Following are excerpts from a speech made by Frederick W. Taylor in 191 Essay

If any of you will get close to the average workman in this country—close enough to him so that he will talk to you as an intimate friend—he will tell you that in his particular trade if, we will say, each man were to turn out twice as much work as he is now doing, there could be but one result to follow: Namely, that one-half the men in his trade would be thrown out of work. This doctrine is preached by almost every labor leader in the country and is taught by every workman to his children as they are growing up; and I repeat, as I said in the beginning, that it is our fault more than theirs that this fallacy prevails. While the labor leaders and the workmen themselves in season and out of season are pointing out the necessity of restriction of output, not one step are we taking to counteract that fallacy; therefore, I say, the fault is ours and not theirs. 1.Do you think Taylor’s position is equally applicable today? Be prepared to justify your answer. †¢I don’t believe Taylor’s position would be equally applicable in American business today, as it did in 1911. Since the end of World War II, it’s more apparent in American business culture for more short term employment. Some examples include contract maintenance where specific skills are required for a specified time or project completion. There are government agencies with Directors and Administrators who are filling a senior management position for as long as the current President serves. Businesses today are finding that through outsourcing some of their responsibilities to teams of highly skilled employees specializing in the needed field, this will alleviate some of the financial liabilities needed in if they were to maintain their own permanent team. The founder and chairman of APQC (formerly known as the American Productivity and Quality Center) in Houston, C. Jackson Grayson, warned several years ago that if management and labor cannot make their relationship less adversarial, â€Å"then we won’t get the full, long-term kick in productivity  that we desperately need.† 2.Looking at Taylor’s and Grayson’s remarks, which were made approximately 73 years apart, one has to wonder what we have learned. Many similar comparisons could be made. Why do you think managers don’t seem to learn as much as they could from the past? †¢Traditional relationships between management and labor looks nothing as it did 100 years ago, especially when it pertains to unions. Being the only industrialized country with its infrastructure mostly intact after World War II, the United States basked in economic superiority with American industry. However, management in the past rarely included employees in the decision-making process. There was a disconnect between management and labor which union leaders were utilized to close gaps and ensure fairness in areas such as pay and benefits, but more importantly, where safety is involved. In American businesses today, with government regulations and restrictions, differences in American and global markets and customs, outsourcing and contract services, and improvements in technology have changed the relationships between management and labor. According to an article written in Governing.Com, relationships between management and labor can be minimized by forming a joint process improvement committee (PIC), who are focused on driving organizational efficiencies. The committees are formed which enables both sides to pursue their interests with mutual respect and communication (O’Leary, 2010). Although there is no quick fix with regards to management and labor relationships, one thing is still very clear, there is still a significant divide. References Huebsch, R. (2014). The Evolution of the Labor-Management Relationship. Houston Chronical. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/evolution-labormanagement-relationship-36056.html Leslie W. Rue, L. L. (2009). Management kills and Application. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. O’Leary, J. (2010, September 8). Labor Pains: Repairing the Manager and Union Relationship. Governing. Retrieved from http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/repairing-management-union-relationship.html

Sociological Imagination-the Sociological Big Picture

Sociological Imagination-â€Å"The Sociological Big Picture† C. Wright Mills wanted people to know that outside of ourselves and our personal problems, we are being shaped by the external forces that surround us in society. Whether people are aware of it or not, they are being influenced by society and its factors. The location in which one lives, the nation’s current economic standing, government affiliation, and more are all effecting people in some way.When living in a broadened social experience where things are all interconnected to one another, it has the power and potential of influencing our human behaviors and impulses that are not internally inherited as Mills suggests, but rather shaped by society. The location where a person lives helps bring meaning and shape the ideas of social acceptabilities. For example, in the Amazon basin of South America the Yanomamo Indians see very differently than people of America.This primitive tribe find normalcy among hallucin ogenic yopo trips, villages where peoples attire are loin cloths, and a society composed of hunters and gatherers. Whereas Americans who are surrounded by urbanization, consumerism, materialism and so on may find the Yanomamo way of living off-putting. Also, the nations economy can affect citizens like after keeping 350,000 students out of school for seven days, teachers in Chicago are ending their strike after some negotiation.The Chicago Teachers Union battling for their rights about their job security, teacher abilities, salary raises, and more. Union president, Karen Lewis, after not being able to reach compromise the first time a few days prior, has now settled on an official contract. Though the near from perfect contract still needs ratification, union members agree â€Å"It was time to end the strike† said Lewis who’s rights to petition and peacefully assembly helped union members and the Chicago’s delegates reach a settlement.Chinese artist, internet bl ogger, and activist, Ai Weiwei was detained by the Chinese government after trying to find the names of the thousands of victims lost in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; which authorities were refusing to give out to civilians. This only fueled his dislike of the Chinese government, which he had a tendency to expose in his blogs and artwork. In China where the internet is monitored heavily by the state, unlike other places around the world, often Weiwei’s political opinions of China’s autocracy became censored.After three months of detention, Weiwei was released on bail. When society can influence people, one must be willing to pull themselves away from a narcissistic point of view and adapt to a perspective where you are able to evaluate the â€Å"sociological big picture†. Building a sociological imagination can create within oneself the ability to truly see what others see and why people act the way they do whether it be stone age indians, claimant mobs, or dissi dent artists: we are all shaped by society.

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example These subcultures would include, age, income, gender, social class, ethnicity, norms as well as cultural beliefs among others. Different markets equally exist and they all have particular characteristics, which are directly or indirectly influential towards consumer behavior especially as relating to the subcultures outlined above (Mullins and Walker, 2014, para 1-6). Is this study, this paper focuses on evaluating the comparatively the impacts of age and income as subcultures towards consumer behavior in the holiday market. The study therefore focuses on how particular subcultures (age and income in this case) influence the way consumer(s) reason, think, choose and make decisions on different brands, products or even services in focus to the holiday markets. Besides, the study will evaluate how the subcultures have influence on the manner of decisions and choices made by the consumers. The understanding of the holiday market would be better understood through the model of ‘travel-buying behavior’, which is what the market entails. The linear five-stage model developed by Mathieson and Wall in 1982 illustrates various components that influence the consumer behavior in the holiday market. The first segment explains how the desire or need for travel (may be for a holiday) develops and this is followed by the consumer gathering information in the market. Having enough and relevant information aids at decision making by the consumer while deciding between alternatives after which the necessary preparation commences. Travel and such other experiences as are characteristic in holiday market explain the outcomes of behaviors adopted by the consumer. The fifth stage illustrates the stage of evaluation, as the consumer would have to do after such a market experience(Mathieson and Wall, 1982, p. 95). Literature and past studies reveal that consumers are directly influenced by age especially when it regards free will consumer decisions such as are involved

Intertextuality In Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intertextuality In Films - Essay Example The basic concept of intertextuality is that no text, much as it might like to appear so, is original and unique in itself. It is very useful concept; some might also say it is essential for literary studies. generally it is concerned with the cultural sign system. Intertextuality frequently occurs in popular media such as television shows, movies and even interactive video games. In these , intertextuality is often used to provide depth to the fictional reality portrayed in the medium, such as characters in one television show mentioning characters from another.intertextuality was first proposed by Julia Kristeva . According to her a single text that can consists of many texts or it is act of changing one set of sign into another. the use of intertextuality is perhaps the most useful and essential method of ensuring a successful show or film in today’s marketplace. as there are many source of entertainment available in today’s life apart from films, it is very useful f or modern and new directors to attract a particular audience. many directors and film makers refer to previous and old books, novels ,songs, history or remake many popular films, because the audience get familiar with the next story they see hear or read will remind them of some thing they have already experienced.

Report - classroom observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Report - classroom observation - Essay Example It is significant for both parties to identify these things. Hopkins (2002, 10) explains that the setting of a class makes an observer to preconceive what he/she will expect when the class commences. Since the topic was about the television, the students would have to listen to the television. Since s and videos are almost inseparable, there was the inclusion of the video. It also made the class more interesting. The television was placed before the class while the instructor stood between the students and the screen. However, she made sure that she did not obstruct the students from viewing the screen. By standing between these two subjects, the teacher was able to monitor both sides thus she could manage the class better. If she stood at the back of the class, the students would be distracted by having to look at the rear of the course group and then at the front in order to follow up on both the teacher and the screen. The teacher started by pronouncing some words to be expected when viewing the video or television. The students first listened to the pronounced words, then they repeated these words and then they tried to spell them out so that they could have a better understanding of them. The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions regarding the areas they did not understand. Additionally, the teacher encouraged the participation of the students before, after and during the watching of the video. At one point, all the three students were not attentive to what was on the screen. The teacher encouraged the students to be attentive by showing the video once more. The teacher’s language and actions were also strategic in enabling the students to understand the content they were taught. Ollerton (2004, 14) states that the language used by a teacher when teaching plays a major role in enabling a student to understand a given topic. The teacher was constantly praising

