Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Modern Marine NCO Today

Today’s Marine NCO has changed over the years from the past Marine NCO. An NCO today takes the knowledge from their senior NCO’s that was passed down to them and help shape the Jr. Marine today. Having respect goes a long way with Marine NCO’s but how can that be achieved if the NCO doesn’t show any themselves? A Marine NCO is like a father figure in a way, teaches junior marine what he/she needs to know in order to better themselves and make good decisions so that one day when he/she becomes and NCO they can look back and be like my NCO when I was a troop taught me and show me what it takes to be a NCO. NCO’s gain knowledge and wisdom from their seniors but also gain knowledge for their jourior marines and make themselves better. The NCO from the past was more about odering and not listening to their marines which made the Marines under their charge hate their NCO as of to now and days the NCO takes time to listen to their Marines and properly take care of their needs. As a Marine NCO, we have to set standards for others to emulate and strive to be the best and surpass their leaders. A Marine NCO is there for his/her Marines from the smallest minute problem back in the rear to being on the fron lines and helping their Marine in a battle situation. A jounior Marine will trust and respect his fellow NCO(s) if that Marine NCO takes time to understand them and help them in their situation.

Android and iPhone

Over the past decade, electronic companies such as Samsung and Apple has collaborated with mobile phone carriers, and researched the average consumer that could find many ways to improve the mobile phone. The outcome to this research has born the smartphone. Previously, these smartphones has provided instant access to communication entertainment, internet access, news, calendar, social media, and etc. These smartphones has effect a radical change in the path of modern technology. In 2007, Apple began to be the biggest smartphone to be released. To be the most popular smartphone many companies attempt to imitate the unbeatable features. Although, when technology is involved Google has been coping to keep up with the Iphone to advance the Android software. Partly, Google's android software has become the dominant smartphone that's not manufactured by Apple. For this reason, Android phones are just great as an IPhones. The similarities and differences of between Apple's phones and Android phones. The similarity between the Iphone and Androids phones is the shape of the phone. For example, most of the models has a similar shape like the Iphone by its rectangular and rounded corners shape. Nowadays, you might have seen many of theses Android phones such as, Samsungs and HTC Evo that has the exact shape. Iphone and Android phones has been noticed for their touch screens. Even though there was many disputes about who had the original design structure but the companies continue to manufacture the use of the basic structure for their smartphone. Also, Android and Iphone has authorize an 3G, 4G, and Wifi connection. Most of the modern smartphones has similar downloadable applications and app store. For example, they both have similar notification center, allowing users to view their log of missed calls, text messages, and other notification from the apps. Furthermore, Android and Iphones aren't able to last a day without it being charged but when Apple had invented Iphone 5, they made it convenient for the phone to function up to 3 days without charging it even if you have many apps installed, despite of other phones which can only last for 8 hours. Regards to the two smartphones has shown a way to navigate and search for places to locate your destination. Whoever, you choose either of them will give you the best quality of GPS and navigators. However, both of the smartphones has different type of ways of how it's functioned. The Iphones provide more apps than android phones. Iphones has outreach Android by thousands of apps, more updated, and faster when talking about the speed usage of the apps. For example, the apps on the IPhone has greater quality than the Android. Moreover, IPhone apps doesn't crash as often as an Android. For example, since I been using the IPhone 6S Plus, their have been no crash that I know. Although, when I had the LG 10 before I started having issues with my apps having crashes so, I felt it was normal thing. Although, Androids given users to download whatever apps from any source. Also, Androids apps storage is less precise to software developer. Their software display are way to different. For example, the Androids are known for giving their user a way to customize the theme of the phone keyboard meanwhile IPhone are known for the simple display and easy to use. Android phones have more carrier than Iphones so, it makes them easier to find and it has many phones to choose from. Moreover, Androids has larger screens than Iphone. For example, the Galaxy note has a 5.3†³ screen although the Iphone has 3.5†³ screen. Even though some android phones have bigger screen it could be sometime difficult to use because of how big the screen is fabricated. IPhone are easy to be hold in one hand, in any size you choose. The App Store are more organized than the Play Store. Over the years, Play Store has surely improved by making it easy to navigate but Apple's App Store has made it more favorable. The Apple Store is more straightforward by categories and popular on charts, even the Play Store. However, people will have their personal opinion of how they feel difference between the App Store and the Play Store. iPhones has more paid apps than the Android, but they also have shorter ads. The Apple's apps are free and paid than a Android. Although, Apple's users will be considering to spend money on apps than Google's users. This shows that the apps for IPhone are less filled with ads. For example, the new iPhone XS Max has adjusted to pay some money for a few of the apps for free than on an Android. In conclusion, the IPhone and Android seem to be similar but has many different ways seen between the two smartphone. Both smartphones has lure different crowd of people based on what they believe should be on a smartphone, either they choose an IPhone simple display and high quality apps or Android customize and many variety of apps. The smartphone has developed for many years, which will continue to buy smartphone that people prefer. This will lead to new features, screens, more capacity, and more evolution of the smartphone. Eventually, the development of the smartphone will bring more advancement to modern technology.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Analysis of Nutrition News

â€Å"Boosting Key Milk Nutrients May Help Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk† – ScienceDailyThe report (ScienceDaily screen 1) mainly focused on the important contributions of vitamin D, calcium and magnesium in risk prevention for diabetes; most especially the type 2 diabetes. (qtd in ScienceDaily, screen 1)The language used is fairly comprehensive with the use of familiar words and with only a few technical terms. The author’s understanding of the previously reported findings is sufficient to allow him or to allow her to thoroughly explain the findings of the studies presented. In both studies conducted by Pittas et al. and Larsson et al., meta-analyses approaches were conducted to obtain the results. (qtd in ScienceDaily, screen 1)Studies performed were mainly based on American diet, therefore similar studies may be conducted to evaluate whether these findings apply for other racial and ethnic populations. These information would really be useful for individuals who have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes; as well as the general population for the promotion of health and prevention of disease.However, to a reader without extensive nutritional background, results of this study may be misleading. The report may mislead by giving the reader the notion that drinking milk alone will be prevention enough against diabetes. Other preventive measures for diabetes should have been included in the report to avoid misinterpretation.Reference:ScienceDaily. â€Å"Boosting Key Milk Nutrients May Help Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk†. (13 July 2007). 16 July 2007 .

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Strategic leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic leadership - Essay Example Essentially the level to which an organization can develop effective consensus, manage the transformations and sustain commitment will count a lot on the success or failure of any enterprise (Hiatt & Creasey, 2003). According to Balogun (2008) the formulation of all changes in the organization is critical components of any program to support the employees of that particular organization and the organization itself. Balogun reviews the three main elements of any organizational change. Namely: the reason behind the change, what exactly should be included in the change and the process of change (2008). The reasons behind change include those that are social, economical, cultural, political, capabilities, structural and competitive environment in which the organization operates. He says the organization has an inner context and an outer one and all of them affect the organizations operations. The culture, structure and the capabilities comprise of the inner context that affects the organ ization directly. The external is the market under which it operates: the competitiveness and the country’s political strategies (Combat Poverty Agency, 1993). This affects the organization indirectly, and many a times they got lots of weight. When Mike took over from Lee, he needed change nothing structurally from the company. He actually moved in to the same old office and retained the furniture and carpet. He explains that the organization is flexible to the changing world in terms of its employee’s capabilities and in terms of its economy (Walton, 2009). Some of the factors that ensure the company runs consistently and efficiently, include its workers who are keen on ensuring that they work towards a goal, the goal being attaining its returns upon investment. The company can motivate its workers by giving them incentives or by creating an opportunity for them to be out in the fields to create bigger sales. Either way, it can ensure that they interact with customers on a personal level to ensure they give more information to them concerning their products. How the company relates to a customer, should be based on whether a customer is regular or irregular. How they are treated, gives them the need to be back again and again. The company’s capital also drives the process of expansion efficiently. The company stepped up to buy technology during Mike’s leadership to assist in leadership (Walton, 2009). Advanced technology boosts the company’s sales. It’s through this that customers will get to know more about the company. The advertisement the company makes to sell its range of products and services

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Financial Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Concepts - Essay Example n to compensate for the underlying risk involved .This rate of return (Ke) is defined as the sum of risk free rate of return (Rf) and risk premium (Rm- Rf) multiplied by beta (KPMG, 2005).Thus beta is useful in calculating the rate of return of a risky asset and thus very applicable in investment decisions. 2.2. Variance- It is a standard statistical measure of the dispersion of a set of data points around their mean value. In finance, the variance of the market return is the expected squared deviation from the expected return (Myers, 2000). Variance is useful in measuring portfolio risk in the sense that it measures the volatility from average value. This helps the investors in risk assessment while purchasing stocks or bonds (Investopedia, 2010). 2.3. Duration: It is defined as the average number of years to an asset’s discounted cash flows (Myers,2000).It denotes how much sensitive is the price of a fixed income investment to a change in interest rates. The bigger the duration, the greater the reward for bond prices. Thus this is applicable in investment decisions. 2.4. Return on Assets (ROA): It is defined as the ratio of net income to total assets (Myers, 2000). It indicates how efficiently a company is using its total assets to generate its earnings. It is an indicator of a company’s efficiency and profitability. 2.5: Return on Equity (ROE): It is defined as the ratio of net income to shareholder’s equity(Myers,2000). It an indicator of the profitability of a company. It shows how profitable a company is making use of the money invested by the shareholders 2.6. Cost of Capital- Each firm expects a minimum rate of return on its investments as earnings for attracting new capital and to maintain its current value. This rate of return is called cost of capital (KPMG, 2005). The opportunity cost of investment in funds is reflected in cost of capital and hence it is a very important parameter for any company (Civil Aviation Authority, 2001). The two

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Psychology - leadership question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology - leadership question - Assignment Example Leaders like Todd McFarlane see challenges as opportunities and work hard to convert those opportunities into successful ventures for them. This is one of the main personality traits that distinguish successful leaders from other individuals. Moreover, visionary outlook, creativity, entrepreneurial approach, and willingness to take risks to control destiny also distinguish leaders from other individuals. Global competition and technology advances have changed business conditions and leadership challenges in many ways. Today, almost every entrepreneur wants to expand his/her business to other markets to increase productivity and revenues, as well as to gain competitive advantage. Hiring a workforce that is able to understand different cultural, social, and business environments has become one of the main challenges for business entrepreneurs in today’s competitive global environment. â€Å"Attracting and retaining talent in todays very competitive world is something that a human capital practitioner cannot easily dismiss† (Mwaka). Therefore, business leaders not only focus on expanding their businesses but also on hiring a competitive and multicultural workforce. Moreover, leaders also need to make business owners and managers aware of incorporating the use of new technologies to improve the performance of their businesses, as well as to increase productivity both of wh ich are essential for success in today’s competitive environment. Mwaka, Clayton. Common Challenges in Human Resource Management. Ezinearticles.com, 10 Aug. 2012. Web. 4 Nov. 2012.

