Saturday, August 22, 2020

An Analysis of Fishering by Brian Doyle free essay sample

Fishering Analysis In the non-anecdotal exposition Fishering by Brian Doyle, the author really expounds clarifying one of the most dreaded creatures the wolverine. In this short paper the creator Brian Doyle clarifies the noteworthy significance that the wolverine assumes in the job of the wild, two significant populaces in Oregon where you may discover a fisher (wolverine), alongside strolling around in the wild searching in vain specific. In this paper I will analyze the authors key highlights, for example, the scholars postulation alongside supporting subtleties and in general structure of the article. The short story Fishering is an all around organized exposition clarifying key focuses in every one of the three sections. In the primary passage the creator clarifies how the wolverine is one of the most dreaded creatures in nature. The subsequent section contains data around two huge areas including the Siskiyou Mountains and the Cascade Mountains where there has been no fishers for more than 50 years. We will compose a custom paper test on An Analysis of Fishering by Brian Doyle or then again any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The last section contains the data about what the creator searches for when he has been meandering around the forested areas yet informs us concerning the unique things that he has seen. One of the primary things that I saw when perusing the short story was the way well the creator portrayed the wolverine. In one of the creators sentences the creator portrays the wolverine as an unprecedented competitor of the thick woods and snowfields, yet as carrier of a coat so thick and brilliant that it has been searched out agerly by trappers for a large number of years (pg. ). Its extremely clear to comprehend the creators proposition which is pondering where fishers can be found. This was a fascinating short story that gives a definite portrayal to express what is on his mind in such a short story. The writer appears to be exceptionally aim in finding a fisher, yet Im not entirely certain that is the best thought however the short story was enjoyable to peruse and it was intriguing to discov er that a wolverine is likewise called a fisher.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

7 Indispensable Tricks for Writing Comic Books

7 Indispensable Tricks for Writing Comic Books As the longtime creative director of Marvel Comics and one of the most iconic comic book creators of all time, Stan Lee (1922 â€" 2018) was the mastermind of a Marvel Universe full of timeless characters and stories that continue to capture the imagination of new generations of comic book fans.At first, however, Lee lacked confidence in his writing. As he would later explain in his autobiography, he felt that comic books (and therefore, comic book writers) had a low status in the literary world. As a result, he used a pseudonym for some of his earliest comic book work. He writes, I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in peoples lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if youre able to entertain people, youre doing a good thing.As we all know, Stan Lees comic books not only brought him (a nd the Marvel company) massive successâ€"they also played a large role in elevating comics to a genre that is well-respected and continuing to grow in popularity. If you have been thinking about writing a comic book and are unsure of how to go about it, here are seven little tricks to keep in mind as you write.Photo by Lena Rose on UnsplashTip #1â€"Focus on story first, then layout secondEven though comic books are often best known for their imagery, as a rule of thumb, when writing a comic book, you should first focus on the story. Stan Lee puts it simply: Comics are stories; theyre like novels or anything else. So the first thing you have to do is become a good storyteller.While were on the topic of storytelling, if you are unsure which story you want to tell, consider the fact that many comic books and graphic novels published in todays market are retellings of older stories. This graphic novel retelling of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and this comic book-inspired versio n of Victor Hugos Les Misérables are great examples. Even Stan Lee borrowed much of his storytelling from classic Greek and Roman myths, so dont be afraid to put a new spin on an old tale if you are stuck on the story part.Tip #2â€"Know the end and work backwardsThis same piece of advice holds true for writing any type of story, whether it be a short story, novel or comic book. When you know your ending firstâ€"before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) for the first draftâ€"youll be able to write a more succinct storyline with fewer holes in the plot.This doesnt mean that you need to know every detail about how your story will end. It only means that you should have a general idea of the major events that will take place at the end. You should know which character will be involved and the overall character arcs for your major characters (particularly the protagonist).This is especially important if you plan to write a series of comics. Knowing what happens at the end wil l help you divide the story correctly into segments and end each book on the right kind of cliffhanger (which well discuss more in tip #4).Tip #3â€"Outline completely before writingHeres another tip you should follow in the writing process, regardless of what type of fiction you are writing. Having an outline is one of the most important things (if not THE most important thing) you can do before sitting down to write your comic book. You dont need to know every detail at the beginning, but you should have a general idea of your setting, plot structure, major characters, their motivations, and their character arcs as the plot progresses.If youre stuck at this part, I recommend reading Blake Snyders Save the Cat! series. While he initially focuses on writing a screenplay, he offers invaluable advice on two different facets of outlining a story for any media. First, he provides a beat sheet focusing on the 15 major beats that occur within all great movies/screenplays. You can essential ly take these beats and fill them in with your storys unique details to have a well-rounded plot outlined quickly. Second, he reviews the essential ten types of stories that encompass most plots. For example, he breaks down the most popular types of stories into easily digestible, overarching themes. A few examples are:Monster in the House (Alien, The Ring, etc.)Dude with a Problem (Die Hard, Open Water, etc.)Rites of Passage (Napoleon Dynamite, Kramer vs. Kramer, etc.)Buddy Love (When Harry Met Sally, Brokeback Mountain, etc.)Fool Triumphant (Forrest Gump, Legally Blond, etc.)Tip #4â€"For multiple issues, end on a cliffhangerI touched on this briefly above, but this is especially important during the outlining process if you are creating a series of comic books. As with any seriesâ€"and particularly in comic booksâ€"ending each issue on a cliffhanger is essential if you want to keep your audience engaged in the overall story youre writing.In writing comics, its important to keep th is in mind as you outline each issue. If you are creating a series, you should outline the entire series before writing the first comic book, and the outline should be completed before any artwork is begun. Pay special attention to page numbering as you outline and determine cliffhanger cut-off points for each issue, as this will determine the level of interest you are able to maintain with your audience and whether theyll want to purchase following issues (after reading the first).Photo by Andreas Fidler on UnsplashThere are also software programs available such as Celtx, which includes a comic book option for its script writing features. Using software to assist with layout and page numbering during the outlining and writing processes helps extensively with this cliffhanger strategy.Tip #5â€"Make sure your setting and characters are memorableSince comic books have limited room for extended exposition, having a memorable setting and unforgettable characters is important. Stan Lee p uts it like this: To my way of thinking, whether its a superhero movie or a romance or a comedy or whatever, the most important thing is youve got to care about the characters. Youve got to understand the characters and youve got to be interested. If the characters are interesting, youre half-way home.When you think back over some of the bestselling comic books and graphic novels (Neil Gaimans Sandman series and Robert Kirkmans The Walking Dead series come to mind), youll find that two things they all have in common are a unique, intriguing setting and fascinating characters. Both drive the story when limited exposition and dialogue are necessary (such as in comic books) and both will ensure a comics success if crafted properly.Tip #6â€"Notebooks and audio recorders are great for stealing dialogue you hear throughout the dayThis tip comes directly from Tony Max, indie comic book author and illustrator of The Golden Silence series. As a writer, he often catches conversations on audio recorders (with the permission of the speakers, of course) to get a feel for the cadence and word choice of everyday conversations between people. He is then able to listen back through and recreate a realistic dialogue in his comic books.Since comic books rely heavily on dialogue to fill in details of the exposition, creating realistic dialogue should be a focus while youre writing. Often, panels dont have enough room to have a lot of dialogue either, so the dialogue you do include needs to be sharp, poignant, essential to the narrative, and realistic for the genre. Think of it as the bones that hold the narrative framework together.Tip #7â€"Phrase books help to find the right wordsPhrase books are great resources for writers of all genres in that they can help spark the creative Muse when writers block sets in (and lets face it, all writers experience writers block at some point or another). For example, this phrase book by USA Today bestselling author Jackson Dean Chase offers o ver 500 descriptions of weapons, wounds, wild animals, weather, emotions, dangerous places, and more, plus a combat thesaurus that covers everything, from attack to defense, ranged to melee, and from monsters to magic spells and psychic powers.Action Writers Phrase Book by Jackson Dean ChaseWhether your comic book is sci-fi, action and adventure, romance, fantasy, or somewhere in between, youll be able to find phrase books offering a plethora of information on costume, weaponry, fighting techniques, survivalist tricks, technology, period-correct verbiage, naming strategies, and more. They are really indispensable to any writers collection of source books and are especially useful in writing comics, where elements like worldbuilding and costume are essential for success.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Learn to Tell Time in German

Telling time in German requires knowing three basic ingredients: the numbers from 1 to 59, the German words for to and after, and the fractions quarter and half (past). Heres How: Learn or review the German numbers from 1-59.An hour is divided up like a pie into quarters (viertel) and halves (halb).For half past, you say halb and the next hour. Halb acht 7:30, i.e., half (way to) eight.After is nach. Es ist zehn nach zwei 2:10 (Its ten after two).For quarter past, you say Viertel nach: Viertel nach neun 9:15.To or before is vor (FOR). Viertel vor zwei 1:45. Zehn vor elf 10:50.English oclock is Uhr in German. Es ist fà ¼nf Uhr 5:00 (five oclock).For precise times, you say Uhr between the hour and the minutes: zehn Uhr zwà ¶lf 10:12.For many common situations (timetables, TV guides), Germans use 24-hour (military) time.Add 12 to a pm time to get the 24-hour form: 2 pm 12 14.00 (vierzehn Uhr).To express 24-hour time, be precise: zwanzig Uhr neun 20.09 8:09 pm.Practice your German time-telling skills with every clock or schedule you see. Tips: Make sure you know your German numbers well. Watch out for eins. With time its ein Uhr (1:00).Accept the fact that there are different ways of telling time in different cultures, none of which is better or worse than the others.Remember that understanding the time is usually more important than being able to say it.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Supply Chain and Facilities Management Example