Show the microeconomic principles involved in Ford Motor Companies Term Paper

Show the microeconomic principles involved in Ford Motor Companies recovery in the auto market compared to other American automa - Term Paper Example In addition, the microeconomic principle of competition has separately been taken into consideration as it would significantly help in identifying the recovery of the company in comparison to other American automakers. Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (Ford) is one of the leading auto makers in the global automotive industry. The company operates firmly in two sectors i.e. the automotive industry and the financial services. The company is known to manufacture and distribute the vehicles across six continents. During the year 2012, the company sold approximately 5,668,000 cars in the automotive segment (The New York Times, 2013). As a result, the company was provided with an opportunity to earn $126,567 mn in revenues. The two most prominent brands that the company has to offers include Ford and Lincoln. In addition, the F-series trucks have also played an essential in the growth and success of the company in the local and international world (Ford, 2012). The mission statement o f the company clearly states that Ford aims to provide the customers with quality cars across the continents. This has significantly helped the organization in providing satisfaction beyond the imagination of the customers. To provide the customers with best quality cars, the company maintains mutual relationship with the essential dealers, suppliers and other business associates (The New York Times, 2013). Microeconomic Principles Needs and Wants Ford is one of the leading vehicle manufacturing organizations that focus highly on meeting the needs and wants of the customers. To effectively do so, the company design, build and sells cars along with utilities and trucks to provide the global customer base with vehicles that could satisfy the needs of the customers. Customers are the most crucial factors for the survival and growth of the organization across the globe due to which the needs and wants are taken into consideration in all the products and services offered by the company. Moreover, the company has always focused on meeting the needs of the customers by designing vehicles that cover the full spectrum of global automobile requirement. This significantly helps in attracting the customers towards the brands that Ford has to offer. As a result, the company is constantly provided with an opportunity to meet the needs and wants of the customers through variety of cars, utilities and trucks in the domestic, national and international market (Ford, 2012). Profits Profit is the foremost consideration of Ford. In earlier years of financial and economic crisis in United States, the company’s profit level declined significantly. With the passage of time, the company was consistently provided with opportunities to enhance the level of profits by attracting and selling the customers with quality cars, utilities and trucks (Ford, 2012). The company aims to enhance the performance of the company across the globe which will provide the company with significant opportunities to enhance its profit levels. Due to the constantly rising demands of the cars, utilities and trucks in the local and international market, the company reported significant increase in the level of profits. In the year 2010, the company reported net income of $6.6 billion in comparison of $2.7 billion in the year 2009 (Esch, 2011). The method of intra-platform price discrimination is one of the prominent methods used by Ford to optimize the profits of the company. The company is continually providing the customers with fuel efficient cars to enhance the financial strength of the company. This has significantly allowed the organization to attract the customers in the market which will

CHICANO 310 - Summary In Your Own Words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CHICANO 310 - Summary In Your Own Words - Essay Example Tata Dios is a reflection of a dying person’s last wishes. The persona insists â€Å"Father God is calling me† (Caldwell p109) and needs a white dress in readiness for the heavenly journey. She has already resigned to her fate since â€Å"the doctor has far to walk† (Caldwell p109) - nothing can be done to reverse her failing health. Further, Linda Ronstadt has also used specific imagery to depict the persona’s resignation to her imminent death. â€Å"White dress† symbolizes both happiness and sadness: happiness because it reminds her of her wedding day, sadness because it is the heavenly garment of the saints, a status achieved only through death. The message in the song; therefore, revolves around the inevitability of death. In conclusion, Tata Dios is a typical Mexican song. Ity follows the Mexican traditional mariachi style which features string instrunments. The string instrunments in Tata Dios are represented by violins and the spanish guitor. Other accompaniments include flutes and trumpets. In addition, the strumming of the guitor is similar to other Mexican

EDMA_601_Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EDMA_601_Assignment - Assignment Example Managers are ultimately accountable for the performance of their subordinates, and this can be measured through sales, production costs, etc. In addition to this, managers are also responsible for making sure that goals and objectives are communicated between upper management and the working staff. Managers are required to make sure that employees are staying on track and are moving toward the goals of the firm. Planning involves first determining an end goal or point by which success can be measured. Second, planning requires coming up with a process that will help the organization to get where it ultimately wants to. Finally, there needs to be the flexibility to readjust goals part way through the process if the situation changes. The three types of planning are operational, strategic, and contingency. Operational planning has to do with specific goals that are used to achieve job responsibilities. Strategic planning is more about the goals of the entire organization and then matching those up with each department. Finally, contingency planning is putting in emergency measures in case there is a change in the plan. Staffing has to do with assigning employees to roles and training them appropriately. The three major parts of staffing are planning, execution, and maintenance. Planning involves preparing for future changes, execution is how to enact those changes, and maintenance has to do with making sure nothing goes wrong with the changes proposed. The management function of controlling has to do with making a comparison between organizational performance and desired outcomes and then making adjustments to meet those outcomes. Management is all about making sure that the process is continuous and there is a clear chain of command. There are three main types of control: feedforward, concurrent, and feedback. The difference between each of them is that the first attempts to prevent problems from occurring in

Medical Mentoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical Mentoring - Essay Example Since there is a rarity of women in several elite fields in medicine, which reduces their chances of getting mentorship or sponsorship in these sub-fields, women are rarely inducted into these fields. Most female medical students have wondered whether there are women in some fields of medicine for them to contact. In addition, there was also a feeling that female medical students could mentor undergraduate female students; especially the undergraduate students interested in science, but short on ideas and encouragement (DeLaat, 2007). However, the issue of what mentors would get out of mentoring female students came up, to which the contended that hospitals and institutions must recognize how important mentorship is, especially as the unequivocal support from senior management or organizational leaders for the concept of sponsorship and mentoring. This will encourage mentors to consider a serious mentorship, while allowing the professional time to support the programs (DeLaat, 2007). From this case study, it is clear that gender has a major role to play when it comes to the expectations of female students with regards to mentoring, while also having an influence on their career planning. Optimal relationships in sponsorship and mentoring are relational, while relational mentorship is more crucial compared to gender concordance (Humphrey, 2010). In addition, power dynamics, which are gender-based, have a greater influence on the thinking of students concerning mentoring. Stereotypes and assumptions based on gender also have a significant effect on sponsorship and mentoring relationships. Successful relationships in mentoring can only occur when the mentors in the faculty, whether female or male, attempt to take the time required to know the students on a personal level, as well as to know the students from a career point of view. From the case study, it seems that the female medical students and physicians have gender expectations that they will relate better to female mentors, who will also be more supportive compared to male mentors. This could be because male mentors are more content focused, direct, and less comfortable when discussing with female students on work-life balance (Humphrey, 2010). From the case study, it also seems that those attending the seminar believe that the gender of the mentee will affect the advice that they are given with regards to choices of career. The students may also wish to go beyond stereotypes of gender when interacting with the mentors (Humphrey, 2010). A perception exists where the gender of female students may potentially hinder their sponsorship opportunities and networking, as well as the perception that mentors of the female gender are not in a position to provide the access female students require to vital networks. However, while the case study does not provide enough evidence whether this is the case, it is clear that there is a need for more female mentors with experience, as well as for women holding powerful positions in medicine, particularly in fields that are dominated by women. While the case study was mainly focused on female students in medical school, the mentee and the

Uses of ICT in the community Essay Example for Free

Uses of ICT in the community Essay ICT is used for a wide range of purposes in the community for personal, social and work related tasks. These help us complete the task to an exceptional level that would otherwise not have been possible. Below are a range of uses for which I use ICT The five needs of the community are * Security * Communication * Finance * Information * Road safety ICT is used primarily for security in Headington. This includes surveillance cameras such as CCTV and speed detectors. This keeps the crime levels down and helps make the whole community safer for residents and attract tourists. It is also used for communication and information in the community, through internet. Members of the community can find out about various things, and can also use the internet for social uses and communicating through MSN and other sites. ATMs provide ICT service for the communitys financial needs. This includes withdrawing money, checking accounts and various other tasks that the ATMs help to meet. This helps the community function better and helps meet the needs of the community. Personal Uses MP3 (Mpeg Audio 3) is a device Coding to compress audio files so that they become around one-tenth of the original file size, but without ruining the original sound quality above a perceptual level. It does this by reducing the accuracy of certain parts of the file which are above or below the hearing range of humans so that the files size reduced but the original sound quality is retained. This reduction makes it easier to download or play files in MP3 format. MP3 files are downloaded from the computer or internet and have to be in a certain format. I use MP3 players to download and listen to songs and other audio files such as podcasts (media files available on the internet) while I am note. Although I can listen to songs on my personal computer or CD player, MP3s are better because many hundreds of songs can be downloaded into it, which cannot be done on my computer without taking up too much of its memory. They are better than video players as both the sound and video quality of DVD players are significantly superior to that of video players. This helps me not get bored when I am in situations in which I cannot do anything productive instead, such as waiting for the bus. Community Gatso speed cameras help the community by catering for its road safety needs. As the area is not very busy and does not have many cars and also has a lot of two way roads, there have been many accidents involving speeding drivers as they relax and go fast when they see the road relatively empty. Many drivers do not anticipate cars coming from the opposite direction and this has resulted in many car accidents. Speed cameras help keep roads safe for drivers driving through the area and help to enforce the speed limit, making the community safer for its residents. Users must have either a modem, ISDN (integrated services digital network), broadband, ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) or cable broadband to connect to the internet and use its services.

