibility of resulting to a product which is highly valued (Nielson, 1997, p. 2).  Focus has for a long time been given to the knowledge transfer flow from the highly developed and industrial western world. To the contrary, the Asian part of the world, which is a catch up region in technology and economical progress, has shown great progress dra wing attention from other parts of the world. It has been observed that these regions Especially, China has shown great economic progress not necessarily by adopting the learning experience of the western parts of the World but by employing and following other means. As a result there has been a new focus on the learning and management systems that are used in this part of the world. Objectives The objectives of the project is examine critically the analyze any differences between the learning process of the western world that has traditionally been used and other knowledge transfer from other parts of the non-western world, with China and its Chinese-firms both in China as a republic and its investments in other neighboring nations such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The main purpose of the project is to clearly provide information that will help investors with an intention of establishing and running successful business operations in that region. The managers are supposed to use this information to come up with organizational learning strategies that will focus on incorporating the local staff, thus creating feasibility in their business operations in this region. Literature Review Because of the success in development in the Asian region, there has been a keen interest from investment non-western investors focusing the strategies used by china in its operations. The observation has shown that these nations have progressed successfully economically for the last thirty years, despite the fact that an economic downturn hit the region. The progress did not come with simplicity of a natural happening, but as a response from policy makers in the region to consider a re-assessment of developmental strategies for the region while borrowing so much to the organizational learning and systems of learning employed in china and its firms in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Dierkes et al, (2003. P. 716) asserted that these firms have got a high level of resilience a s opposed to their main export competitors like Japan.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to resilience, the Chinese firms have shown an admirable level/degree of corporate flexibility and adoptability cushioning them against market fluctuations (Wolf, 2000, P. 8)  Scholars’ main concerns has been analysis of the viability of these Chinese and Chinese based firms to combat with social structural and frequent economic downturns in the region. Do these firms really have a competitive edge, with a generally accepted fact that they are small and medium sized firms? Can a focus be given to them shifting from the traditional western based learning and management systems? (Dierkes et al, 2003, p. 716). There is a new focus shift from the Large Firms to small and medium sized ones on Market. Characteristics of Chinese Based Firms Presently, Chinese based firms a re found in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The firms are small and medium sized (Yeung et al. 2011, p. 34. In addition, these firms do not innovate in the processes of production but they imitate and use adoptive methods to compete in the market. As a result, they are characterized with a lack of significant access to advanced technologies and markets enjoyed by western based systems of Europe, Japan and USA (Dierkes et al, 2003, p. 716). Furthermore, the firms do not invest to a full extent in the field of research and development as do their highly competitive neighbors like Japan, instead most of their competitive edge comes from producing at live cycle phases of the products, although Jacobson Robertson point out that RD adopting has been proved that it has little technological revolution (2011, p. 274-275). Learning strategies and processes If these firms are small and medium in size, the biggest puzzle is then how do they gain entry to the competitive market and technology? They use adoptive and imitational methods to get the access (Yu, 2007). This has given them a competitive edge against the highly developed nations. The perspective is that these firms are late comers both in technology and to the markets. Chinese based firms create imitation and innovation through learning to learn the processes used by the western systems (Watkins Ehst, 2008, P. 4). Learning in networks Firms in these Chinese business regions of Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong create a network both locally and internationally with other established western systems. Since the firms are not innovative in nature, and owing to the fact that they are late comers to the technology and markets, they are subcontracted by large firms belonging to highly developed western systems to carry out production of high end goods. Through such contracts, Chinese firms and their allies acquire insights into the technology used its competitors, makes strategies to imitate and develop that technology to produce relatively high end goods for the market. Learning in this manner has the advantages of being quick and adoptive. This has highly enhanced their process of knowledge transfer, acquisition and utilization.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Organizational Learning Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Inter-firm cooperation The firms in this region of the world being late comers to the technological world of production strive to make their products better through knowledge accumulation and internalization leading to knowledge of producing goods already on market. (Dierkes et al. 2003, p.721). There exist also strategic alliances. Strategic alliances The alliances have a specific target. The point of interest is that they are brand specific, that is, big name brands. It seems that they understood the effective computational edge both technologically and marketwise these brand names pose to t hem. The best way to compete therefore was to form alliances, not only alliances but strategic alliances so that they are subcontracted to produce on behalf of the big-name brands. This is evident in the Chinese mobile phone industry (Cheung, 2005, p. 267) Forming strategic alliances is also another learning strategy employed by Chinese firms as their Learning process. They target brand name leaders of through formation of joint ventures with these innovative Firms. Their governments also give them some support. Government support One way of fostering organizational learning is through support from a government. Asian economies of Taiwan and Singapore have experienced growth, due to the governments’ creation of a supportive environment, especially to human resources.  Human resource is the learning part, thus its availability and skill level impacts learning positively. It is also characteristic of the Governments in these regions to provide and create favorable organizatio nal learning conditions through provision of basic human resource training, provision and spreading required production and marketing knowledge and giving subsides to research and development targeting majorly, strategic industries and Firms for knowledge transfer. Despite this, these firms still face some barriers to organizational learning. Available techniques of learning in the region Subcontracting versus design/development and marketing/distribution They all lead to organizational learning except that design and development is usually employed by western based systems. The most available is subcontracting where the goods are produced based on an original-equipment license. An advantage of subcontracting is that it is cost effective, facilitates access to cheap labor and reduces unfair market competitions as opposed to design and development.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research and development versus imitation Research and development is geared to knowledge creation by taking a product through its life cycle. Learning can also be achieved through imitation of a product which is already at its life cycle stage. Although both lead to learning in an organization, RD takes a long time and therefore is not entirely suitable for catch up economies in Asia. Diffusion of technology versus human resource training Diffusion of technology involves the western systems that transfer knowledge to non-western systems like china and its firms through global networks. On the other hand, another available technique applicable in the region is creation of knowledge through training to create skilled human resource, in the field of foreign technology and market trends. The notable difference between the two is that human resource training lacks that ability to expose a learning organization to a hands-on experience in the long short term. Diffusion on the other hand, lacks active learning process of the local firms. Types or organizations found in the region As mentioned earlier, the firms based in china and its foreign establishments are small and medium sized enterprises. This does not entirely exclude the large firms. Small and medium scale firms are the most developed, toy firms, electronics, textiles and garments and foot ware. Barriers to organizational learning in the Chinese based firms Chinese enterprises are still in the catch up stages. Catch up strategy by imitation is an entirely favorable system particularly when the concern is directed to products that require advanced technology throughout their production. This is seen in the production of high end electronic good like computers and the software development industries, which require a specific path to complete the process of production. In this case, catch up Chinese firms have to reassess their crash research and development programs are known to lack the capability to duplica te a successful technology (Cheung, 2005, p.267).These firms have are vulnerable to under financing due to lack of technological underdevelopment thus they are exposed market fluctuations as compared to large enterprises found in Japan and South Korea. On the overseas perspective, Chinese firms In Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore lack access to advanced technology used by large western enterprises, as well as large advanced markets of enjoyed by the western based models of organizational learning. Conclusion It can be concluded that the success of Chinese firms lies in their resiliency to market fluctuations and their flexibility to adopt new technologies and market conquest by adopting imitational strategies as well as creation of networks both globally and locally with the advanced systems of the western world. Despite their success, they should review their research and development strategies for high end goods like computers and computer programs which require long term research and development goals for duplication of a successful technology. Also, linkage creation with firms that already have a firm foothold in the global economy should be nurtured since it creates an immediate oversight into global market paces and trends, as well as technology advancement. Besides, their strategies should be geared towards capacity building to exploit knowledge emerging opportunities available in these linkages. Reference List Cheung, C., 2005. Technology transfer and competition: The Mobile Handset Industry in post-WTO. Hamburg: Gabler Verlag. Dierkes, et al., 2003. Handbook of Organizational Learning Knowledge. NY: Oxford Publishers. Jacobson, D Robertson, L, 2011. Knowledge transfer and technology diffusion. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing limited. Neilson, R., 1997. Collaborative Technologies and Organizational Learning. London Idea Group Inc. Watkins, A.J. Ehst, M., 2008. Science and technology and innovation: capacity building for sustainable growth and pov erty reduction. Washington DC: World Bank Publications. Wolf, C., 2000. Asian Economic Trends and their Security Implications. Arlington: Rand Corporation. Yeung, et al., 2011. The Globalization of Chinese Companies: Strategies for Conquering International Markets. Singapore: John Wiley Sons. Yu, F.T., 2007. Taiwan’s economic transformation in evolutionary perspective: Entrepreneurship, innovation systems and government. NY: Nova Publishers. This critical writing on Organizational Learning Success was written and submitted by user Aria Richardson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Summary 1 Example