Essays on Supply Chain and Facilities Management Statistics Project Running Head: Supply Chain Management Balance Scorecards: West Central Hospital Part A In regard to the overall rating of hospital, patient satisfaction plays an important role as number of infections and patient’s infected act as numerator while number of patients admitted are used as denominators for the purpose of measuring the hospital’s performance. The overall rating for the hospital from FY 2007 to FY 2009 reveals that the hospitals performance is moving slightly downwards which is supported simultaneous decline in communication with nurses and doctors. The only positive and healthy area in the scorecard is the percentage of patients’ likelihood to recommend the hospital which has increased from 67% in FY 2007 to 75% in FY 2009. A critical review of the data relating to quality outcomes reveals that though the rate of patients transferred to hospital during a Home Care episode has increased, the fact that communication process with health professionals has decreased during these three years has helped to the decline in overall rating of hospitals. This data can further be analyzed with additional inputs from external forces like competitiveness, customer satisfaction, political and environmental analysis and internal forces like employee satisfaction, motivation, which may improve the performance of hospital and at least help in achieving positive results in communication with patients which may affect the overall rating of the hospital. Part B: Overall Scorecard and Monitoring a Strategic Goal The overall performance of balance scorecard is satisfactory while the hospital has still managed to make good profit though the profit made in 2009 is less compared to 2008.The major area of concern is the patient satisfaction which needs to be addressed by the hospital management while reviewing the performance and making decisions. It is pertinent to mention that communication with nurses and doctors is declining which makes it very important for the management to take note of this because patients need to be attended promptly and failure in doing so will result in negative feedback and bad publicity. Hospital management can use this balance scorecard in an effective manner to address issues like quality of service by developing infrastructure and facilities apart from preparing a framework to increase profits and reduce costs. Though the balance scorecard is fully equipped providing information on most of the aspects of management and performance; patients feedback on service, d octor’s attendance, facilities, etc. including ambulance services all covered under one metric will help the management to deliberate on the performance during decision making process. It is pertinent to mention here that hospitals are facing stiff competition in the market therefore it is necessary for the management to prepare a comprehensive strategy addressing the issues of importance.

The Modern Alterations of Native American Life Free Essays

Modern Native American life has changed drastically from that of what it used to be. One can only imagine how incredibly hard life would have been in the late 1800s without the help of modern technology. In James Welch’s book, Fool’s Crow, one not only learns what the Western United States was like in the late 1800s, but can also grasp the ways of early Native Americans. We will write a custom essay sample on The Modern Alterations of Native American Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fools Crow, the main character in the book, portrays exactly what the average Indian boy of his day was like. He had strong family values, faithful religious beliefs, and knew his direction in life. Unfortunately this is not so true for most Native Americans of today. Many current Indians are suffering from poor family structure, lack of education, and loss of religious beliefs. Family structure was one of the most important aspects of life for Native Americans of the 1800s. Back then there was almost no difference between an Indian man or woman’s fifth cousins and his or hers sister. Both were treated the same, and both were respected immensely. But now the family structure of Native Americans has diminished. The communication between the majority of parents to children is very slim, if any, and many young Native Americans don’t even have contact with there grandparents and other extended family. In Fools Crow’s generation it was very common to often have ceremonies where all members of a family were expected to attend, whether they were a grandparent or a brother. This failure of family structure in modern Indians has caused many individuals to lack security and subsidity. Education is a problem among Native Americans as well. It used to be that when a young Native American turned a certain age it was his or her duty to learn the ways of survival. For boys it was hunting and learning to provide for his future family. For the women it was learning various duties such as cooking, tanning hides, and caring for the children. Indians used to educate themselves in order to survive as a team. Each person learned to do his or her specific duty in order to prosper individually, and as a tribe or band. But now education is substantially different. It still focuses on the essentials for survival and the need for one to prosper as an individual, but it lacks what white people are learning. Teachers on reservations are often the product of poor education themselves, and have nothing to offer young Native Americans. One of the most prominent problems, however, is that reservations can’t afford to hire quality teachers to educate their children. Thus, there continues to be uneducated Native Americans, which, in turn, causes this misfortunate cataclysm to continue. Another, and most important, aspect for a specific group of people to thrive, is religion. Ever since the first civilized human lived, there was religion. For most people, religion is the glue that holds their life together. It helps to provide purpose and meaning to all life. Native Americans of the 1800s, and before then, held very strongly to their beliefs. Religion was in everything they did. Whether it was planting crops or going on a big hunt, religion was the key to it. But now the Native American’s religious beliefs have faded dramatically. Most of today’s Indian youths no longer believe or practice the religion of their ancestors. Without religion, modern Native Americans find themselves insecure in what their purpose in life is and they often lack moral responsibility as well. The key to possibly fixing this problem is to educate young Native Americans about what their people used to believe in, and what role it played back then. With some good leadership skills and a lot of enlightening, maybe the old Indian religion will be fully restored to what it once was. In conclusion, Native American culture is rapidly being destroyed. Modern Native Americans have lost what it takes to keep a culture alive; religion, structure, and education. If Native Americans are once again going to flourish as a ethnic society, people need to do whatever they can to help build back the essential parts of Native American life. How to cite The Modern Alterations of Native American Life, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Theodor Seuss Geisel Essays - Dr. Seuss, , Term Papers

Theodor Seuss Geisel "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield Massachusetts in 1904. He went to Dartmouth College and Oxford University as an English Literature student. He started writing for the "Jack'o Lantern" the Dartmouth College humor magazine, and gain much notoriety by writing with "Judge" magazine after that (www.cyber-seuss.com). He worked as a cartoonist for almost a decade and then, in 1937, he wrote and illustrated his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. The following is from a page I found on the Internet: Long before the Obsks would make a casual appearance in "If I Ran the Zoo" their own story would be told. This story comes from Ted's life around the time he left Standard Oil in the 30's while the depression still held America in its grips. It was a 4 page illustrated novelette that was never published, and the text went like this. A flock of Obsks From down in Nobsks Hiked up to Bobsks To look for Jobsks Then back to Nobsks With sighs and Sobsks... There were, in Bobsks, No jobs for Obsks. Dr. Seuss was a genius, who did not only write his books for children. Many of his books have morals that he was trying to get through to the adult who was reading the book, and at the same time instill them in the child as they grow. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street is an example of this type of book with morals for both adult and child. It is the story of a boy whose imagination is too strong for his father's liking. The boy is afraid to go home and tell his father what he thinks he saw on Mulberry Street, in fear of what his father will say about the outrageous things that happened. Seuss was trying to show how adults can stifle and kill a child's imagination without even knowing they are doing it. (http://www.afn.org/`afn15301/drseuss.html) Dr. Seuss's first book was an instant success and soon after came the books The King's Stilts (1939) and Horton Hatches the Egg (1940). During World War II, Geisel wrote films for the war effort. One of these films, entitled Design for Death, a documentary about the Japanese people, won him an Academy Award in 1947. For several decades following Ted Geisel wrote many more children's books, 40 books in all. They include favorites as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the first grade reader The Cat in the Hat, and Green Eggs and Ham. The Lorax, written in 1971, focused on environmental concerns such as air and water pollution, and land waste. In 1984, he wrote The Butter Battle which revolved around nuclear war. It seems that Ted Geisel was asked by a Dartmouth college classmate to come to Chicago for a visit, and being promised a third honorary degree as a filip, Ted and his wife Helen went, only to find out that he was scheduled to be the speaker at the commencement ceremonies. He only had a short time to put together a speech, which lasted only 75 seconds, and was titled "My Uncle Terwilliger on the Art of Eating Popovers". My uncle ordered popovers from the restaurant's bill of fare. And when there were served, he regarded them with a penetrating stare... Then he spoke great Words of Wisdom as he sat there in that chair! "To eat these things," Said my uncle, "You must exercise great care. You may swallow down what solid... BUT... You must spit out the air!" And... As you partake of the world's bill of fare, That's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air And be careful what you swallow.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

How Have Human Activities, some of which may be Conflicting, essays

How Have Human Activities, some of which may be Conflicting, essays There are many reasons why a country would decide to change or manipulate a river. As every country is unique there are rarely occasion where two or more countries have used the same reason to change their river. However the status, possible economic, limits and dictates how many choices the country has. Generally MEDCS have more options and techniques available to change the river, because they are not restrained by large debts. However both MEDCs and LEDCs encounter their own individual problem, which affects the river and its environment. An example of an MEDC river management is the Mississippi River. And in 1993 a large flood in the basin of the Mississippi River caused great economic and environmental problems. Conflict arose as environmental groups said that trying to manage the river only makes it worse and that the damage caused by flooding would not have been so serve had minimal river management occurred. However the groups managing the river said the irregular weather patterns caused the floods. The management of the river started decades ago as America was a NIC it used the river to enhance its economic position as well as attempting to create a better living standards as the soil near the river was very fertile and would encourage agriculture into the area. The river management techniques used by the group was the creation of levees as this in turn raised the river level, and effected the environment it surrounds. The flood meant that waste products in the river were released onto the fertile soil also tow ns created along the river were flooding leaving thousands of people without homes. Therefore urbanisation was another major factor in human activities on the river. The flood itself killed 50 people and caused $10 billion of damage. This flood occurred partially because of human factors including: 1. Channelisation causing problems downstream, 2. Levees causing water to back up, &midd...

