Understanding of Change Concepts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Understanding of Change Concepts - Research Paper Example Understanding of Change Concepts In addition to, if the change managers in an organization are dysfunctional, this will hinder the probability of successful change. This paper explains theories that can be adopted to monitor and evaluate the change process in an organization. The Drivers of Change There has been a paradigm shift in organizational change as from a gradual to a continuous process. Continous change means that there new things happening in a never ending fashion. It is therefore imperative for firms to develop a culture that facilititates the exploitation of change as a competitive advantage. Change is driven by three aspects which include extensive globalization, technological advancements and growing customer expectations. Globalization leads to increased competitition, exposure to global economic presssure and more complicated trade policies. With regards to technological advances, companies should keep up with the changes in their respective industries and changes in the market trends. Finally, ther e has been an increase in customers’ expections owing to growing customer awareness and value for money. The Grieving Model for Change This model was brought forward by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross who asserts that change evokes emotions similar to those experienced during the grieving process. Her work of the grieving process draws numerous equivalents to change. Basicallly, the grieving process goes through five main steps which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression as well as acceptance. (Kubler-Ross & Kessler, 2007). Change managers must acknowledge that the change process may have a stressful effect on staff members. There are common cases of employee resistance and this calls for managers to prepare them suitably for the change(Kubler-Ross & Kessler, 2007). It has been noted that during the change process the employees are predisposed to concentrate too much on process characteristic s forgetting the impacts of change. Managing this requires outstanding and practiced leade rship skills. Cohen’s Concepts of Organizational Change Preparedness Risk taking is an inherent feature of leaders in the 21st century , most importantly when dealing with change. Nevertheless, leaders are highly cautioned to undertake in calculated and cautious risk taking when handling change (Cohen, 2005; Judge, 2012). Change leaders must ensure that the company has the right resources and is well prepared for the change. The leaders should so see to it that the process goes through the stipulate stages for successful completion. Judge’s Organizational Capacity for Change This model which defines the aspects of an organization’s capacity for change is based on the idea that leaders should concentrate on innovation for the future as well as be skilled at responding to issues facing companies in the contemporary world (Judge, 2012). It has been observed that although leaders have the necessary skills, they lack the necessary innovation approaches. It is imperat ive for change managers to be spontaneous and readily adjust to the change the determines success of the organization. Change leaders should be in a position to manage the eight dimensions of leadership that are important for effective change management. The first four dimensions focus on human skills while the last four focus on practices within the organization. The eight dimensions include: trustworthy leaders, cooperative followers, capable champions, systems

Crime and punishment morally ambigous character Essay Example for Free

Crime and punishment morally ambigous character Essay Several morally ambiguous characters played different vital roles in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In fact, most characters illustrated in this twisted novel can be evaluated as possesing good and evil qualities. Sonia Marmeladov is especially ambiguous and important in this novel. Her contradicting social and moral statuses along with her contrasting roles as a saintly liberator and sinner allowed Sonia to play a crucial role throughout the novel. Not only that but her character further strengthens the theme of religious awakening. At times Sonias character becomes hard to categorize as good or evil because of her actions. The first descriptions the reader gets of Sonia are from her drunk father, Marmeladov. She has lived her life with little money, poor housing conidtions described as having every sign of povery (294). Sonia tries to make an honest living by making linen shirts but do you suppose that a respectable poor girl can earn much by hard work? Not fifteen farthings a day can she earn(15). Not merely enough to support a family along with her drunk fathers habits. So Sonia eventually becomes a prositute in order to to support her family and gains a yellow ticket (16) This is what gained Sonia her title as a sinner and which puts her character at question. However, Marmeladov explains to Raskolnikov how Sonia goes to them mostly after dark, she comforts Katerina Ivanorna and gives her all she can( 16). This part of Sonias character depicts her as a loving daughter willing to sacrifice herself to save her family. This portrayal in some ways resembles Christ as He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. He sarcrificed himself as she sacrifies herself. Does that change the fact that she is committing a sin? No of course not and that is exactly where the conflict of her morality takes place. The world sees her in such an attire(163)which puts her to shame in her guady finery (163) Yet the reader sees a young, timid girl who was pushed to take drastic decisions in her life. It is Sonias actions which are evil but her purpose and pure soul make her more saintly than most of the characters in the novel. Because her character plays this role, it is her who helps Raskolnikov find his religious faith and who leads him to finally come clean later on in the book. Another circumstance where Sonya is morally ambiguous is where she has to decide to either have a relationship with Raskolnikov, or leave him out of the picture when he tells her that it is he who murdered the pawnbroker. Sonya knows that it is right to help Raskolnikov because he could be lost and go even deeper into his madness. However, Sonya knows that Raskolnikov is a killer and it would be wrong to be associated with somebody who knowingly commits sins as extravagant as murder. Sonya is also aware that Raskolnikov has issues and his madness could drive him to do other things that could lead to even worse consequences. Sonia does tell Raskolnikov that he must turn himself in and confess his sins but she also hugs him and kisses him as to comfort him. Her odd response is to tell Raskolnikov I will follow you, I will follow you everywhere Ill follow you to Siberia (407). As she tries to find a valid excuse as to why he killed those women, she finds that there was no good intentions in his mind, yet she still sticks by Raskolnikovs side. This response leaves the reader wondering whether Sonia is doing this to help a lost soul and play her role as a saintly liberator or does her love blind her and is she simply not caring that what Raskolnikov committed was murder. However, even though the last part of the book depicts Sonia as an accomplice to a morally wrong crime, the epilogue illustrates her as a saintly liberator. In Siberia, the image which she carried back in part one and part two of the book are stripped and she is loved by the prisoners in the camp. They even called her â€Å"little mother Sofya Semyonovna†(538), and although it is clearly stated that Sonia herself did nothing special to be liked, their preference for her depicts that they sensed her moral â€Å"goodness. † Without direct statement, Sonia herself was the reason why Raskolnikov felt in some way his religious reawakening. Through her unconditional love, she and her role made this â€Å"story of a gradual renewal of a man† (542) happen. Dostoevsky theme of religion was carried on and developed by Sonia’s character through her moral ambiguity. Though her character appears to be immoral in several cases, in the epilogue the reader sees how it all comes together and how Doestoevsky uses Sonya illustrates important social and political issues that were of concern to him, such as the treatment of women, the effects of poverty, the importance of religious faith, and the importance of devotion to family.