SWOT Analysis Wal Mart Stores Inc

SWOT Analysis Wal Mart Stores Inc To analyse or diagnose any business, we must examine closely the issues with which the company is confronted. We will need to look very hard to grasp the overall picture of what is happening try and establish a helicopter view of the company to discover and grasp the specific problems. Generally, a detailed analysis of any business should include seven areas: The history, development, and growth of the company over time The identification of the companys internal strengths and weaknesses The nature of the external environment surrounding the company A SWOT ANALYSIS The kind of corporate-level strategy pursued by the company The nature of the companys business-level strategy The companys structure and control systems and how they match its strategy Analyse the companys history, development, and growth A convenient way to investigate how a companys past strategy and structure affect it in the present is to chart the critical incidents in its history that is, the events that were the most unusual or the most essential for its development into the company it is today. Some of the events have to do with its founding, its initial products, how it makes new-product market decisions, and how it developed and chose functional competencies to pursue. Its entry into new businesses and shifts in its main lines of business are also important milestones to consider. Identify the companys internal strengths and weaknesses once the historical profile is completed, we can begin the SWOT analysis. Use all the incidents we have charted to develop an account of the companys strengths and weaknesses as they have emerged historically. Then we examine each of the value creation functions of the company, and identify the functions in which the compa ny is currently strong and currently weak. Some companies might be weak in marketing; some might be strong in research and development. Make lists of these strengths and weaknesses. 2) SWOT ANALYSIS AND MACRO ENVIRONMENT FOR DECISION MAKERS Many changes from the macro environment have the potential to cripple even the best of strategies and must therefore be watched. Managers should note any changes in the environmental factors as conducive to innovation. Potential changes in exchange rates, especially unanticipated large ones, central bank policies that raise interest rates, and taxation laws, along with demographic and socio political changes, all have the potential to impact firm strategies. Managers should examine them carefully for potential threats and opportunities. In particular, they should examine the potential impact of changes in tax policies concerning the Internet. This analysis of a firms current performance, appraisal of its business model, appraisal of its competitors business models, analysis of industry attractiveness, assessment of its macro environment, projection of the evolution of the Internet, and a forecast of its environmental changes is sometimes called a strengths and weaknesses, opportuniti es, and threats (SWOT) analysis. After an analysis of where the firm is now, a manager may also decide not to pursue profits as previously planned but to hone the firms capabilities to fit another firms portfolio of capabilities so that it can be acquired by the other firm. On the other hand, a firm whose exit strategy had been to be acquired, with no intention of ever making profits, may decide that it now wants to become profitable after all. In all these cases, a firm has decided to move into new areas. It is now intent on doing certain things that it had not done before. If moving into these new areas requires entirely new capabilities, the objective to do so is sometimes referred to as a firms strategic intent. 2.1) SWOT ANALYSIS AND COMPANYS STRATEGIES Having identified the companys external opportunities and threats as well as its internal strengths and weaknesses, we need to consider what our findings mean. That is, we need to balance strengths and weaknesses against opportunities and threats. Is the company in an overall strong competitive position? Can it continue to pursue its current business or corporate-level strategy profitably? What can the company do to turn weaknesses into strengths and threats into opportunities? Can it develop new functional, business, or corporate strategies to accomplish this change? Never merely generate the SWOT analysis and then put it aside, because it provides a succinct summary of the companys condition, a good SWOT analysis is the key to all the analyses that follow. Over all we can say that a good strategy is designed to fit organizational capability with environmental opportunity. It is best summarized by the SWOT approach. 3) ANALYSE CORPORATE-LEVEL STRATEGY AND SWOT ANALYSIS 3.1) Companys businesses. Do the company trade or exchange resources? Are there gains to be achieved from synergy? Alternatively, is the company just running a portfolio of investments? This analysis enable us to define the corporate strategy that the company is pursuing (for example, related or unrelated diversification, or a combination of both) and to conclude whether the company operates in just one core business. Then, using SWOT analysis, we debate the merits of this strategy. Is it appropriate, given the environment the company is in? Could a change in corporate strategy provide the company with new opportunities or transform a weakness into a strength? For example, should the company diversify from its core business into new businesses? We should consider other issues as well. How and why has the companys strategy changed over time? What is the claimed rationale for any changes? Often it is a good idea to analyse the companys businesses or products to assess its situation and identify which divisions contribute the most to or detract from its competitive advantage. It is also useful to explore how the company has built its portfolio over time. Did it acquire new businesses, or did it internally venture its own? All these factors provide clues about the company and indicate ways of improving its future performance. 4) ANALYSE BUSINESS-LEVEL STRATEGY AND SWOT ANALYSIS Once we know the companys corporate-level strategy and have done the SWOT analysis, the next step is to identify the companys business-level strategy. If the company is a single-business company, its business-level strategy is identical to its corporate-level strategy. If the company is in many businesses, each business will have its own business-level strategy. We will need to identify the companys generic competitive strategy differentiation, low cost, or focus and its investment strategy, given the companys relative competitive position and the stage of the life cycle. The company also may market different products using different business-level strategies. For example, it may offer a low-cost product range and a line of differentiated products. Be sure to give a full account of a companys business-level strategy to show how it competes. Identifying the functional strategies that a company pursues to build competitive advantage through superior efficiency, quality, innovation, an d customer responsiveness and to achieve its business-level strategy is very important. The SWOT analysis will have provided us with information on the companys functional competencies. You should further investigate its production, marketing, or research and development strategy to gain a picture of where the company is going. For example, pursuing a low-cost or a differentiation strategy successfully requires a very different set of competencies. Has the company developed the right ones? If it has, how can it exploit them further? Can it pursue both a low-cost and a differentiation strategy simultaneously? The SWOT analysis is especially important at this point if the industry analysis, has revealed the threats to the company from the environment. Can the company deal with these threats? How should it change its business-level strategy to counter them? To evaluate the potential of a companys business-level strategy, We need to perform a thorough SWOT analysis that captures the ess ence of its problems. Once we complete this analysis, we will have a full picture of the way the company is operating and be in a position to evaluate the potential of its strategy. WAL-MART 5) COMPANY HISTORY AND ITS FOUNDERVISION Samuel Moore Walton, the billionaire boy scout of Bentonville, Arkansas, built an empire on a fervid belief in value, pioneered by ideas like empowerment, and revolutionized retailing in the process. Dead at 74 after a long fight with cancer, he did not invent the discount department store, although it hardly seems possible that he didnt. He grabbed hold of the leading edge of retailing in 1962 and never let go, creating a value-powered merchandising machine that seems certain to outlive his memory.. In 1994, the still-young company earned $2.3 billion on sales of $67 billion. A $1,650 investment in 100 Wal-Mart shares in 1970, when they began trading, is worth $3 million today. He taught American business that the vast amount of American people want value. He saw the future, and he helped make the future. According to a retail executive, while Walton was one of the great showmen of retailing, if he had been a television preacher hed have become Pope. As a manager he applied such concepts as a flat organization, empowerment, and gain-sharing long before any one gave them those names. In the 1950s, he shared information and profits with all employees. He ingested as much data as he could to get close to the customer and closer to the competition. He stressed flexibility and action over deliberation. Wal-Mart is ultimately a monument to consumers: it has saved them billions. Sam Walton truly believed that nothing happens until a customer walks into a store with a purpose, buys some thing, and walks out. His philosophy was simple: satisfy the customer. Operating nearly 2,000 stores in 47 states, Wal-Mart remains the leader in the discount store industry. In addition, with over 400 Sams Clubs, Wal-Mart is a major factor in the Warehouse Club industry. Combining general merchandise and groceries, Supercenters represent the companys fastest growing segment, with 65 to 70 stores planned in fiscal 1995 on a base of 68. Walton long ago wanted manufacturers to see themselves, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers as parts of a single customer-focused process rather than as participants in a series of transactions. He personally and permanently altered the relationship between manufacturers and retailers, which has historically been, to put it politely, antagonistic. About five years ago he asked Procter Gamble executives to view a focus group of Wal-Mart executives talking about their prickly relationship with the packaged-goods company. It was sobering. His strategy clearly was that we ought to be able to work together to lower the costs of both the manufacturer and the distributor and get lower costs for consumers. Walton got both sides to focus on distribution costs and how to cut them. Wal-Mart linked PG with its computers to allow automatic reordering, thus avoiding bulges in order cycles. With better coordination of buying, PG could plan more consistent manufacturing runs, rationalize distribution, and lower its costs, passing on some of the savings. This systematic approach is now in broad use throughout the industry. Walton has been described as a visionary, and he clearly was that. His vision was apparent in 1956 as a Ben Franklin variety store owner. To lure one of his first store managers, Bob Bogle, away from the state health depart ment, Walton showed him the books and offered to pay him 25 percent of the stores net profit in addition to salary. 6) STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF WAL-MARTS SUCCESS Wal-Marts Competitive Capabilities What accounts for Wal-Marts remarkable success? Most explanations focus on a few familiar and highly visible factors: the genius of founder Sam Walton, who inspires his employees and has molded a culture of service excellence; the greeters who welcome customers at the door; the motivational power of allowing employees to own part of the business; the strategy of everyday low prices, which offers the customer a better deal and saves on merchandising and advertising costs. Strategists also point to Wal-Marts big stores, which offer economies of scale and a wider choice of merchandise. Such explanations only redefine the question. Why is Wal-Mart able to justify building bigger stores? Why does Wal-Mart alone have a cost structure low enough to accommodate everyday low prices and greeters? What has enabled the company to continue to grow far beyond the direct reach of Sam Waltons magnetic personality? The real secret of Wal-Marts success lies deeper, in a set of strategic business decisions that transformed the company into a capabilities-based competitor. 6.1) Competitive Environmental Change Rivals are constantly changing their strategies and such changes, especially new game strategies, have to be watched very carefully. A firm is said to pursue a new game strategy if by performing value chain, value shop, or value configuration activities that differ from what the dominant logic of the industry dictates, or by performing the same activities differently than the logic dictates, the firm is able to offer superior customer value. Wal-Marts early strategies were new game strategies. It decided to move into small towns, saturate adjoining towns with stores, build distribution centers, and improve logistics, with an empowering culture and information technology to match. This allowed Wal-Mart to achieve high economies of scale and bargaining power over its suppliers. This in turn allowed the firm to offer its customers lower prices than its competitors. The starting point was a relentless focus on satisfying customer needs. Wal-Marts goals were simple to define but hard to execute: to provide customers access to quality goods, to make these goods available when and where customers want them, to develop a cost structure that enables competitive pricing, and to build and maintain a reputation for absolute trustworthiness. The key to achieving these goals was to make the way the company replenished inventory the centerpiece of its competitive strategy. This strategic vision reached its fullest expression in a largely invisible logistics technique known as cross-docking. In this system, goods are continuously delivered to Wal-Marts ware houses, where they are selected, repacked, and then dispatched to stores, often without ever sitting in inventory. Instead of spending valuable time in the warehouse, goods just cross from one loading dock to another in 48 hours or less. Cross docking enables Wal-Mart to achieve the economies that come f rom purchasing full truck- loads of goods while avoiding the usual inventory and handling costs. Wal-Mart runs a full 85 percent of its goods through its warehouse system-as opposed to only 50 percent for Kmart. This reduces Wal-Marts costs of sales by 2 percent to 3 percent compared with the industry average. That cost difference makes possible the everyday low prices. Thats not all. Low prices in turn mean that Wal-Mart can save even more by eliminating the expense of frequent promotions. Stable prices also make sales more predictable, thus reducing stock- outs and excess inventory. Finally, everyday low prices bring in the customers, which translate into higher sales per retail square foot. These advantages in basic economics make the greeters and the profit sharing easy to afford. With such obvious benefits, why dont all retailers use cross-docking? The reason: it is extremely difficult to manage. To make cross-docking work, Wal-Mart had to make strategic investments in a variety of interlocking support systems far beyond what could be justified by conventional ROI criteria. For example, cross-docking requires continuous contact among Wal-Marts distribution centers, suppliers, and every point of sale in every store to ensure that orders can flow in and be consolidated and executed within a matter of hours. Wal-Mart operates a private satellite-communication system that daily sends point-of-sale data directly to Wal-Marts 4,000 vendors. Another key component of Wal-Marts logistics infrastructure is the companys fast and responsive transportation system. The companys 19 distribution centers are serviced by nearly 2,000 company-owned trucks. This dedicated truck fleet permits Wal-Mart to ship goods from warehouse to store in less than 48 hours and to replenish its store shelves twice a week on average. By contrast, the industry norm is once every two weeks. To gain the full benefits of cross-docking, Wal-Mart has also had to make fundamental changes in its approach to managerial control. Traditionally, in the retail industry, decisions about merchandising, pricing, and promotions have been highly centralized and made at the corporate level. Cross-docking, however, turns this command-and-control logic on its head. Instead of the retailer pushing products into the system, customers pull products when and where they need them. This approach places a premium on frequent, informal cooperation among stores, distribution cen ters, and suppliers-with far less centralized control. The job of senior management at Wal-Mart, then, is not to tell individual store managers what to do, but to create an environment where they can learn from the market-and from each other. The companys information systems, for example, provide store managers with detailed information about customer behavior, while a fleet of airplanes regularly ferries store managers to Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters for meetings on market trends and merchandising. As the company has grown and its stores have multiplied, even Wal-Marts own private air force hasnt been enough to maintain the necessary contacts among store managers. Therefore, Wal-Mart has installed a video link connecting all its stores to corporate headquarters and to each other. Store managers frequently hold video conferences to exchange information on whats happening in the field, such as which products are selling and which ones arent, which promotions work and which dont. The final piece of this capabilities mosaic is Wal- Marts human resources system. The company realizes that its frontline employees play a significant role in satisfying customer needs. Therefore, it attempts to enhance its organizational capability with programs such as stock ownership and profit sharing geared toward making its personnel more responsive to customers. Even the way Wal-Mart stores are organized contributes to this goal. Where Kmart has five separate merchandise departments in each store, Wal-Mart has 36. This means that training can be more focused and more effective, and employees can be more attuned to customers. 6.2) COMPETITORS AND THEIR STRATEGIES Kmart did not see its business this way. While Wal-Mart was fine-tuning its business processes and organizational practices, Kmart was following the classic textbook approach that had accounted for its original success. Kmart managed its business by focusing on a few product-centered strategic business units, each a profit center under strong centralized line management. Each SBU made strategy -selecting merchandise, setting prices, and deciding which products to promote. Senior management spent most of its time and resources making line decisions rather than investing in a support infrastructure. Similarly, Kmart evaluated its competitive advantage at each stage along a value chain and subcontracted activities that managers concluded others could do better. While Wal-Mart was building its ground transportation fleet, Kmart was moving out of trucking because a subcontracted fleet was cheaper. While Wal-Mart was building close relationships with its suppliers, Kmart was constantly switching suppliers in search of price improvements. While Wal-Mart was controlling all the departments in its stores, Kmart was leasing out many of its departments to other companies on the theory that it could make more per square foot in rent than through its own efforts. This is not to say that the Kmart managers do not care about the business processes. After all, they have quality programs too. Nor is it that Wal-Mart managers ignore the structural dimension of strategy: they focus on the same consumer segments as Kmart and still need to make traditional strategic decisions such as where to open new stores. The difference is that Wal-Mart emphasizes behavior-the organizational practices and business processes in which capabilities are rooted-as the primary object of strategy and, therefore, focuses its managerial attention on the infrastructure that supports capabilities. This subtle distinction has made all the difference between exceptional and average performance. Kmarts management did not pay attention to this new game strategy, which resulted in the firm being overtaken by Wal-Mart. Kmart has never recovered. 6.3) SWOT ANALYSIS (S)trengths Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation of value for your money, convenience and a wide range of production all in one store. Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation of value for your money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. Wal-Mart has grown substantially over the years both domestically anmd through acquisition globally. For example, it purchased the United Kingdom-based retailer ASDA. The Company has a core competence in information technology to support its international logistics system and IT also supports its efficient procurement. A focused strategy is in place for human resource management and development. Talent is key to Wal-Marts business, and its invests time and resources into the training and retention of its people. (W)eaknesses Wal-Mart is the worlds largest grocery retailer, and control of its empire, despite its IT advantages, could leave it weak in some areas due to the huge span of control. Since Wal-Mart sells products across so many sectors (clothing, food, electronics, etc) it may not have the flexibility of some of its more focused competitors. The Company is global; but has a presence in few other countries. (O)pportunities It has the opportunity to take over, merge with or from strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets such as Europe or the greater China Region. The Stores are only in a few countries and opportunity exists to expand in large consumer markets India and China. New locations and stores types are mobbing from large super centres to local malls. Continued strategy for the opening of large super centers. (T)hreats Being number one means that you are the target of competition, locally and globally. Being a global retailer exposes you tp political and social problems in countries where you operate. Intense price competition in a threat. 7) CONCLUSION Completing a SWOT would have identified the threat as a focus on immigration and the possibility of lost crops due to un-harvested products. That threat turned to a weakness for those organizations that did not develop alternative strategies. For those who made the investments in increased mechanical harvesting, no business interruption occurred. For those who waited, it became a competitive disadvantage. Being able to forecast changes in the market and business will lead to insight regarding potential issues and opportunities to be faced in the future. The insights gained from engaging in this forecasting exercise can then be used to create plans of action to deal with the issues before they can have detrimental effects on the functioning of the business.