Monday, August 26, 2019

To what extent do risk, rewards and motives contribute towards an Assignment

To what extent do risk, rewards and motives contribute towards an entrepreneurs goals - Assignment Example Steve Jobs – An Icon of Entrepreneurship Burlingham and Gendron (2013) argue, "Without Jobs, after all, there would have been no Apple II". Steve Jobs is a glaring example of true entrepreneurship in the current times; the one, who assesses risks carefully, faces challenges that come his way, and accomplishes tasks in hand successfully. And in this process, he gets rewarded handsomely so much that in his own life time, Apple, in terms of market capitalization, transforms into the world's largest company. That is a great feat indeed! As per Kathryn Lang, entrepreneurship requires thought, planning, and persistence. It is not always the money that makes people entrepreneur. It is the passion or urge of creating something – product or service that exhorts their entrepreneurial spirit. Fixed paychecks in the job do not excite them and insecurity outside the jobs does not stop them from trading into unchartered territories. That is why entrepreneurs are always ready to take risks and face new challenges to get rewarded handsomely. It is this sense of achievement that drives them towards entrepreneurship. The case of Steve Jobs is no different than this. Major Motives – Innovation and Perfection According to John Kao, a consultant to corporations, it is the innovative culture created by Steve Jobs that is responsible establishing Apple ahead of many of its rivals. Though formal education is required yet attitude to learn more in all situations is a prerequisite for creativity. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs has these traits since an early age. At a fairly young age, he was fascinated toward electronics doing projects on radios. While he is fired from Apple in 1985, his entrepreneurial spirit forces him to float two new companies under the names ‘Next’ and ‘Pixar’. He remains in control of these two companies until 1996 when he returns to Apple and becomes chief executive officer (CEO) there. In 2005, during a commence ment address to the students at Stanford, Steve is quite categorical in his statement, â€Å"It turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me† (Lohr, 2011). What he says is that perseverance pays and it goes without saying that perseverance is one of the key characteristics that make one entrepreneur. Perfection in the product design has always been his obsession so much that even on internal circuitry that no one is going to look at, he insists that "every line of solder on the circuit board be perfectly straight" (Burlingham and Gendron, 2013). That is why on aesthetics too each product of the Apple Inc. receives accolades from the customers. Steve Jobs emphasises on the innovation in the task and jobs that one undertakes and that becomes possible only with experimentation, taking risks in life and being curious. In line with this, he further adds, "I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew , I wish that for you† (Lohr, 2011). Entrepreneurship and Risk Taking Ability True entrepreneurs are prompt in taking risks. As saying goes: no risks, no rewards. This remains a universal fact always as one goes deeper into the events that shape the lives

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Investment Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment Risks - Essay Example This refers to the poor earning reports, legal actions against the company, management ineffectiveness, or potential bankruptcy related issues that might keep an investor from investing in the company’s securities and stocks. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the company will not be able to meet its obligations and pay off its debts as and when these become due. If this situation arises, this could have a drastically negative effect on the company’s performance and its perception into the minds of potential investors. This might also result in a decline in stock prices and may ultimately lead to solvency problems for the company.This refers to the situation where movements in exchange rates adversely affect the investments for an individual or the company. The exchange rates may move in favor of or against the investments for people. If exchange rates are decreasing, an investment in a security becomes attractive as other investment models, like foreign currenc y, becomes unattractive due to exchange rates being reduced. However, if exchange rates show an increasing trend, an investor might not be willing to invest in a company’s securities until the return from the investment in securities is more than the return from investments in foreign currency. In addition, for multinational companies or for those who try to diversify their portfolio by investing in foreign currencies, exchange risk might be a very critical element to take into account before making the investment.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Operation management 01 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Operation management 01 - Essay Example The sales department is in charge of the stocking and operations management within the organization. The department’s contribution towards the growth of the company is very important. This is the department in charge of generating revenue. There is a significant amount of planning involved in the retail industry. The department is in charge of the customer as well as the company’s financial returns. The department contributes to the organization’s financial growth through planning and effective implementation of these plans. The methods used to reach the customer and promote sales are developed within this department. This involves a joint effort between the sales and marketing department. There is very close proximity between these two departments. The marketing department is charged with consumer attraction to the store, whereas the sales department is charged with the actual sale of products. The success and growth of an organization from a small scale regiona l retail store to a global corporation is attributed to the efficacy and efficiency of this department. The contribution of the work of this department is crucial for that success (Bradley, 1991). The description of customer is referred to a customer or consumer profile. Before the identification of the customer profile, the organization must differentiate the external and the internal customer. An internal customer is a customer who is involved with the process of making a product available to the end consumer. The internal customer is a member of the organization usually a company employee. An external customer is one who purchases the company products for personal use but is not part of the company. Both of these customers are important to the viability and growth of an organization. The internal customer contributes to the number of sales made by the organization, for example, company sales representatives and the external customer are essential to

Friday, August 23, 2019

Company Analysis of Green Estate Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company Analysis of Green Estate Company - Essay Example The working environment provides with the piece of information that they consider their employees as well as the volunteers associated with them a valuable asset to them, and Green Estate works towards bringing improvements to their (employees and volunteers) individual personalities. The mission and vision of the enterprise elucidates their principal interest. In addition, the SWOT and PESTEL analysis have widened the perspectives of the current working environment of Green Estates in a much broader spectrum. Moreover, the evaluations have enlightened that they continuously endeavor towards social, economic, and environmental enhancements. These analyses has provided with a wide variety of options to make recommendations that can expand and enlarge the position in the countrywide sphere. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Method 5 Findings & Discussion 6 Conclusions 8 Recommendations 9 References 13 Task 2b - Employability Skill Audit 15 Introduction The history of the Green Estate Ltd. reveals the piece of information that 1998 was the year that experienced the emergence of this organization in the region of UK. Environment and Heritage was the program that came into existence as from the Manor and Castle Single Regeneration Budget programs that was a partnership program involving Manor and Castle Development Trust (MCDT), Sheffield Wildlife Trust (SWT), and few other partners (Green Estate, 2012). Green Estate has come under initiation with the primary purpose to develop a flourished open space of public that has come under observation as poor quality public open space. In addition, the program of Green Estate also established to construct a social capital for the citizens and even highlight the eliminated ones. However, the Green Estate in the wide-ranging context wants to develop a permanent and enduring heritage for the people once they receive the support (Green Estate, 2012). The company entered into the social arena less than a decade ago when it intended to revolutionize the culture by utilizing available and possible assets and resources to develop quality living and working places for people. The enterprise soon gained a reputable recognition across the nation based on their contributions for restoring open spaces for public, administering their programmes and ventures commendably and providing sincere services (Green Estate, 2012). It created multiple open areas including parks and gardens for the purpose of recreation and maintained it well by making certain that adequate cleanliness and security come under provision. Furthermore, the estate believes in working on continually on regeneration plans and projects since its establishment. Its efforts are catering to a broad faction of society to resolve and constantly examine any enormity that comes under association to environment. Moreover, regular assistance also comes under provision to collect funds and resources for upcoming programmes (Green Estate, 2012 ). Method The PESTEL and SWOT analyses are two of the prime evaluation tools that provide with strategic analysis of the organization and facilitates in understanding the big picture of the situation and atmosphere wherein the operations of the organization is running (Chapman, 2011, pp. 148-149). The significance of both the analyzing tools cannot come under ignorance as, PESTAL assists in examining the broader context of the

Economics for Business Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics for Business - Coursework Example To find it, divide the total revenue (TR) by the quantity of production (Q). Average Revenue (AR) divided by per unit cost of output AR= TR/Q (Q) (TR) (AR) 0 0 0 1 27 27 2 53 26.5 3 78 26 4 102 25.5 5 125 25 6 147 24.5 7 168 24 8 188 23.5 9 207 23 10 225 22.5 Marginal revenue is the additional revenue that results from increasing from increasing output by one unit. This means the additional revenue per additional unit of output. This is the difference between total revenue per every additional unit of output. The marginal revenue is abbreviated using (Z) (Q) (TR) (Z) 0 0 0 1 27 27 2 53 26 3 78 25 4 102 24 5 125 23 6 147 22 7 168 21 8 188 20 9 207 19 10 225 18 b) Graph of average cost and marginal cost verse units per out put Red – Marginal cost Blue – average cost Graph of average revenue and marginal revenue verse units per out put Red – Marginal cost Blue – average cost C) Profit is obtained by subtracting the total revenue from the total costs at the ma ximum is at five units per put 625- 250 = 375 d)The economic profit for the company is positive, then the firms decision are optimal. That is, its price and output yield a profit larger than any alternatives prices that output. The type of market that this firm is operating on is oligopoly (BBC Economy tracke, 2010). Oligopoly prices are expected to be more stable that those in a monopolistically competitive market. This is evident in the graph that results in long run oligopoly market equilibrium of a Price/output solution that is identical to that of a competitive market. 2) a) Economic factors that led to the most recent recession of 2008/2009 include Main causes if recession Credit crunch in U.K – the U.K mortgage lending caused very serious problems for the Northern Rock. It had a high percentage of risky loans. When the subprime crisis hit, the Northern Rock could no longer raise enough funds for the usual capital market. It had to borrow emergency funds from the Bank o f England. As a result of the credit crunch, the U.K saw a change in the mortgage market. The mortgage started to become expensive. Falling of house prices in the U.K - since getting mortgages became difficult, the demand for houses started to fall. This was also related credit crunch. Cost push inflation restricting income and reducing disposable income. The fall in confidence of the financial sector that caused lower confidence amongst real economy. Supply side shock – in this case higher oil prices would increase cost of production and the effect would lead to a short run aggregate supply to shift to the left. Demand slide shock: the factors include higher interest rates which lead to a reduction in investment and borrowing. The fall of real wages, the reduction of consumer confidence, a period of deflation as falling of prices often encourage the delay of spending. b) Comparison to the other two recession The 1979- 1981 recession was caused by the following economic facto rs: High strength of the pound (British currency) and this made the price of exports became more expensive thereby having a reduced AD (Aggregate Demand). This recession particularly affected the British manufacturing (Bank of England, 2012). The high interest rate was another factor. The