Preserving Indigenous Languages English Language Essay

Preserving Indigenous Languages English Language Essay Many times when you are asked to describe your heritage it may not include language. In the United States we assume every person born here just speaks English because it is the nationally recognized language. We expect to walk into the grocery store and be able to carry on a conversation with the cashier or ask an individual for help. This is not the case everywhere. Many places such as Oaxaca, Mexico have more than one recognized native language. Many native Indians cannot expect to walk into town and have the cashier at the store speak the same language as them. The issue of language preservation is increasing extensively by the years. Language plays a hefty roll in culture, it has an extensive background, factors working against and for the preservation, and whether we like to acknowledge it or not plays a significant role within our government. Many of us do not realize how important something as simple as language really is. In the world today there are currently between 6-10,000 different languages and this all depends on what is considered a dialect vs. a language (Vazquez). This does not include the unknown languages or the ones that are already lost. Oaxaca is a state of great linguistic diversity. There are 16 indigenous languages and 17 including Spanish that are recognized in Oaxaca (Vazquez). Those however are only the languages the government recognizes. The recognized indigenous languages of Oaxaca consist of; Nà ¡huatl (the languages of 1 million speakers throughout central Mexico),Zapoteca (spoken by 400,000 people and has 5 regional dialects), Mixteca (320,000 speakers and 29 dialects throughout Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla), Mazateca (spoken by 150,000 people in Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla), Chinanteco (6 dialectal variants and 77,000 speakers), Mixe (70,000 speakers and 4 dialects), Amuzgo (spoken in Oaxaca and Guerrero by approximately 20,000 people), Chatino (20,000 speakers and 3 dialec ts), Zoque (spoken in Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco by 20,000 speakers), Chicateco (14,000 speakers), Popolaca (has 12,000 speakers in Puebla and Oaxaca), Chontal (2 dialects and 10,000 speakers), Huave (10,000 speakers in southwest Oaxaca), Triqui (8,000 speakers throughout Oaxaca, Mexico City, Baja California, Sonora and the U.S), Chocho (3,000 speakers in Oaxaca), and Ixcateco (just 2,000 speakers in Oaxaca) (Languages used in Oaxaca, Mexico). As you can see there are a variety and dialects of indigenous languages in Oaxaca. There are many forces that work against the preservation of languages and even fewer forces that are working to preserve it. This creates a large issue for the indigenous peoples. Language shift or language death can be sudden or gradual due to colonization and globalization (Vazquez). Schooling is not an option in Oaxaca it is required however, there are very few forces to ensure education is received. When Children from villages and small towns attend school, they are taught in the nationally recognized language of Spanish. Many children who many have learned their native language are then forced to learn another language. Their parents cannot speak any language other than the native language, leaving the children as translators with the rest of the world. In Oaxaca, approximately 10-15% do not speak Spanish, 70% are bilingual, and only 15% speak only Spanish (Vazquez). The American idea encourages being bilingual in Mexico and this can have a negative effect. The act of being able to communicate with persons outside of your family is done through Spanish, not Triqui or Mixe, etcetera. Globalization teaches people that their native language is useless, it ha s no value to the outside world, this concept gets into the villages where the elders quit teaching their native language in order to adapt to a new world. This concept not only is the idea of globalization, but the loss of experience. Globalization goes as far as to include those migrants to American who came from small villages. Those migrants are individuals who have come for work however, they must adapt to American culture, a culture that frowns upon the different languages and its a culture that expects outsiders to adapt to it. These migrants spend a great deal of time in America to return with money to their villages taking with them learned American culture to teach, this then adapts into the small villages with endangered languages. Another contributing factor to the loss of language is the outside world delegitimizing language. Many languages are unknown or unwritten. The unwritten languages are ignored as if they do not exist because they cannot be written. Many native speakers are not literate therefore the verbal form of language is their only form of communication; they have no need for written language. According to Dr. Vazquez unwritten languages are ignored but people continue to draw from languages they have delegitimized, add an accent, legitimize it and create a written word. This act not only begins to tell villagers, your language does not exist but it then tells them that since we as higher people have changed this it can now be a written word however, it still gives no credit to the idea that it was a language to begin with. The article Vanishing Voices refers to language as an identity, the ability of a person to represent himself. If people are no longer able to represent themselves, they are no longer able to communicate and they then begin to lose a part of their humanity. This is all part of the process of losing language. While there are factors working against the preservation of language, there are people who are working towards preserving it. The first step in the preservation of language is to increase literacy. The more people can read and write the more they are going to want to read and write within their own language. The increase of literacy leads to documentation of the language not only in written form but in electronic form via computers; there are many different projects towards preserving these languages. In 1987 the Oaxaca Native Literacy Project was founded by H. Russell Bernard and Jesus Salinas Pedraza (Foundation For Endgangerd Lanugages). The project began before its foundation, in 1971 Salinas and Bernard began working on a project to document the Nyahnyu culture in Nyahnyu. They developed a writing system for Nyahnyu and Salinas wrote four books about the culture of the people of the Mezquital Valley. In 1989 the books were published in English. In 1987, building on their book collaboration, Salinas and Bernard conceived of the Oaxaca Native Literacy Center a place where Indian people from around the Americas could learn to read and write their own languages using microcomputers. Their idea was for Indians to write, print and publish their own works, in their own languages, on topics of their choice. They would write their own histories and record their knowledge for their children and for all our children as well. The center began operation in 1989 with support from the Nat ional Bureau of Indian Education and the Center for Advanced Studies in Anthropology in Mexico; from the Interamerican Indian Institute and from the Jessie Ball Du Pont Foundation. Salinas runs the center, along with Josefa Gonzalez Ventura, a Mixtec Indian from Oaxaca. Together they train other Indians to use computers, to write and to print books in Indian languages. In 1993 the project incorporated as a not-for-profit organization called CELIAC the Centro Editorial de Literatura Indigena, A.C. The A.C. stands for Association Civil, which means not-for-for-profit corporation. All five board members of CELIAC are native speakers of Mexican Indian languages. In January 1994, CELIAC moved into its own building in Oaxaca. The building houses up to 16 persons. There are toilet facilities for men and women, an ample kitchen, office space, meeting rooms, and computer work rooms. Indigenous authors spend time in residence at CELIAC and CELIAC is now a publishing house for indigenous lite rature, written in indigenous languages. CELIAC markets its books to scholars, libraries, and individuals. Proceeds from the sale of the books help keep the project going. Books are sold directly by CELIAC and all funds go directly to the project. So far, over 150 people speakers of a dozen languages (Mixtec, Chinantec, Aymara, Quichua, and others) from countries across Latin America (Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador) have spent from four weeks to six months in residence at CELIAC (Foundation For Endgangerd Lanugages). The project is major in documenting languages electronically as well as increasing the ability of native speakers to become literate in their own language. According to Gasper Rivera, To keep a language alive, writing it is fundamental, (Mixtec Revival: Mexican Indigenous Language on the Rise). Oaxaca also has a Mexican government-funded Academy of the Mixtec Language that teaches Mixtec speakers how to read and write their language. Pà ©rez Castro explains that a written script for Mixtec will help inhabitants from different villages communicate with one another, since the creation of a standardized vocabulary will smooth over linguistic variants in the rugged countryside where the language originated (Mixtec Revival: Mexican Indigenous Language on the Rise). [The practical benefits of a written language are obvious, says Domà ­nguez. From public health messages to family correspondence, the writing of our language is a historical necessity. (Mixtec Revival: Mexican Indigenous Language on the Rise)]. Although the project ignores the different dialects of the Mixtec language, it does help decrease the illiteracy rating of the population. Language seems as though it would be strictly a cultural problem. Although it is a cultural problem, it is also a political issue. Many Politics are centralized around developing the culture as well as the language in which it is portrayed. The government is involved because it decides which languages are recognized languages. This creates a problem because the languages that are recognized receive more preservation efforts, where the languages that are not recognized are left to go extinct without a second thought by the government. Governments need to recognize all spoken languages and create efforts towards preserving them. A look back to biblical times tells us that at one time there was only one language. While this may seem the ideal it is not the case today. Throughout the years we have relied on recorded history to teach us about our ancestors and about cultures of the past. Where there has been a lack of recorded history we have relied on artifacts. We use these artifacts as a way to tell us about the lives and cultures of the past. How much easier it would be to communicate history and preserve a culture if these artifacts were accompanied by the written word. Literacy is the primary culprit to lost languages. As literacy becomes far more widespread, so will language preservation. Education is the foundation on which language preservation will stand. To preserve a language there must be education and literacy. This not only leads to people having pride in their culture but will also create a gateway in which to study these cultures in the future. Cultures that have widespread literacy are far mor e likely to survive and be passed on from generation to generation. Foundations such as CELIAC have recognized this need and are addressing the challenges however, this is just one foundation. Many more will be needed to accomplish the literacy challenge on a wide scale. Although education and literacy cannot guarantee that all languages will be preserved, it will most certainly give the future generations a way to study those cultures and languages that are lost.

A Hero, a King, and a Daemon Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

Gifted with the darkest attributes intertwined in his imperfect characteristics, Shakespeare’s Richard III displays his anti-hero traits afflicted with thorns of villains: â€Å"Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous / By drunken prophecies, libels, and dreams† (I.i.32-33). Richard possesses the idealism and ambition of a heroic figure that is destined to great achievements and power; however, as one who believes that â€Å"the end justifies the means†, Richard rejects moral value and tradition as he is willing to do anything to accomplish his goal to the crown. The society, even his family and closest friends, repudiate him as a deformed outcast. Nevertheless, he cheers for himself as the champion and irredeemable villain by turning entirely to revenge of taking self-served power. By distinguishing virtue ethics to take revenge on the human society that alienates him and centering his life on self-advancement towards kingship, Richard is the literary archetype of an anti-hero. Richard’s disdain for humane beliefs and customs (such as religion, marriage, and family) shows when he treats them as nothing more than empty forms – this further labels him as a demon of indiscipline and rebellion. He sees virtues as contrary to his power-thirsty nature and aim, which emphasizes his pathological shamelessness and lack of hremorse. With his charisma, he woos Lady Anne in order to disempower her, revealing his disregard towards the seriousnesss of murder and respect for women: â€Å"What though I killed her husband and her father?† (I.i.156). Richard shows his disrespect towards love and marriage as he becomes her husband â€Å" not so much for love / [but] for another secret close intent† (I.i.159-160) to benefit himself. In Act IV, Richard â€Å"prays† with ... ... bloody pathway to kingship. Filled with scorn against a society that rejects him and nature that curses him with a weakened body, Richard decides to take revenge and ultimately declares a war between himself and the world. By achieving goals for the mere sake of self-advancement, a self-made hero, an ambitious king, and an atrocious villain were created. Richard assumes that love forms a bond which men can break, but fear is supported by the dread of ever-present pain (Machiavelli ch. XXIV); thus, for true success the hero must be a villain too. Richard III becomes one of literature’s most recognized anti-heroes under the hands of Shakespeare as he has no objective or thought to take up any other profession than the art of hatred; however, ironically being a representative of a heroic ruler sent by God, he is made to commit murder to redeem society of their sins.