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Pope Clement VII Profile

Pope Clement VII Profile Pope Clement VII was also known as: Giulio de Medici Pope Clement VII is noted for: Failing to recognize and deal with the significant changes of the Reformation. Indecisive and in over his head, Clements inability to stand strong against the powers of France and the Holy Roman Empire made an unstable situation worse. He was the pope whose refusal to give Englands king Henry VIII a divorce touched off the English Reformation. Occupation and Role in Society: Pope Places of Residence and Influence: Italy Important Dates: Born: May 26, 1478, Florence Elected pope: Nov. 18, 1523 Imprisoned by the Emperors troops: May, 1527 Died: Sept. 25, 1534 About Clement VII: Giulio de Medici was the illegitimate son of Giuliano de Medici, and he was raised by Giulianos brother, Lorenzo the Magnificent. In 1513 his cousin, Pope Leo X, made him archbishop of Florence and cardinal. Giuliano influenced Leos policies, and also planned some impressive works of art to honor his family. As pope, Clement wasnt up to the challenge of the Reformation. He failed to understand the significance of the Lutheran movement and allowed his involvement in Europes political sphere to reduce his effectiveness in spiritual matters. Emperor Charles V had supported Clements candidacy for pope, and he saw the Empire and the Papacy as a partnership. However, Clement allied himself with Charles longtime enemy, Francis I of France, in the League of Cognac. This rift eventually resulted in imperial armies sacking Rome and imprisoning Clement in the castle of SantAngelo. Even after his confinement ended several months later, Clement remained under imperial influence. His compromised position interfered with his ability to deal with Henry VIIIs request for an annulment, and he was never able to make any viable decisions regarding the upheaval that the Reformation had become. edited by Kenneth Gouwens and Sheryl E. Reissby P. G. Maxwell-Stuart

Friday, February 14, 2020

Does democracy help or hinder development Essay

Does democracy help or hinder development - Essay Example Does democracy, used in this context to mean free and fair elections with a peaceful transfer of political authority, allow countries to develop? These questions and many more will be addressed with reference to our analysis of the linkages between democracy and political stability. An analysis of the political and economic situations of Somalia and Iraq, our case studies, will explore the relationship between poverty and political instability and demonstrate whether the absence of democracy and hence political stability, breeds poverty and economic stagnation. Poverty, it seems is a universal feature of the global community. What are the global ramifications of extreme poverty? Fundamentally, does democracy help or hinder development? What is poverty and how can it be defined? The term poverty refers a deprivation of some sort that affects one’s quality of life. Poverty is often described in monetary terms and varies from country to country. Poverty thus is environmentally specific as the idea of poverty will differ in North America and Africa. Many developed countries use a low-income cut-off to gage poverty in their respective societies and a so-called poverty line can be useful for understanding poverty. While very difficult to measure globally, the United Nations frequently uses the analogy of a dollar a day to refer to someone who is poor (for more information on the challenges associated with poverty measurement, see Amartya Sen’s Poverty: An Ordinal Approach to Measurement). How does one define political stability? Theoretically speaking, the term is notoriously difficult to define and definitions will necessarily vary (see Fosu 329-348). Nonetheless, it is integral that the concept of political stability be defined for the theoretical purpose of this essay. Political stability in much of the world is defined as the establishment of democracy and democratic rules of governance. By

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Create the topic, since you are writing it not me Essay

Create the topic, since you are writing it not me - Essay Example Although everyone seemed to be informed, very few bought into the sense of community mindset it would take to overcome the challenges of prevention to find a working solution. In Malcolm Gladwell's terms, the lack of adoption of AIDS prevention strategies in spite of widespread awareness discussed in Epstein's essay "AIDS, Inc." is a symptom of weak-tie networks not transitioning into strong-tie connections, a similar psychological problem faced by American college campuses as discussed by Rebekah Nathan. Traditional messaging regarding AIDS in South Africa was focused on forcing the audience to hear and understand the messages being sent. This is very similar to the approach described in Nathan's essay "Community and Diversity," in which college students were coerced into classes attempting to force a false sense of shared community. "As a student, one is immediately enlisted to join the group, to get involved, to realize that one has become a part of the AnyU 'community" (Nathan, 4 1). It didn't work for the students at the university and overt attempts such as this have not been successful in Africa. According to Gladwell, the reasons people decide to join a community remains consistent - those who have strong-tie connections to others engaged in the same pursuit were more likely to behave in the same way while those who had few strong-tie connections were more likely to go their own way. The approach taken correlates with what Gladwell says about weak-tie relationships. According to Gladwell, weak-tie relationships are those formed by general shared interests but few actual responsibilities. "The platforms of social media are built around weak ties," Gladwell says. However, there are strengths in weak ties. "Our acquaintances - not our friends - are our greatest source of new ideas and information. The Internet lets us exploit the power of these kinds of distant connections with marvelous efficiency. It's terrific at the diffusion of innovation, interdiscipl inary collaboration, seamlessly matching up buyers and sellers, and the logistical functions of the dating world." While these networks are very effective in distributing information widely, as evidenced in the surveys mentioned by Epstein, they don't generally lead to the types of changes in behavior needed to address the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Just as Nathan discovered in the college situation, networks are effective at gathering information about risks and common behaviors among groups, but these kinds of weak-tie connections are not powerful enough to bring about actual change or acceptance of mistrusted sources. Fortunately, an activist group well aware of how to convert weak-tie relationships into strong-tie connections for positive change stepped in to help. The bulk of Epstein's essay is dedicated to discussing just how the organization LoveLife approached the problem, serving as an example to other groups who may wish to do the same. "The trick was to get inside the head-space of these young people ... we have to understand what is driving them into sex - they know what HIV is, but they don't internalize it" (Harrison cited by Epstein, 128). Rather than depending on a mostly one-sided media campaign that mimics much of the characteristics of Nathan's

Friday, January 24, 2020

Tech Savvy Teens Essay -- Technology and Teens, Facebook Twitter, MySp

Technology has advance far beyond what our parents knew. During the time in which our parents grew up things such as ‘apps’ and ‘tweets’ didn’t exist. But these terms are quite familiar to today’s generation of teenagers. The use of Socially Interactive Technology’s or SIT’s such as online networking sites, text messaging, and instant messaging (IM) are becoming more and more popular among teens (Pierce). Social networking sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, and Twitter are examples of SIT’s. SIT’s can be used by anyone, but they are most popular among teenagers. Though SIT’s are meant to be fun ways to interact with friends, they can also be very dangerous. Socially Interactive Technology’s are dangerous to teens because they can easily put themselves in danger. There are hundreds of online social networking sites, and they range from general networking sites like FaceBook to sites aimed at certain groups such as CrunchyRoll, which is a networking site for fans of anime and manga. Of the hundreds of social networking sites MySpace and FaceBook are the most popular (Guo 620). MySpace has a current active user count of 115 million. And FaceBook which is a year younger follows with a user base of 60 million and growing (Guo 621). MySpace opened on August 15, 2003 and grew quite quickly afterwards (Guo 621). But why are these sites so popular amongst teenagers? There seem to be quite a few answers to this question, MySpace’s popularity is attributed its openness, anyone claiming to be over the age of 14 can sign up for MySpace (Guo 621). FaceBook which was created a year later by Matt Zuckerberg in 2004 originally limited its membership to college students which resulted in slow growth of success (Guo 622). However once FaceBook opened... ...fying internet information to be reported to the police. Their information is then added to the National Sex Offender Registry; social networking sites would then have access to this information and can prevent sex offenders from registering to use their sites MySpace has also begun to enact safety measures to protect their teenage users. In 2006 MySpace announced the creation an automated system that compares profiles a database contacting names and descriptions of sex offenders. It’s been reported that since the creation of this program MySpace has removed 29,000 sex offender profiles from their site (Guo 639). MySpace is also developing a program that will provide parents with their child’s profile name, age, and location (Guo 639). A program like this will allow parents to also get involved in protecting their children from the dangers of social networking.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Origins of the Cold War Essay