The Last Wave :: essays research papers

The Last Wave SOC 118 "The Last Wave"-Peter Weir dir.(1977) In the film, The Last Wave, the director is trying to communicate the idea of a culture within a culture or sub culture. The dominant culture in the film is the white members of society living in Australia. The subculture in the film is the Aborigines who were natives to the land before the white people settled in Australia. The natives sustained their cultural beliefs and ideologies while living in largely populated cities. The dominant white culture imposes their laws , ideas of societal values and moral beliefs on the native Aborigines. Forcing them to abide by a different law system and way of life than what their peoples have practiced for hundreds of years. In the movie the lawyer, David, represents the dominant culture to the Aborigines because he represents the law that is controlling their fate in the white culture. The director is also giving us many symbols or visual communication such as the consistency of water in the film as well as, the overbearing control of darkness. The film is shot in shadows and overall is very dark , almost forcing us to look beyond the obvious plot and storyline and into the meaning or what the film/director is trying to tell us. The darkness in the film can be seen as unconsciousness. It can also be seen as a prediction of the darkness that will occur in the world when the last wave comes. The last wave meaning a giant tidal wave that will cover the earth , killing humanity. This idea is similar to the Christian belief in the flood that was sent down centuries ago to destroy all the evil in the world. Also, all the modern aspects of the movie (courtroom, David's office..etc) are filmed in light. While, all of the Aborigines' scenes are filmed in darkness or shadows. Giving me the impression of something mysterious or not understood by the whites concerning the Aborigines. The fact that all the modern scenes are filmed in light can also support the idea of the white culture being the predominate culture in the film but yet not dominant enough to take away the shadows(mysterious , mystical)aspect of the Aborigines. The lawyer, David, Also goes through a series of dreams and premonitions. This is stressing the idea of mind power and mystical strength that the Aborigines have. In that way they can be seen as the dominant culture. David is stuck between two worlds. The world he knows and understands and the other world that he is definitely a part of but does not understand.