South Korean Economy Analyzed

South Korea in recent decades has been one of the most dynamic economies in the world. Over the period from 1965 to 1990, the rate of growth of per capita GNP was greater than that of any other country in the world (Watkins 1999). Major Korean enterprises such as Lucky Goldstar and Samsung are now common household brand names all over the world. As well, Hyundai and Daewoo, the two leading South Korean auto manufacturers, both offer products that are able to compete on the worldwide market along with other major car producers. In analyzing the South Korean economy, it is important to look at the various factors behind this remarkable success story. The boom and rapid expansion of the Korean economy is due largely in part to the radical changes and new policies introduced under the Park Chung Hee government of 1961-1979. Significant new economic policies included reinforcing the system of chaebol, creating a policy of import substitution with an export-led approach, fostering the development of industries designed to compete effectively in the world's industrial export markets, nationalizing the banks, as well as working on to educe Korea's large external debt. It is these policies, introduced throughout the 1960's and 70's, which caused a future boom in South Korea's economy and continue to influence it at the present day. One extremely important aspect of the South Korean economy is the concept of chaebol. Fathered by Park Chung Hee in the early 1960's, chaebol are conglomerates of many companies clustered around one holding company. The parent company is usually controlled by one family. It started off as a few specially selected large firms encouraged to tailor their growth and production targets to meet South Korean government objectives and were dependant on state-owned banks for the credit they needed to operate and grow. Government-chaebol cooperation was essential to the subsequent economic growth and astounding successes that began in the mid-1960's. The chaebol were able to grow because of two factors – foreign loans and special favors (Song 1997). Access to foreign technology also was critical to its growth throughout the 1970's and 80's. Under the guise of â€Å"guided capitalism†, the government selected companies to undertake projects and channeled funds from foreign loans. The government guaranteed repayment should a company be unable to repay its foreign creditors. Additional loans were made available from domestic banks. In the late 1980's, the chaebol dominated the industrial sector and were especially prevalent in maufacturing, trading, and heavy industries. Today, the chaebol remains the backbone of South Korea's economy. Examples of chaebol include Samsung, Daewoo, and Goldstar. To give an idea to how successful and powerful this economic concept evolved into, in 1983, the country's three largest corporations, all under the chaebol system, accounted for over a third of South Korea's entire Gross National Product (Ibid, p63). The 1960's saw the reduction of U. S. aid to South Korea, aid which had largely kept the country afloat for the past decade following the Korean War. This made feasible the import substitution strategy the Park Chung Hee government had established. Combining a policy of import substitution with an export-led approach, government policy planners selected a group of strategic industries to back, including electronics, shipbuilding, and automobiles. New industries were nurtured by making the importation of such goods difficult. When the new industry was on its feet, the government worked to create good conditions for its export. Incentives for exports included a reduction of corporate and private income taxes for exporters, tariff exemptions for raw materials imported for export production, business tax exemptions, and accelerated depreciation allowances (Kim 1997). This strategy was largely responsible for establishing Korea's strong export-led industries that exist today. Favorable conditions mean that there will always be a demand for their product, both domestically and overseas. In the latter part of Park's reign as president, he fostered the development of industries designed to compete effectively in the world's industrial export markets. These major strategic industries consisted of technology-intensive and skilled labor-intensive industries such as machinery, electronics, and shipbuilding. The plan stressed large heavy and chemical industries, such as iron and steel, petrochemicals, and nonferrous metal. As a result, heavy and chemical industries grew by an impressive 51. 8 percent in 1981 (Amsden 1992); their exports increased to 45. 3 percent of total output (Ibid, p103). These developments can be ascribed to a favorable turn in the export performance of iron, steel, and shipbuilding, which occurred because high-quality, low-cost products could be produced in South Korea. By contrast, the heavy and chemical industries of advanced countries slumped during the late 1970's. This strategy helped to establish South Korea's economic role as a major worldwide industrial exporter, even in a time of turmoil created by the OPEC debacle. It was a plan that was carried right through the 1980's and well into the 90's by successive governments, who recognized its formula for success. When Park took control in 1961, one of his first orders of business was to extend government control over business by nationalizing the banks. As well, he merged the agricultural cooperative movement with the agricultural bank. The government's direct control over all institutional credit further extended Park's command over the business community. The Economic Planning Board was created in 1961 and became the nerve center of Park's plan to promote economic development (Kearny 1991). The Board exists to this day; it is charged primarily with economic planning, as well as coordinating the economic functions of other government ministries. The Bank of Korea continues to exist as a government-controlled financial institution, operated by the Ministry of Finance. In 1975 South Korea was the fourth largest debtor among developing countries with external debt totaling nearly $47 billion U. S. (52 percent of GNP) (Kim 1997). The Park government used its substantial current account surpluses between 1976 and 1979 to reduce and even repay its foreign debt. South Korean banking institutions were banned from obtaining long-term bank loans until the end of the year. The government also reduced the availability of foreign currency loans. This strategy worked, and as a result, South Korea's gross foreign debt dropped to $29. billion U. S. in 1979 (Ibid, p. 74). The dramatic reduction of the debt by the Park government established a solid groundwork for economic growth and expansion by successive governments in the 1980's and 90's. Today, South Korea has in place solid debt management policies and has graduated from its status as a World Bank loan recipient. In analyzing the South Korean economy, it is not hard to see why it has developed into the world's 11th largest economic system (Song 1997). The truth is in the numbers. During the 1970's, some estimates indicate, Seoul had the world's most productive economy. The annual industrial production growth rate was about 25 percent (Ibid, p131); there was a fivefold increase in the GNP from 1965 to 1978 (Ibid, p131). In the mid-1970's, exports increased by an average of 45 percent a year (Ibid, p132). Today, it is a major exporter of electronics, heavy machinery, and automobiles. The remarkable success of this dynamic economy can be attributed to the radical new economic policies and changes brought about by the Park Chung Hee government of 1961-1979. Significant new economic strategies included developing the system of chaebol, creating the import-substitution policy, fostering the development of industries designed to compete in the world's industrial export markets, nationalizing financial institutions, as well as working on to reduce South Korea's large external debt. Successive governments continued to implement these policies and many are still in place today. South Korea is definitely an economic powerhouse to be reckoned with, and the world may still have yet to feel the wrath of this Asian Tiger.

Compare and Contrast Cost Estimating Techniques

The two types of cost estimating techniques that I am going to compare and contrast are parametric procedures applied to specific tasks and phase estimating. These two techniques are a part of bottom-up approaches but apply processes from top-down approaches. They both use techniques that allow for estimating projects by breaking down into sections. In comparison the parametric procedures breaks the projects down into specific tasks and the phase estimation breaks the projects down in a time line.Parametric procedures applied to specific tasks splits a project into portions and add labor and materials needed to decide the cost of a project’s tasks. For example to estimate the wall papering allowance on a house remodel, the contractor figured a cost of $5 per square yard of a wallpaper and $2 per yard of install it for a total cost of $7. By measuring the length and height of all the walls she was able to calculate the total area in square yards and multiply it by $7. (Larson & Gray, 2011)Phase estimating is used when an unusual amount of uncertainty surrounds a project and it is impractical to estimate times and cost for the entire project. Phase estimating uses a two-estimate system over the life of the project. A detailed estimate is developed for the immediate phase and a macro estimate is made for the remaining phases of the project. (Larson & Gray, 2011) In my opinion, parametric procedures applied to specific tasks is a much better approach. This approach allows for the project manager to plan for the project by tasks to be completed.Time management, attention to details, and communication is important in the approach. Although, this approach is a bit time-consuming it allows all parties involved in the completion of the project to be accountable for quotas prior projects being started. Although the phase estimating approach allow for planning a project in different time frames, unfortunately the customer will want an accurate estimate of schedule and cost the moment the decision is made to implement the project.

Voluntary Bribery essays

Voluntary Bribery essays Political Action Committees by definition are "associations of individuals who, exercising the First Amendment rights of political speech and association, advance their political and/or ideological goals by pooling their resources to make contributions and/or expenditures to affect the outcome of an election" (www.pacfinder.com). The fact that corporate America determines the outcomes of our elections, influences our law makers', and has all but total control over our government has been greatly concealed from the American public. The reason for this concealment is because Superclass leaders prefer to keep the existence of and details about the extent of their class-based power out of sight. Also, the above definition does not suggest that corporations are one of these superclass powers and that they have influence over political campaigns/elections. The truth however, of their existence in this process is clearly evident to the person who is seeking it. As former president Woodrow Wilson once observed, "the masters of the government of the United States are the combined capitalists and manufacturers of the U.S." (The New Class Society, Pg. 103). President Wilson's comments although correct, were frowned upon by the superclass and thusly his works and achievements have been greatly marginalized by the privileged-class-controlled mass media. This suggests that our elected officials are merely representatives of the superclass and once they act in a manner representing the working or poor-classes their power and influence is quickly undermined or outright removed. Current day political campaigns can be thought of as battles to an extent. The days of a person fighting for what he believes in are over. Times have shown the person with the most money and backers wins an election today. When we see a person on television running for a particular office, we just see him. What the vast majority of people do not see and are not al...