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Romeos Diary about Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeos Diary about Juliet Essay At the youth of the day I stirred lazily from my deep, blissful sleep. Her warm and comfortable bed nestled me in lovingly, and with every breath I took, I felt more and more content. I didnt need to worry about anything right now. I didnt have a care in the world. Sleeping next to my beloved Juliet made me think I was still dreaming. I smiled in my sleep, I had never felt as happy before as I did there in her bed, with her skin on mine, her arms and legs wrapped all around me. The wind whistling outside and the lark singing woke me from my sleep. My marriage with Juliet was sweeter than the sweetest honey from any blossom. Juliets face glowed brighter than the crimson flower gardens of spring; the glisten in her eyes would make the summer sun shy away in shame; her dress was whiter than the fields of glimmering snowflakes in winter. A holy ceremony took place, and Juliet and I swore to bind together as one. Nothing could possibly go astray on this heavenly day, I thought. But I was wrong. As I heard the lark singing I had to go and live or stay and die. So left my angel Juliet in the early morning, when the sun had not yet shone too brightly from the east. Then disaster reared its ugly head. It directed me to the violent exchange of words between Mercutio, my good friend, and Tybalt, my dear cousin, two gentlemen who would not have been hurt if not for my existence, yet both have now left this world. When they put out their weapons, the fiery emission of rage between them was unstoppable. I went in between them in hope of ending the brawl, but as the stars would have it, the brawl did end at the abrupt end of Mercutios life. At the blink of an eye, he lost his concentration, and Tybalts weapon pierced deeply into my dear friends chest. Scarlet blood pumped out of the fatal wound. O insensitive heavens, o malevolent stars! Wherefore did fate not let it stop there? My passion for revenge took over, and my cousin was slain in my hands. O I am fortunes fool! It is too late to regret my actions, yet I can do nothing else! Mercutio was killed under my arm, Tybalt by my sword, and Juliets heart, broken by my thoughtless actions. I am an appalling friend, but a worse husband. How may I live my life as a murderer, and a disgrace to Verona? Worst of all, how may I live without my sweet Juliet? Life is meaningless without the radiant angel by my side. O Juliet, I would ask thou to forgive me, but how may thou forgive me if I do not forgive myself? O cruel Tybalt, why did you not take me with you? And if you had slain me, I would not have to suffer these vile consequences! The day, which began with my happiest morning, concludes with black fate haunting my life. O, the envious world is cruel! O Heavens, would you give a thirsty gentleman one small sip of water, then take it away from him? Wherefore do you give me Juliet if you must separate us? I feel terribly guilty and helpless.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Kohlberg: Theory Of Moral Reasoning

Kohlberg: Theory Of Moral Reasoning Moral reasoning is a segment of social cognition that particularly aims at understanding the reason to why young people involve themselves in criminal offenses or behaviors. In most cases delinquency is associated with delayed maturation and development of moral reasoning. For minors when an opportunity for a crime arises, their underdeveloped cognitive ability to control and resist the urge or temptation to offend allows them to go ahead and commit the criminal act. In general this group of offenders lack self control and they tend to act impulsively. The strength of causation of crime varies from one individual to the other. In this paper I will discuss several theories in relation to the moral reasoning, evidence for and against moral reasoning. According to Kohlbergs theory of moral reasoning, the cognitive-development takes an assumption that the primary mental structure is as a result of relationships or interactions between certain organismic structuring tendencies and the general structure of the outside world. Kohlberg examines that moral reasoning is exercised in the mental structure; the structure refers to the general attributes of shape, pattern organization of response like rules that guide the processing of information, for connecting experienced events. He goes a head and explains that linkages are formed by both selective and active processes of attention, information-gathering tactics and motivated thinking. Kohlbergs structures of moral reasoning are synthetic due to the active processes between the human organism which is a self regulating system of cognitive and effective inclination and the social environment in which it is found. Moral Reasoning is a process that progresses through stages. The theory argues that moral reasoning catapults the cognitive growth, for instance the capacity to reason and think is basic for improved and high levels of moral reasoning. Advanced moral reasoning wholly depends on advanced logical reasoning, that is, ones logical stage demarcates the moral stage he can achieve. The moral stages should only be taken for what they are worth of. Morality is the foundation on which Kohlbergs theory is developed. In cognitive development, morality is a natural product of a universal human tendency toward empathy or role taking, and putting oneself in the conscious condition of another being. Consequently, moral reasoning is a product of a universal human advocacy for justice. Kohlbergs understanding of morality is primarily based on Piagets definition whereby all morality comprises of rules, and the core of morality as a whole is to be sought for in the reverence which a person acquires for these rules. Morality according to Kohlberg is judgment based on justice. However justice is a distribution of rights and duties governed by concepts of quality and reciprocity. Justice is identified and recognized by Piagets logic, the equilibrium of social action and relations. Moral Stages according to Kohlbergs theory are divided into Preconventional level, Conventional level and Postconventional level. Preconventional level Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience Orientation-the physical consequences of an action determines its goodness or badness regardless of human meaning or value. These consequences are weighed basing on the impact to the individual rather than based upon the consequences for all. Stage 2: Instrumental-relativism Orientation-a right action is that which instrumentally fulfills ones own needs and in some occasions the needs of others. These two stages have an egocentric point of view where ones choices are based on the fear of punishment and a desire to be rewarded. Conventional level Stage 3: The Interpersonal concordance Orientation: good manners and behavior is that which pleases or helps others and is acknowledged by them. The person progresses to consider the approval or disapproval of other and not only after fulfilling ones own interests. The intention of self and others are considered. Stage 4: Law and Order orientation: the progress is made with regard to looking at the society at large rather than yourself and approval of others. Generally it is the orientation towards law, fixed rules and maintenance of social order. Doing ones duties while showing respect to the authority and maintaining the given social order for its own sake. The conventional stage requires one to make choices from a societys perspective, considering the good of others, positive relation maintenance taking into consideration the rules of the society. Postconventional level Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation: Right actions are defined in terms of an individuals rights and standards rather than those that have been examined and agreed upon by the society at large. The individual see the current rules and regulations as subordinate to the needs of the society instead of instructing them. Stage 6: Universal-Ethical-Principles Orientation: Right is defined by a decision of conscience in accordance with self chosen ethical principles attractive to the logical comprehensiveness, universality, and consistence. Principles are abstract and ethical; universal principles of justice, reciprocity and quality of human rights with respect of human beings as individual persons. In the Postconventional level, prior to the societys perspective, personal ideals take precedence over particular societal laws. Literature review Evidence for Moral Reasoning Eysenck Personality Theory Psychologies the world over assume that behavioral consistence relies or depends primarily on the determination of ones underlying attributes to act in a particular way in a certain situation. These tendencies are mainly personal traits like impulsiveness, assertiveness, excitement seeking, dutifulness and modesty. According to Eysenck, offending is a normal and rational basing on the assumption that human beings were hedonistic, sought pleasure and avoid pain. He also identifies that criminal acts like theft, vandalism, and violence were generally pleasurable to the offenders. Eysenck also gives the reason to why all people are not criminals to be as a result of build up conscience (conditioned fear response). Nevertheless, people who commit offenses have no strong conscience build up because they have poor conditionality. To Eysenck, poor conditionality is associated with personality dimensions: Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N) and Psychoticism (P). He defines that people with high E build up respond poorly as they have lower levels of cortical arousal. Those with high levels of N condition less well as their high resting levels of anxiety obstructs their conditioning. In addition N stimulates and anchors the existing behavioral tendencies, for instance neurotic extroverts are criminals. High P levels individuals particularly tend to be offenders; they are emotionally cold, have high hostility, inhuman with low empathy. Studies relating to Eysenck personality dimensions reported that people with high N were official offenders while those with high E levels self-reported offending. High P level was found to be related to both. The study of 400 boys in London, reported that those found with high levels of both E and N were juvenile self-reported offenders, adult official offenders and adult self-reported offenders. No juvenile official offender was reported. In addition to these, there are other factors like low family income, low intelligence, and poor parental child rearing behavior that contributed to the malice. From individual questionnaires, it was established that impulsiveness was key causing these criminal acts amongst the minors. There is a big linkage between impulsiveness and offending. Impulsive Theories Doing things without thinking is the most vital and crucial personality dimension that envisages offending. Some individuals are unable to control behavior; they are always hyper-reactive, impulsive, and unable to consider consequences before acting, sensation-seeking, risk-taking, poor ability to plan ahead and poor ability to control gratification. A study of 400 boys in London, three categories of the boys ended up offenders in their later life: a) boys nominated by teachers to be lacking concentration or exhibited restlessness, b) boys nominated by parents, peers, and teachers to be most daring or risk taking, and c) boy who were highly impulsive on psychomotor tests at ages eight to ten. In essence, daring, poor concentration, and restlessness predicted both self-reported delinquency and official convictions; daring being the independent predictor. The Pittsburgh Youth Study by Jennifer White found out that self-reported delinquency of males between ten and thirteen years were teacher rated impulsiveness, self-reported under-control, motor restlessness and psychomotor restlessness. In general, most theories suggest that impulsiveness reflects the deficiency in the executive function of the brain, located in the frontal lobe (Moffitt). Individuals with neuropsychological shortage are likely to commit crimes as they have poor moral control over their behavior. There is also an indirect connection between neuropsychological deficiency and offending whish is propagated by hyperactivity and inattention in schools thus resulting into school failures. Some related assumptions suggest that low cortical arousal produces impulsive and sensational seeking behavior. The benefits of offending include material gain, sexual gratification, and peer approval. Despite these benefits, there are diverse consequences in relation to offending or committing a crime like being caught and punished, pangs of conscience, and disapproval by onlookers. Wilson and Herrnstein (1985) describes and emphasize conscience as the key to prevent offending or crime, and that conscience is built up in asocial learning perspective regardless of parental punishment in childhood transgressions. Individual difference is also another factor according to Wilson-Herrnstein theory as it provides the extent to which peoples behavior is influenced by the immediate as opposed to delayed consequences. People vary in their ability to think about or plan for the future. Highly impulsive individuals are poorly influenced by the likelihood of the future repercussions thus they are more likely to offend or commit a crime. Evidence against Moral Reasoning From practical arguments, morality is a rational enterprise. In Moral despair and Moral discouragement we are told that if there is no source for moral, order morality will collapse; it will cease to be a sustainable enterprise. Kant for instance argues that if the highest good cannot be attained then the moral law which bids us to seek it must be fantastic and directed to imaginary ends must therefore in itself be false (Kant 1996/1962, 231; 5/114). In relation to this, if morality ends are unattainable, then there would be no obligations and duties. In general it would be demoralizing believing that there is no moral order to the universe because demoralization in itself is morally undesirable. For instance, Theism acts as a source of moral order which then implies that there is an advantage in believing that there is moral order in the universe that governs all activities and duties of human beings. For this matter there is a moral advantage of accepting theism (Adams 1987, 151). Morality demands that we become as good as we can be, this then means that if there is no source of moral order in the world then the need for us becoming as good as we can be is faced with many difficulties. And the only way these difficulties can taken or driven away is by us accepting theism. In essence we have a moral reason for driving ourselves into a situation where we can come to believe in the truth of theism. In most cases truth is demoralizing and there is no reason for one to think that it is false. People are after organizing the world so as to meet our deepest human needs. With this in mind, such a hypothesis would be null and void if existence of God who gives us a divine source of moral order. In addition Kant appeals that individuals should believe that there is God but there are also needs of reason. Drabkins take is that the moral ills that afflict or would afflict us if there were no God give us ground, not for the belief that there is a God, but for undertaking the project of becoming to believe that there is a God (Drabkin 1994:171). This is evidence enough to go against moral reasoning.   Conclusion Moral reasoning helps in establishing the real causes of criminal behaviors amongst the young individuals. Kohlbergs theory is key and funder mental in establishing the behavioral characteristics and traits of and individual through his developmental stages. For instance Kohlberg explains different stages of behavior development starting with Preconventional level, conventional level then lastly the Postconventional level. Evidence for moral reasoning are provided using two theories; Eysenck personality theory where offending is considered to be normal and pleasurable to the offenders. The theory also tells us that criminals have no strong conscience build up because of their poor conditionality. Impulsive theories explains to a great extend what causes one to offend; for example the theories explains that some individuals are unable to control their behavior, are hyperactive, impulsive and unable consequences before acting, they are sensation-seeking, apt in risk-taking, and poor ab ility to control gratification. The evidence against moral reasoning provides us with the existence of God who is the source of moral order of the universe. Morality is the key to having a good and cohesive society the world over.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Effectiveness of Persuasive Messages on Reader Actions