Robert Frost :: essays research papers

Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco. His father was William Frost, a Harvard graduate who was on his way westward when he stopped to teach at Bucknell Academy in Pennsylvania for extra money. His mother, Isabelle Moodie began teaching math at Bucknell while William was there, and they got married and moved to San Francisco. They were constantly changing houses, and William went from job to job as a journalist. About a year after moving to San Francisco, they had Robert. They named him Robert Lee Frost, after William's childhood hero, Robert E. Lee. Frost's father died from tuberculosis at age thirty-four, in 1885. Isabelle took Robert and his sister back east to Massachusetts. Soon they moved to Salem, New Hampshire, where there was a teaching opening. Robert began to go to school and sit in on his mother’s classes. He soon learned to love language, and eventually went to Lawrence High School, where he wrote the words to the school hymn, and graduated as c o-valedictorian. Frost read rabidly of Dickens, Tennyson, Longfellow, and many others. Frost was then sent to Dartmouth college by his controlling grandfather, who saw it as the proper place for him to train to become a businessman. Frost read even more in college, and learned that he loved poetry. His poetry had little success getting published, and he had to work various jobs to make a living, such as a shoemaker, a country schoolteacher, and a farmer. In 1912 Frost gave up his teaching job, sold his farm, and moved to England. He received aid from poets suck as Edward Thomas and Rupert Brooke, and published his first two volumes of poetry, A Boy's Will in 1913, and North of Boston in 1914. These works were well received not only in England, but also in America. Frost returned to America in 1915 and continued writing his poetry. He produced many volumes of poetry, among which are Mountain Interval (1916), West-Running Brook (1928), A Further Range (1936), A Masque of Reason (1945) , and In the Clearing (1962). Frost received the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times (1924, 1931, 1937, 1943) and became the first poet to read a poem at the presidential inauguration of John F. Kennedy. His poetry was based mainly on life and scenery in rural New England, and reflected many values of American society.

Cervical Cancer and The HPV Vaccine Controversy: Where are the men? Whe

HPV Vaccination Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancerous death, in women, since 1950. Approximately 200,000 cervical cancer patients die each year in developing countries. Strains like HPV 16 and 18 cause about 70% of cervical cancer in women– one of the top causes of death in the world (WebMD, 2010, p.1). In the Unites States, about 10,000 women acquire the disease and 3,700 die annually Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is directly associated as a cause of cervical cancer. This virus affects the skin and genital area and, in some cases, it can also infect the throat and mouth. Since the HPV is passed from one person to another through skin-to-skin or sexual contact, sexually active people are more prone to this virus. Merck pharmaceuticals, in November 2006, began a lobbying and advertising campaign through which they aimed to promote the mandatory vaccination for young women with the vaccine, Gardasil. Some argue that mandatory vaccination is good for females .However, feminists emphat ically argue that the HPV vaccine should not be mandatory for young women because of the fact that there are large expenses associated with the vaccine that could lead to conflict of interest, the fact that men carry this virus yet there is no push to vaccinate them and the fact that it is not clear that the vaccine has been sufficiently tested to ensure women’s safety. Since the vaccine research is currently only funded by the manufacturer of the drug, this raises serious conflict-of-interest issues. Merck pharmaceuticals actually funded initiatives in the United States that were in favour of passing legislation to require mandatory vaccinations. In fact, money was funnelled through an organization called Women in Government (AP January 2... ... the healer is often maintained by promoting fear, rather than strength, on the part of patients (Sherwin 1992, 143). A lot of unanswered questions remain in the case of Merck’s promotion of mandatory vaccination for women. There is a great deal of money to be made from this vaccine. When we start to uncover and examine the power structures in this healthcare initiative, we can see that there may be reason to be concerned. This does not mean that Gardasil is necessarily bad or that no young women should ever get the vaccine. However, it does mean that when we examine how powerful pharmaceutical companies work in concert with political organizations and powerful political leaders, then the consumers have a reason not to, blindly, accept the given information. We need to ensure that those with corporate interests are not the only voices heard in this debate.

Dilemma: African American and Nonviolence Essay

The omnivores dilemma is a modern problem for all human beings. These days, there are many options for a person to eat, but not all are healthy. Every day people go to supermarkets and feel totally lost because there are so many choices. Source #2 â€Å"Louis Armstrong. † Grolier. Web. 1 Jan. . Source #3 â€Å"Armstrong,Louis. † Grolier. Web. 1 Jan. . Source #4 â€Å"Louis Armstrong. † Facthound. Web. 1 Jan. . Source #5 Raum, Elizabeth,ed. Louis Armstrong : Jazz Legend. 2007. Protesting Nonviolently Did you know that three major figures used the method of nonviolence to change the world? Nonviolence has been a successful way to protest for many years and has provided major changes in life for people. Nonviolence is the best way to protest and make a major point. Gandhi was one of the first people to use nonviolence in a major way. A book tells how Gandhi went to jail instead of others because he did not fear a jail cell and proved he was nonviolent. When Gandhi organized a march officers beat the protesters and injured them severely, but they did not raise an arm to fight back. Gandhi sent a letter to Lord Irwin saying how british rule is a curse and he will stop at nothing to free his people from british rule. Gandhi initiated the first acts of nonviolence and won freedom for the people of India. Martin Luther King Jr. used nonviolent acts to fight against segregation. When MLK was part of a boycott he took full responsibility when he was arrested and said he wasn’t going anywhere or going to fight back. Martin was picking up more volunteers for protesting and said that it was hard not to fight back but they still had to lay down their weapons. The time MLK led the bus boycott he was arrested, people who had participated in the boycott actually walked down to the sheriff’s office to be arrested and to see if their name was on the list. Martin Luther King Jr. used nonviolence to get rights for colored people and followed Gandhi’s example. Nelson Mandela worked fighting racial segregation in South Africa, or apartheid, using nonviolence. Mandela’s organization started out using violence but soon converted to Gandhi’s way of nonviolence which was better morally and tactically. Nelson Mandela took lots of his time recruiting helpers for the cause. Although the work was dangerous, he was convinced that nonviolence was the way to win. Mandela talked about how if he was put to a death sentence his work work and actions would live on. Nelson Mandela adapted Gandhi’s work to help free the people of South Africa from racial oppression. Nonviolence worked to help lots of different kinds of people throughout history and proved major points. Gandhi started nonviolence and became a major figure for lots of people. Martin Luther King Jr. used nonviolence to gain rights for colored people in america and became a pivotal figure in american history. Nelson Mandela became the first South African president and is also a major figure in history. Nonviolence has changed the world majorly and next time you see a picture of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. , or Nelson Mandela you might think a little more about them.

Abdul Kalam – Kalam’s Life Portrays

Kalam’s life portrays, what zest for life is all about. Kalam divides â€Å"wings of fire† into various phases of his life and builds on it. His humble childhood to his first break to disappointments to successes. He writes with passion about his mentors, his teachers and his colleagues. He writes at length about the birth and adolescent years of the Indian space program. He writes about how to be a good leader, a good motivator, a good project manager and a above all someone with passion and devotion towards his work. His Humble beginnings, hard work, persistence, and above all a passion for life and all things that are possible in it, are all well described in the book. He does all of this in very simple prose. What struck me throughout the book was his recollection of small snippets of poems or phrases from various sources. His citing of the various colleagues he worked with, his bosses or people he appointed through the 60 years of his career are also quite impressive. Although this makes an easy and gripping read, at times the transmission goes above your head due to the generous use of technical terms being used and complex rocket technology being described. However, APJ did a good job of drawing parallels with objects of layman understanding After reading the book, It makes you feel that you know the man more intimately, His humility strikes you down. A very refreshing book, from a refreshing person, giving a glimpse of what the power of positive thinking can help you do, given the shortcomings of the beaurocracy in a country such as India. Beating all odds, the man reached out to the stars, and has become one. Kalam never married. He writes that he found, to maintain relationships was more difficult than rocket science. So all you married folk can pat yourself on the back! It does though beg the question, to have that kind of passion and dedication does one have to give up worldly life as we know it and take up â€Å"sanyas† from everything but work? Whatever it maybe, you will come out satisfied after reading this book, having gained some pearls of leadership qualities, project management, rocket technology and the history of Indian space program. Above all you will be filled with patriotism (if Indian), passion, motivation and inspiration at the end of these 200 odd pages.