Critos Arguments to Plato Essays

Critos Arguments to Plato Essays Critos Arguments to Plato Essay Critos Arguments to Plato Essay Essay Topic: Arguments Although Crito has many valid and argumentative reasons for Socrates to escape, he is steadfast in his beliefs and dies a martyr. Crito has three main arguments for Socrates to escape his imprisonment. Crito’s first argument is that if Socrates does not escape from prison he would loose a dear friend. There is also the fact that Crito’s reputation would be hurt for not helping his friend escape from jail. The second argument that Crito has is that he fears that Socrates does not want to escape because he does not want to have his friends endure the same punishment that he will. Meanwhile his friends are willing to suffer the consequences of their actions. Socrates responds to this with Crito also mentions that it is fairly easy to pay off the guards who would rat them out. Critos third and final argument to Socrates is that of his children and how he is to be responsible for them and how it is his responsibility to raise them and educate them. â€Å"Shrodes 786† Socrates argues with Crito that it is never good to do injustice. Helping Socrates escape would certainly be doing an injustice and that is why Socrates does not want to escape. Almost all of the arguments Crito gives to Socrates are that regarding the public and what they would think of Socrates had he escaped. Socrates being quite intelligent and a very smart man realizes that he should listen to what he believes and not what the public does and stay and be a martyr. Yes I think Socrates was right in saying what he said about if he escaped how he wouldn’t be considered a martyr and if he did how the people would look down upon him and his name.

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

Strategic Alliances - Essay Example Risk taking is ubiquitous feature among the organizational managers these days. Strategic alliance is a kind of concept in which risk is an integral factor while developing such decisions. Strategic Alliance is an â€Å"an agreement between firms to do business together in ways that go beyond normal company–to–company dealings , but fall short of a merger or a full partnership† (Khurana & Singhal 2010). Any business decision involves planning and there is always a threat of failure of the plan. The move taken even after knowing the risks and evaluating their effects can be termed as risk. Similarly, strategic alliance is a kind of business decision which would involve amalgamation with outside companies not on a full partnership basis but a little different from daily intercompany dealings (Das & Teng, 1999). There may be a number of situations at risk as a result of the strategic alliance between two companies. The performance of the partner company, cooperation among the companies and the opportunistic approach of the companies involved among others could be the probable circumstances rendering risk to the decision in practice (Alders, Van Liere, Berendsen, & Pieters 2010). However, largely the risk situations can be categorized into four categories namely; the contextual risk, the transactional risk, the relational risk, and the performance risk. The contextual risk involves the risk influenced by the market scenario like meeting of the demand in the market, the competition faced by the company and also the technological and the regulatory influences. Thus, this can be also referred to as the external risk (Alders, Van Liere, Berendsen, & Pieters 2010). The transactional risk involves the importance of cooperation between the partners involved in the alliance. A proper cooperation and sharing of mutual trust can pay off to minimize risk to a great extent. Therefore, this may be referred as internal risk (Alders, Van Liere, Berendsen, & Pieters

Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Nutrition - Essay Example utrition, eating foods rich in carbohydrates and fats but not protein, having problems in gastrointestinal tract which inhibits absorption of protein or any other infection that somehow affects protein intake by the body. Sometimes weaning off early may also result in kwashiorkor since breast milk is composed largely of proteins and sudden removal causes protein deficiency. Kwashiorkor leads to swollen belly, fatigue, weight loss, retarded growth and susceptibility to other opportunistic infections. Marasmus is also caused by a deficiency of protein in diet. The causes therefore are very similar to those of kwashiorkor. However unlike Kwashiorkor Marasmus can occur even before the age of six months even when the baby is being breast fed. There is no collection of fluid in belly and on the contrary to kwashiorkor, a child suffering from marasmus would lose weight and appear thin. Both Marasmus and Kwashiorkor are common to the third world countries and are life threatening conditions. The treatment of these conditions needs to be done with care and constant monitoring of the diet that the patients take. Proper food programs and nourishment may herald a world without kwashiorkor and

Trend in Architecture in the Past Research Paper

Trend in Architecture in the Past - Research Paper Example The research paper "Trend in Architecture in the Past" focuses on a detail discussion about four distinct structure of the ancient time, these are Arch, Dome, vault, and Roof. In this paper, the main discussion is about the structure and method of development of the above four construction in Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Some of the key structures of ancient Egypt were arch, vault, roof etc. All these three structures were closely related to one another as there is a number of great architectural work in Egypt based on the above three elements. A vault is associated with the architecture of an arch. There is a pair of the arch at both ends of the structure. Between both the arches, there is a long arched tunnel which is generally made up of concrete. To overcome this issue people in Greece, Egypt used to build a vault in. In order to provide support to one part or the finished part people used to take help of the process of centering, the support was at the place until the other sections were finished. In order to ensure strong support to the finished side people also took help of Buttresses which were known for providing all the heavy concrete vaults some extra support. â€Å"Architects would lay layers of light tiles directly on the centering. When the tiles were finished, it gave the centering ex tra support until they laid the final layer of concrete. When all of the concrete was dry and the tiles were laid, the Roman architects would pour concrete onto the vaults until they reached the desired thickness†.

Where Are We with the US Recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Where Are We with the US Recession - Essay Example The whole of the viewpoints as presented in the article are based on the indications of two different definitions of recession. The first definition is based on the indication of contraction of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in two consecutive quarters. The second definition of a recession is in accordance with the system developed by National Bureau Economic Research (NBER) which is based on the contraction of employment, industrial production, real sales and real income in the economic cycles whose dates are as declared by the Bureau. Â  As analyzed by the authors, as per the first system, the recession in the United States had not begun till that date. The Gross Domestic product graph showed an upward trend in the first quarter of 2008, which accounted for 0.6 percent. This trend was in continuation with similar growth trends indicated in the last quarter of 2007. Though the article envisaged a downward trend by the end of the second quarter, this may be reversed in the third quarter as the consumption of the tax rebate cheques issued by the Bush government would take effect by this period. Â  In the second methodology the National Bureau Economic Research uses monthly indicators from the national accounts against the variables of employment, industrial production, real sales and real income to determine the actual dates of economic cycles and this system thus becomes more inclusive of minute details than in the case of the first methodology which only considers GDP trends whose frequency is quarterly. This allows the freedom to declare recession without the concurrent occurrence of GDP contraction, as happened in 1960 and 2001.The authors of the article also describe the non- predictive nature of this methodology as NBER declares a recession only after six months of the actual start of the recession.

Analysis of an Ethical dilemma part #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of an Ethical dilemma part #3 - Essay Example The role of nurses is to assist patients recover in line with the principle of beneficence. As such, assisting in euthanasia is in contrary to bioethics. In cases of a severe chronic disease, nurses should invoke personal values and professional ethics and propose palliative care rather than assisted euthanasia. Such moves show a pro-life policy that all nurses subscribe to. Severely ill patients have no capacity to make rational decisions regarding their health. Thus, the nurse should take the role of advisors to show the patients the most rational method of dealing with their situations. The interview shows that the society is also against assisted euthanasia due to the wider effects. Social problems arise as a result of a voluntary death of family members. The nurses are also members of the society and share the same views. In this regard, they should strengthen the societal reliance and trust on the healthcare system. This can be done by abstaining from assisted euthanasia. American Nursing Association. (2013). Position Statement: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Aid in Dying. Retrieved from ANA website:

Final Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final Paper - Essay Example (Restatement of the Law Second, of Contracts Section 153) Generally a unilateral mistake will not give rise to grounds for rescission of a contract. However, there are three specific circumstances in which the contract will not be enforced/rescinded on the ground of unilateral mistake. To start with the good faith requirement in the law of contract requires that parties to a contract do not take unfair advantage of the other party. To this end the courts will not enforce a contract in which there is a unilateral mistake if enforcement would be unconscionable. In circumstances where one party is aware of the mistake made by the other party and also aware that the mistaken party would not enter into the contract had he been aware of the mistake the enforcement of such a contract would be unfair and unconscionable. (Angelo, 11) At the heart of the matter is the general requirement that all contracts are required to be made and executed under principles of fair dealing. In keeping with this element of fair dealing a second ground permitting the rescission of a contract on the grounds of unilateral mistake is when there is evidence that the mistake is clerical or mathematical in nature. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) What is required is the absence of purposive intent. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) It is generally assumed that the parties to a contract enter into it for some benefit and should the clerical or mathematical mistake be such that it undermines a benefit to one party it can be rescinded. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) However, an error in judgment will not justify rescission of a contract. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) A third ground upon which the courts will rescind a contract on the grounds of