Effectiveness of Persuasive Messages on Reader Actions Effectiveness of the persuasive message ELM (Petty Cacioppo, 1986) is practical to explain the capability of the persuasive message of â€Å"The partys over† TAC advertisement regarding road safety Melody Lam Abstract Driving attitude of driver is one of the critical factors for road safety, â€Å"The partys over† TAC Advertisement on TV to promote road safety and drive for target audiences attitude change. The advertisement is aimed at stimulating the conscious thinking of target audience and it leads the target audience to evaluate the media messages through their central route with medium fear of being stopped and caught by Traffic Police Force in series of daily situations of target audience, penalty or suspension of driving license to stimulate the target audiences conscious thinking to change their attitude in order to comply with the demand for no violation of alcohol level, drug and speed limit of Australia. Adult male and young female are the target segment of the TAC advertisement Assistant Commissioner of the Traffic Policing provided statement to clearly state the Australia regulations for road safety, the regulations are being reinforced and governed by the well-equipped profes sional almost everywhere and round the clock while you are on the road, it induces that chance of not being caught is much closed to none. The effectiveness of the key messages of the advertisement were very persuasive and the effectiveness of the TAC advertisement is explaining by the EML it can be explained by the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM; Petty Cacioppo, 1986). ELM (Petty Cacioppo, 1986) is practical to explain the capability of the persuasive message of â€Å"The partys over† TAC advertisement regarding road safety Social psychology is the field of studying how human being’s cognition, consciousness, perception and attitude are influenced by the direct or indirect affection of external sources (Allport, 1985). Methodical discussions of theories of persuasion can be searched from Aristotles Rhetoric in Ancient Greeks. Hugh amount of scholars had devoted decades of academic life in experiments of persuasion with defined models and theories in social psychology field scientifically in the recent century. Numerous schools of thoughts with scientific studies have contributed to the understanding of persuasion in term of psychological processes and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM; Petty Cacioppo, 1986) of persuasion is the selected topic for review and discussion. The effectiveness of the selected TAC advertisement is being evaluated and analysed with the underlying principles and variables of EML. A lot of researchers have conducted experiments regarding attitude change were based on t he Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM; Petty Cacioppo, 1986), because this multi-process theory of persuasion has fully stated the reaction and related affection of the subject by different variables adequately (Petty et al., 2001). This essay is reviewing the effectiveness of the selected TAC advertisement in changing target audiences attitude in road safety aspects. The â€Å"partys over† TAC advertisement has been selected for evaluation and analysis. Several well respected social psychological models would be discussed and applied for explaining the effectiveness of the TAC advertisement with research evidence, models and theories supported the findings of the effectiveness of the TAC advertisement. In persuading adult male and young female audience, the evaluation and analysis would be conducted for the 60-sec TAC advertisement with the EML and research evidence to support the deployment of media message through the applied source, message and audience factors as well as casting of actor and actress and experts message at the end. Starting from mid of 1990’s, TV has been selected as the major advertising channel by proper authorities of Australia and New Zealand to reduce the happening of traffic accidents (Donovan, Jalleh, Henly, 1999; Tay, 2001). Negative affection of driving attitude, such as fatal and serious damage, has played the major role to strive for the change of drivers’ behaviours and attitude in New Zealand (Tay, 2001, 2005). In most of the countries, especially Australia and New Zealand, negative affection and unpleased outcome were applied to promote road safety. Due to the negative affection was the main theme to promote road safety frequently, people had the feeling and perception that the negative affection was the effective mean for improving road safety. As the advertising with positive encouragement to promote the right driving attitude was not usually applied, people had perceived that the effectiveness of positive encouragement was less than negative affection messages (Lewis, Watson, White, Tay, 2007). The selected TAC advertisement aimed to change the attitude of automobile drivers of target segment about the consequences of violation of road safety regulations in Australia. This essay evaluated the variable factors of TAC advertisement for promoting road safety through TV advertisements to the high accident rate segment with the research evidence to support the agreement that the TAC advertisement is effective in persuading adult male and young female audience to change their attitudes to the road safety issue. This essay stated that psychological research evidence suggests that the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM; Petty Cacioppo, 1986) is useful for explaining the effectiveness of â€Å"The partys over† TAC advertisement in persuading viewers of adult male and young female to alternate their attitudes regarding road safety aspect. Hogg and Vaughan (2014) defined that attitude is an end deliverable of syndication of belief, rational reaction, emotion, attitude and behaviour with respect to society’s major incidents, matters, groups or symbols. Also, attitude is a common thinking or response or perception regarding other human being(s), matter or incident either good or bad. Hogg and Vauhan (2014) stated that attitude change is a major alteration of human being’s attitude, also, the persuasion process take into account of communicator, medium and audience as the essential elements. Attitude change can evolve and make person to do something different from current attitude and practice, also, persuasive communication is an influential message with the purpose to alternate the target subject’s associated attitude and behaviour (Hogg Vaughn, 2014). Hogg Vaughn (2014) stated that there are 3 general variables involved in persuasion communications that can lead to attitude change those are source, message and audience factors. In source factors, expertise, popularity and attractiveness and speed rate are the key source factors. In message factors, perceived manipulation, linguistic power and fear are the key messages factors. In audience factors, self- esteem, distraction, age and when the argument in a message is of high quality. Brinol Petty (2008) stated that successful persuasion is induced by recording the actual alternation of the target subject’s attitude to the expected direction. Regarding variable, it refers to any characteristic of the source, message, target subject or communication mean that can be different in a provided persuasion environment (Brinol, P. Petty, R. E. (2008). Persuasion variables can change in volume of information processing and influence thinking or influence subject’s confidence regarding those thinking as well as act as disputes or proof or alternate attitudes by providing obvious hints and catechist, also, any provided variable, either portion of the source, information, subject or factor, is able to provide in these roles (Brinol, P. Petty, R. E. (2008). Regarding the video of TAC advertisement is the effective communications mean for delivering the simple message of road safety issues, target segment gets no way to escape from violation of the traffic regulation in Australia. Chaiken and Eagley’s (1983) compared the degree of effectiveness of showing messages through the communication means of video, sound as well as written article forms. This has obvious implications for advertising. Which has more impact on consumer: television, radio or printed media? It depends. If the message is simple, as much advertising is, the probable answer is: > video> audio > written. The moderating variable in this context is the relative ease or difficulty of comprehension required of the audience. If the points of a message require considerable processing by the target, a written medium is likely to be best. Readers have the chance to go back at will, mull over what is being said and then read on. If the material is quite complex, then newspa pers and magazines can come into their own. However, there is an interesting interaction with the difficulty of the message. When the message was facile to interpret by target subject, Chaiken and Eagley (1983) found that a videotaped presentation brought about most opinion alternation. When the message was hard to interpret, presenting the subject matter in writing form would be more effective than video or audio forms. The TAC advertisement projects medium degree of fear to target segment, it takes the audience to process the message through their central route with conscious thinking in persuading them to change their attitudes to punishment of toll, fine and suspension of driving license. EML is practical for explaining the effectiveness of the message and the production elements of the TAC advertisement . According to Keller and Block (1995) and in line with dual-process models of information processing when fear is at a very low level an audience may be less motivated to attend to the message because the message does not sell out sufficiently the harmful consequences of an act. As fear builds up and stimulates interest and it draws the subject’s attention to what is happening. However, a very frightening presentation of an idea may arouse so much anxiety even a state of panic, that we become distracted, miss some of the factual content of the message and are unable to process the informa tion properly or know what to do (Hogg Vaughan, 2014). In the TAC advertisement, Australian male adult and young female were chosen as the actor and actress due to the audience factor, audience of the similar kinds with similar attitude and act would project themselves into the role of TAC advertisement easily. Assistant Commissioner of the Traffic Policing provided statement to clearly state the Australia regulations for road safety and the regulations were being reinforced by the Police Force in Australia. Expertise was deployed to strengthen the persuasion for road safety by complying the regulations in Australia. EML is practical for explaining the effectiveness of the message and the production elements of the TAC advertisement. The communicator variable affects the acceptability of persuasive messages. Other source attributes engage a portion in whether the subject will take or not accept (Hogg Vaughan, 2014). Expertise, trustworthiness and status are the key source factors that have positive impact on persuasion. When a high credibility source is deployed as one of the variable for message delivery, a credible communicator becomes very effective in inducing to attitude change. The ELM states that attitude change via persuasion happens through either central processing route or peripheral route (Petty Cacioppo, 1986). Which type of the processing route to be run through would be based on the characteristic of message content, also the subject’s influential reaction and response to the message content would make the determination of the route selection (Petty Cacioppo, 1986; Petty Wegener, 1999). When the subject is stimulated by the message content at the high level, the central processing route would be applied, but when the subject is stimulated by the message content at the low level, the peripheral processing route would be the way to go (Petty Cacioppo, 1984). Also, central processing generates attitudes that are much more long lasting than peripheral processing (Petty Cacioppo, 1986; Petty, Haugtvedt, Smith, 1995). Gariffin (2006) described the differences between HSM and ELM, ELM states that there are central route and peripheral route for message and information processing, both routes are related to the principles for explaining attitude change. When the subject is willing to think through the message, the message is processed by the central route and on the other hand, when the subject does not think through the message thoroughly and take the easy way out in response to the message according to the simple hints. The route processing for persuasion are based on the level of thinking processing involved in evaluating the message, when it is at the highest degree of thinking process, central route processing is deployed. So, if the subject takes the lower degree of thinking process for the message content, peripheral route processing is deployed, especially for those messages with less degree of importance from the subject perspective (Griffin, 2006). In Australia, car accidents due to bad driving habits are the major contributor of road safety issues. Male adult and young female are the target segment, which contributes to the major portion of traffic accidents due to the affection of alcohol, drug and speeding. Punishment of toll, fine and suspension of driving license as fear factor was deployed for TAC advertisement, the TAC Advertisement delivered a medium degree of fear to target segment, it tracked the audience to process the message through their central route with conscious thinking in persuading them to change their attitudes. Mr. Bob Hill, Assistant Commissioner of Road Policing, represented the high variable credibility for strengthening the persuasion to comply with the road safety regulations in Australia. â€Å"The Partys Over† TAC advertisement presented the theme regarding the party and deployed sound and video message for persuading drivers to change their attitudes to road safety. Police force is well-equ ipped with advanced equipment. Straws as the breathalysers, which are the alcohol level testing equipment, lollipops as the drug testing kits, music background with party imagery, and those variables deliver the message to target subject that this is the unpleasant and displeased â€Å"Party† that Australian wants. Psychological research evidence suggests that ELM is useful for explaining the effectiveness of the TAC advertisement in persuading adult male and young female audience to change their attitudes to the road safety issue. References Andrews, J. R. Shimp, T. A. (2000) Effects of involvement, argument strength, and source characteristics on central and peripheral processing of advertising. Psychology Marketing, 7(3), 195-214. Cauberghe, V., Pelsmacker, P. D., Janssens, W. Dens, N (2009). Fear, threat and efficacy in threat appeals: Message involvement as a key mediator to message acceptance. Accident Analysis Prevention, 41(2), 276-285. Dotson, M. Hyatt, E. M. (2000). Religious Symbols as Peripheral Cues in Advertising: A Replication of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. Journal of Business Research. 48 (1), 63-68. Lewis, I, Wasti, K. M. (2008) An examination of message-relevant affect in road safety messages: Should road safety advertisements aim to make us feel good or bad? Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 11(6), 403-417. Petty, R. E. Brinol, P (2008). Psychological Processes Underlying Persuasion: A Social Psychological Approach. Diogenes, 55(1), 52-67. doi:10. 1177/0392107087917 Petty, R. E. , Heesacker, M. Hughes, J. N (1997). The elaboration likelihood model: Implications for the practice of school psychology. Journal of School Psychology. 35 (2), 107-136. Phillips, R. O., Ulleberg, P Vaa, T (2011). Meta-analysis of the effect of road safety campaigns on accidents. Accident Analysis Prevention, 43(3), 1204-1218. Scholten, M (1996). Lost and found: The information-processing model of advertising effectiveness. Journal of Business Research. 37 (2), 97-104. Sibley, C. G. Harre, N. (2009). The impact of different styles of traffic safety advertisement on young drivers’ explicit and implicit self-enhancement biases. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. 12(2), 159-167. The Party’s over (2012, November 21). Retrieved from Transport Accident Commission of Victoria in Australia web site: http://www. tac. vic. gov. au/road-safety/tac-campaigns/tac-latest-campaigns#thepartysover Vaughan, G. M. Hogg, M. A. (2014) Social Psychology (7th. Ed. ), Frenchs Forest :Prentice-Hall Whitlock, F. A. (1969). Traffic accidents and the psychiatrist. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 3(3), 116-118. Appendix