Summary 1 Example Summary 1 – Book Report/Review Example Summary Putting Passionate People to Work: The most devoted employees are enthralled with their work. Authentic leaders know how to manage that passion. By Warren Bennis. The recent Fortune magazine issue has featured the Google CEO Eric Schmidt contending how numerous businesses have failed to captivate passion among their employees (Bennis). Besides, he observed how managements have forgotten instilling passion especially among the employees whereas it is the core secret to success. Hence, â€Å"Passion motivates more than money†, which ought to appear, inscribed on every boardroom (Bennis). Numerous and larger corporations normally treasure employees who stay late while accomplishing their work but feel uneasy towards those who work during the night. The latter category depicts exactly what comprises passion, which in its Latin meaning implies sacrifice and suffering in order to attain something of a big value (Bennis). Globally, various individuals have exactly exhibited w hat it entails when one is passionate about anyone is undertaking, which results to remarkable results. These include Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt, Michael Jordan, Marie and Pierre Curie who besides encountering demoralizing setbacks, they emerged triumphantly owing to their passion (Bennis). Besides, no manager can instill passion inside an employee despite how one is gifted. However, managers can still increase employees’ passion via creating an environment that will promote it and appreciating various accomplishments attained. Mainly, this tactic characterizes managers who know how to manage their employees’ passion well, hence making them excel in their respective areas. Additionally, passion in the work place normally comprises of exceedingly complex emotions, which are extremely difficult to entangle (Bennis). This is because it serves the purpose of motivating besides bringing with it sure sense; a person’s commitment and efforts in something are worthwhile. Therefore, each person ought to have a passion in every undertaking where in contrary Socrates contends that, one is not worth living despite the year-end bonus (Bennis).Work CitedBennis , warren. Putting Passionate People to Work: The most devoted employees are enthralled with their work. Authentic leaders know how to manage that passion. 12Th January 2004. Web. 26Th September 2012.