Where Are We with the US Recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Where Are We with the US Recession - Essay Example The whole of the viewpoints as presented in the article are based on the indications of two different definitions of recession. The first definition is based on the indication of contraction of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in two consecutive quarters. The second definition of a recession is in accordance with the system developed by National Bureau Economic Research (NBER) which is based on the contraction of employment, industrial production, real sales and real income in the economic cycles whose dates are as declared by the Bureau. Â  As analyzed by the authors, as per the first system, the recession in the United States had not begun till that date. The Gross Domestic product graph showed an upward trend in the first quarter of 2008, which accounted for 0.6 percent. This trend was in continuation with similar growth trends indicated in the last quarter of 2007. Though the article envisaged a downward trend by the end of the second quarter, this may be reversed in the third quarter as the consumption of the tax rebate cheques issued by the Bush government would take effect by this period. Â  In the second methodology the National Bureau Economic Research uses monthly indicators from the national accounts against the variables of employment, industrial production, real sales and real income to determine the actual dates of economic cycles and this system thus becomes more inclusive of minute details than in the case of the first methodology which only considers GDP trends whose frequency is quarterly. This allows the freedom to declare recession without the concurrent occurrence of GDP contraction, as happened in 1960 and 2001.The authors of the article also describe the non- predictive nature of this methodology as NBER declares a recession only after six months of the actual start of the recession.

Final Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final Paper - Essay Example (Restatement of the Law Second, of Contracts Section 153) Generally a unilateral mistake will not give rise to grounds for rescission of a contract. However, there are three specific circumstances in which the contract will not be enforced/rescinded on the ground of unilateral mistake. To start with the good faith requirement in the law of contract requires that parties to a contract do not take unfair advantage of the other party. To this end the courts will not enforce a contract in which there is a unilateral mistake if enforcement would be unconscionable. In circumstances where one party is aware of the mistake made by the other party and also aware that the mistaken party would not enter into the contract had he been aware of the mistake the enforcement of such a contract would be unfair and unconscionable. (Angelo, 11) At the heart of the matter is the general requirement that all contracts are required to be made and executed under principles of fair dealing. In keeping with this element of fair dealing a second ground permitting the rescission of a contract on the grounds of unilateral mistake is when there is evidence that the mistake is clerical or mathematical in nature. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) What is required is the absence of purposive intent. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) It is generally assumed that the parties to a contract enter into it for some benefit and should the clerical or mathematical mistake be such that it undermines a benefit to one party it can be rescinded. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) However, an error in judgment will not justify rescission of a contract. (M.F. Kemper Constr. Co. V. City of Los Angeles 37 Cal. 2d 696) A third ground upon which the courts will rescind a contract on the grounds of

Main Death Camp in 1942 Essay Example for Free

Main Death Camp in 1942 Essay Firstly, until mid-1943, the main death camps were camps similar to Sobibor, Belzec, and Treblinka. However, when all of the ‘non desirables’ had been liquidated, these camps shut down. Death camps were only meant to be a temporary place, and once their job was completed, they would quickly be dismantled. Auschwitz was different. It incorporated a Labour camp – so was designed for a much longer use than its’ contenders. The fact that it was one of the few camps that wasn’t temporary, meant that Jews from other areas of Europe – not just from nearby districts were sent to Auschwitz to be dealt with accordingly. This made Auschwitz’s population grow to way beyond the amount it was originally designed to hold around 11,000. However, in August 1944, the population was a massive 105,168. Secondly, the camp also had other uses, apart from a death camp. Auschwitz I was the base camp, in which the whole of Auschwitz-Birkenau was operated from, which also incorporated a few gas chambers, and prison cells. Auschwitz II-Birkenau was the main death camp, where the majority of the 1.5-2 million Jews were killed. Auschwitz II also incorporated a separate camp for Roma and Ukrainian Gypsies, where Gypsies were sent from Ghettos such as Lodz, and from countries in the Nazi Empire. Auschwitz III was the main Labour camp, where Jews and other ‘less desirables’ were held and worked for the Reich. Auschwitz also had 45 sub-camps, in the surrounding areas. These sub-camps were concentration camps, where ‘non desirables’ were held until they were moved to Auschwitz itself. The vast array of camps in Auschwitz made it the main extermination camp, as it was a lot easier sending the ‘non desirables’ to Auschwitz via train, that to build several hundred temporary Extermination camps. Lastly, Himmler ordered for the camp to increase in size, saying the existing extermination centres in the east are not sufficient to cope with an operation on such a scale. The war emphasised the quickly progressed the killings in the Death camps, and Himmler knew that there were no camps big enough to ‘deal’ with the ‘undesirables’ on an industrial level. Auschwitz by this time was quite a small camp, with good railway links to Germany and  the rest of Poland. During this time, Himmler also, said that Auschwitz should be the main camp for the proposed â€Å"Final Solutions†. In conclusion, the main reason why Auschwitz was the main Death Camp was due to the fact that Auschwitz was one of the few permanent ‘killing stations’. This meant that ‘undesirables’ were sent there from all over Europe, and overpopulated the camp. This resulted in the camp increasing in size, and overall, having over seven gas chambers and crematoriums.