Monday, August 19, 2019

Impermanence and Death in Sino-Japanese Philosophical Context :: Philosophy Buddhism Papers

Impermanence and Death in Sino-Japanese Philosophical Context This paper discusses the notions of impermanence and death as treated in the Chinese and Japanese philosophical traditions, particularly in connection with the Buddhist concept of emptiness and void and the original Daoist answers to the problem. Methodological problems are mentioned and two ways of approaching the theme are proposed: the logically discursive and the meditative mystical one, with the two symbols of each, Uroboros and the open circle. The switch of consciousness is suggested as an essential condition for liberation of the Ego and its illusions. Rational logic as well as the sophisticated meditative ways of selflessness and detachment are suggested when treating the Chinese and Japanese philosophical notions, and examples of the discussed topics from the texts given. The instructive seventh chapter of the classical Daoist work, Lie Zi, is analyzed in detail and put into contrast with the answers given to that problem in the Greco-Judeo-Christian tradition. When reflecting on immortality, longevity, death and suicide, or taking into consideration some of the central concepts of the Sino-Japanese philosophical tradition, such as impermanence (Chinese: wuchang, Japanese: mujo), we see that the philosophical methods developed in the Graeco-Judaeo-Christian tradition might not be very suitable. On the other hand, it is instructive to put them into contrast with the similar themes developed in the Graeco-Judeo-Christian tradition, since these problems present a challenge for a redefinition of "philosophy" which has traditionally regarded itself as a European (and in an even less acceptable variation as a "Western") phenomenon and therefore today the very borders of philosophical discourse known in European history as "philosophia" are reexamined (affected). By rethinking the history of philosophy as a single narrative, one might come closer to the movements related to the levels of consciousness that were activated in philosophical undertakings in various Asian philosophical schools. In this regard Japanese and Chinese philosophical traditions might be instructive, since from the beginning through the various stages of their development they have attempted to put into words the inexpressible. The awareness of the insufficiency of words brought many original solutions. In the Song dynasty, for instance China produced a variety of diagrams (tu), by which the philosophers and practitioners represented their theories, which often arose on the basis of meditation techniques and could not be fully transmitted by means of language alone. The illustration of the nine step process (known in Japan as kuso) is one such representation and it is taken here as a starting point for approaching the concept of impermanence and death in the Japanese phil osophical

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Garden of Science :: Religion Science God Essays

The Garden of Science In the beginning, there was nothing. According to the Book of Genesis, God created everything from scratch. God created the heavens, earth, light, darkness, sea, stars, birds, and animals. God created a man and named him Adam. God created a woman and named her Eve. Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was filled with fruit trees, animals, and there were river flowing all the time. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had plenty to eat. They did not have to work nor make money. Adam and Eve were naked but they were shameless. Adam and Eve did not have much to worry about. In the year 2001, we are living in the garden that is embedded with various scientific stuffs. Let’s just take a look at my life. Few years ago, I used the typewriter to write papers. Now, I am using a computer to write the paper. In the morning, the alarm clock wakes me up. I turn on the faucet to get water to brush my teeth. I pour out already brewed coffee from programmed coffee maker. I drive a car to get to the places. I wash my cloth in washing machine and dry them in the dryer. I don’t wear eyeglasses anymore because I am wearing contact lenses. Furthermore, this winter break, I am planning to have Lasik operation to correct my vision permanently. Then, I could say goodbye to my contact lenses. This is the sketch of my life, but just a part. I am living in the garden with full of scientific devices that I could no longer live without. Wow. How did we get here from the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Science? What makes the world to become such a science oriented society? What drives human beings to seek scientific knowledge of the world? Since I am a Christian who confidently believes in God’s creation of the world according to the Bible. I believe that it is a natural characteristic of the human being to seek more knowledge. The desire for more knowledge actually evolved into creating the technologies that became part of our lives. In addition, I believe that the knowledge itself is actually given by God along with the power to use them. Finally, I believe that knowledge is a good thing to posses, however; we need to be more careful and humble of using the knowledge that was given to us by our creator as a gift.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Specific Heat

Introduction Specific heat is defined as the measure of the ability of a substance to change temperature. Specific heat of a substance is the heat needed to change the temperature of 1 gram of a substance once degree Celsius. The more Joules (unit of heat) needed, the higher the specific heat will be. The goal is to determine specific heat of a soil sample as compared to water. This difference has many ramifications regarding our climate, with local and global. HypothesisI predict that after 10 minutes of being placed under the same heat lamp, the soil will absorb heat faster, therefore ending with a higher temperature than the water. Materials †¢2 petri dishes †¢Soil †¢Water †¢2 thermometers †¢Heat lamp Procedure 1. Design lab tables. 2. Record mass of petri dish and then add enough soil to fill it to the brim. Record mass again. The difference is the mass of the soil sample. 3. Record the mass of another petri dish and fill it with water. Record the mass ag ain. The difference is the mass of the water. . Place the thermometers so that the bulb of one is beneath the surface of the soil and the bulb of the other is under the water. 5. Place both samples under a heat lamp, making sure the thermometers stay under the samples. Bring the lamp close to the petri dishes so that they are heated equally. 6. Record the temperature of each thermometer every 30 seconds, for 10 minutes. 7. Graph your temperature data on the same set of coordinates. Data Tables Mass and Temperature Data SoilWater Mass of Petri Dish and Material223. 1g171. g Mass of Petri Dish Empty16g16g Mass of Material207. 1g155. 4g Initial Temperature23 °C24 °C Final Temperature25. 5 °C25 °C Temperature Readings #SoilWater#SoilWater 123 °C24 °C1124 °C25 °C 223 °C24 °C1224 °C25 °C 323 °C24 °C1324 °C25 °C 423 °C24 °C1424. 25 °C25 °C 523 °C24 °C1524. 5 °C25 °C 623. 5 °C24. 5 °C1624. 75 °C25 °C 723. 5 °C24. 5 °C1725 °C25 °C 823. 5 °C24. 75 °C1825 °C25 °C 923. 75 °C25 °C1925. 25 °C25 °C 1024 °C25 °C2025. 5 °C25 °C Graphs Results Over the course of 10 minutes, the sample of soil increased from 23 degrees Celsius to 25. 5 degrees Celsius.On the other hand, the water sample increased only 1 degree over the course of 4 minutes. The remaining 6 minutes, the soil leveled out at a temperature of 25 degrees. While the soil continued to heat up at a relatively fast rate, the water made very small increments of progress and eventually made no advancement heating. Conclusion The hypothesis predicting that soil will absorb more heat than the water has been proven correct by the recorded data. My results showed that the temperature of the soil sample increased 2. 5 degrees Celsius, while the water only raised one degree.