A. Sources of American Soviet Tension Had difference in view of post war world. US supported the view in which nations gave up traditional military alliances, and dealt with each other in a democratic process, with an international org. as mediator. Britain and Soviets favored view where system of traditional European balance of powers would reemerge. B. War time Diplomacy By Jan 1943 a strain in relations with soviets was evident as Stalin refused to meet with Churchill and Roosevelt. The 2 refused Stalins’most immediate demand to have a 2 european fronts, but assured him that they would have unconditional surrender of Axis powers and they would not leave soviets out of peace negotiations. In Teharan Conference relations between Stalin and Roosevelt became better as Stalin agreed to enter Pacific once hotstilities in Europe died down, and US agreed to 2 front western war. However there was tension on who would lead Poland once war was over. They avoided the issue by leaving it unresolved. C. Yalta In Feb. 1945the big three met in Soviet Union. Stalin was promised some territory lost in Jap Soviet war of 1904, in pacific. Also agreed to UN charter with a security council, with members from 5 major powers. Issue of Polish government was compromised. Soviets had occupied Poland and installed the pro communist Lubin Poles, but also agreed to let in some democratic London Poles into government. The future of Germany was also unresolved. They agreed that after war each troop would control the part of the country they were in and reunification would occur at a later time. US wanted Germany to be reconstructed, and reunited, Stalin wanted heavy reparations. The Yalta conference sidestepped important issues, and made the three men feel like they signed an important document. Weeks after signing Roosevlt watched as Stalin installed procommunist governments in several nations and refused to make the changes he promised to Roosevelt in Polish government. Roosevelt was adamant that Soviets were flexible, but would suffer stroke and die in April 1945. II. The Collapse of the Peace A. The Failure of Potsdam A few days after taking office Truman, much less patient with Soviets chastised foreign minister for violations of Yalta conference. However he had little leverage as soviets controlled central and eastern Europe and US was still in pacific war. Truman insisted on getting 85% of what he wanted but had to settle for much less. Truman conceded Poland and recognized the noncommunist forces in the Warsaw government. To settle issue of Germany Truman met with Stalin and Churchill in Postdam, he accepted the adjustments to the Polish German boarder and but refused Russians to claim reparations from parts of Germany controlled by US French or Britain. This stance made it clear that Germany would remain divided. The western zone friendly to US, the Eastern to Russia. B. The China Problem For US hopes of a peaceful world to come true, China had to be strong and independent, however the Chinese government under Chaing Kai Shek was feeble and incompetent. Chiang had isolated himself, unwilling to face the problem which were facing him. He was in prolonged rivalry with armies of Mao Zedong, which was in control of 1/4 the population. US would pump arms and money to the Chiang. Instead, US now looked to Japan as an alternative pro western force in Asia. US lifted all restrictions, promoting indusrial development, and economic growth. C. Containment Doctrine By 19445 the Grand Alliance was over, and US was now working on a new containment policy. Rather than creating an open world, they would work to contain the expansion of the Soviets. Truman issued his Truman Doctrine based on ideas of diplomat George f. Kennan. United States would help nations resisting sibjugation from outside sources or from armed minorities. He also asked for $400 million to help turkey and Greece, which would help them defeat communist insurgents, and established basis for US foreign policy for next 30 years. D. Marshal Plan American policy maker wanted to do something to strengthen pro American governments in Europe before communists insurgents destroyed them. In June 1947 Sec of State George C. Marshall proposed plan for economic assistance to all European nations even Soviets to join program of recovery. Soviets denied, but 16 other nations joined. Over three years, $12 billion would be given to help spark economic revival. European industry rose 64% and caused communist strength to decline and US trade opportunities to increase. E. Mobilization at Home Failed agreements with Soviets over international control of nuclear weapons, made America redouble its atomic research. The Atomic Energy Commison was to oversee all nuclear research civilian, and military, and in 1950 Truman aoorived development of ne H bomb stronger than one used in 1945. The National Security Act created a new Departmen of Defense which would oversee all armed services. A National Security Council out of thw white house would govern forign and military policy. CIA would replace wartime office of strategic services. And engage in covert methods of collecting onformation. F. The Road to Nato Truman reached an agreement with Britain and France to merge their Germany zones into a new western German Republic. Stalin responded by imposing a tight blockade of western berlin, Truman would drop supplied of food and fuel for ten months allowing a city of 2 million to survive during this time. Stalin would lift the blockade in spring of 1949. Germany was now divided into 2 nations, Federal Republic in west and Democratic Republic in east. In April 1949 12 nations signed agreement declaring an attack on one was an attack on all. Soviet would do the same with other communist nations in Europe called the Warsaw Pact in 1955. G. Reevaluating Cold War Policy A series of events at end of 1949 propelled cold war in new direction as Soviets announced that they had tested their first atomic bomb, and the Chiang Kai-Shek nationalist government collapsed and was replaced by a communist extension of Soviets. Us would refuse to recoginize Chinese government and diverted attention to revitalizing Japan as a buffer against Asian communism. During this escalated atmosphere of crisis Truman called for a through review of forign policy. The National Securty Report was issued in 1950. The doc said US should not rely on other nations to resist communism, US must stop expansion of communism in the world. It also called for 4x increase in US military budget. III. America After The War A. The Problems of Reconversion Economic growth continued after 1945, saving from consumers during the war started a boom, as did a $6 billion tax cut. The GI bill of rights, or Servicemen’s Readjustment Act provided houseing, education and job training to vets and increased their spending. Serious inflation cause prices to rise 15 % annually, compounding this was labor unrest as major strikes were occurring in most industries. In 1946 John Lewis led the United Coal Workers out on strike for 40 days. Truman demanded coal mine owners to agree to union demands, simulataneously the nation’s railroads shut down, however Truman threatened military intervention and the strike was over in a few days. Reconversion was difficult for women and minorities who entered during wartime. Now men where returning from war and wanted their old industrial jobs back, many women voluntarily gave them back but as much as 80% and all minority men wanted to keep jobs. Women would look to other areas of the economy, mainly the service sector. B. The Fair Deal Rejected The Fair deal was a 21 point domestic program calling for expansion of social security benefits, legal minimum wage increase from 40 to 65 cents†¦ public works†¦ and other programs. In all he wanted to declare an end to wartime moratorium on liberal reform. However the Republicans would regain control of house and senate and reduce government spending and many other reforms. The Taft Hawley Act would empower president to call a 10 day cooling period before a strike. Truman would veto it but congress overruled. C. The Elections of 1948 Despites results of the 46†² election Truman was not ready to give up on new deal. In 1948 he proposed major civil rights bill but congress would defeat them all. Tuman was trying to build campaign issues. Truman had issue of unpopularity and weakening support in the democratic party. Souther democrats did not like the civil rights bills. Others did not like the way he dealt with Soviets. Republican had nominated Dewey, seemed to offer unbeatable alternative to Truman. Truman called republicans do nothing – good for nothing. To dramatize this he called special session of congress, mostly republican, they met for 2 weeks in which nothing was accomplished. Truman would win by a very slim but decisive margin. D. The Fair Deal Revived The new congress was still hesitant to fair deal but did give some of what Truman wanted. They increased min wage to 75 cents and hour, extended social security to 10 million more people, and National Housing Act built 810,000 homes for low income housing. However his efforts for civil rights, the abolishment of lynchings, poll tax, fair employment all failed. Truman did battle descrimination on his own, he ended descrimination in government jobs, and tried to dismantle it in armed forces. Allowed justice dept. to get involved in discrinitory statues. IV. The Korean War A. The Divided Peninsula At the end of WWII US and soviets had troops in Korea, Russians in left a communist government with strong soviet troops, while us left an anti communist with a small military. The weakness of South Korea made north want to reunite the country. Truman reacted quickly to the invasion by sending limited American military assistance. Soviets protetested the UN Security Council for it refusal in acknowledging the Chinese government. This gave UN agreement to US for international assistance to South Korea. Truman would sed ground forces and General McArthur to command UN operations. Most UN troops were American. After driving communists out of south, Truman gave McArthur permission to go into North to make a uunified independent democratic Korea. B. From invasion to Stalemate The invasion went smoothly with the capture of Pyongyang in October. But Chinese government got weary as UN moved close to Chinese boarder, they would enter war and push Americans back past 38th parallel and take capital of Seoul. By Jan UN started moving back north and regained capital for 2nd time, then war went into stalemate. Truman did not want direct conflict with China which he thought would cause another world war. McArthur thought that it was a just that, a war with China, he thought heavy bombing on communists was necessary. McArthur would write letter to republican leader which caused Truman to relive him of command. 69% of Americans supported McArthur and was welcomed enthusiastically. There was hostility towards Truman until other military leader publicly showed support for his decision. Stalemate continued in Korea, negotiations began in 1951 but war would drag on until 1953. C. Limited Mobilization To fight inflation during wartime Truman set up the Office of Defense Mobilization. When its actions failed Truman took more drastic actions. When rail workers walked off the job he ordered government to take control. In steel strike he did same but supreme court ruled he had exceeded his power. The war brought economic boom as government pumped money into the economy. But made many Americans insecure, and anxious about communism. Did not know why boarder skirmish had gone on so long unresolved and 140,000 dead wounded. Led to second campaign against communism. V. The Crusade Against Subversion A. HAUC and Alger Hiss Republicans wanted something to attack Democrats with and and democrats wanted to take issue away from the,. The House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947, started publicized investigations of communist subversion. They started arguing that communists had infiltrated Hollywood, and when may former communists film maker refused to talk about their politicial beliefs, they were sent to jail for contempt. Another public investigation was against high ranking senate member Alger Hiss, when reports from a former communist agent said that Hiss had passed classified documents to him. Hiss sued for slander but Chambers produced images of the document. Do to statute of limitation, occurred over 7 years ago, Hiss was not prosecuted but was sent to prison for several years. This public believe that communists infiltration was possible. Nixon protected Hiss and made him well known and helped him win seat in senate. B. The Federal Loyalty Program and the Rosenburg Case To protect against republican attacks, Truman initiated a widely publicized loyalty review program of many federal employees, causing 2,000 to resign and 212 to be dismissed. This caused other attacks on subversion. Direct of FBI investigated alleged radicals. When Russians successfully detonated atomic bomb there was talk that information had been passed from America. Young british scientists testified he gave information, the trial eventually led to a couble, Rosenburgs, members of communist party. They were sentenced to death and after 2 years of appeals killed in electric chair, they maintained their innocence. All these cases came to grip the nation of subversion. The public was fearful of infiltrated communists and being accused of communism also. Out of this would come public figure of McCarthy. C. McCarthyism In a speech Joseph McCarthy declared that he had a list of 205 communists in the US senate, his statement was so bold, it made him a prominent figure and leader of crusade against subversion. McCarthy then moved to other agencies and was made chairman of special subcommittee on subversion in the government. He never proved conclusive evidence that anyone he accused was really a communist. Republican rallied that democrats had been responsible for 200 years of treason. Few spoke out against him, even Eisenhower who dislike him did not while running for presidency. D. Republican Revival Frustration in Korea, and a bad year in Democratic party caused Truman to drop out of Presidency race. Gov. Adali Stevenson would be nominated instead. Republican nominated Eisenhower, and as his running mate chosen Nixon. Nixon would attack the democrats for being cowardly in their attack against communism. Eisenhower and Nixon would win overwhelmingly, and republican would regain control of both houses. The election ended 20 years of democratic domination, and ended worst turbulence of post war era. VI. Conclusion Even during world war II US and Soviets had different views of what world should be like once war was over. Right after the war this difference in opinion became evident. US thought Stalin was like Hitler in their quest for world domination, Stalin thought US wastrying to protect their world dominance by not allowing Russia to be a world power. The result was high tensions and the Cold War. US would help revitalize the broken Europe by gioving economic aid through Marshall plan and protecting them from communism. At home hysteria of the infiltration of communists into American government was fueled by reports and publicized court cases.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Feminist Message Edith Wharton, Sojourner Truth, And...