Procter Gamble: Business Model

Procter Gamble: Business Model Business level strategy: Procter and gamble (Strategies and recommendations) Executive Summary William Procter and James Gamble founded Procter and Gamble in the year of 1837, and started working as a candle and soap maker. It is a consumer goods manufacturing company whose slogan is improving lives and moving towards betterment with time. Unique Selling Preposition of Procter Gamble is â€Å"our one product is equal to one vaccine towards the betterment of consumers†. It sells the products in more than 180 countries around the globe. It has also undertaken a number of brands, one of them are Revlon. The product being offered by Procter Gamble are health care, grooming, beauty, home care and fabric, family and baby care, pet care and snacks. Some of the company’s items earned a profit of $1 billion each year and some around $50 million annually. Procter Gamble is on maturity stage and potential competitors are Unilever, L’Oreal. It is facing fierce competition by competitors. Since it is one of the most growing companies, it has captured thousands of mi nds all over the world. It operates in countries like China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Indonesia etc. the strategies of Procter Gamble in order to sustain its goodwill and profitability in the market are: availability of its products, concentration on growing opportunities, evolving more products, concentrating on most strong and profitable markets, devoting and dedication towards research and development etc. products being offered by the company are Ariel, Tide, Vicks, Crest Tooth Paste, Gillette products, Head Shoulder shampoo, Olay, Oral-B, Pantene, Always, Bounce, Herbal Essence, Ivory soap, Gain, Whisper, Mr. Clean, Puffs tissues, Safeguard soaps etc. OVERVIEW OF OFFERINGS AND CUSTOMER SEGMENTS OF THE COMPANY PROCTER AND GAMBLE Procter and Gamble is an American based company, known as PG mostly, is one of the largest and leading multinational consumer goods and manufacturing company which operates all over the world (Ranker, 2015) since 1837 till Today and offering jobs to the millions of people from all around the world (PG, 2015). Procter Gamble was founded and named on William Procter and James Gamble. It deals with multiple natures of products such as hair care products, personal care products including cosmetics (Nguyen, 2013), tissues, odor control products, home care products such as detergent and much more (PG, 2014). Company says â€Å"We are in the business of making life better every day, our each packet is equal to each vaccine towards the betterment and enhancement† (PG, 2014) and it is working firmly on that. Millions and billions of customers uses PG’s products which satisfies their needs and demand they like it to be (PG, 2014). Multiple of brands are associated with this company whose profitability touches more that $1 Billion each year (PG, 2015). Some of those star brands are Ariel, Tide, Vicks, Crest Tooth Paste, Gillette products, Head Shoulder shampoo, Olay, Oral-B, Pantene (PG, 2014), Always, Bounce, Herbal Essence (Forbes, 2014), Ivory soap, Gain, Whisper, Mr. Clean, Puffs tissues, Safeguard soaps which earns net profit of Billions of US Dollars every twelve months (PG, 2014). Procter and Gamble serves more than 180 countries and 6.5 million customers across the globe (PG, 2014). It operates in Asia (Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Bangladesh etc) (PG, 2015), Latin America, North America and Western Europe. It has its head quarters in Singapore for Asian region (Lafley, 2008). Critical discussion And Strategies of Procter and Gamble: One of the most important and say efficient strategy of Procter Gamble is availability of its products (Global-Operations, n.d.). Products manufactured by this company are highly available worldwide and are being offered and sold on convenience stores, super markets, hotels, motels, retailers, wholesalers, drug stores and intermediaries (MIT, 2015). The product availability of the company gives it an edge and makes it far superior that its competitors like Unilevers etc (SlideShare, 2015). Consumers get products easily and effortlessly when they are in need of a vaccine to make their life better (Favaro, 2013). The availability and accessibility of the specific products makes it brand brawny and hefty (PG, 2015). This in turns makes customer loyalty towards the brand much tough and muscular with time and targeted customers start trusting the brand, and same is the case with Procter Gamble (PG, 2015). Supply chain of the brand is as strong as it needs to be in order to result in a s uccessful chain management (Favaro, 2013). Likewise many other competitors of the brand, PG a further strategy is Research and Development (Riley, 2014). Brand devote approximately $2 billion each year on its RD department contains 8000 employees around the world (Ng, 2015). In spite of having 8000 employees in its RD department, company somehow failed to initiate a further brand successfully (Nisen, 2013). Hence, it faced intricacy regarding the department. One of the professors, named Charles Fine suggested the company to have a view on the world as innovation lab (SlideShare, 2012). Subsequently they start sourcing innovation through valued supply chain network as they deals the customer on one on one basis because of which they are rich on the drawbacks as well as the complains for products (MODE, 2015). This step resulted in innovation success rate three times than it was before. To take advantage of the advice, PG also launched its own website which motivates and welcomes innovations as well as feedback by the targeted customers, shareholders, stakeholders, partners and general public for further enhancement of the products (Khosla Sawhney, 2014). Another significant strategy being applied by Procter Gamble as an efficient and effective tool is change management (GCI, 2014). The company observes and on the blink of an eye takes action to bring up the change and exploit the opportunity to meet consumer’s expectation on the very first place (Neff, 2014). As competition is growing faster and fastest, very next moment involves business bodies in the shock of sudden and significant change. PG is a brand, who knows splendidly about their vision (Tode, 2014). Company takes change management as its one of the most crucial and unavoidable manner (Lafley, 2014). Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care, said by Theodore Roosevelt (Forbes, 2012). Famous saying that is being followed by PG as it should be as it focuses and devotes more of its attention and care to the products who works as stars in portfolio and because of which entire corporation is enjoying free lunches, such as US market is strongest market being targeted by PG (SlideShare, 2012) and they are continuously treating it as focal point with jam-packed devotion and dedication in order to make it strongest (PG, 2014). Before finishing the strategy, I more point to be mentioned is Procter Gamble’s strategy is concentrating on improving operations, at least better than competitors (SlideShare, 2013). This is one of the rich ways to win customers trust and loyalty towards the brand (PG, 2014). When introducing to one more line of attack of Procter Gamble, it is essential to say that to uphold and retain its brand image; it is all about captivating trust and confidence from the targeted segment of market (Pakistan-Business-Journal, 2015). At the end of the day, all the steps, strategies, planning, developing and designing starting from a scratch is followed by a reason of winning trust and loyalty from customers because when nothing else seems to be helpful, this tactic does and it is not a piece of cake to get one’s trust. It takes abundant of efforts and plentiful of care, since one slip can destroy the whole. One more strategy being introduced recently by Procter Gamble is â€Å"Connect+Develop†. In this age of advancement, where the whole of the universe has become a global village, the connection is necessary for any company to float up in the lively market with its loyal consumers. However, in this social age, in which each and every individual is socializing has made us little more aware about our surroundings and circumstances taking place in this village (PG, 2015). Bruce Brown, Chief Technology Officer said â€Å"this strategy has helped us to deliver a number of successful and leading innovations which has accelerated the growth of Procter Gamble critically†. The company is by hook or by crook managing to uphold this strategy and maintain its prospering innovation rate. Laura Becker, General Manager said that they wanted develop and connect themselves in order to deliver products that has a greater level of innovation such as Swiffer Dusters which has broken down the innovations for market place manipulation. Moreover, she also stated that a category of products will be made that changes marketplace, and attracts customers which claim that they require the company’s products as they fulfill their requirement as per their wishes (PG, 2012). RECOMMENDATIONS In order to maintain its position in the market, Procter Gamble should keep an eye on its most profitable brands and products to even polish them so that not any competitor would have been able to eradicate the demand of leading products. For example, Swiffer Dusters-a product introduced by PG which changed the direction of market trend so seriously. As market conditions and market trends are changing so drastically these days, Procter Gamble should have a close look than its competitors to innovate and exploit opportunity from the changing trends of market. If brand to be a brand get successful innovations, it could have touch top position in the markets as well as in the sights of consumers, investors, shareholders, stockholders and regulating bodies. Creating a recommendation culture could aid to Procter Gamble for being more victorious and unbeaten company in the market. Motivating and encouraging culture could be proved as back bone behind the success of the brand. Managing change as soon as possible could also be proved as a strong tool behind the success. Since incorporating change in this unpredictable competing environment cold give support to the accomplishment of goals, reaching to the vision and creating win-win situation at the end of both, consumers and company. Better growth opportunities to the employees will in return adds to employee’s sincerity and dedication towards work. Employees, who are the core bodies of any organization, will work dedicatedly and devotedly for their organizations, this will result in better quality works and services to the organization. Quality assurance and image building could also prove to be helpful to capture the minds of targeted consumers. CONCLUSION Procter Gamble was founded by William Procter and James Gamble. It deals with multiple products such as hair care products, personal care products including cosmetics. Millions and billions of customers uses PG’s products which satisfy their needs and demand. Procter and Gamble serves more than 180 countries and 6.5 million customers across the globe. One of the most important and efficient strategy of Procter Gamble was found to be its item’s availability. Consumers get products easily and effortlessly when they are in need of a vaccine. The availability and accessibility of the specific products makes it brand brawny and hefty. This in turns makes customer loyalty towards the brand much tough and muscular with time and targeted customers start trusting the brand, and same is the case with Procter Gamble. Supply chain of the brand is as strong as it needs to be in order to result in a successful chain management. The company observes and takes action to bring up cha nge and exploit the opportunity to meet consumer’s expectation at instant. Company takes change management as its one of the most crucial and unavoidable manner. Bibliography Favaro, K., 2013. Does PG Need Product Innovation or Strategic Innovation?. [Online]  Available at: http://www.strategy-business.com/blog/Does-PG-Need-Product-Innovation-or-Strategic-Innovation?gko=b27ca [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Favaro, K., 2013. Does PG Need Product Innovation or Strategic Innovation?. [Online]  Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/boozandcompany/2013/07/12/does-pg-need-product-innovation-or-strategic-innovation/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Forbes, 2012. The Perfect Marketing Strategy for Soap, Soda, and Startups. [Online] Available  at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianclark/2012/04/24/entreproducer/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Forbes, 2014. Procter Gamble. [Online] Available at:  http://www.forbes.com/companies/procter-gamble/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. GCI, 2014. The Strategy Behind PG’s Divestments. [Online] Available at:  http://www.gcimagazine.com/business/marketers/positioning/The-Strategy-Behind-PGs-Divestments-270370711.html [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Global-Operations, n.d.. Where We Operate. [Online] Available at:  https://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/media/Fact_Sheets_Operate.pdf [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Khosla, S. Sawhney, M., 2014. The wisdom of less: How Procter Gamble can grow by  shrinking. [Online] Available at: http://fortune.com/2014/08/07/why-pg-can-grow-by-shrinking/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Lafley, A., 2008. PG’s Innovation Culture. Innovation, Volume 52, pp. 1-8. Lafley, A., 2014. The wisdom of less: How Procter Gamble can grow by shrinking. [Online]  Available at: http://fortune.com/2014/08/07/why-pg-can-grow-by-shrinking/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. MIT, 2015. Bringing process innovation and creativity into operations. [Online] Available at:  http://executive.mit.edu/blog/bringing-process-innovation-and-creativity-into-operations#.VNxMLfmUeI9 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. MODE, 2015. Care Quotes. [Online] Available at:  http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/care.html [Accessed 12 February 2015].   Neff, J., 2014. As PG Looks to Cut More Than Half Its Brands, Which Should Go?. [Online]  Available at: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/p-g-s-big-questions/294443/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Ng, A., 2015. PG: Company Strategies and Challenges. [Online] Available at:  http://www.academia.edu/5826081/P_and_G_Company_Strategies_and_Challenges [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Nguyen, L., 2013. Copy of PG STRATEGIC ANALYSIS. [Online] Available at:  https://prezi.com/r79dnp1uyg_d/copy-of-pg-strategic-analysis/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Nisen, M., 2013. PGs Ex-CEO Used A 5-Step Formula To Make Billion Dollar Decisions.  [Online] Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-5-step-strategy-prcoess-2013-2 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2012. PG Names New C+D Leader, Aims Acceleration of Open Innovation Work.  [Online] Available at: http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/pg-names-new-cd-leader-aims-acceleration-open-innovation-wo [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Committed to responsible operations. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/policies_practices/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Committed to responsible operations. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/policies_practices/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Leadership Brands. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. PG EVERYDAY. [Online] Available at: http://www.pg.com/en_US/ [Accessed 12  February 2015]. PG, 2014. PG Sets Four New Sustainability Goals: Revises Existing Goals. [Online]  Available at: http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. PG Story of Innovation. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/heritage.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Strength in Structure. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/global_structure_operations/corporate_structure. shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. The Power of Purpose. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/purpose_people/ [Accessed 12 February, 2015]. PG, 2015. Always #LikeAGirl Sparks Social Movement During Super Bowl XLIX and Beyond.  [Online] Available at: http://news.pg.com/blog/likeagirl/SB49 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. Company Strategy. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pginvestor.com/GenPage.aspx?IID=4004124GKP=208821 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. Company Strategy. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pginvestor.com/GenPage.aspx?IID=4004124GKP=208821 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. PG Moments. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_balkans/company/heritage.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. PG Views: Company Strategy. [Online] Available at:  http://news.pg.com/pg_views_company_strategy [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. The Power of Purpose. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_balkans/company/purpose_people/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Pakistan-Business-Journal, 2015. Procter Gamble Pakistan (pvt) Ltd.. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pakistanbusinessjournal.com/b2b-directory/procter-gamble-pakistan-pvt-ltd_28081.html [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Ranker, 2015. All Procter Gamble Brands. [Online] Available at:  http://www.ranker.com/list/all-procter-and-gamble-brands/werner-brandes [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Riley, J., 2014. Marketing Strategy PG Takes the Axe to its Brand Portfolio. [Online]  Available at: http://beta.tutor2u.net/business/blog/marketing-strategy-pg-takes-the-axe-to-its-brand-portfolio [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2012. pg marketing strategies. [Online] Available at:  http://www.slideshare.net/ritulakhotia/pg-marketing-strategies [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2012. Procter Gamble Strategic Analysis. [Online] Available at:  http://www.slideshare.net/perdoch/pg-strategic-analysis [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2013. PG. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/deeparosejacob/pg-29329959 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2015. Procter Gamble Strategic Analysis. [Online] Available at:  http://www.slideshare.net/perdoch/pg-strategic-analysis [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Tode, C., 2014. How PG’s mobile social strategy helps build its brands. [Online] Available at:  http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/social-networks/17242.html [Accessed 12 February 2015].