Liberalism in Zambian Governance

Every country worldwide is ruled with certain rules and regulations which whether accepted or not by the preponderance, are still accepted as right. Thus, the aim of this essay is to elaborate on the various forms of liberalism, discuss on each of them, and explain while giving clear examples which one of them has been prominent in Zambia from 1991 to present day. It will begin by defining the main concepts; then the forms of liberalism shall be presented and discussed. Thereafter an analysis of which form of liberalism has been pursued by the Movement for Multiparty democracy and the Patriotic Front in the ruling of the country of Zambia shall follow. A conclusion will then be drawn from the main body. Liberalism has been explained or defined in many ways. It comes from the word liberal, which implies freedom. Therefore if incorporated in the aspect of human life, liberalism means an ideology that advocates for gradual reform in the different aspects of a human life, for instance, social, political and economic aspects. According to Doyle (1986:2), â€Å"liberal resembles a family portrait of principles and institutions, recognizable by certain characteristics, for example, individual freedom, political participation, private property, and equality of opportunity. † From generation to generation, different forms of liberalism have emerged due to various reasons. Classical liberalism is said to be perhaps the oldest form of liberalism, which according to historians, emerged in the 16th, and 17th century though became prominent in the late 19th century. Some of the major pioneers of this type of liberalism were John Locke, David Ricardo and Adam Smith. Classical liberalism hence is said to uphold a French ideology laissez-faire which literally means â€Å"to allow. † When applied to classical liberalism it advocates for non-state participation in the affairs of its citizens, (www. cambridge. org). To sum it up, classical liberalism advocates for â€Å"limited government, protection of personal freedoms, and free markets, they rely on rules of thumb derived from experience,† the Policy (2009:15). Classical liberalism has been criticized heavily that it only benefits the few elite. This led to the emergence of Social liberalism in the mid 19th century. The word in the center of social liberalism is â€Å"equity†. This is where each individual has equal opportunities in society and benefits equally from the economic activities of the state. There is common ownership of means of production and goods are produced not for private profit making but for the benefit of society. Thus, in summary, Social liberalism advocates for equal opportunity, for self realization by the citizens and improvement in social status of everyone with the state as the major player. It is said to be â€Å"committed to individualism but includes protecting individuals from acts of omission as well as commission,† the Policy (2009:16). Another type of liberalism is Political liberalism which focuses on the freedom of citizens in the participation of political activities without interference or hindrance by the state. This type of liberalism was mainly pioneered by John Harsanyi and John Rawls, (Policy, 2009). According to the Policy (2009:4), political liberalism emphasizes that â€Å"everyone has an equal opportunity to hold political office and to influence the decisions made in the political sphere. Green liberalism is liberalism with a notion of sustainable growth. It focuses on preserving the environment even in the midst of growth. Steinberg (2012:1) emphasizes that â€Å"green liberalism is the idea that market forces combined with individuals all doing their part can save the planet. † Though supported by many, this type of liberalism has be en criticized that it is not logical in that for development through liberalism to occur, nature or primary goods are involved hence their exhaustion is inevitable. Neo-liberalism, another form of liberalism, is regarded as a re-introduction of liberalism. Various proponents and scholars have alluded that Neo-liberalism was first coined by the German economists who were trying to compare it with classical liberalism. Boas and Gans-Morse (2009), clearly state that neo-liberalism is both in rejection of laissez-faire policies and emphasizes on humanistic values. Neo-liberalism supports free market trade, private capitalism and private property while it reproves government intervention or interference. This type of liberalism is likened to classical liberalism though it â€Å" goes even further than classical liberalism in that its ultimate goal is to create a world where political action is governed entirely by the free market, so that all decisions are unbiased and fair,† (www. ehow. com). The Neo-liberal policies were and still are widely advocated by International Monetary Fund and World Bank, (struggle. ws). The policies advocated by Neo-liberalism have been criticized in that there is usually unequal distribution of development within a country. Privatization measures are said to benefit the foreigners more than the local people. Even though the IMF and World Bank emphasize that these measures would help improve the welfare of the vast majority, it has been argued that privatisation is characterised with corruption, trade is controlled by the super powers which has seen to the market being populated with cheap imported goods and hence discouraging local producers. These policies are said to only benefit the few elite, (Simutanyi, 2009). Zambia is a landlocked country in the southern part of Africa which after being colonized by the British, gained its independence in 1964. After independence the country had its first president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, leader of the United National Independence Party who according to scholars saw to the rise of autocracy in the country. Thus the country was turned into a one-party state where the state controlled a major part of the economy. Some of the characteristics of Kaunda’s rule include â€Å"a system of terroristic police control; control of all means of effective mass communication, control of all means of effective armed combat,† (Phiri: 2001,2). Since the main aim of the government was to ensure equity, therefore it can be right to say that during that time, Zambia was under Social liberalism, (Simutanyi, 2006). Due to the many shortcomings of the UNIP government for instance the food riots, foreign debt, economic decline and social disintegration, the Multi-Party Movement for Democracy which was headed by Fredrick Chiluba took over leadership and adopted the Neo-liberal policies. There was â€Å"independent rational attitude, free expression and the promotion of private self-interest over general system,† (www. ambiastruggle. com). Sorabjee and Bourne (1996:27), stated that when MMD was elected, there were major changes in the country such as â€Å"privatisation or liquidation of state enterprises, the relaxing of import controls and of investment regulations and barriers, removal of subsidies and other protections, and freer regime in agriculture and manufacturing. † These policies were â€Å"implemented lar gely at the insistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank,† House (1991:2). Since the economy was and still is mainly dependant on the mining sector, many mines were privatized so as they can be more productive and efficient. According to Simpere (2010:7) â€Å"under the influence of its lenders especially the World Bank and following the election of a new government in 1991, Zambia decided to dismantle and privatize its mines. † The mines were not the only state-owned enterprises privatized but many other companies, approximately two-hundred and sixty three (263) companies were taken over by foreigners. This happened between 1994 and 2004, which was predominantly during the reign of the MMD precisely Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa, (Simutanyi,2006). There was also the liberalization of foreign exchange and import. â€Å"Since late 1991, Zambia has fundamentally changed its trade and economic policy. The trade regime has been considerably liberalized and there has been substantial decentralization and deregulation in other spheres of economic activity,† (www. wto. com). The dominance of neo-liberal economic programs in Zambia promised fast and sustainable economic growth, where Adam Smith’s invisible hand comes in play that the majority of the poor would benefit, (Zambian Economist, 2007). Thus the MMD fully adopted the Neo-liberal policies and the government enacted economic and political liberalism in the country. The Patriotic Front led by President Michael Sata is the current party in government in Zambia. It was elected into power in 2011 during the tripartite elections held in Zambia. It is not clear whether the state under the current government is undertaking a neo-liberal type of governance or a socialist. Some spectators have argued that due to the move of the Patriotic Front to join the Socialist International, the country seems to be heading into the direction of a socialist state, (www. zambia. com). Even though this is so, the Patriotic Front government has corrected the misunderstanding that they shall continue to advocate for socio-economic liberalism spearheaded by neo-liberal policies as was stated in their manifesto, (m. lusakatimes. om). Nothing much has, in reality changed during the past twelve months of the Patriotic Front’s rule as compared to the twenty year rule of the MMD. Companies are still privatized, trade liberalism still exists, democracy still prevails and the existence of property rights exists as well. The country of Zambia still values the foreign investors and their relationship with other capitalist societies with whom they enjoy the benefits of trade liberalism. Therefore, neo-liberalism as proven above has been the dominant type of liberalism in Zambia from 1991 to present day. Even with the consequences of neo-liberalism such as increase in the poverty level, increased debt, uneven development, Zambia continues to boast of being one of the most liberalized states in Southern Africa. In conclusion, liberalism has been a major player in determining the role of the state in Zambia, hence among the many types of liberalism Neo-liberalism has been adopted by the country of Zambia to spear-head its development. What is not certain is, if it were not for the government being pressured by the IMF and the World Bank, would it have, on its own adopted the neo-liberal policies or it would have continued as a social state?

Friday, August 16, 2019

Code of Ethics for Engineers Essay

In his essay, â€Å"Thinking Like an Engineer†, Michael Davis argues that: engineering is a profession which requires a code of ethics, and that the engineers must abide by the code of ethics. He argues that engineering is a profession which requires a code of ethics so that engineers can be expected to follow specific normative patterns in carrying out their profession. This is for the benefit of the engineer himself, for other engineers and for the public in general. Having a set of normative patterns to follow as guidelines in exercising the engineering profession helps the engineer weigh different factors in making decisions. It lessens the possibility of being effectively influenced by outside considerations. The engineer can choose to abide by what the code of ethics provides and he will still avoid the shame and disrepute in case the decision he made based on his code of ethics will ultimately turn out to be wrong. His fellow engineers are also benefited because they will have a right to expect that an engineer will do according to what the code provides. They can trust that their colleagues will not adopt any conduct inimical to the profession and will not cut them short because of competition. They could reasonably expect that they can perform what engineers are ethically bound to do without the risk of being overruled by other engineers in the ethical aspects of their work by any high-handed method. They need not succumb to the pressure to do the things that an engineer should not do. Also, they could generally criticize the work of other engineers which are more or less opposed to what the code requires of them. The protection to the public afforded by this code of ethics for engineers is generated by giving them the right to expect that engineers will follow what the code requires of them so that the general public could reasonably object to any work done by an engineer which may seem unethical. The public can also be assured that the engineers will apply their expertise for the common good and will not take advantage of the public. The argument that the engineers must abide by the code of ethics is also for the good of everyone including the engineer himself. It is interesting to note here that Davis said that all engineers are obliged to follow their code of ethics whether they have read it or not. Indeed, the ethics they are to follow is inherently embedded into their profession. The engineer must abide by the code for the simple reason that he has chosen that profession and, therefore, must vow to abide by the rules and conventions set out by such profession. As a professional, he also has an obligation towards society to seek the common good and not only his personal aggrandizement. And more practically, he must abide by the code to avoid the shame and embarrassment in case something wrong happens with his work or with its results. He can fall back to the code to justify his decision. In fact, if his decision is totally done by the â€Å"book†, then the â€Å"book† itself will do the explanations for him. What is more, he can trust his colleagues to come to his defense with claims that â€Å"the engineer was just doing his job. † All in all, an engineer must abide by the code of ethics because it is his duty and it is also for his own protection. In conclusion, Davis went further to say that the responsibilities of an engineer goes beyond than just abiding by the code ethics. An engineer must also support it and require his fellow engineers to adopt a conduct which is in consonance with what the code provides.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The Difference Between Administrative Management