Prior to the late 19th and early 20th century, women were often criticized for deviating from what society deemed as normal. Women authors, as an attempt to avoid judgemental comments, often changed their name to resemble a male’s in order to get their books published. As a result of this action, many Americans were beginning to witness what females had to offer in the world of literature through their ideals of Feminism. Three authors who supported the Feminist message are Edith Wharton, Sojourner Truth, and Kate Chopin. In â€Å"April Showers†, Wharton exhibits the oppressive nature of males and their input on triumphant women. In Truth’s speech â€Å"Speech to the American Equal Rights Association†, she reveals the deep split between men and women economically. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, Chopin tells of a woman who was being oppressed in her marriage. American authors of the late 19th century reflected the ideals of Feminism by displaying m ale thoughts on successful females and showing female oppression; as well as demonstrating the wage gap between men and women at the time. One author who demonstrates a social aspect of feminism is Edith Wharton. Through the use of simile, Wharton displays how reluctant males are when it comes to accepting females as intellectual beings. In â€Å"April Showers†, Edith Wharton introduces the audience to a young female named Theodora who is writing a novel to try and fund her family. As Theodora is wrapping up and getting ready to send her story to

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

When Good Vaccines Go Bad - 1624 Words

ïÆ'Ëœ When Polio hit New York City the people were desperate for anything that would save their children’s live. When Jonas Salk came out with the vaccine the people were relief that there is a chance to protect their children from Polio. Little do they know that even with the ultimate goal of fighting the vaccine the people taking part in it had other ideas. Salk wanted to be the man that everyone looked up to because he had developed a vaccine that safe lives of thousands. The foundation that Salk worked under would show that the money that the government put in didn’t go too wasted. For the federal government by helping finding a vaccine they can say that they are there to protect the people and that the people would not have found the vaccination if it wasn’t for the government. Although the vaccine hadn’t proven to work the foundation decided that they are going to put $9 million more into the study. The press then took it as the vaccination is work ing and that no one would put $9 million in for just a vaccination trails and announce it to the people. Thomas Francis was Salk’s advisor at the time and he was asked to write a review about Salk work and he began his speech by saying that the vaccine is â€Å"safe, effective, and potent†. During his speech he also said other things to warn the people about the vaccine, but the people never listened because they have already heard what they want. The vaccine was given and the people had high hopes for it, but the vaccine didn’t workShow MoreRelatedShould Vaccines Be Required For Children?1415 Words   |  6 PagesShould Vaccines Be Required For Children? All living things on this earth are subject to attack from a disease-causing agent. Therefore, multicellular animals have dedicated cells and tissues that fight off infectious microbes in order to build immunity. A multitude of specialized cells carries out much of the immune system’s work. Each of these cells is intended to fight off diseases in a particular way. Vaccination, which is one of the methods that is used to prevent germs from proliferatingRead MoreThe HPV Debate Essay699 Words   |  3 PagesCervical cancer is met with a vaccine with both pros and cons to suppress and annihilate it indefinitely. Although both Mike Adams and Arthur Allen inform the audience of the HPV vaccine, Adams vigorously argues, without evidence, that the vaccine is dangerous to humans while Allen is more sedate and discusses opposing sides to the vaccine. The HPV vaccine has its pros and cons to people that it has created debates to come down to the conclusion of a better solution for the drug companies and theRead MoreEdward Jenner s Eradication Of Smallpox904 Words   |  4 Pagesthe eradication of smallpox† (historyofvaccines.org). Louis Pasteur made a huge impact on our lives when he created a vaccine for rabies in 1885. Does this beg the question: Are vaccines helpful because they save lives, pose limited risk, grow the population or harmful because they do not save lives, put harmful chemicals in the vaccines and will not affect the population for the human race? Vaccines started before Edward Jenner. It has been dated back to the Chinese culture in Nine Hundred CE. ThisRead MoreOnly 24 percent of Canadian children had the appropriate number of doses of vaccines for measles,900 Words   |  4 PagesOnly 24 percent of Canadian children had the appropriate number of doses of vaccines for measles, polio and DPT3 for children between the age of 12 and 23 months. It is possible that 16 percent of children are either under vaccinated or unvaccinated. ( ) When getting children vaccinated thoughts are often not on the side effects or possible side effects and viruses or diseases that they are putting into childrens bodies. The thoughts are more often on getting vaccinated against the viruses andRead MoreEssay Vaccinations: Vaccines Should Be Mandatory For All People 1001 Words   |  5 PagesVaccinations are designed to help people go through their everyday life. A country doctor, Edward Jenner, who lived in Berkeley, England, first administere d vaccines in 1796 (Health Affairs). Throughout history, vaccinations have become better to where they are safer for the human body. Everyone should get vaccinated against certain disease to stay healthy. Vaccines have been proven to make people immune to serious diseases (Childhood Immunization). By being vaccinated the person is not only helpingRead MoreVaccinations Persuasive Essay1587 Words   |  7 Pagesin recent years even when vaccines have been around for about one thousand years. However, with recent outbreaks of measles, some see as preventable disease through vaccines, the main controversy of vaccination has once again been brought up due to parents concerns of safety of their children. Parents now are wondering if vaccinations are the best thing for their children due to reports that vaccines cause autism and other brain disabilities. Although, the link between vaccines and autism has beenRead MoreShould Parents Have The Free Choice?983 Words   |  4 Pagesforcing Am erican families to take vaccines against their will. Parents that do not take action and don’t provide their children with the â€Å"proper† vaccines can be fined or go to jail. This issue has been an ongoing problem, however, now in many states the government is not even allowing any type of exemption. I disagree with the government and I think that parents should have the free choice as to what vaccines they think is right for their children, being that vaccines don’t always work and they canRead MoreVaccines and The Immune System1056 Words   |  4 Pagescommon in any vaccine. Others believe that vaccinations are very important to get because they could save someone’s life. There is not any proven fact that vaccinations could be a factor of autism, there are only assumptions being made to this. Parents either want their kids to get vaccinated or want absolutely nothing to do with vaccinations. Even though vaccines have minor side effects and have controversial issues such as autism, there is no evidence for the issue; therefore vaccines are very importantRead MoreVaccine Is An Organic Process That Keeps People From Developing Diseases?1309 Words   |  6 PagesHave you ever been vaccinated in your entire life or do you know what vaccine is? A vaccine is an organic process that keeps people from developing diseases. Some people say that, since they received vaccinations since as children, their health has improved. However, other people say that vaccination causes different diseases like cancer and autism. They are afraid to be vaccinated. Some parents say that when the nurses who are in training vaccinate children, they put the vaccination needle in theRead MoreEssay The Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines1390 Words   |  6 Pageshighly sought after aspect of human life, there are times when it is overridden for the good of the person or for others around them. The question of whether autonomy is always the most importa nt factor in determining the morality of an issue must be made. According to Fields, autonomy requires and allows a person to â€Å"comprehend the action to be taken, the alternatives, and the consequences,† which is what it does. Nonetheless, there are times when this extent of autonomy may be skewed by beliefs and

Monday, December 23, 2019

Leadership Style Based On Rewards And Punishments For Work

Transformational leaders are emerging as organizations are consistently looking to improve, become larger, or increase interaction with their stakeholders or core audience. Organizations are asking leaders, now more than ever, to inspire creativity, evoke ownership, and engage followers to succeed within the confines of the organizational goals and mission. Transactional leadership still has a place in an organization’s leadership development; there is still a need for a leadership style based on rewards and punishments for work performed. A leader must know their weaknesses and strengths and learn to utilize the leadership style that best suits him or her. Adapting certain traits of different leadership styles proves to be beneficial and productive for both the leader and the team that they lead. Regardless of political affiliation or views one can look objectively at three dynamic female leaders who have emerged on the American political scene in recent years, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. Each woman collectively possesses an abundance of self-awareness that has helped them reach posts of power within the American political system while breaking through and above the glass ceiling. Aptly described as a subcategory of transformational leadership, Authentic leadership has four core traits: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency all of which seem to fit these two women (Northouse 2013, p.263).Show MoreRelatedMax Weber And The Transactional Leadership1033 Words   |  5 Pagestransactional leadership was firstly talked and elaborated in 1947 by Max Weber and described more in 1981 by Bernard M. Bass. It is a style of leadership that leaders provides their subordinates with rewards or punishments. It can be called management theories. This style mainly encourages and directs subordinates or followers by providing incentives. The power of this leadership derives from the control, rules and regulation of companies. Particularly, managers use the transactional style. (OdumeruRead MoreAuthoritarian And Authoritarian Leadership Style Essay1146 Words   |  5 Pages or autocratic, leadership tends to be viewed rather negatively, even though it is among the most common leadership styles in the business world. The term creates a negative image in most minds; an idea of dictators and tyrants. The images are directly translated into the world of leadership, even though authoritarian leadership can have much to offer. In this guide, we will examine the main concepts behind authoritarian leadership and study the core characteristics of the style and the leaders whoRead MoreTransactional Leadership : Leadership And Group Performance1168 Words   |  5 PagesTransactional Leadership Organizational leadership builds on traditional theories in order to form new and exciting directions. Transactional leadership is a traditional theory, which has been used as a platform to understand leadership and further develop techniques for higher organizational performance. The three components of transactional leadership help shape and define the style, but are not always strictly adhered to. There are many advantages and disadvantages of transformational leadership. KnowingRead MoreAssumption 3 : Subordinates For The Leader s Instructions And Objectives1696 Words   |  7 Pagesinstructions and objectives. The leadership style also assumes that subordinates hand out the authority to the leader when they sign a contract with the organisation. In exchange of the financial and other benefits, the subordinate is provided with for the work, the subordinate hands power to the leader. This exchange leads to the important assumption that the subordinate’s role is to obey the instructions and objectives set out by the leader. Unlikely in leadership theories such as laissez faire,Read MoreRoles And Responsibilities Of A Team Leader1666 Words   |  7 Pagesalways be the same. Leadership styles are different techniques/ways of leading a group or team. I have been tasked to describe, compare and evaluate the following 8 styles of leadership; - Authoritarian - Democratic - Laissez-faire - Transactional - Transformational - Bureaucratic - People orientated - Task orientated As well as this I need to identify the different roles and responsibilities of a team leader. The first style I will be looking at is â€Å"Autocratic† Leadership also known as â€Å"Authoritarian†Read MoreThe Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder1749 Words   |  7 Pagesopposed to people. Leaders, who use this method, develop loyalty from their followers that serves as motivation. The next style is the participative approach, which promotes ownership amongst followers. The Air Force created a program called Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21). This program allows Airmen to develop process improvements to their immediate work centers to reduce workload, increase efficiency and improve Air Force capabilities. Air Force leaders realized that theRead MoreRewards1519 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Rewards Companies reward their employees with both tangible goods, as well as praise. For example, a sales department may offer a monthly bonus to the highest earner. Not all tangible rewards come in the form of money. Some companies host free lunches, or give away company gear to good workers. Many managers choose to reward their best employees by simply praising them for a job well done, or by recognizing the hard work they put in to a project. Workplace reward systems are incentive programs thatRead MoreLeadership Is Essential For Leadership Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pages Leadership is defined as â€Å"human communication which modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others in order to meet group goals and needs.† On paper this sounds so definite and fixed, but leadership is one the broadest and slightly complex topics of all. Leaders serves people best when they help them develop their own initiative and good judgment, enable them to grow, and help them become better contributors (Thomas S Bateman, 2010, p. 66). Around the world, in each community, workplace, organizationRead MoreLeadership Style And Its Impact On The Employees Work Life Balance And Company Production1105 Words   |  5 Pagesemployees work life balance and company production. As a leader when compassion is shown to employees it sends a since of trust and allows a better work environment. When a leader has a closed door policy and is viewed not approachable, it can be disastrous for the overall mission and production of the company. Job-centered leaders closely supervise subordinates to make sure they perform their tasks following the specified procedures. This type of leader relies on reward, punishment, and legitimateRead MoreWhy Leaders Are Born Or Made?1337 Words   |  6 Pagesor made. While the origin of the question is unknown, the answers in response to the question are numerous. The terms leadership and management have become increasingly prevalent in today’s workplace. They are often used in place of each other and in some cases the terms leadership and management are used identically to each other. This has not always been the case. Leadership has a long history that dates as far back as biblical times. According to Bass, â€Å"it is one of the world’s oldest preoccupations†