Slaughterhouse Five Essay -- essays research papers

Novel Summary Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time, and so is Slaughterhouse Five. Novel follows Billy's "unhinged" life. If I write every hop, skip, and jump, the summary would be as complicated as the book. These are the basic facts of Pilgrim's life; they are shown in chronological order (but are definitely not in the book): Billy Pilgrim is born in 1922 and grows up in Ilium, New York. He is a funny-looking youth, he does reasonably well in high school, enrolls in night classes at the Ilium School of Optometry, and is soon drafted into the army and the Second World War. He serves as a chaplain's assistant, then is thrown into the Battle of the Bulge, and almost immediately gets taken prisoner behind German lines. Just before being captured, though, he becomes unstuck in time for the first time. He sees all of his life in one sweep. Billy is transported with other privates to the city of Dresden. There, the prisoners are made to work for their stay. They are kept in a forme r slaughterhouse. Allied forces bomb the city, then drop gasoline to create a firestorm that sucks most of the oxygen into the blaze, suffocating or burning 130,000 people. Billy and his fellow POWs survive in an airtight meat locker. They emerge to find, "a moonscape of destruction". Several days later, Russian forces capture the city and Billy's help in the war is over. He returns to Ilium and finishes optometry school. He gets engaged to the daughter of the founder of the school. Afte...

The Cultural Invasion of Kenya Essay -- American Culture Traditions Es

The Cultural Invasion of Kenya A screeching yell ripped through the house that Wednesday evening, "Ahhhhh, we're being invaded!". My mother rushed into the living room. I pointed to the flickering television screen. "Look," I whispered in disbelief. A few seconds of silence followed. There they were, the words I never thought would appear on our 29 inch Sony screen: "Sizzlin' Hot Country". The appearance of American country music on the Kenyan airwaves was the latest sign that American culture had penetrated the borders of my country. The airing of Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton on the local television station is not the only evidence of the rapid spread of American culture in Kenya. One look at a large portion of its youth and this cultural invasion will become apparent. Baggy pants, Nike, pop music and malls, symbols of American youth culture can now be associated with the Kenyan teenagers. The Nike phenomenon hit Kenya several years ago. My classmates in primary school were obsessed with the American brand name that had rocked the global shoe industry. Their school desks had the Nike name and logo painted on in every color imaginable. Not being able to afford some of the merchandise, many resorted to drawing the logo on bags, clothes, shoes and other visible possessions. Turning up to a class party with the trademark tick appearing on one's footwear simply made one the center of attention. My favorite pair of shoes, I have to admit, were a pair of black Nikes which raised many brows and turned just as many heads. Secondary school had its fair share of examples of the cultural invasion. In most schools in Kenya, students dress in uniforms. For example, in my school it was compulsory to wear a white shirt, gra... ...ols of success. While hip hop and baggy pants may not epitomize American success, Kenyan youth adopt this aspect of American culture perhaps because of the common roots and racial background the majority share with African Americans. Wearing Nike shoes or sagging one's pants may seem to be meaningless gestures. However, wearing shoes that many popular, rich American sporting icons don or sagging pants like the famous hip hop artists makes one different from the rest. It allows one to adopt an American identity, one defined by success and importance. While some would argue that such a spread of American culture would be beneficial because it would, in a sense, create a global village, I think this cultural invasion creates more harm than good. It would result in the demise of local cultures and languages. And this is certainly not a good thing.