Schooling Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Schooling - Case Study Example the author also highlights the importance of education in the enculturation process. the author analysis Brad's behaviour who grew to adopt antisocial behaviour. The method used to gather data was a face to face interview, Brad who is the respondent is interviewed by the author whereby the respondent narrates his life history and this helps the author to compare his behavior with anthropological theories. Data is analyzed by comparing the character traits of Brad with appropriate character traits of others, Brad life history helps in identifying the importance of an appropriate social system that will ensure adoption of appropriate behavior. From the paper major conclusions are that education plays other major roles other than schooling, this include helping individuals to adopt socially acceptable behaviors whereby individuals adopt cultural traits that control behavior. the paper highlights the importance of proper enculturation in developement of socially acceptable behaviour, from the case study Brad was not raised in an appropriate social system and therefore this has led to some antisocial traits.

A Study of Internal and External Effects on Entrepreneurship in The Dissertation

A Study of Internal and External Effects on Entrepreneurship in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The development of the telecommunication technology since the beginning of the current century has played a major role in the process of bringing a massive technological evolution and enhancement in the lives of the masses around the world. The rising level of internet connectivity and Wi-Fi penetration in various markets and regions around the world along with the factor of rising popularity of various sophisticated technology enabled gadgets like the Smartphones, tablets and laptops has played the role of a major catalyst in diffusing the technological and communication related advancement in markets around the world. It is important to state that the high levels of internet connectivity coupled with the rising acceptance of various end user technological devices has helped in the process of transforming the world in to a single highly connected entity. As a result of this technological transformation in to a well connected single virtual entity, various new trends are emerging fro m marketplaces around the world. The new trends which are emerging in the markets of both developed as well as emerging regions are often a by product of globalization as well as new innovation of incremental or radical nature in case of product or services. The rising globalization powered innovative product and service trends are playing an important role in triggering the consumer demand for various innovative products and services in the globally connected markets. As a result of the growing demand for new kinds of products and services in markets around the world, various new opportunities of business are emerging on a regular basis. To tap the new business opportunities that are emerging in various international markets, business organizations and enterprises located in different markets around the world are focusing on engaging in cross border trade activities like engaging in trade export or directly entering the new markets of growth. With the entry of new players of foreig n orientation in a particular market, the dynamics of market competition gets enhanced in a tremendous manner. The entry of new players in the market significantly increases the availability of homogeneous products and services in the markets, which directly leads to a rise of substitute products and services for the consumers. As a result, it can be simply said that the rise of consumer choices alters the power dynamics existing in the market from the sellers to the buyers. Apart from the rise of competition in various new markets, it is very important to consider the multiple macroeconomic issues that currently exist in the global markets. The current trends reveal that the growth prospects in most of the developing economies has slowed down in the recent times because of the influence of a variety of factors like high debt, corruption, tremendous currency fluctuations as well as lack of proper policy development. A region by region analysis of the various macroeconomic factors

A critical assessment of a marketing execution Essay - 2

A critical assessment of a marketing execution - Essay Example Hofstede makes it easy for people studying in the area of global marketing especially executing efficient strategies to understand concepts in the same area. The Hofstede model emerges on top of other models developed over the past fifteen years because of its application in advertising as well as global marketing. Different global institutions continue to apply the model by Geert Hofstede of national culture during the whole marketing and global branding exercise. Hofstede’s dimensional framework contributes to the development of theories relating to the behaviour depicted by consumers. Other scholars further develop the theory by explaining it in terms of differences that exist in the concepts of personality, self, and identity (Lee, 1966, 112). The elements, then help in explaining differences in the strategy of communication and branding. They also cover processing of information among them variations in categorisation and perception with impact on both mass communication and interpersonal communication aspects. The way marketing works also fall in this category. This paper takes a critical evaluation of the application of Hofstede’s cultural dimensional model in Italy and Canada. At the end, the author of the paper gives his views on the implications of the model when Canadian marketers present their views on the marketing environment in Italy. Cultural elements in Italy and Canada are several and include among others materi al culture, aesthetics, language, religion, education, social organisation as well as values and attitudes. A reflection of values of the society and nature takes place through the language. Canadians speak English while Italians speak Latin. Both Canada and Italy boarder countries some of which speak different languages from what the natives in the two countries speak. The influence of Espanyol in Canada as well as the influence of English and French in Italy leads to the development of sub-cultural languages in form