The Great Cat Massacre Review

The Great Cat Massacre entails understanding history differently. It is the story of vengeance of some ill fed journeymen at the face of their bourgeoisie master’s attitude. The pranksters carry out their master plan by killing the Cats and then staging a mock trial. What the author point outs is the humor that they share at the face of this cruelty and he urges the reader to understand the Rabelaian humor contextualizing the event against the backdrop of the peasant society of the Ancien Regime.Darnton shows why they chose the cats and how cats are metaphoric in western linguistic and cultural tradition. He brilliantly depicts the relation Cats bare with female sexuality, witchcraft, routine slangs and so on. The killing of cats is not just a frenzy killing that came out of a berserk reaction against the bourgeoisie, but it was metaphorically ravaging the bourgeoisie master whom they cannot reach out for physically at least. In the analysis of folklores of the Red Riding Hoo d or the La Renarde Darnton believes that these folklores help us understanding the pulse of the peasant society of France.He gives an entire overview of the French peasantry and the hardships they endured following, which he gives a fascinating folktale of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which includes a number of shape shifting charisma of the man and the devil following the eventual victory of man and the author follows that this reflected the essential idea of fighting over scarce resources. The use of culture here is â€Å"strictly in the Geertzian sense, as expressed, for example, in The Interpretation of Cultures as â€Å"an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic form by means of which men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes towards life.†Under what conditions can a historian legitimately make use of a definition of this sort? What attitude does it imply vis-a-vis texts that give access to the â€Å"symbolic forms† that functioned in ancient societies? Is it sufficient to the founding of a new way of writing cultural history†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chartier) While methodologically of course, Darnton shows us a newer archive, and there is nothing that could be said against it but on the other hand can the folktales be used transparently as a clean glass to interrogate the complexities of the peasant society? The killing of the Cats as a symbolic ritual and what it meant to the peasants is only speculated by Darnton, thus the job of the historian being that of the speculator is the historian only an astrologer of the past?The killing of the cats might be just without the baggage of the symbolic element that the cats carried as Darnton argues. It is possible that Cats did had immense importance as Darnton shows since Sorcery was a theme recurrent but I am merely speculating that it might not similar to the speculating exercise Darn ton himself does.

Hitler Able to Establish a Dictatorship

Was Hitler Able to Establish a Dictatorship Because He Banned Other Political Parties? BY 002910 â€Å"Hitler was able to establish a dictatorship because he banned other political parties†. Do you agree? Explain your answer. The rise of Hitler as a dictator was one Involving many deferent factors. The political parties caused him a very challenging problem, and by banning them it undoubtedly helped him secure all-out rule. But was It the only reason why Hitler managed to establish himself as a dictator, and If not, Is It the main one?Hitler knew that the many opposition parties would pose him ND his government a real threat. He Instantly acted against them by getting Hindering to pass a decree stating they had to be Informed 48 hours In advance If a political meeting was to be held. This let Hitler take control of his political surroundings as It meant he would know when and where to go to break up a political meeting. It gave the Mans a strong foothold In the election that w as approaching and a good starting point to establishing his dictatorship as he was already limiting what others could do and was getting his way.However, he only got 4% of the vote at the election. With other political parties still around to vote for Hitler could never have had a dictatorship as he did not have a mandate to rule. Therefore, eradicating the other parties would appear to be how he became a dictator. We must consider what it is to be a dictator, and with any sort of political opponent around a dictatorship is implausible to establish. First, all choice of opinion must be taken away. In this way, banning political parties has to be a good reason why Hitler managed to become Germany's all out ruler.On top of this clear idea that e could never have absolute power with political parties still around is the fact that the Enabling Act, which to an extent was the blockage of power for any other party, really sealed Hitter's position as Germany's next dictator. What he said now became law, and he could do whatever he wanted as long as it didn't anger Hindering, the Industrialists or the Army too much. In this sense, it looks like when Hitler finally banned the formation of political parties on 14th July it was this that gave him the status as a dictator of Germany . He made the laws, and there was no other view to go against his.However, we must look at the other reasons why Hitler secured this power. By no means was banning political parties the only reason why he became an all-out ruler. Even if he had banned the political parties, without the support of the other groups which got him into power he wouldn't last long as Chancellor. The Night of the Long Knives is one of the main reasons why he became a dictator as It kept on side those who had the power to overthrow him. Room's proposals to take over all German businesses did not sit well with the Industrialists as they would lose all their rower, money and influence.He also wanted to merge the Army Into the S. A. , onto popular move with the Army generals. By choosing to arrest and kill Room Hitler made sure that he held onto power; without sling with these groups they could well have forced Hindering to sack him as Chancellor. But by choosing the Army and Industrialists over his own party he showed that, although there were no longer any political parties, Hitler was still not the dictator of Germany as he was being forced to but did still have outside factions to impress.Therefore, it was also the death of Hindering and the oath by the Army which made Hitler the dictator of Germany. With no one above him to get rid of him, Hitler could then declare himself F;here and make the Army swear an oath to defend him. Now the outside groups had no one to complain to if they didn't like what was going on. They were also now bound to follow him; the Army had to give their lives to him, which meant no threat of any military coup, and the Industrialists could not speak out against him as they could be arrested and sent to concentration camps.Yes, the banning of political parties gave Hitler the opportunity to declare himself ruler, but that opportunity could have been taken away if he hadn't managed to keep them onside throughout. Hindering could still have been pressured into sacking Hitler as Chancellor (he had done this to others many times before in the previous years), thus stopping Hitler getting the chance to become supreme ruler all together. As well as this, Just banning political parties would never have been enough to become a dictator due to one very obvious blockage; the Reichstag.With it still in the country the country was still democratic as the parties had a say in how the country was run. Hitler could not ban any political parties without getting rid of the Reichstag first. It was this that the Enabling Act actually got rid of so that Hitler could start to rule the country on his own. It was not actually the banning of political parties in Germany that set in motion the wheels of dictatorship but the demolition of democracy and the Whimper constitution.But at the same time this could also be seen as a reason why the banning of political parties as the reason why Hitler established himself as F;here. In reality, the Reichstag is made up of political parties, so getting rid of it could be seen as getting rid of the parties. This could be both for and against the statement in the question, but I believe that the Reichstag has to be treated as a separate thing. In conclusion, I think that although Germany's political parties did pose a major problem to Hitler and that banning it did help him to become a dictator, by no means is it the sole reason why he became one.Really, the Night of the Long Knives is more important as it is the point when everything could have collapsed for the Nazis. The start of Hitter's rule was all about pleasing those around him and trying to stay in power. Therefore, keeping the Army and Industrialists on side at this point was key to making sure he lasted out Hinderers life. The Reichstag is a mixture of both sides of the argument, but it still backs up the point that banning political parties was not the only reason why Hitler became a dictator and isn't the main reason why either.

International bussiness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International bussiness - Assignment Example Brazil has experienced massive socioeconomic transformation, and this can be dated back since the World War II. The country has seen growth from an economy that relied more on exportation of few primary products to the present day economy that is characterised by large and diversified industrial sector. The country has also transformed from a previously largely rural population to an increasingly urbanised state today. All these are clear illustrations that show the enormous strides that Brazil has taken towards its status among the fastest growing and emerging nations in the world. Brazil has an estimated population of about 200 million people which is a rapid growth from the 17.4 million in 1900. About 87 percent of the country’s population is urbanised compared to 30 percent in 1940. After going through several decades of industrialisation, Brazil presently produces more than 35 million tonnes of steel, 3 million vehicles, 66 million tonnes of corn and 60 million tonnes of cement among others annually. Other primary goods produced in the country include refrigerators and television sets. The country has a well-developed road network covering over 1.5 million kilometres well as a widespread supply of electricity (TWB 2014). The political system in Brazil involves the president being the supreme entity especially in matters concerning executing policies approved by the lower and upper houses. The Congress has a regulatory function towards decisions and actions taken by the executive. The two chambers (Chamber of Deputies and the Senate) have a role in creating legislation which are thereafter signed into law by the president. In matters of national economy, the Brazilian government has a pivotal role and influence in many aspects of the economy and its consequential growth. For example, the Government expenditures accounts for more than 40 percent of the country’s GDP. Technological advancements is an essential part in the economic

The Effects of Global Warming on the United States and Sudan Essay

The Effects of Global Warming on the United States and Sudan - Essay Example Global warming has similar negative effects on human rights issues because of its impacts on health and water and food security in the U.S. and Sudan, but Sudan experiences a different negative effect of potentially greater conflict because of the scarcity of basic needs. The history of human rights in Sudan and the U.S. are dissimilar in values because they have different human rights conditions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides basic guidelines for all nations regarding the establishment and protection of equal human rights. The U.S. has a Constitution and Bill of Rights that aim to promote basic human rights, as well as access to civil and political freedoms. After the Civil Rights Movement, equality laws and other laws reinforced equality and banned discrimination of any form. The U.S. also has a vision of environmental justice that is essential to environmental rights. In 1994, President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 12898 that mandated federal agencies to pursue environmental justice (Dawson 326). Six years afterwards, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued instructions for the state agencies, so that they can handle environmental justice lawsuits (Dawson 326). This movement declined under the Bush administrati on because of the dominance of business interests, while Obama returned the importance of environmental concerns (Dawson 326). Based on the history of human rights and environmental issues in the U.S., it has been a series of ups and downs on the basis of environmental rights, although basic rights and freedoms are relatively stable since human rights and freedoms are instituted through equality and other similar laws. The U.S. generally supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sudan, on the opposite, experiences a troubled human rights history. Human rights in Sudan became harder to access since 2012 because of the

The Vikings Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Vikings - Research Paper Example The Vikings abandoned their homes and travelled into Europe and settled there. However, there is no vivid explanation of what made the Scandinavians to leave their homelands permanently to settle abroad. The Vikings left their Scandinavian homelands and expanded across Western Europe and they also traded with locals and raided coastal regions and as a result of their intense contact, many words across Europe have Scandinavian. Initially, the Vikings were exclusively fishermen and farmers and throughout the Viking age, farming and fishing were the key activities practiced during this era. These individuals took advantage of fertile soils and well-stocked fishing grounds to ensure that they produce enough food for consumption. Most of them were farmers and some of the crops they cultivated include barley and oats plus a variety of fruits and vegetables. In addition, they raised livestock including goats, pigs, cattle and sheep and they as well practiced crafting as they had the ability to make use of raw materials to make various tools and equipments they needed. Moreover, they built long and slender ships called longboats which they used for raiding and shorter and broader ships known as knorrs for trading activities and they built a small rowing boat for fishing. In the Vikings society, those in the upper class were referred to as jarls and they were followed by a class of farmers and craftsmen who were called Karls, however, the lower class was occupied by the slaves also called thralls.