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Discuss the ways in which women’s domestic role Free Essays

Beginning in the home, a woman’s role is socially constructed from an early age. A woman’s role models are traditionally her parents and many women naturally follow in their mothers footsteps. However, this can often work In reverse and women of whose mothers stayed at home In a domestic care role then go on to carve careers for themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss the ways in which women’s domestic role or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although these days women do have careers they are still socially seen as the homemaker regardless of this. A woman’s domestic role is often run alongside other work and a great number of women choose careers which are care eased. The sexual division of labor is at the heart of gender inequality, which is underpinned by the patriarchal family structure where the man Is the highest authority and sole provider and there Is a rolled dolls of tasks and responsibilities, all of which have been regulated by social norms that have become constructed and ingrained over time. Florence Nightingale was a great influence in creating the nursing/caring role. She acknowledged that a great number of women naturally progressed into care roles and so she introduced the role of a nurse yet it was not a consider profession at this point Medical stations in the Crimean war were poorly staffed with awful medical and sanitary conditions. This was reported by the media In Britain. Florence Nightingale, one of 38 voluntary nurses traveled to Turkey to help relieve the situation. Nightingale worked towards improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and activity for the patients of the hospitals. Death rates were reduced dramatically with the introduction of such measures. Nightingale kept meticulous records of the number of deaths, and the causes of deaths, so that on her return to Great Britain she could Justify the need for Improving conditions In hospitals. Criticisms of Florence Nightingale have been that she created a female occupation, excluding males based around her view that women were naturally caring and naturally gifted at looking after people. This only emphasized ‘female virtues’ especially in the media as they made this her main point even though there was much more to her than Just this point. As a result of what she did the beliefs of the male professionals were further supported. Those beliefs being that women are innate males in the workforce and the nursing role was stereotyped as a role which only women performed bringing with It the stereotype which we still hold today. Even now, with many more men taking on the role of the nurse we seem to find this unusual and sometimes quite a surprise. During this time the education system excluded women from the ability to gain scientific knowledge and the medical profession denied access to women who actually had managed to gain education. After Florence Nightingale, Ethel Bedford Fenwick (who is she) said that by 1901 , although we had moved on from the workhouses there was still no professional nurses in Britain and campaigned for a nationally recognized training system to create an actual nursing ‘profession’ This era was such named the era of the ministering angel’ She worked to elevate nursing from the time of Florence Nightingale. During much of the 20th Century there was little progress with the imbalance of male to female care professions, even with the introduction of the INS women still made up the majority of the workforce in the INS with the male professions making up the majority of top rank Jobs, such as surgeons and insulates, much higher paid, recognized and respected professions. Domestic service of all kinds was the single largest employer of women (40 per cent of female occupations stated in the census of 1851 in provincial cities and 50 per cent in London). The textile and clothing sectors came a close second (http:// www. BBC. Co. UK/history/British/Victorians/women’s_work_OLL . SHTML) A greater number of women than men choose Job roles in the care industry. Ann Oakley refers to this as being the influence of gender oscillation and the women’s domestic role in the home throughout history. This fact adds to the divide between men and women in the health and social care sector with statistics showing that in 2010 for an example, women made up 74% of the workforce in the INS and men only 26%. Even the most educated women earn less than men, women generally receive a lower return on their education and workplace discrimination against women is reflected in pay irrespective of educational level. In 2009 the BAM report was released, highlighting the inequality in male and female salaries within the health care industry. An average gap of El 5,245 between men and women in the same reversions. â€Å"Our results show that men and women with identical experience and expertise are paid differently – which suggests evidence of discrimination† (BAM 2009) It seems women are discriminated against due to her weakness in her ability to move. How to cite Discuss the ways in which women’s domestic role, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Cases and Materials in Company Law

Question: Discuss about the Cases and Materials in Company Law. Answer: Introduction: The doctrine of separate legal identity of the company is a basic principle of the law and that is applicable in most parts of the world. In accordance with this principle, the law treats a corporation as a distinct entity that is separate from its members. The rule of the separate identity of a company can be found throughout the company law and there are widespread practical and theoretical implications of this doctrine of company law. In the present assignment, the concept of separate legal identity will be evaluated and at the same time, the decision given Salomon's case will also be examined. However this examination will be made in view of the statement according to which the doctrine of corporate entity is like a boomerang and it can also give back the person who is trying to use it. Therefore, with the above applicable case law, the principle of separate legal identity of company has been evaluated and at the same time, the limits that have been placed on corporate entity hav e also been examined. Generally it is said that the doctrine of corporate entity is a double-edged sword. The court had illustrated the doctrine of separate entity in the case titled R v Arnaud (1846). The brief facts of this case are that a registering authority had refused to register a ship due to the reason that some foreigners were among the owners of the ship. The owner of the ship was a British chartered company but its members included some foreigners. In this case, the court made in order that they registering authority should register the ship on the grounds that owner of the ship was the British company instead of members (Farrar, 1998). However the landmark decision related with the principle of separate entity is considered as decision given Salomon v Salomon Co Ltd (1896). In this case, the separate identity of the company was confirmed and a company has to be treated as having a distinct legal personality. The very facts of this case are that the Salomon had sold his shoe business to the company that was created by him under the Companies Act. The company was registered under the Act and the members of the company were Mr. Salomon and the members of his family. Particularly, fully paid shares and debentures were received by Mr. Salomon up to the value of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¡10,000 and later on, he assigned them to another party. After some time, the business of the company declined and the company went into insolvency. The liquidators tried to hold Mr. Salomon responsible for the debts of the company and it was argued by them that the transaction was a fraud committed on the creditors of the company and therefore, Mr. Salomon should not be allowed by the law to benefit from the transaction. At the same time, it was also argued by the liquidator that the compa ny was merely an agent of Mr. Salomon and therefore, Mr. Salomon is required to indemnify the company as well as its creditors. However while deciding the case, the House of Lords arrived at the decision that the Salomon did not have any liability towards the company nor to its creditors. But in this regard, it needs to be noted that in this case, the House of Lords has not really only decided that Salomon Co. was a company that has been duly incorporated according to the Companies Act, 1862 (UK) although the seven shareholders of the company were not truly independent. However all the statutory requirements mentioned in this regard have been satisfied as the company had seven shareholders. In view of the decision given by the House of Lords in this case, the following four points follow from the proposition that the companies that have been duly incorporated, enjoyed a separate legal identity. These are that the property of the company is company's property and similarly the debt of the company is also the debt of the company. Similarly, the company can enter into a contract with its members and outsiders and torts and crimes can be committed by the companies. The above-mentioned four points have been reasserted in a number of cases. Similarly, arguments can be given in favor of as well as against the decision given in Salmon's case. It also needs to be noted that by applying the principle of separate entity, only beneficial effects have been produced for the shareholders however, the application of this principle may result in a disadvantage for the third parties, particularly the creditors of the company (Sealy, 1996). Therefore, in several situations, the courts and the legislature have intervened where the application of the principle of separate entity can be abused or where the application of this principle may result in unjust consequences. This is called the lifting of the corporate veil. The application of this principle does not mean that suddenly the company is considered as not being incorporated but the meaning of this principle is that the fact of the incorporation of a company will be ignored by the court in order to decide in certain circumstances that in case of a particular transaction, it has been decided by the court or the legislature that the will not be considered as having a distinct identity (Pennington, 1995). The decision is always difficult for the courts whether to lift the corporate veil in a particular case or not. In such a case, the court has to decide where the loss should lie. As discussed above in Salmon's case and also in Lee v Lee's Air Farming Ltd (1961), if by simply applying the principle of separate entity, may cause extreme results. With the passage of time, the courts have moved away from the strict application of the principle provided in Salmon's case in order to deal with the difficult situations so that they can adopt a more int erventionist approach while trying to achieve justice under certain circumstances. On the basis of the above mentioned the decision, it can be said that the courts may decide to pierce the veil of incorporation under the following circumstances. For example in case of a fraud or sham, the court may decide to guess the corporate veil (Adams v Cape Industries Plc., (1990). Such a situation takes place when the principle of separate legal entity has been used by the individuals for doing something which they have personally bound to do. In the same way, the court may decide to pierce the veil if the Court has recognized an agency relationship. When the subsidiary has been treated as an agent of the holding company, the court may be as the veil and in this way, say that the holding company is liable for the debts of the subsidiary. Apart from the two main circumstances that have been mentioned above, the court may also decide to pierce the corporate veil in cases like the evasion of legal obligations or paramount public interest (Gilford Motor Company Ltd v Horne, 1933 ). Therefore it can be said that the corporate veil can be lifted by the courts and the principle of separate legal entity can be ignored by the records and justice requires the court to do so. In the end, it can be said that the principal that has been established by the court in Salmon's case can be considered as a double-edged sword. Numerous debates have been going on regarding this principle and therefore the question is also often raised if the positive effects of this principle overweigh the negative effects, has not been answered yet due to the reason that it is far too broad (Jones v Lipman, 1962). However despite facing criticism, it can be said regarding the principle of separate entity that this principle has played an important role in developing modern capitalism and at the same time, this principle has also helped in generating social and economic wealth. At the same time, it can also be said that the principle of separate entity enjoys a very significant position under the company law and this situation should never be changed. In certain cases, the circumstances can be quite complex and as a result, if the principle of separate entity is applied strictly, it may result in apparently unfair results. However with a view to defend justice in some cases, the legislature is required to forge a sledgehammer that can crack open the corporate shell. It has also been stated that without a statutory assistance generally the courts have shown their readiness to lift the corporate veil and impose liability on the members and the directors of the corporation. Therefore, the principle of separate legal identity has been ignored by the courts in the number of cases, for example when it is of paramount significance to protect the interests of the public or where the company has been formed only with a view to evade legal obligations. References Farrar John H, 1998, Farrar's company law, 4th ed., London: Butterworth. Pennington Robert R., 1995, Company Law, 7th ed., Butterworths. Sealy LS, 1996 Cases and Materials in Company Law, 6th ed., Butterworths. Adams v Cape Industries Plc (1990) Ch 443. Gilford Motor Company Ltd v Horne [1933] Ch 935. Jones v Lipman [1962] 1 WLR 832. Lee v Lee's Air Farming Ltd [1960] UKPC 33. R v Arnaud (1846) 9 QB 806. Salomon v Salomon Co Ltd [1896] UKHL 1.