Importance of Natural Product Synthesis

Importance of Natural Product Synthesis History of medicine dates back practically to the existence of human civilization. Historically, the majority of new drugs have been generated from natural products and from compounds derived from natural products. Natural products, including plants, animals and minerals have always been a source of therapeutic agents for many years. Natural products sometimes exhibit pharmacological or biological property that can be of therapeutic benefit in treating diseases. As such, natural products are the active components not only of most  traditional medicines  but also of many newer medications. Furthermore, synthetic analogs of natural products with improved potency and safety can be prepared and therefore natural products are often used as Lead Copmpounds for  drug discovery. In fact, natural products are the inspiration for approximately one half of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. The birth of the natural product synthesis dates back to 1828 when Friedrich Wà ¶hler synthesized urea, a naturally occurring substance from ammonium cyanate. This event as trivial as it may seem by today’s standards not only gave birth to a boundless science called organic synthesis but also contributed to a demystification of mother Nature by burying the fact that synthesis of nature’s molecules is her exclusive domain. The second major achievement in the field of organic synthesis is the synthesis of acetic acid from elemental carbon by Kolbe3 in 1845. It is historically significant because Kolbe coined the word Synthesis for the first time to describe the process of assembling a chemical compound from other substances. The total synthesis of naturally occurring pigments alizarin in 1869 by Graebe and Liebermann and indigo in 1878 by Baeyer represent landmark accomplishments in the field. Probably, after urea, the most spectacular total synthesis of the nineteenth c entury was that of Emil Fischer’s (†¡)-glucose not only for the complexity of the target but also for the considerable stereochemical control that accompanied it. Figure 1: Although the precedent was set in the nineteenth century, it was only in the twentieth century the field of total synthesis started to flourish when Robert Burns Woodward synthesized Quinine. This event ushered in the modern era of total synthesis and Woodward who received the 1965 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for several brilliant examples of total synthesis such as his 1954 synthesis of strychnine, cholesterol5 is regarded as the father of modern organic synthesis. Figure 2: Today the art of organic synthesis has improved to astoundingly high levels of sophistication. Through its practice, chemists are able to synthesize organic molecules of all types of structural motifs and for all intents and purposes. Some modern classical examples of total synthesis include the synthesis of prostaglandin PG2ÃŽ ± and Ginkgolide by E. J Corey, Ingenol by Wood, Brevetoxin by Nicolaou, Vancomycin by Evans, Taxol by Holton6, Nicolaou7, Wender and Danishefsky8 groups independently. The discipline of natural product synthesis today, is an important field of investigation whose dividends stretch from new scientific knowledge to practical applications. Considered by many as the flagship of organic synthesis, natural product synthesis symbolizes the power of chemical synthesis at any given time and defines its scope and limitations. It also serves to improve chemical synthesis by attempting to push its frontiers into higher molecular complexity, diversity, and efficiency. they can synthesize not only the molecules of nature and their analogues, but also myriad other organic molecules for potential applications in many areas of science, technology and everyday life Introduction to THF-containing natural products Tetrahydrofuran (THF)-containing natural products widely occur in several important families of biologically active compounds, such as the annonaceous acetogenins [1] and polyether antibiotics isolated from Streptomyces organisms (ionomycin, lonomycins A–C, or monensin) [2]. It’s worthwhile at this juncture to discuss few THF ring containing natural products such as which have been of paramount importance to the mankind and also to the researchers who have been actively involved in the synthesis and isolation of these natural products. Acetogenins Acetogenins abbreviated as AAGs are a group of THF-Containing natural products isolated from Annonacae species which are vastly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. They exhibit different biological activities such as antitumor, ant-imalarial, anti microbial, anti protozoal, pesticidal activities2. The common structural features of acetogenins include several free hydroxy groups with various stereo centers, differently located oxygenated functional groups and tetrahydrofuran (THF) ring(s) along the long hydrocarbon chain with an ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ²-unsaturated ÃŽ ´-lactone moiety at the end. Uvaricin, a bis THF acetogenin was the first of the AAGs isolated from Uvaria acuminata in 1982. It exhibited potent anti-cancer activity by inhibiting NADH cells in the mitochondrion. The total synthesis of Hexepi-Uvaricin was published by Hoye in 1994 and subsequently first total synthesis was achieved by Keinan in 1998. Montanacin D is a non classical acetogenin isolated from the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Annona Montana16 by Qin group in 1999, possessing a 4,8-cis THP ring along with a 16,19-trans THF ring. Ionomycin Amphidinolides Amphidinolides constitute a series of unique cytotoxic polyketide macrolides obtained from marine symbiotic dinoflagellates of the genus Amphidinium, which are symbionts of Okinawan marine flatworms Amphiscolops spp.1 They exhibit potent cytotoxic activity against murine lymphoma L1210 cells and human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells. Given below are some important Amphidinolides that incorporate a THF-ring in their structure Pectenotoxins Pectenotoxin (PTX)-group toxins are a group of polyether macrolide compounds found in microalgae and bivalve molluscs of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and some parts of Europe. Their presence in shellfish was discovered due to their high acute toxicity in the mouse bioassay after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of lipophilic extracts of shellfish. Pectinotoxins are exclusively produced by Dinophysis species. In shellfish they are always accompanied by closely related okadaic acid (OA)-group toxins. The common structural features of (PTX)-group toxins include a spiroketal group, three THF-rings, a bicyclic ketal and a six-membered cyclic hemiketal (Allingham et al., 2007). PTX2 is beleived to be the main precursor, from which many PTX-group toxins are derived through biotransformation during metabolism in the gut of bivalves. It is suggested that an oxidation of PTX2 occurs, leading to the formation of other PTX-group toxins, including PTX1, PTX3, and PTX6 PTX-group toxins have been shown to cause cell cycle arrest, cell death and apoptosis. The wide range (10-9 and 10-6 M) of effective concentrations of PTX-group toxins as well as the apparent resistance of some cell lines to the cytotoxic effect of PTX-group toxins indicate the existence of cell-specific factors affecting the sensitivity of biological systems to this group of natural compounds. Studies have confirmed that PTX2 induces apoptosis in several cell lines through multiple mechanisms, involving the perturbation of the cell cycle machinery, inhibition of mitotic separation and cytokinesis through the depolymerization of actin filaments. Oscillariolide and Phormidolide Oscillariolide is a halogenated macrolide isolated from a marine blue-green alga Oscillatoria sp. from Gokashowan-Bay, Mie Prefecture. It exhibits significant cytotoxic activity in the echinoderm egg assay. Phormidolide, a closely related macrolide was isolated from the extract of a laboratory culture of an Indonesian isolate of the cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. It displayed cytotoxicity towards drine shrimp with a LC50 of 1.5  µM. The characteristic features of both oscillariolide and phormidolide include a trisubstituted bridged THF macrolactone with a long polyhydroxy chain containing a unique terminal bromo diene. Structural elucidation revealed that the polyhydroxy side as well as THF ring of both compounds have same stereochemistry Chagosensine Chagosensine is a sixteen-membered chlorinated macrolide isolated from the methanolic chloroform extract of a bright yellow sponge Leucetta chagosensis usually found in the coral reefs of Red Sea, Aqaba Gulf (Israel). the extract of the Leucetta sp. sponge exhibited potent ability to inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway. A new mechanism for the action of naamidine A and inhibition of tumor cells was shown.