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ADMINISTRATORS AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS-GHANA POST EXPERIENCE QUALFYING PROGRAMME SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATION PREPARED BY: KWEKU OKOAMPAH SARPONG STUDENT NUMBER:ST/PEQP/AU/12/002 DATE: 10TH NOVEMBER 2012 Question 1 Discussed the difference between Administrative Management and Professional Administration In any business venture the collective responsibility of the personnel running it, is to make it profitable and work with a common goal of giving it an annual growth.A good and disciplined administration combined with efficient management is the prerequisites for running a profitable business and giving it annual growth. Professional Administration and Administrative Management are like two hands of a business that work in synch to achieve the goals that are set by the organisation. Administration is sometimes used to refer to the activities of the higher level of the management group who determine major aim and policies. This can be called the broad er use of the term which often used in government department (e. g. he civil service). It is also used in the narrow sense of controlling the day to day running of the enterprise. Administration on one hand provides the organisation with the required goals and workforce whereas management provided the means to achieve the goals effectively and efficiently. Brech defines administration as: ‘that part of the management process concerned with the institution (development) and carrying out of procedures by which the programme is laid down and communicated, and the progress of activities is regulated and checked against targets and plans. Robert C. Appleby (1994) describes administrative management as a sub-system within the total environment of an enterprise. The Institute of Administrative Management defined administrative management, within the context of office management, as: „that branch of management which is concerned with the services of obtaining, recording and anal yzing information, of planning, and of communicating, by means of which the management of a business safeguards its assets, promotes its affairs, and achieves its objectives?The administrative management function facilitates planning, coordinating, directing and controlling activities across all functional areas in organizations. As such, it can be seen as the nervous system of organizations, directing and coordinating all parts and ensuring that the whole body functions smoothly and efficiently. Administrative Management can also be said to be the process of creating information system and supervising its flow from, and to others within an organization.Most job functions within a business involve performing some form of administrative management in order to store and pass on information to those within the company who need to use it in order to contribute to the business. Professional administration on the other hand is the study of contemporary organizational principles with an em phasis on their applications in the modern workplace whether in the administrative and leadership skills of private, public organization, and non-profit organizations. This discipline is closely associated with public administration.The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) defines administrative professionals or professional administrators as individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordination of information in support of an office related environment and who are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession. Professional Administration is also about a framework of corporate governance, communication, and the handling of information, in a rational approach to identifying needs, making and implementing decisions, and monitoring and reviewing performance.Professional Administration is a business management principle, concerned with total stakeholder interest, organizational security, sound an d strategic economic decision process, and ethical discipline There is a continuous debate whether or not management or administration is a profession. The following are the difference between Administrative Management and Professional Administration. †¢ In Administrative Management, there are no formal educational requirement for entry †¢ It does not require specific clients. They serve a broad group of organisation. ‘stockholders’ There is no system of accreditation or licensing †¢ In Administrative Management there is no clear code of management ethics that is universally enforced by peer review. †¢ There are no common bodies of knowledge that are required for someone to be a manager. Where as in Professional Administration: †¢ There exist a body of principles, skills and techniques and specialized knowledge. †¢ There are also formal methods of acquiring training and experience. †¢ There are code of ethics regulating relations of pr ofessional persons with clients and colleagues. Such as the Hippocratic Oath of medical professionals. There exist also mandatory continuous professional development programmes for members. Despite the above differences, we can say that management is coming closer than ever before to satisfy these criteria for professionals. This is seen in the development of skills and techniques, more training facilities and greater use of management consultants. Question 2 Identify communication barriers and describe ways to remove them Effective communication is the essence of leadership and management. It is neither top-down nor bottom-up, but two-way and continuous. Related article: Limitations of Administrative ManagementCombine different media and techniques to give the right message to the right people at the right time. Good communication of any kind always aims to meet the needs of all parties. Definition – Communication is the discriminatory response of an organism to a stimulus. It is a process by which information is exchanged between or amongst individuals through a common system of symbols, signs and behavior (- Himstreet). Communication is the key factor in the success of any organization. When it comes to effective communication, there are certain barriers that every organization faces.People often feel that communication is as easy and simple as it sounds. While this is true on one level, what makes it complex, difficult and frustrating are the barriers that come in its way. There are several barriers that affect the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender t o the receiver, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below. |Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him.All generally want to | | |receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken | | |differently by different individuals. The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean different to | | |different individuals. | | |Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the | |information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked.As a result communication is less effective. | |Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which h as adverse | |consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i. e. , not | |completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. | | | |Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions.Physical distractions are also there such as, poor | |lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with | |communication. | |Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he | |interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case | |the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). |Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i. e. more the number of ma nagerial levels), more is the | |chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just | |have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. | |Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One can’t always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or| |not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown. | |There is a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all.The message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in | |the same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so | |as to ensure smooth and effective communication. | | | |How to Remove/overcome these barriers of communication: | |Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job.It’s the | |responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper | |Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for | |required employees (for e. g. : Voice and Accent training). | |Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided. | |Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier which must be overcome on priority basis.It is essential| |to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source. | |Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between â€Å"listening† and â€Å"hearing†. Active listening means hearing | |with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or | |n ot by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker. | |Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body language.He/she should not show their emotions while | |communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad mood | |then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good. | | | |Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. | |There should be an ideal span of control within the organization.Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the | |communication. | |Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They | |should spend quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively. | |Give Constructive Fee dback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered | |constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate. |Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: | |face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages. For | |significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such as: Memos, Notices etc. | |Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in an organization the managers should ensure that the individuals are | |meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of communication.There should not be much pressure on employees to meet | |their targets. | | | | | |Question 3 | |What are the advantages and disadvantages of having o ne person hold the offices of Chairman of the Board and CEO? |Corporate management usually consists of a board of directors and corporate officers. The board appoints the senior corporate officers, such| |as the chairman, and chief executive officer. Some companies combine the Chairman and CEO roles, while others appoint different individuals | |for each position. | |Advantages: | |Having clear and unambiguous authority concentrated in one person is essential to effective management.Unity of command creates clear lines| |of authority to which management (and the board) can respond more effectively | |Another advantage is, in an environment where strong, directive, stable, and unconfused leadership is seen as critical to organizational | |success; this kind of legitimacy is an important signal to stakeholders about who is accountable. | |Having one person combining the CEO and Chair positions enhances the board’s management performance. The board ‘management responsibili ties | |require that it make key decisions affecting the company. |A combined CEO-Chair, provides the board with more complete and timely information about the company, provides the company with a unified | |command structure and a consistent leadership direction, and creates a collaborative and collegial environment for board decision making | |Board Chair who also serves as the CEO is likely to spend more time at the company, to have more detailed information about the strengths | |and weaknesses of the company, and to have a deeper understanding of the operational and financial health of the company. |Disadvantages: | |There is a conflict of interest on one person hold both position of a board chairman and a CEO of an organization. | |When the chairman is also the CEO, Management has a de facto control. Yet the board is supposed to be in charge of management. Checks and | |balances have been thrown to the wind. | |Having a one acting as a board Chair and a CEO of the company it d oes not bring fresh knowledge and an insight to the board’s | |decision-making process. | |Another disadvantage is that once the there is a of separating the CEO and Chair positions the board will not be able to performs its | |monitoring role better when there is a nonexecutive Chair.The monitoring role requires directors to exert oversight over corporate managers| |in order to detect and discipline managerial inefficiencies and misconduct. Thus, duality may cause failure by the board to effectively | |monitor and control. | | | | | | | 3. b) What are the pros and cons of selecting an insider versus an outsider?Pros for an insider: †¢ A positive wave in the next line of managers that hard-work will pay off and they can get a promotion if they can prove themselves. †¢ Being well known to the decision makers †¢ He /she would know the existing processes and flows in them and would be easily able to identify the weak-links easily and can cure with their expertise. Existing domain business and organization culture knowledge would help internal CEO. †¢ Will increase the confidence in level of every employee and make them believe that everyone will have equal opportunity of getting promoted to next if they can perform. Would be able to team up easily with existing team and would be able to guide them in showing them new path or direction. Cons for an insider: †¢ The inevitable presence of adversaries within the organization who may work subtly to tarnish the performance of the new CEO †¢ Sometimes if he/she is not able to bring up the new ideas it could washout the bringing in new person. †¢ Acceptance of new CEO from within would be a question when he/she has been picked up from the second line of management. †¢ Having their weakness well known to the selection groupPros for an outsider: †¢ Would be able to bring new ideas based on their experiences from different work culture where they have been working †¢ Will be able to see things as an outsider easily and so will be able to provide corrective actions whenever required. †¢ Could bring a positive energy into existing workforce when they were not able to see any light of hope with existing process or management. Would bring in best practices from the other organisations he/she might have worked with and very much helpful if he is having past experience in similar domain. Act as a catalyst for change, for example loosen established patterns. †¢ Entering into an atmosphere of optimism and hope to capitalize strongly on the opportunity at hand. Cons for an outsider: †¢ Recommending precisely what insiders had been unsuccessfully suggesting for ages or missed recommending what insiders had been unsuccessfully suggesting for ages. †¢ Absence of strong relationships with both major vendors and customers and perhaps a narrow window within which to build them †¢ Explaining things in ways that annoyed insiders or made them feel misunderstood, under-represented or wronged. Initials board skepticism of the candidate’s ability to lead the enterprise as a result of the new CEO’s lack of understanding and the appreciation of the enterprise. Question 4 What elements would characterize an effective working relationship between a Board and a CEO? The board of directors chooses the CEO and delegates to him or her, the responsibility for running the company. Thus begins a hopefully productive, albeit complex, relationship. The board’s role in this relationship is first to understand and approve of the CEO? s strategies and plans and then to monitor the execution of those plans and to periodically evaluate the results.Finally, the board must decide whether, when, and how it should intervene. How the board executes its role is critical to the success of the relationship and, ultimately, of the business. The essential relationships will provide both the board and CEO with a clear understa nding of the effective CEO-Board relationship and to enable boards and CEO to both assess and improve their current performance in delivering against each of their relationship attributes. The following are some of the identified element that will characterize an effective relationship between a Board and a CEO: †¢ Commits to act in the best interest of the organisation.All parties recognize and embrace their obligation to work in the best interest of the organisation †¢ Builds close but independence relationships: Board members should not let personal friendships with the CEO interfere with carrying out their responsibilities. Independence of board members from a CEO does not require an adversarial relationship; to the contrary, the parties must establish and develop effective ways of communicating and working together in a collaborative partnership built on mutual respect.All parties work to build robust professional relationships but ensure that these relationships demo nstrate the independent