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss Essay Example

The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss Paper Abstract This paper analyzes the organizational structure and design of the world’s largest brand-name apparel marketers, Levi Strauss Company. The concepts of hierarchy, change management, and employee involvement applications will be discussed, along with the organization’s environment and competitive strategies. The premise of this paper is the accomplishment of this organizational mode Levi Strauss for change and the ultimate success of the company’s transformation. Levi Strauss and Company was founded in 1853 and since has become a household name in the trouser industry. They are the world’s largest producer of brand-name clothing and the second largest maker of jeans in the United States. Levi Strauss started the tradition of being an apparel innovator and today, the company still upholds the commitment to offering products that are right for every generation. Levi Strauss mission statement is to seek to reflect the voices of the communities where they have a business presence and make a difference by addressing tough social issues and empowering people to solve their own problems and those of their communities The values of Levi Strauss and Company are the foundation of the company. We will write a custom essay sample on The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Organizational Study of Levi Strauss specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is what defines them and sets them apart from the competition, sets the vision for the future, the business strategies and the decisions that are made. The four core values are empathy, originality, integrity, and courage. When they talk of empathy, they are walking in other people’s shoes. Their success comes from listening to what consumers want and meeting their needs of the consumers, retail customers, shareholders and employees. The company’s long-standing traditions of community involvement and employee volunteerism continue today which contribute to their commercial success. Authenticity and innovation is what makes Levi’s an original. The jeans have been worn by generations who incorporated them into their own sense of style. The ethical conduct and social responsibility illustrates the integrity that the company holds for always doing the right thing. The commercial success maintains the company’s beliefs and behaviors which motivates customers trust and loyalty. And lastly, the company has the courage to always stands up for what they believe in, whether it is challenging accepted practices or conventional perception. Their ultimate goal for Levi Strauss is making the company more competitive by implementing a number of business turnaround strategies and by changing the process of how they develop, deliver, and market the products. The organization markets their products under the leading brand names such as Levi’s, Dockers, and Signature. These are the most widely recognized brands in the apparel industry. The company’s organizational level analysis begins with their strategy. The corporate citizenship states a strong belief in the company which can shape society through civic engagement and community involvement, responsible labor and workplace practices, charity, ethical conduct, and environmental awareness. The four core values of the company’s mission statement of empathy, originality, integrity and courage sum up the long-term purpose of the company’s goal Levi Strauss for successful strategy and transformation. Levi Strauss developed and implemented a sourcing program in 1991 that incorporates value in working with stakeholders for improvement of working conditions in factories that produce their products, and a Levi Strauss in the communities where these are located at. They were able to gather valuable information and maximize positive effects by working with other companies and key stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations, local governments and trade unions. Other memberships and working groups that this organization is a part of are The Business for Social Responsibility, American Apparel and Footwear Association, and The U. S. Council for International Business. Information technology assisted the organization by obtaining a sharper customer focus and helping management make better decisions. Levi Strauss was able to acquire detailed knowledge and understanding of their customer base, which in turn, provided products which brought back interest in the Levi’s brand. With the Information Technology revolution, Levi’s Jeans even designed a jean with a docking station in the pocket to place one’s IPOD. Last year, they a Levi Strauss produced a mobile phone with a range of denim cases to choose from. The ideas of merging fashion and technology came from customer feedback and satisfaction. The Levi Strauss and Company Technology Center has eighty employees and is responsible for the research and development, design, engineering and manufacture of specialized sewing equipment for Levi Strauss plants. In 1999, they purchased MK Manufacturing Software which managed centralized purchasing operations for the United States and Canada factories and to support the manufacturing and inventory of the machines used to make Levi Jeans. In the company’s ransformation and structural change, they have managed to modify the entire process of how they develop, deliver and market their products by making their products more innovative and appealing to customers. They expanded the licensing programs so they can offer more product ranges; and they a Levi Strauss improved the economics of brands for the customers. Lastly, they improved the operational efficiency by implementing new business planning and performance mode Levi Strauss that clarifies roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. The end result was steady sales and profitability for the company. The main focus of the company’s human resource management is conducting activities designed to fit cultural differences and career development of employees. The employees must attend classes that teach the company’s objectives, values and ethics, and a Levi Strauss how to understand the lifestyle and background of people. The company a Levi Strauss expresses concern for the employee’s work and family life by helping them balance their responsibilities. The company’s corporate culture purpose is ethical conduct and a strong commitment to social responsibility. The company developed an Aspiration Statement which specified their commitment to communication and ethical management practices. Those that followed and abided by it received recognition and empowerment. They value the diversity of employee’s backgrounds, experience and knowledge, and welcome the ethnic, cultural, and lifestyles of the communities where the employees live and work. Levi Strauss installed self managed teams which increase performance, improve the quality of the products, and promote originality level Levi Strauss. The organizational system refers to the members in making team decisions, which in turn, increase effectiveness, sense of responsibility and ownership of the work. T. Gary Roger is the Chairman of the Board. John Anderson is the President and CEO. And Hans Ploos van Amstel is the Chief Financial Officer. The organization knows they still have work to be done in order to stay on top and continue to be the most worn line of clothing in the world. Their value-driven competitiveness and major transformations has definitely set the standard in becoming a successful company. The biggest challenge and uncertainty is the massive change in the world, and what customers want. Customers are becoming more demanding and suppliers are abundant. The company is in the process of remaking Levi’s for the 21st century. They set targets for the new design and implementation. They are researching what the organization should look like and what the customers expect. By listening carefully to not only the consumers, by the employees themselves, the work and concepts will be built to everyone’s satisfaction. Levi Strauss: Product Life Cycle Levi Strauss has gone discount. We see this change in distributors such as Wal-mart, Kmart and JCPenny. This is indication that Levi is in the decline stage of the product life cycle. At this point there is a downturn in the market. For example more innovative products are introduced or consumer tastes have changed. There is intense price-cutting and many more products are withdrawn from the market. Profits can be improved by reducing marketing spend and cost cutting. Efficient Vs. Learning Levi Strauss has a Horizontal structure. This dominant structure consists of the following: ? Shared tasks, empowerment ? Relaxed hierarchy, few rules Horizontal, face-to-face communication ? Many teams and task forces ? Decentralized decision making This type of structure as we will further discuss is functional with cross functional team integers is decentralized but lacks stability, efficiency, control and reliability. Intervention Strategy: Levi Strauss Company Change of an organization structure and ability to adapt occurs when three elements are in place simultaneously: (1) dissatisfaction with the present situation, (2) a compelling vision of how the change will create a better future; (3) first steps for reaching the vision. If any of these elements is missing or collectively they are less powerful than the resistance to the change, then change will not take place. Thus the first part of an intervention focuses on creating a common database and the foundation for the dissatisfaction. Following that, the intervention moves to creating a future that is far more desirable than that which caused the dissatisfaction. It ends with participants developing and implementing steps that are necessary for moving the organization and themselves forward. We chose to focus on a large group intervention process facilitated by outside consultant OD practitioners. Reason for this is to dismantle the group think and develop strategic ideas that would be innovative and effective. Desired Outcomes: ?Prepare, Practice and Participant in the change process ? Gain a better understanding of the business, customers, what we sell, and whose needs the products meets ? Levi Strauss vision are effectively communicated ?Renew individual Levi Strauss and organization spirit Begin thinking globally, internally and externally The goal of this intervention is to elicit feedback and input from all members of the organization, develop an effective annual plan based on the proposed long range plan. It should be designed to accommodate full and part-time members and administers to a one-day event which should include over 95 percent participation. This would allow all members to engage in whole system conversations since many employees come from different parts of the system. Implementation of change management activities Perhaps the primary means to directly implement change is for the leaders to forcefully create a sense of urgency. Many organization fail at change management because of lack of communication, failure to define objectives, project management problems, technical issue and inexperience in scope and complexity. Levi has emphasized quality, being socially responsible, and hiring the most talented people the firm can recruit. The value of each individual, the effective leadership of work groups and the success of enterprise has been the emphasis at Levi Strauss since founded. However like any other organizations, Levi has had its problems. Being slow to adopt to new fashion trends, Levi is struggling with generation gap problem. In 2003, Levi closed it last U. S plant and decided to focus on manufacturing outside because of the cheaper cost of labor (www. levistrauss. com). Levi has attempted to attract 14-17 year olds without turning off older people and as Levi plotted along fashion shifts occurred and passed Levi. As result many young people will not wear Levi and many hardly know about the brand at all. These are problems that create uncertainty in the organization leading management to rethinks it position and develop new strategy to remain competitive. We decided to have an effective change management strategy Levi could implement an Open Space intervention. Open space is a large-group process that helps participants focus energy on issues or opportunities of interest, and collectively design appropriate courses of action. Although it works with as few as 8 participants, Open Space is considered a large-group intervention because it works equally well with hundreds of participants. This simple, but very powerful framework creates the right conditions for Levi Strauss management team and provides a dynamic process of discussion and cooperation. Every single participant who contributes with his knowledge and experience influences the end result. Because participants in an Open Space Conference all participate actively, and talk to others regardless of function or background, creates a high level of employee involvement, commitment among participants and much networking across boundaries, usually