America Must Increase the Minimum Wage :: Increase Minimum Wage Essays

"Things like child care and sick leave and equal pay. Things like lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage. These ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families. That is a fact. And that's what all of us — Republicans and Democrats alike — were sent to Washington to do..." -- President Obama, State of the Union address In the United States Minimum Wage is approaching record lows. Even with recent increases inflation is one of the main reasons that workers are being paid less for labor than they were back in the Seventies. There are about 3 million workers in the United States that worked full time year round last year and still fell below the National poverty level. If everyone earns exactly the same amount of money, then the income distribution would be perfectly equal. If no one earns any money except for one person, who earns all of the money, then the income distribution would be perfectly unequal. In a normal society Income Distribution is usually somewhere in the middle of perfectly equal or unequal. When a small number of people start receiving a large portion of the income in a society, the government tries to find ways to redistribute income. Governments try to stop the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer in order to achieve a good balance in income distribut ion. Minimum wage laws are a way that the federal and state governments balance income distribution. Minimum Wage is considered a price floor. Minimum wage laws determine the lowest price possible that any employer must pay for labor. In the traditional minimum wage model the quantity of supplied labor is greater then the quantity demanded. Minimum wage is above equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage prevents labor supplied and labor demanded from moving toward equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage levels become the floor and wages can not fall below the floor price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first two Minimum wage graphs a study that was done in New Jersey to show the effects of a minimum wage increase in employment. One of the main arguments against increasing minimum wage is that it would cause an increase in job loss. The graphs show that there was not a huge difference in employment when New Jersey after they increased minimum wage from $4.