Philosophy Articles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy Articles - Assignment Example People have for many times viewed the establishment of acts that govern critical aspects as the air pollution as the way forward, this, she has indicatively shown not be true by pointing out different perspectives. In the article indication of the words of Robert Crandall of the brooking institution; said, the pollution reduction in the 1960’s was more effective before there was serious federal policy. This then shows that the reduction of pollution has not been as from the effects of the government issues (Shaw, 2005).Another issue that Jane has brought in light is the misconceptions of the love canal. There was a major contamination problem that ensued from the chemical leakage to the people’s yard in the year 1978. The blame was made to the chemical industry that was responsible for the chemical content that was buried under these developments. The misconception here that Jane sheds light on is that the blame from this was supposed to be on the school that ignored th e constant warnings from the Hooker chemical company. Another instance in the article is the aspect of the ‘Tennessee Tree massacre’, in this, Jane illustrate the fact that people blamed the clear cut of tree as an environmental hazard. The misconception of this aspect is that people tend to not have the motive that this activity is purposed for. By clearing parts of the trees, there is the intention to plant more trees that tend to grow at a faster rate and will then cover the lost parts of the trees. The process of clear cuts has been used by the Silviculture by both private and government based industry. In both, the intention has always been to replace the trees with fast growing pines. With Jane Shaw having made these points in her article, the arguments can be said to be true since in her indication of the fact that the establishment of Air pollution Act do not have a significant impact in the pollution reduction. This is true since there is more use of gas energy compared to coal which its usage became more and usage of such energy as coal was reduced. The other points including the Tennessee tree massacre scenario is true since the danger was imminent and the company had issued warnings of the damage that could have been felt and could have been avoided. 2. Many people believe that there are some things that only government can provide. One example is public schools but Sheldon Richman, in his article ‘can the free market provide public education?’ argues that in fact, better and less expense education could be supplied by private enterprise. Explain his argument. Do you agree? Why? Sheldon Richman tends to demonstrate that the private enterprise is capable of providing better and less expensive education. Richman states that there are the private and nonprofit organizations that provide all manner of education. These ranges from the comprehensive schools that has traditional academy subjects to the specialized schools that of fer subjects such as martial arts, fine arts and many other subjects. Richman argues that the public education is taxed and the government uses the unfairness of having resources compared to the free market to its advantage to the ‘unfair competitio

Impenitent Surveillance Solutions Company (ISSC) Essay

Impenitent Surveillance Solutions Company (ISSC) - Essay Example The company is owed by a group of young innovators out to avail innovations that are affordable and offering solutions to problems affecting virtually all individual at the residential and corporate, business world. This business plan has been drafted as a guide and a management tool for the start of this business venture, as well as serves as the basis for a detailed marketing plan. The following highlights the main points of the plan. The objective of ISSC is to generate income to the group, offer jobs to various individuals in the contemporary world rocked with increasing levels of unemployment. The mission of ISSC is to provide a solution to the surveillance process by introducing a gadget that is affordable and efficient. The initial product will be availed at the surrounding areas with respect to the various market segments identified. The local and international market for the product is wide owing to its affordability and means of using mobile telephony for alerts and monitor ing the premises. Finally, the initial financial analysis of the viability of the project clearly shows the outstanding promise and results. With respect to various studies done, closed circuit television has been very critical in crime reduction and investigation. The inclusion of mobile phones to this technology lessens the burden of monitoring gadgets and enhances the critical extension of security measures in the current high technology world. In conclusion, as this plan will outline, this plan projects a rapid growth and eventual high net returns in the coming three years. The effectual implementation of the plan coupled with a detailed marketing strategy will ensure that ISSC eventually and abruptly turns to be a profitable venture to the team of the innovators and satisfying to the customers. 1.2. Objectives The objectives of the business plan are: 1. Introduce a guided format for managing the growth of ISSC: a strategic practice for developing a comprehensive tactical market ing plan. 2. Establish the intended market base capitalisation. 3. Establish the expected proceeds of the venture and its viability. The objectives of ISSC are: 1. Generate sufficient profit to enhance future growth and innovation. 2. Come up with affordable and effective surveillance gadgets. 1.3. Mission The mission of ISSC is very clear and simple: Purpose: ISSC has been introduced to avail effective and affordable, portable CCTV. Vision: in the provision of effective and affordable surveillance gadgets, majority of households and small companies will acquire surveillance gadgets. Marketing slogan: â€Å"ISSC the impertinent solution to your premises protection.â€Å" 1.4. Key to success The set keys to success for ISSC are: Ensuring high product quality. Upholding high marketing and networking strategies Enhancing responsiveness in the surveillance sector. Developing a loyal and cordial relationship with its family of customers. 1.5. Business Concept in Brief Impertinent Surve illance Solutions Company has

European Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

European Business Environment - Essay Example The Eurozone Since inauguration, the European Union has undergone economic crises. Resolutions could be seen through changes and charters within authorities and structures of the institutions. Such resolutions would be undertaken through impeding of European Union economic integration. Economic integration encompasses key steps. The preferential economic territory would lower the customs tariffs in the midst of the member countries. A free trade zone would be created to eradicate the internal customs imposed on certain commodities among the state parties. The custom union ensured recognition of a common trade strategy, and similar tariffs applied for the third countries. The common market establishes common regulations on commodities and enhances the free movement of commodities, services, and workforce. The Economic Monetary Union (EMU) formed a common market via a universal currency unit. The union determined a common monetary policy, which depended upon coordination among the memb er states’ economic policies, deficit and public debt, and monetary policies (Arestis & Sawyer 2011, p. 28). The common currency unit and monetary policy establishment and the Eurozone would be independently governed by ECB (European Central Bank). There would be implementation of harmonization of fiscal and other policies of the economy to complete the economic integration. In other words, the European Zone has basic institutional features. 1. Commercial and economic integration and inflow of financial resources. This involves the integrated and freedom in the markets. 2. Common currency, the Euro. 3. The open financial, institutionally separated markets have differential regulations and taxation. 4. The non integrated markets: the labor market’s rules remained national despite the determination of European institutional architects. This was as a result of cultural and political factors and real constrains. For instance, there would be the rigidity of the many countri es housing market. The European Union role is to endow migration freedom and equivalent rights to migrants. 5. Common fiscal parameters, which was a Maastricht criteria. The heterogeneous structures in the institution are the vital reasons of crisis within the Eurozone. It would be right to justify that the citizens of the Eurozone have had a negative response to the Euro. After the approval, of the unit of the common currency, the prices of services and commodities skyrocketed and the Eurozone exhibited a weak performance. The Euro has caused considerably indefensible macroeconomic inequalities within the states, and the Eurozone lacks an organizational structure to undertake the crisis situation (Arestis & Sawyer 2011, p. 30). In the year 2008, the approval process of the treaty of Lisbon was still on till 2009 when it became effective. Immediately after the Lisbon treaty became enforced, a general notion got developed that it would provide the turning point for the European Union to overcome the crisis. The treaty would be expected to optimize working methods and modernize institutions to tackle challenges effectively and efficiently (Franz & Sinn 2010, p. 102). The global financial crisis began to influence the European Union states unenthusiastically. The total public debt of Greece was almost 125 percent of its national income. These macroeconomic indicators in Greece would be explained by the Maastricht criteri

Philosophy of BSSL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy of BSSL - Essay Example This study is an effort to identify such challenging circumstances, when Blue Star Logistics, a company providing express door to door delivery services to a host of clientele, had to go by the ethical principles rather than sticking to the rule book. 1. One such situation arose when one fine winter morning, a big consignment was due to be packed off to the neighboring city with the instructions from our client that the consignment has to reach there by 12 noon next morning. The customer had paid a handsome amount for the urgency tag, but with specific request that, if the consignment is delayed even by half an hour than it is of no use. That effectively implied that if the consignment is delayed, the company will have to compensate the client. The journey period was 2 hours. The preliminary work of packing was done in the evening itself. Since it was already 9.30 PM in the evening, it was decided by the line manager that the people will be back at work at 9 am next morning, so they were briefed accordingly and all of us went home. Next morning preparations were started by the staff to dispatch the consignment, and they started waiting for the paper work to be done by the documentation manager. When it was 9.30 am, everybody star ted worrying and efforts were started to contact him on phone, but his mobile was out of reach. Gradually the tension started gripping the faces of those present in the office as it was 10 am by now. Thereafter permission was taken from the top to make alternate arrangements and the consignment was somehow dispatched after 10.30 am, the net result it reached the destination after 1 pm. This in turn resulted in a heavy penalty for the company. There were instructions from top to take immediate action against the person concerned, because of whom it happened. By later afternoon, the company came to know that the documentation manager met with an accident and felt