resulting in a much deeper understanding of the issues as stake well as new ideas about the way forward. Levi Strauss Competitive Strategy-Using Michael Porter’s Five Forces A competitive assessment consists of an analysis using Porter’s Five Forces of Competition. The Five Forces of competition shape every industry and every market. The Five Forces Model is based on microeconomics, and is an extension of the SWOT analysis. This model is an important tool for analyzing organizations’ industry structure and strategy. Michael E. Porter identified five competitive forces that determine the intensity of competition and the attractiveness of any industry. Porter’s model is based on the insight that a corporate strategy should meet the opportunities and threats in an organizations external environment. The model accounts for supply and demand, complementary products and substitutes, volume and cost production, and market structure. We will analyze the industry using Porter’s model. The five forces of competition are illustrated below: Threat of New Entrants Competitive Rivalry Between Existing Players Bargaining Power of Customers Threat of Substitutes Bargaining Power of Suppliers The collective strength of these five forces determines the ability of a firm to gain market share in the apparel industry. Once an analysis has been conducted, managers can search for options to influence these forces in the interest of the organization. In the apparel industry, an organizations’ main objective is to reduce competitive forces. In detail, the five forces are illustrated in the following paragraphs (www. valuebasedmanagement. net). New Entrants Porters indicates new entrants pose a threat due to increases level capacity afforded. For example, suppliers could drive prices down and cut into profits. We have noticed this with Levi’s joint ventures with Wal-mart and JcPenny. More importantly the chance of new comers entering to market depends upon two variables, the barriers to entry and probability. The barriers for apparel industry includes economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements, switching costs, accessibility of distribution channels and competing firms which includes learning curves and location. Rivalry The intensity of rivalry among existing competitors depends upon the level of saturation within the industry. For example, for one organization to gain market share they must take it from a competitors, the level of rivalry that exist is high, often resulting in retaliation and price wars. Rivalry may stem from a variety of source which has numerous and equally balanced competitors, slow industry growth, high fixed or storage costs and overproduction and high exit barriers. Bargaining Power of the Customer Historically, the bargaining power of apparel retailers went unchallenged. Fortunately, globalization of the free world and the increased availability of foreign products have increased the bargaining power of the customer. In the appeal industry, consumer markets and foreign competition forces prices down. Thus, the bargaining power of consumer market determines how much pressure it can impose on margins and volumes. Customers a Levi Strauss possess a credible backward integration threat resulting in the purchase from a rival/foreign company. However, due to worldwide economic strain it’s becoming more difficult for Levi to maintain its selling power and to remain economically diverse overall, customers do not have much buying power, as they never purchase in large volume. Here are some ways Levi Strauss can reduce the bargaining power of customers: ? Partnering ?Supply chain management ?Increase loyalty ?Increase incentives and value ?Move purchase decision away from price Threat of Substitutes The treat substitute of competition occurs if multiple products are found to perform the same function. Levi must recognize the customer is no longer bound to one product or rely of customer loyalty. They must consider price, availability and quality to avoid loss of market share. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Materials, production, operation cost and capital are necessary for any production process. For example, suppliers comprise all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. Levi Strauss buyer/supplier relationship is crucial to attain growth in the apparel/retail market. Normally, the strength of a supplier affects an industry’s profitability, and they can exert a major influence on a firm’s goods and services. However, the suppliers bargaining power in the apparel industry is very low. The apparel retail supply business is quite fragmented. Many suppliers relies one or two distributors to buy a majority of their products. If decided to switch suppliers, it would be devastating to the previous supplier’s business. As a result, suppliers are extremely susceptible to the demands and requirements of the apparel manufacture. SWOT Analysis This was a SWOT provided for Levis Strauss acquired off the web and was most useful. Levi Strauss as the conclusion we thought SWOT was the best way to conclude with the Competitive assessment of Levi Strauss Company. The analysis will present Levi Strauss’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strength Strong Brand Image Good Distribution Market Leader in Western Europe Good market position and partnership Efficient human resource management Weaknesses Quality Retail sales network is too big and inefficient Niche demand Multi-brand strategy and full range market presence is cost-intensive Opportunities Better acceptance of Levi Strauss Brand The strong market position in China is a guarantee for prosperous future Partnership with Mal-mart Threats Lower Priced Asian apparel The stock price evaluations, unattractiveness of the old economy Decline Stage of life cycle Competitive Strategy Critique First, environmental uncertainty means that managers do not have sufficient information about environmental factors to understand and predict environmental needs and changes. (Environment here refers to more than the physical environment, such as pollution or hurricanes. It a Levi Strauss involves the economic, sociocultural, technological, legal phenomenon that affects the operation of the business (www. soi. org). Companies have to make an effort to adapt to the rapid changes in the environment. The environment creates uncertainty for managers, who must respond by designing the organization to respond to adapt to the environment. Managers use several strategies to counter environmental uncertainty. They may use boundary spanners to link and coordinate the organization with key elements in the environment. Boundary spanners detect and process information about changes in the environment, and then they represent the organizations interest to the environment. They help to synchronize the activities of the organization to therapid changes in the environment. Some of their roles include scanning the technological horizon to detect any changes, sourcing information on competitors and getting feedback from suppliers and customers. Another strategy is the use of interorganizational partnerships where separate businesses make a collaborative approach to riding the wave of changes that stem from environmental uncertainty. Instead of going in all out competition, businesses now form alliances, sharing information through networks to ensure that they all have more information about the environment than if they had collected info on their own we see this with Levi’s positioning in Wal-Mart stores. Structural Form of Levi Strauss Company Levis Strauss led the way of flatter hierarchies, cultural diversity, empowerment, quality and globalization. Levis chosen structural form of nonhierarchical organizations have many advantages over their competitives that use conventional methods. For example, experience and expertise are often shared; creativity and new ideas are fostered, tested and discussed. These organizations are more cohesive and collaborate; empowerment is a key feature; and it can be highly supportive of multiple stakeholders in global environments. However, the chosen structure is more likely to have higher Group think’. Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking or the herd mentality can prevail; implementing decisions can be difficult since flatter organizations serve multiple constituencies and stakeholders; and many flatter organizations are team-based organizations, often geographically dispersed and electronically networked. Levi Strauss: Diagnosing the organization’s culture Culture is perhaps the most important characteristics in an organization. The first step in cultural analysis is describing the culture of the organization. Levi Strauss Company is often describing as being parentalistics. The framework is considered Clan culture, for example the figure below provides the framework matrix of four type’s cultures of which we based our analogy. Flexibility and Discretion ClanAdhocrachy Internal Focus and IntegrationExternal Focus and Differentiation HierarchyMarket Stability and Control The Hierarchy Culture key values center on maintaining efficient, reliable, fast, smooth-flowing production, for example many fast food organization fall within the section. The Market Culture core values are competitiveness and productivity. We see Market Cultures generally in manufacturing companies such as general electric. The Adhocracy Culture is temporary characterized by a dynamic, entrepreneurial and creative workplace. For example military, NASA would be considered part of this section. Levi Strauss currently has a Clan Culture. The Clan Culture is like an extended family where shared values and goals, cohesion, participation, individuality, and a sense of togetherness exist within the Levi Strauss organization. The primary strategic implication of a culture should be a source of competitive advantage to the organization (www. coachingandmentoring. com). Critique: Levi Strauss Organization Environment Adaption The rapidity and volume of changes have resulted in less lead time for management to analyze changes in their organizations external environment and to formulate appropriate strategies. In addition, the risks and uncertainty involved in implementing a particular strategy or set of strategies have intensified. In summary, the turbulence in the apparel industry from the change in customers taste and the circumstances that lead to external environment challenges has an effect on the decision makers and how they effectively anticipate changing conditions. Recommendations It is recommended that employees be made aware of the competitive position of the industry in relation to its competitors; competitive related information must be fed to all staff regularly. Management and employees need to be sensitive to customer needs, trends and what the competition is doing. This should create a sense of discomfort within the organization and make members of the organization aware that things always change and that there is always rivalry in the apparel industry competing for customers. Senior management need to reduce the levels of complacency by continually speaking of changes in the industry and that the absence of a visible crisis should not create comfort in the minds of employees. The leadership of Levi Strauss needs to inspire employees, acting with honesty and integrity. It is recommended that a planned and coordinated change management intervention be developed to focus on strategic change. Middle management needs to also be involved in these initiatives with trust existing between all levels of management, which is visibly noticed by all employees. It is strongly recommended that the organization formulate a vision for the change process during the planning phase. Employees need to understand what the business look and feel like after the change process. It is recommended that management formulate and communicate the master plan for the business. A specific vision and mission needs to be created and communicated. The gap between the current state and future state needs to be highlighted. It is recommended that any future communications relating to the alignment project include the vision for the change and the strategic significance. Communications should enhance the driving forces for change and reduce all retraining forces. Senior management needs to review their communications plan and strategies and need to measure the effectiveness. The communications plan needs to include the context of the change taking place. Future change interventions need to be honest, open and take into account the audience by being simple and straightforward. Communications need to be frequent and need to motivate more employees to participate in the process by creating enthusiasm. Reference: Cameron, K (2007) Diagnosing and Changing Organization Culture, Retrieved June 5, 2008, www. coachingandmentoring. com Lima Tony, (2006), Five Forces Model Porter, Retrieved June 2008, www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_porter_five_forces. html N. A, Levi Strauss Company Fact Sheet, Retrieved June 2, 2008, www. valuebasedmanagement. net/Downloads/CompanyFactSheet. pdf