Puritans, Max Weber Essay

1.Explain: Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England. Puritans were people who wanted to get rid of things that were not stated by Jesus Christ or by the Bible. They rejected decisions and traditions established by the Church (i.e. people). Examples: paintings of God and Jesus, rich ornaments and dà ©cor, hierarchy in Church, selling pardons. They also thought that the temples should be smaller and not so monumental. Puritans’ beliefs were a threat to the hierarchy and wealth of the English Church, so they were persecuted and unwelcome in there. They had to look for a place they could live the way they wanted. 2.Describe the Puritans who set sail to America in 1620. Majority of Puritans who set sail to America on Mayflower in 1620 was well-educated and belonged to upper middle class (they were rather rich). Those people couldn’t worship God according to their beliefs because their religion was a threat to the Church of England. Puritans were constantly persecuted and they left to Netherlands, and then to Virginia in Noth America. Their trip resembled Exodus to the promised land. Puritans called themselves Pilgrims, because it was a pilgrimage to the new world where they hoped to be free and to establish the Church there. 3.The literary genres Puritans practiced and did not practice. 4.Explain the notion of predestination and how Puritans shaped they lives according to it. Puritans believed that they don’t have any influence on whether they will go to heaven or to hell. They believe that God knows it before they are born and they can do nothing about it. (There is a paradox of free-will -> although one may be a good person, he/she can still go to hell.) God may change his mind, but people cannot do anything. For Puritans, the fact that someone is rich and successful means that this person may be predestined, so they work even harder and look for success, hoping that maybe this would be a sign of their predestination. 5.What biblical events did the first Puritans in America draw parallels to? Puritans considered themselves to be like pilgrims to the Promised Land, like Jews running from Egypt to Israel. As they wanted to establish a Church they considered it to be a mission. 6.How did Max Weber compare Protestants and Catholics in terms of the notions of hard work and calling? According to Max Weber, Catholics believe that the hard work is their way to salvation. People have to work hard to be good people. Protestants, on the other hand, believe that they should work hard because it is their duty, as this is God’s will and it is useful for the whole country and society. For them it a kind of vocation. Every Protestant feels the vocation to work and to worship God (Everyone has his own mission in life – there have to be poor farmers and rich lawyers – this is God’s will and it is completely normal.) In case of Catholicism, only priests feel the vocation to serve God. 7.Explain how Max Weber analyzed in his discussion of Protestant ethics the notions of work, investment, charity, waste. Work– every Puritan has a vocation to work. It is a duty and God’s will. Work is useful for the whole society; thanks to work we make our community better. â€Å"Not leisure and enjoyment, but only activity serves to increase the glory of God, according to the definite manifestations of His will† Investment  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ If someone has money and is successful in business, it means that he is in God’s favor. Money should be multiplied not wasted and spent on unimportant things as luxuries and amusement. Charity– if someone needs charity it means that he is a beggar. If someone doesn’t work – he sins and offends God, as it is a duty to work. Supporting charity means supporting offending God. WASTE – waste of time is the worst and the deadliest sin. â€Å"Not leisure and enjoyment, but only activity serves to increase the glory of God, according to the definite manifestations of His will† – only hard work praises God an d any other activity is a waste. 8.What did a Puritan sermon look like (use in particular Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God). In the 18th and 19th centuries during the Great Awakening, major sermons were made at revivals, which were especially popular in the United States. These sermons were noted for their â€Å"fire-and-brimstone† message, typified by Jonathan Edwards’s famous â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† speech. In these sermons the wrath of God was clearly one to be afraid of, although fear was not the message Edwards was trying to convey in his sermons, he was simply trying to tell the people that they could be forgiven for their sins. It combines vivid imagery of Hell with observations of the world and citations of scripture.