Origins of Democratic and Republican Separation Essay Example for Free

Origins of Democratic and Republican Separation Essay The political battles during the Gilded Age (1869-1889) were not fought with weapons and lives as was the Civil War directly before them, but with pamphlets, verbal accusations and national ideals. However, were the two most prominent foes vying due to differing economic policies, or were they similar parties that based their separation on national origin, geography, history, and emotion? The basic economic reforms were, in fact, similar, yet the varying ideologies and animosities that remained from prior eras enlarged the gap between Democrat and Republican. After the Civil War, the general consensus of the American population was a yearning for unity (to some extreme), civil service reforms, the tariff, currency, and a prosperous America. The basic disagreement between the parties was on military reconstruction, which was over by 1877, less than halfway through the Age (502). Both Republicans and Democrats, however, wished for the general union of America the majority of the Republicans (moderates) did not aim to punish the South through Military Reconstruction and the South, although angered, rose above their resentment and waited until 1877, when Northern troops pulled out and the South was left to govern itself (511). Throughout the various presidencies, of which most were dominated by Republicans (save for Grover the good Cleveland), graft and dishonest means for achieving wealth were not uncommon within both parties, leading to the Panic of 1873 (506). Such a depression shed light upon the unscrupulous practices of many political figures, as well as debtors and other prominent businesspeople. This led to yet another national agreement civil service reforms. Under the Presidency of Republican Chester Arthur, the Pendleton Act was passed in 1883. Considered the Magna Carta of civil-service reform, it prohibited financial assessments on job-holders and established a merit system of making appointments to office on the basis of aptitude. Furthermore, the act created a Civil Service Commission that examined applicants for posts in the classified service (518). Most Americans, save for debtors, called for a monetary system based on greenbacks rather than hard-money (gold). By 1879, contraction (or the accumulation of gold stocks against the appointed day for resumption of metallic-money payments [1879]) and reduction of greenbacks restored the governments credit rating, and revived the greenbacks along with it. Although these developments were actually enacted under a Republican presidency, such reforms were backed by Congress in (almost) its entirety (507). One might as, then, why was there political competition? Historically, Democrats represented the needs of the South; they were pro-slavery, supportive of states rights, and representatives of an agrarian population. The Republicans did not have such views before and within approximately ten years of the Civil War; they were anti-slavery, supportive of a strong central government, and representatives of an urban population, brimming with a large work force of laborers, debtors, businessmen, and other non-agrarian vocations. However, both Republican and Democratic sentiments were mixed until two competing parties with few varying significant economic issues were the outcome (508). Republicans gradually began to abandon their commitment to black equality, as many votes were already cast and few freedmen would vote Democrat, with the last radical Republican act passed in 1875 (Civil Rights Act). Southerners were left to govern themselves, allowing laws that, under the pretense separate but equal, placed blacks back in the chains that were recently unshackled (511). Although economic issues were not a large factor in party separation, Democratic (South) resentment for Republicans (North) remained. The humiliation that the South suffered during Reconstruction, including the emancipation of slaves, was not an act that would be easily forgotten (510). Furthermore, the lives and societies of aristocratic agrarians and hard-working laborers were so distinctly different that such a large variation could only be bridged over several centuries. The Democrats and Republicans of the Gilded Age were, in reality, overwhelmingly distinct political parties. The groups and ideals that both  parties represented were absolutely opposite. The similarity in their economic reforms is explained by their desire to create a prosperous America one that could only be achieved through civil service reforms, government-issued currency, and further economic legislation.

Social Normalities and Voicing of Opposition Essay Example for Free

Social Normalities and Voicing of Opposition Essay Brian Crane Throughout history, social norms have dictated the opinions of all members of society to a certain extent. Expressing disapproval of these social norms is a difficult and ambitious task, seeing as one challenging a social norm is essentially disputing, in addition to often disproving, the reasoning and opinions of the majority of any given culture. Take, for example, the ending of ones own life under the circumstances of terminal illness. Now, our basic and most common cultural view on the subject is that suicide is not a natural death and therefore a violation of nature regardless of nes physical condition. However, it is nature itself that has given us as humans the intellect to contemplate such a decision. If nature has enabled us to develop the intellectual ability to contemplate suicide, then one could argue that choosing to end ones life is in fact a natural death simply because nature has allowed us to examine the pros and cons of life or death. However, this is not to say that suicide based on emotional imbalance is in any way Just or morally acceptable. Mental illnesses, which often bring about suicidal deation, can be treated, therefore ridding one of all motivation to end their own life. Generally, those who suffer from mental illnesses cannot be held accountable for their own life because the affective disorder inhibits them from perceiving reality the way they once did. So, the argument that the time of our death should not be a decision we as humans can morally make is somewhat valid although very misguided. It is wrong to look down upon terminally ill people who choose suicide as their cause of death. The many different circumstances leading up to ones death akes this topic too complex for one to claim that choosing life over death is morally applicable and correct in every situation that involves the contemplation of suicide. John West discusses his fathers decision to end his life before enduring the pain, suffering, and eventual death caused by cancer in an excerpt from The Last Goodnights: Assisting My Parents with Their Suicides. Judging from this excerpt, West and his father seem to be very well rounded, cultured individuals in addition to being extremely open minded and emotionally balanced. Wests father was a very mportant fgure in the world of psychiatry. His knowledge on the topic of suicide is obviously very extensive. Their opinions and examinations of this topic are indeed equally as rational as they themselves are as people. Dealing with the death of a parent is hard enough emotionally as it is, but the fact that West is grounded enough to grapple with the complexity and sorrow of assisted suicide is a testament to his extreme emotional maturity. He sheds light on a crucial point in support of his fathers decision as he asks the reader, Should Jolly [my father] have been forced to endure a few more days or eeks of agony Just to satisfy some peoples notions that death should be natural? (33 West) If one were to explore the possible answers to the question West asks above, without an impartial view based on societal influences, it is undeniable that one would agree with the opinion that such a great deal of suffering is not necessary to tultill the requirements ot a morally sound death In tact, it is arguable that Wests decision to assist his father with his suicide and in-turn spare him from such a great deal of pain is actually a more compassionate choice in comparison to xposing him to months of unimaginable pain by denying his fathers request. Again, West implies that suicide is not a natural death. A supplemental argument to his case is missing. If one were to argue that suicide and natural death cannot possibly go hand in hand, then why has nature allowed our intellect to excel to a point at which suicide is even a possible conception for the human race? Later on in the excerpt, West reflects on his memory of when his father asked him to commit assisted suicide. He recalls: I sat up in my chair. I suddenly felt hot and cold at the same time, as I realized hat he meant. But as powerfully as his words registered, the idea behind them didnt seem strange at all. It made sense. He was about to die anyway, so why linger in pain? I knew Id want to do the same thing if I were in his position. (34 West) Jollys contemplation of suicide is undoubtedly a common one of people with analogous situations to his own. Most would find it hard to believe that this wouldnt cross the mind of a person with a terminal illness that would soon lead to unimaginable pain and suffering, followed by death. If exploration of suicide is in act a common happening, why is it that the practice of suicide to avoid agony followed by death is not more common as well? It seems as though the answer to this question is quite simple; It is socially unacceptable to commit such an act solely because it is abnormal. Because abnormality is not a sensible or rational reason not to do something, making the argument that suicide is not a morally righteous death is in-turn irrational and insensible as well. Another challenger of social norms is Catherine Newman, author of I Do. Not. : Why I Wont Marry. Although Newman discusses a very different topic than West does in his short story, the two subjects are very closely related. Newman is a successful writer with a little too much insight on the role of women in society, and the flaws of this role, to happily accept monogamy and more importantly marriage. She breaks down the history of marriage and its original role in society. Marriage represents a very evil concept that very few are even aware of. Newman describes it is as such: marriage is about handing the woman off, like a baton, from her father to her husband. Also known as traffic in women, this is how men have historically solidified their economic connections to other men and guaranteed the continuation of their Seed. (Newman 61) Women were more like bargaining chips for men than soulmates. Marriage is the legal bonding of two families, which doesnt sound very romantic as marriage is made out to be. Although women are no longer owned by their husbands, this ritual is still quite demeaning. Many women experience some feelings of inferiority and in-turn feelings of resentment towards men due to the heavy influence of the media and its bjectification of women. Newman seems to be a prime example of this. Her additional education on the history of the subject has given her an even greater grasp of the hardships of women in our contemporary society which are overlooked more often than not by the general population. Voicing out against the social norm of marriage is extremely commendable and in addition, a betterment of the mentality ot those who are exposed to the underlying implications ot such an act through ner courageous writing. It seems as though many social norms have become so routine to follow and abide y that we rarely ponder the ideas behind them.