required for the CEO to do his/her job and for the board to maintain objectivity in reviewing the CEO’s recommendations and performance. †¢ Establishes distinct roles and responsibilities: both the Board and the CEO maintains clearly defined and communicated roles and responsibilities. All parties are completely knowledgeable about their own responsibilities and the responsibilities of their counterpart. †¢ Effectively advises the CEO: the board serves as a critical mentor and advisor to the CEO.Beyond ability to advice on the content of strategic decisions, the chairman provides thoughtful, actionable guidance on how to effectively translate strategy into action. The board maintains an open-door policy for the CEO to seek guidance. †¢ Establishes precise expectation: all parties set distinct expectations for themselves and for each other. All parties establish clear objectives. All parties keep their promises. †¢ Demonstrates humil ity, self-awareness and a â€Å"low-ego approach†: all parties bring a genuine level of intellectual and professional humility to each interaction.They are all self aware of their strength, weakness and limitations. They are comfortable with having their ideas rigorously challenge. †¢ Board members should not let personal friendships with the CEO interfere with carrying out their responsibilities. †¢ Demonstrate honesty, trust, respect and transparency: all parties work to establish relationships characterized by the highest standards of honesty, trustworthiness, respect and transparency. All parties work to create an environment characterizes by mutual respect and are fully transparent regarding their opinions, plans and underlying motivations.To execute its responsibilities well, the board must have a workable governance model. Such a model should address issues central to establishing and maintaining an effective process for making and administering corporate pol icy. A governance model should include routine approaches to the following: †¢ Choosing or clarifying the business or businesses in which the corporation will operate †¢ Hiring the right people in terms of both their abilities and their values †¢ Aligning the interests of the board and management with those of the shareholders Developing mutually agreeable goals, policies, and standards of performance for the CEO †¢ Evaluating plans to achieve agreed-upon goals †¢ Remaining knowledgeable about the firm’s activities and performance and evaluating the results †¢ Reacting appropriately to the results by holding management accountable and rewarding or intervening as necessary Boards of directors creating and following this or a similar governance model should be well on their way to establishing productive partnerships with their CEOs. Board members are advised to recall the paramount importance of hiring an effective CEO for the firm.The right perso n for the situation will strive to solve Problems that might exist and seek to improve upon established methods. The wrong person, however, is likely to create new problems for the firm and the board. Question 5 a) Examine the importance of eradicating white collar crime and its impact on the integrity of the CEO. Criminologist and sociologist Edwin Sutherland first popularized the term â€Å"white collar crime† in 1939, defining such a crime as one â€Å"committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation. Sutherland also included crimes committed by corporations and other legal entities within his definition. Sutherland’s study of white collar crime was prompted by the view that criminology had incorrectly focused on social and economic determinants of crime, such as family background and level of wealth. According to Sutherland’s view, crime is committed at all levels of society and by persons of widely divergent so cio-economic backgrounds. In particular, according to Sutherland, crime is often committed by persons operating through large and powerful organizations.White collar crime, Sutherland concluded, has a greatly-underestimated impact upon our society. Sutherland’s definition is now somewhat outdated for students of the criminal law. As white collar crime began to capture the attention of prosecutors and the public in the mid-1970s, the term came to have definitions quite different from the one Sutherland used. Indeed, studies have shown that crimes we generally consider â€Å"white collar,† such as securities fraud and tax fraud, are committed not just by persons of â€Å"high social status† but by people of divergent backgrounds.Thus, although the term â€Å"white collar crime† is a misnomer, it continues in widespread use. This is probably so because â€Å"white collar crime† provides a convenient moniker for distinguishing such crime in the public mind from â€Å"common† or† street† crime. Definitional, therefore, white collar crime is an activity „committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of their occupation?. Furthermore, crimes undertaken by corporations and other legal entities are also encompassed in this definition. Types of White-Collar CrimeThere are several types of white collar crimes, which include, but not limited to: Corporate fraud: This can involve activities such as: falsification of financial information including: false accounting entries, bogus trades designed to inflate profit or hide losses; and false transactions designed to evade regulatory oversight. Self-dealing by corporate insiders, including: Insider trading, kickbacks, backdating of executive stocks option, misuse of corporate property for personal gain, and individual tax violations related to self-dealingFinancial fraud Healthcare fraud: Altered or fabricated medical bills and other doc uments, excessive or unnecessary treatment or surgeries, Internet pharmacy fraud, auto accident insurance fraud, Medicare prescription drugs, prescription of dangerous drugs, medical equipment, and hospital fraud. This is usually carried out by different aspects of a health care system and could include billing for services not rendered; payment claims different from the rendered services, double billingMortgage fraud; Mortgage fraud indicators includes: – inflated appraisals, increased commissions/bonuses, falsification of loan applications, fake supporting loan documentation,. Such mortgage fraud schemes include: property flipping, corporate identity theft, use or threat of bankruptcy to dupe home owners, inflated appraisals Insurance fraud; premium diversions, workers compensation fraud Asset forfeiture or money laundering; and Occupational Crime Occupational crime occurs when crimes are committed to promote personal interests.Crimes that fall into this category include: A ltering books by accountants and overcharging; or cheating clients by lawyers. Organizational or Corporate Crime/fraud A much more costly type of white collar crime occurs when corporate executives commit criminal acts to benefit their company. There are a variety of corporate crimes that include: the creation of inferior products: drugs. Eradicating white collar crime and its impact on the integrity of the CEO To eradicate white collar crime and its impact on the integrity of the CEO, the following measures needs to be put in place: †¢ Law and punishmentAccording to Ball and Friedman (1977:320), â€Å"statues aimed at economic regulation (white-collar crime) often provide multiple, alternative sanctions. The sanctions may include cease and desist orders, injunctive divestiture proceedings, and awards of damages, monetary fines or forfeitures, seizures of goods, revocations of business or occupational licenses and prison sentences. † They concluded that direct imprisonme nt is generally considered criminal sanctions whereas fine or money penalty, awards or damages and other forms of non-criminal sanctions are classified as â€Å"civil† or regulatory sanctions. †¢ Increased surveillanceInstitutions may decide to increase surveillance that aid in crime prevention, such activities may include auditing of accounts by external auditors in cases that involve embezzlement of funds in institutions, retraining staff so that there will be reduced frauds in an institution. †¢ Social control theory The social control theory was developed by Travis Hirsch, this theory states that the socialization process helps individuals to develop social control and also help individuals to restrain from antisocial behavior; however he stated that there are three forms in which crime could be eradicate or controlled.From the above explanation of the social control theory the occurrence of white collar crime can be prevented by direct control which involves in creased threats of punishment, conscience will also help individuals to refrain from criminal acts, the close relatives will also restrain people from committing crimes and finally the need satisfaction which will lender the individuals not to involve themselves in crime.For the white collar crimes there is need to compensate those who hold high offices with a sustainable amount of salary or wage, this will build control as depicted by the need satisfaction form of control, these officials will have no need to engage in criminal activity, direct control should also be reinforced through the judicial system and the police force, this will increase threats that will eventually reduce the occurrence and frequency of white collar crimes. †¢ Judicial systemThe judicial system has a major role to play in the prevention and control of the white collar crimes, corruption in the judicial system has also resulted to the increased occurrence of these crimes, wealthy people who commit this crimes have the funds to hire and corrupt the judicial system to win their way out of prison, therefore it is important to eradicate corruption in the judicial system in order to control such crimes. Corruption can be reduced by increased salaries to judges and also the development of organizations which specializes in dealing with corruption cases in the judicial system. Corporate initiatives Companies, banks, and financial institutions should play a vital role in fighting or eradicating white collar crime. For instance the Bank of Ghana has directed commercial banks to enhance the security characteristics of cheques to prevent fake cheques scams. The characteristics include the paper which is sensitive to chemical substances, the watermark, ultra-violet ink . on-the-job training is essential to ensure that the staffs are competent to detect fraud. †¢ Ethics A lot of white-collar crimes are committed by persons at managerial and executive levels.Hence, the root of the matter would be that ethics should be observed by those in these positions of trust as they are more prone to committing such crimes because of the opportunities available to them by virtue of their positions. In a capitalist society, management and corporate subjects do not give emphasis to the questions of ethics. Career development of employees is based more on their job performance rather than high ethical standards. The capitalist framework which demands profit maximization and the corporate structure that emphasizes on production deadlines and quota have often created an arena for unethical business practices.To arrest this problem, corporate leaders and top level management should be exemplary examples of ethics and integrity. An explicit code of conduct and business ethics should be adopted that managers and executives are required to read, sign and follow. Apart from this, companies must develop a corporate climate that places ethical values above others. 5. b) Discussed the chall enges in the fight against white collar crime. White collar crimes invoke non-threatening images of guys in suits. And naturally we treat such individuals with respect and courtesy rather than fear and severity.It appears at times that our justice system does not place adequate emphasis on fraud and other white collar crimes especially when it is considered a non-violent victimless crime. One disturbing fact is how the offense is perceived, not as a criminal offense at all, but as simple bad judgment on the part of victims, by both the general public and by the victims themselves. This perception can lead to a tendency to blame the victims for their own losses. It affects how society sees the victims, and how the victims see themselves.This in turn can influence the way the offense is treated by law-enforcement and regulatory agencies, and when offenders are convicted, by the courts which sentence them. Compared to the murderers, rapists and urban gangsters that get the headlines, w hite-collar criminals just don’t scare the public very much. They don’t leave a chalk outline on the sidewalk or blood spatter on the wall. So while violent crimes demand a high profile response from the police, the cost of white collar crime is significant but hard to measure in human costs. The following are the challenges in the fight against white collar crime: †¢ Underestimation of LossesThe price tags attached to some economic crimes are so staggering that they are difficult to comprehend. As an example, the price of bailing out a single corrupt savings and loan institution surpassed the total of all the bank robberies in American history. Recent FBI statistics place the average take of an armed bank robbery at $3,177 while the Data Processing Management Association reports that the average computer crime loss to banks may be as high as $500,000. †¢ The Best Lawyers A white-collar criminal, now rich off the spoils of others, can afford the best lawyers. †¢ LeniencyMany law-makers and judges are of the mind that, with an already overloaded justice system, jails should be used for violent offenders only, so fraudsters are given what are perceived as lenient sentences, or an absurdly low penalty in comparison to the crime committed, such as alternative sentencing (e. g. warnings, probation etc. ) or by â€Å"buying their way out† of prison by paying a fine or restitution. †¢ Police Resources While few laws are enforced 100%, white collar crime has a much lower margin of non-enforcement. Fraud and other white collar crime is not a priority for police departments.They are required to devote their resources to crimes of violence and, due to lack of trained personnel and financial resources, are not always able to investigate and prosecute suspected fraud and other white collar crime cases. †¢ Favourable Laws Laws are generally written in favour of the white-collar criminal. People who commit white-collar crimes are sometimes the same people who are in a position to see to it that their crimes are not defined too negatively. †¢ Individual Perception Whereas the impact of white-collar criminals on the nation is great, the cost to each individual is small.White-collar crimes do not impact individuals with the same intensity as when one individual is victimized by a petty criminal. REFERENCES 1. Institute of professional Administrators: www. iqps. org/ 2. International Association of Administrative professionals: www. iaap-hq. org 3. What is an Administrative Professional? Who are Administrative Professionals? By Karen Porter: (http://www. theeffectiveadmin. com/articles-for-administrative-assistants/administrative-professionals/) 4. Elthan F Becker and Jon Wortmann(2009) Mastering Communication at Work 5. www. utor2u. net/business/people/communication_barriers. asp – communication Barriers 6. Effect of Communication Barriers in Business Communication www. managementstudyguide. com/ef fect-of-communication. 7. Robert C Pozen. (Nov 2009), Harvard Business Review 8. www. managementstudyguide. com 9. www. slideshare. net 10. Journal of Corporate Finance 3(1997) 189-220 11. White collar crime in Malaysia 12. www. articlesalley. com 13. www. crime-of-persuation. com 14. Professional Administration: Guiding Principles and Discipline for the Timeless Executive, (2011) Samuel Mawusi Asafo CMC, CIPM.SMA International Printrite Inc. Ghana CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ADMINISTRATORS AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS-GHANA P. O. Box LG 645, Legon, Accra. Tel. 028 954 0066 POST EXPERIENCE QUALIFYING PROGRAMME TAKE HOME EXAMINATION BATCH: JANUARY, MAY & SEPTEMBER 2012 SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATION SUBMISSION DATE: SATURDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2012 Reference Material: Professional Administration: Guiding Principles and Discipline for the Timeless Executive, (2011) Samuel Mawusi Asafo CMC, CIPM. SMA International Printrite Inc. Ghana ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS, TYPE WRITTEN IN 1. 5 SPACING ALL QU ESTIONS CARRY EQUAL MARKS QUESTIONS 1.Discuss the difference between Administrative Management and Professional Administration. 2. Identify communication barriers and describe ways to remove them 3. a) What are the advantages and disadvantages of having one person hold the offices of Chairman of the Board and CEO? b) What are the pros and cons of selecting an insider versus an outsider? 4. What elements would characterize an effective working relationship between a Board and a CEO? 5. a) Examine the importance of eradicating white collar crime and its impact on the integrity of the CEO. b) Discuss the challenges in the fight against white collar crime.