Summery and context description of All the Kings Men Robert Penn Warren

Summery and context description of All the Kings Men Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren was one of the twentieth century's outstanding men of letters. He found great success as a novelist, a poet, a critic, and a scholar, and enjoyed a career showered with acclaim. He won two Pulitzer Prizes, was Poet Laureate of the United States, and was presented with a Congressional Medal of Freedom. He founded the Southern Review and was an important contributor to the New Criticism of 1930s and '40s. Born in 1905, Warren showed his exceptional intelligence from an early age; he attended college at Vanderbilt University, where he befriended some of the most important contemporary figures in Southern literature, including Allan Tate and John Crowe Ransom, and where he won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England.During a stay in Italy, Warren wrote a verse drama called Proud Flesh, which dealt with themes of political power and moral corruption. As a professor at Louisiana State University, Warren had observed the rise of Louisiana political b oss Huey Long, who embodied, in many ways, the ideas Warren tried to work into Proud Flesh.Signature of Robert Penn Warren from the Signed Li...Unsatisfied with the result, Warren began to rework his elaborate drama into a novel, set in the contemporary South, and based in part on the person of Huey Long. The result was All the King's Men, Warren's best and most acclaimed book. First published in 1946, All the King's Men is one of the best literary documents dealing with the American South during the Great Depression. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize, and was adapted into a movie that won an Academy Award in 1949.All the King's Men focuses on the lives of Willie Stark, an upstart farm boy who rises through sheer force of will to become Governor of an unnamed Southern state during the 1930s, and Jack Burden, the novel's narrator, a cynical scion of the state's political aristocracy who uses his abilities as a historical researcher to help Willie blackmail and control his enemies. The novel deals with the large question of the responsibility individuals bear for their actions within the turmoil of history, and it is perhaps appropriate that the impetus of the novel's story comes partly from real historical occurrences. Jack Burden is entirely a creation of Robert Penn Warren, but there are a number of important parallels between Willie Stark and Huey Long, who served Louisiana as both Governor and Senator from 1928 until his death in 1935.Like Huey Long, Willie Stark is an uneducated farm boy who passed the state bar exam; like Huey Long, he rises to political power in his state by instituting liberal reform designed to help the state's poor farmers. And like Huey Long, Willie is assassinated at the peak of his power by a doctorDr. Adam Stanton in Willie's case, Dr. Carl A. Weiss in Long's. (Unlike Willie, however, Long was assassinated after becoming a Senator, and was in fact in the middle of challenging Franklin D. Roosevelt for the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.)SummaryAll the King's Men is the story of the rise and fall of a political titan in the Deep South during the 1930s. Willie Stark rises from hardscrabble poverty to become governor of his state and its most powerful political figure; he blackmails and bullies his enemies into submission, and institutes a radical series of liberal reforms designed to tax the rich and ease the burden of the state's poor farmers. He is beset with enemiesmost notably Sam MacMurfee, a defeated former governor who constantly searches for ways to undermine Willie's powerand surrounded by a rough mix of political allies and hired thugs, from the bodyguard Sugar-Boy O'Sheean to the fat, obsequious Tiny Duffy.All the King's Men is also the story of Jack Burden, the scion of one of the state's aristocratic dynasties, who turns his back on his genteel upbringing and becomes Willie Stark's right-hand man. Jack uses his considerable talents as a historical researcher to dig up the unpleasan t secrets of Willie's enemies, which are then used for purposes of blackmail. Cynical and lacking in ambition, Jack has walked away from many of his past interestshe left his dissertation in American History unfinished, and never managed to marry his first love, Anne Stanton, the daughter of a former governor of the state.When Willie asks Jack to look for skeletons in the closet of Judge Irwin, a father figure from Jack's childhood, Jack is forced to confront his ideas concerning consequence, responsibility, and motivation. He discovers that Judge Irwin accepted a bribe, and that Governor Stanton covered it up; the resulting blackmail attempt leads to Judge Irwin's suicide. It also leads to Adam Stanton's decision to accept the position of director of the new hospital Willie is building, and leads Anne to begin an affair with Willie. When Adam learns of the affair, he murders Willie in a rage, and Jack leaves politics forever.Willie's death and the circumstances in which it occurs f orce Jack to rethink his desperate belief that no individual can ever be responsible for the consequences of any action within the chaos and tumult of history and time. Jack marries Anne Stanton and begins working on a book about Cass Mastern, the man whose papers he had once tried to use as the source for his failed dissertation in American History.

Free Essays on On The Waterfront

On the Waterfront The theme for On the Waterfront took place in the late 1940’s and 50’s. There was a conflict between John Corridan a priest and Joseph Ryan the head of the ILA (International Longshoreman’s Union). Corridan’s problem was with the labor union because the union dominated the docks and he felt that the conditions which they worked in were dangerous and crude. On the docks there were plenty of workers to fit the job, but the only ones who worked were the ones that worked for the cheapest wages. The workers were treated like slaves and worked in horrible conditions. Corridan had a conflict with the ILA because he knew that the union wasn’t going to reform the waterfront labor practices. Men desperate for work gave the bosses kickbacks. Loan sharks gave high interest loans to desperate longshoremen just looking to make a buck. After some time there was a rivalry between two Catholic sub-cultures. The conflict was between Corridan a Jesuit priest and the Catholic dockworkers that began to accept the fact that poverty and suffering were an inevitable part of life. To encourage people to testify against Ryan and others, Corridan went to get the publics attention. He met with Budd Schulberg a screenwriter, and they developed a script about the waterfront. After there conversation Schulberg decided to turn the struggle between the ILA and Corridan into the film called â€Å"On the Waterfront†. This film is a bit controversial and deals with three types of Biases. The three types are: Individual, Group, and General. Individual Bias is satisfying one’s own desires, which also translates into being selfish. In the Movie Charlie Malloy showed individual Bias. Charlie was Terry’s brother who handled the union’s money and he never looked out for anyone except himself. In some ways it is acceptable to be worried about yourself but not to the point that you’re gaining by holding others back. Terry h... Free Essays on On The Waterfront Free Essays on On The Waterfront On the Waterfront The theme for On the Waterfront took place in the late 1940’s and 50’s. There was a conflict between John Corridan a priest and Joseph Ryan the head of the ILA (International Longshoreman’s Union). Corridan’s problem was with the labor union because the union dominated the docks and he felt that the conditions which they worked in were dangerous and crude. On the docks there were plenty of workers to fit the job, but the only ones who worked were the ones that worked for the cheapest wages. The workers were treated like slaves and worked in horrible conditions. Corridan had a conflict with the ILA because he knew that the union wasn’t going to reform the waterfront labor practices. Men desperate for work gave the bosses kickbacks. Loan sharks gave high interest loans to desperate longshoremen just looking to make a buck. After some time there was a rivalry between two Catholic sub-cultures. The conflict was between Corridan a Jesuit priest and the Catholic dockworkers that began to accept the fact that poverty and suffering were an inevitable part of life. To encourage people to testify against Ryan and others, Corridan went to get the publics attention. He met with Budd Schulberg a screenwriter, and they developed a script about the waterfront. After there conversation Schulberg decided to turn the struggle between the ILA and Corridan into the film called â€Å"On the Waterfront†. This film is a bit controversial and deals with three types of Biases. The three types are: Individual, Group, and General. Individual Bias is satisfying one’s own desires, which also translates into being selfish. In the Movie Charlie Malloy showed individual Bias. Charlie was Terry’s brother who handled the union’s money and he never looked out for anyone except himself. In some ways it is acceptable to be worried about yourself but not to the point that you’re gaining by holding others back. Terry h...

Managing and Leading Strategic Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing and Leading Strategic Change - Essay Example Literature Review Henry Mintzberg in his famous research papers has pointed out three important characteristics of strategic change management. Discussing three characteristics of strategic change management will help me to understand key driving forces like leadership, learning and communication for change process. This discussion will create a link between academic theories with leadership issues in P&G during their change management process. Strategic Management versus Strategic Thinking Organizations use strategic management to operate business and control functional aspects of various departments while leaders’ use strategic thinking is synthesizing root maps to achieve organizational objectives. Strategic thinking played vital role for change process in P&G. Strategic Management Requires New Initiatives Leaders planning for strategic management need to think out of the box in order to incorporate breakthrough change. Informal learning should be encouraged in order to ach ieve sustainable change management. Research scholars have found that rearranging older concepts in order to accomplish change management often produces failure due to dynamic nature of strategic management. P&G had successfully used the concept of informal learning to accomplish the required change business model. Fallacy of Detachment Senior managers often fail to detect key issues of strategic change management due to various reasons such as complete detachment with employees of the organization, lack of communication with subordinates (Mintzberg, 1994). P&G had successfully mitigated the probability of detachment in order to achieve objective of change management. In accordance to research scholars strategic change management actually... From the discussion it is clear that organizations use strategic management to operate business and control functional aspects of various departments while leaders’ use strategic thinking is synthesizing root maps to achieve organizational objectives. Strategic thinking played vital role for change process in P&G.This paper discusses that leaders planning for strategic management need to think out of the box in order to incorporate breakthrough change. Informal learning should be encouraged in order to achieve sustainable change management. Research scholars have found that rearranging older concepts in order to accomplish change management often produces failure due to dynamic nature of strategic management. P&G had successfully used the concept of informal learning to accomplish the required change business model. Senior managers often fail to detect key issues of strategic change management due to various reasons such as complete detachment with employees of the organizatio n, lack of communication with subordinates. P&G had successfully mitigated the probability of detachment in order to achieve objective of change management.  Many organisations have achieved successful strategic change management due to leadership quality. The concept of strategic change management is multi dimensional in terms of organizational impact, variation of objective, dynamics of leadership and other management issues.

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

Argument final - Research Paper Example ilable medical remedies, and so many patients suffering from these diseases are made to endure severe and chronic pain, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, and other similar discomforts. They are often also made to endure such symptoms for days and even months before they eventually die. In the interim, they often reach the point of wanting to end their suffering and pain by ending their life. Lacking the strength and the means to end it, these patients turn to their physicians to assist them in ending their life. But legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a dangerous step which is very much against the basic principles of the medical practice. With such a premise, this paper shall discuss and support the thesis that physician-assisted suicide should not be made legal. An important consideration in the assisted suicide discussion is the fact that committing it is against the basic principle of non-maleficence or of not doing any harm to one’s patient. The Hippocratic Oath which serves as the basic ethical mandate of the medical practice expressly prohibits physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia (Finlay, 2005). This oath declares that a physician should not â€Å"administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will [the physician] suggest such a course† (as cited by Demy and Stewart, 1998, p. 249). In the time of Hippocrates, assisted suicide and euthanasia were very much against the principles of medicine. In the current context however, assisted suicide and euthanasia are ideas which are new and different from the concepts of medicine and care (Walker, 2001). Those who support physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia also have different ideas on what it is to be a physician and what the moral boundaries of the practice a re. â€Å"It is also telling that the current public interest in PAS comes at a time when the palliative powers of American medicine are greater than they have ever been in the past† (Walker, 2001, p. 27). All in all,