Why Company Go Public

REASON FOR PT. BANK CENTRAL ASIA, Tbk TO GO PUBLIC INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING William1140004383 BINUS BUSINESS SCHOOL PROGRAM STUDI MAGISTER MANAJEMEN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT BINUS UNIVERSITY JAKARTA 2010 List of Content List of Content2 Definition3 Reasons for listing3 Advantages of an IPO5 Disadvantages of an IPO5 Procedure6 Bank Central Asia History7 Bibliography9 Definition An initial public offering (IPO) or stock market launch is, as it sounds, the first sale of a company’s shares to the public and the listing of the shares on a stock exchange. In the UK, IPOs are often referred to as flotation. IPO was originally an American term but is now used across all world markets. The shares offered may be existing ones held privately, or the company may issue new shares to offer to the public. Companies choose to offer shares to the public to raise new capital for the company; to widen the shareholder base of the company; to give the shareholders a liquid market in which to trade their share; achieve the publicity that a public listing brings. Companies might choose to list on the market by a private placing of shares to institutions rather than a public offering. There have been several online flotation sometimes referred to as EPOs (Electronics Public Offerings). Many companies that undertake an IPO also request the assistance of an investment banking firm acting in the capacity of an underwriter to help them correctly assess the value of their shares, that is, the share price. Whoever is raising the funds, the process of flotation is arduous, involves significant time commitments from the company’s management and advisor (investment bankers, stockbrokers and solicitors amongst others), and is not cheap. This effort is expended in order to raise the cash required at a price that keeps both the vendor and the purchaser of the shares happy. Reasons for listing When a company lists its securities on a public exchange, the money paid by investors for the newly issued shares goes directly to the company (in contrast to a later trade of shares on the exchange, where the money passes between investors). An IPO, therefore, allows a company to tap a wide pool of investors to provide itself with capital for future growth, repayment of debt or working capital. A company selling common shares is never required to repay the capital to investors. Once a company is listed, it is able to issue additional common shares via a secondary offering, thereby again providing itself with capital for expansion without incurring any debt. This ability to quickly raise large amounts of capital from the market is a key reason many companies seek to go public. The three main interested parties in an IPO (the vendor, the company, and the investor) have complementary objectives. The Company will want to: * Maximize proceeds * Build broad and stable ownership base Raise its profile * Facilitate future fund raising and possibly future acquisitions * Ensure that there is a good liquidity in secondary market trading * Be seen as launching a successful IPO. The Vendor, or selling shareholder, wants to: * Maximize proceeds * Maximize value of retained interest/share price performance * Be seen as part of a successful transaction Investors will want to: * Maximize sh are price return (short and long-term) * Broaden and diversify portfolio * Accumulate a position not easily found in the secondary market Companies undertake an IPO for one of two reasons: To raise capital for the company’s use (a ‘primary’ offering). * To raise funds for the existing shareholders (including venture capitalist and governments, as in privatizations, etc. ) (a ‘secondary’ offering). The terms primary offering or primary issue and secondary offering or secondary issue are often used to classify the recipient of the proceeds. Proceeds from a primary offering go to the company – it creates and issues new shares for sale to the public. Secondary offering sells existing shares to the public. Many IPOs combine primary and secondary offerings. In general, capital raising IPOs are undertaken in order to: * Raise cash in order to expand the business of the company, or * Reduce the debt levels (leverage or gearing) of the company. The decision to go public for many companies is a strategic decision, not just a fund raising decision. The IPO process can be a catalyst for developing the company’s strategy more fully. It can also be seen as the final step in the financial development of a company. Reasons for secondary sales include: * Sale by entrepreneur * Succession * Tax and other personal reasons * ‘Cashing in’ * Sale by professional investors Venture capitalists and private investors seeking an ‘exit’ * Reverse LBOs * Funds required by parent company/major shareholder * Demutualization and introductions * Privatizations of state-owned enterprises. * Raising funds for the treasury. * Imposing private market disciplines on management and workers – thereby increasing efficiency and serv ice to customers. * Fostering a shareholders democracy. * Winning votes (although this is not explicitly stated). Advantages of an IPO The advantages of going public include: * Liquidity and increased share price * Management and employee motivation Enhanced image/prestige * Access to alternative source of capital * Ancillary benefits Advantages of investing internationally: * More securities and industries to choose from – even large markets don’t have shares in every sector. * Greater returns – many emerging markets provide higher rates of return than do more mature markets and some markets may not be as efficient as others, allowing professional investors an advantage. * Reduction of risk – not all national stock markets advance (or decline) at the same time. Therefore international diversification may reduce risk in an investor’s portfolio. Liquidity – some institutions demand significant liquidity in their portfolios, which can only be met by investing in the largest global companies. * Single European currency – many investors now look at the Eurozone as a single country for portfolio purposes. An investor in France, for example, no longer considers France to be his home market; the entire Eurozone is now treated as the domestic market. Disadvantages of an IPO There are several disadvantages to completing an initial public offering, namely: * Significant legal, accounting and marketing costs Ongoing requirement to disclose financial and business information * Meaningful time, effort and attention required of senior management * Risk that required funding will not be raised * Public dissemination of information which may be useful to competitors, suppliers and customers Disadvantages if selling to and maintaining an international investor base: * Cost and complexity * Increased disclosure requirements * Flow back Procedure The new issue process has five stages: * Corporate issues Some of general issues that company need to take care: The corporate structure and domicile will need to be determined. * Determining the timetable is also important. * Determining membership of the board of directors. * Employee participation. * Shareholder agreements and lockups. * Offering structure The main listing choices of offering structure that face a company are: * Which local exchange should it choose? * Should the company bypass the local market entirely? * Should the issuer consider multiple listings: in its home market and on an international exchange? * Regulation and documentation Marketing, pricing, and allocation In general marketing process consists of: * Pre-marketing * Developing the investment case * Preparing the market * Preparing the management * Initial research published (where permitted) * Marketing * Setting the price range * Filling the preliminary prospectus * Sales briefing * Roadshow and ‘one-on-one’ * Sales/research follow-up * Book building * Pricing and allocat ion * Setting the price There are three approaches to the pricing of an offering: * Book building * Fixed price * Auction/render offer * Allocation * Stabilization * Aftermarket The first question that needs to be answered when a company wants to do IPO is â€Å"is the company ready to go public? † Whether a company ready or not to go public is not determined by age, but determined on the ability to present a compelling investment case, which is made up of many components, chief among them being: * Capability of management * Financial track record * Industry prospects and growth potential * Position within industry/competition * Valuation/comparative value. The offering process for an IPO will be necessarily more complex than that of a secondary offering. Many of the strategic issues that need to be addressed only apply to companies issuing shares to the public for the first time. * Preparing the documentation is easier IPOs generally involve one or more investment banks known as â€Å"underwriters†. The company offering its shares, called the â€Å"issuer†, enters a contract with a lead underwriter to sell its shares to the public. The underwriter then approaches investors with offers to sell these shares. The sale (allocation and pricing) of shares in an IPO may take several forms. Common methods include: * Best efforts contract Firm commitment contract * All-or-none contract * Bought deal * Dutch auction Bank Central Asia History PT. Bank Central Asia was first found on 21 February 1957 as Bank Central Asia NV. A lot of things have happened since then – the most significant of all being perhaps the Asian monetary crisis in 1997. Here are the histories of BCA from 1997 until BCA do the IPO in May 2000: * 14-15 November 1997, BCA’s customer makes a rush of BCA because Soedono Salim alias Liem Sioe Liong, its majority shareholder, rumored dead. The new rush subsides after Liem appear in public. 18 May 1998 until beginning of June 1998 BCA’s customer back to panic after the riots of May, so do the rush. As a result, BCA limiting customer withdrawals, via cashier Rp. 5 million, Rp. 500 thousand v ia ATM Silver, and ATM Gold is Rp. 1 million. * 28 May 1998, BCA officially became â€Å"patient† of Badan Penyehatan Perbankan Nasional (BPPN). Bank of Indonesia inject funds up to 200 percent of BCA’s capital. Badan Penyehatan Perbankan Nasional (BPPN) took over the authority of directors and commissioners of BCA and form a team led by Director of Bank BRI, DE Setiyoso. 25 August 1998, Government announced that the deadline of completion of Bantuan Liquiditas Bank Indonesia (BLBI) by the old owner is 21 September 1999. * 22 September 1998, Head of BPPN, Glenn MS Yusuf, states that Salim Group accept the obligation to pay Rp. 35 trilliun to his side. With this agreement, the shares of the Salim Group transferred to BPPN with its cash and property. The government has 92. 8 percent shares of BCA and the rest is owned by Salim Group and several other parties. * 29 September 1998, Head of BPPN, Glenn MS Yusuf, said the government will inject capital considered sufficient to meet the category of healthy banks. This funding will be converted into shares of government. * 23 April 1999, BPPN said government would sell its share in BCA to the public and after that the shares will be offered to the strategic investors. * 4 February 2000, BCA register its plan for sell the shares to Badan Pengawas Pasar Modal. BCA plans to sell 42 percent of its share. * 22 February 2000, BPPN suddenly delaying the implementation of BCA share offering to the fiscal year 2000 (April – December 2000) with reason that the BCA’s IPO preparation need more time. 3 March 2000, BPPN declared that BPPN unsure to get Rp. 3 trillion from these stock offering. * 10 April 2000, President Director of BCA, DE Setijoso, declared the maximum number of shares of BCA’s share that offered by Badan Penyehatan Perbankan Nasional (BPPN) reached 883. 2 million shares. While the range of BCA’s share on IPO ranges from Rp. 1. 350 – Rp. 1. 750 per sheet. It means, the maximum acquisition target of BPPN r eached Rp. 1. 5456 trillion about half of the target. * 27 April 2000, BPPN officially returns BCA from BPPN to BI. With this return to BI BCA, then BCA became the first bank that came back from recovery state of BPPN. From the history of BCA from 14 November 1997 to 27 April 2000, we can conclude that reason for BCA to go public is because of the crisis that happened in BCA that happen 2 times that caused by: 1. Soedono Salim alias Liem Sioe Liong, its majority shareholder, rumored dead. 2. The riots in May 1998. So that BCA need to go public to get fund injection to recover the financial condition of BCA. Bibliography Geddes, Ross. IPOs and equity offerings. Burlington : Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003. financeglossary† Great Investor Network. 7 January 2011 â€Å"::BCA::† PT. Bank Central Asia. 7 January 2011 â€Å"Tempointeractive. com – Perjalanan BCA sejak 1997† Tempo Interaktif 26 Februari 2002. 7 January 2011 â€Å"Initial Public Offering† Wikipedia. 7 January 2011 â€Å"Bank Central Asia† Wikipedia. 7 January 2011

Grenz Review

TY 170 February 23, 2009 Grenz Review As time passes, different themes are presented throughout society. These themes tend to make attempts at disproving its predecessor. In Stanley J. Grenz’ book, A Primer on Postmodernism, he discusses the two most recent ideas supported by the public; modernism and postmodernism. The opposition is apparent between the eras of modernity and postmodernity. As described by Grenz, modernity focuses on the individual, using reasoning as a source of the truth. This belief causes truth to be relative.Postmodernity’s focal point is the group, rather than the individual. Truth, in the postmodern view, is created by intuition and feeling, causing it to be constructed. Grenz also discusses both the problems postmodernity pose on Christianity and the similarities between postmodernism and Christianity. Grenz’ portrait of postmodernism is accurate for what society is facing today. In order to understand the differences between modernism an d postmodernism as Grenz has defined them, first understanding of how each was created is needed.Modernity is based around meta-narratives; stories that connect everyone together. The most profound meta-narrative of modernity is the universal truth of science. One of the most important constructs of modernity is individualism, upon which all modern thinkers based their work. â€Å"Most historians suggest that the modern era was born when the Enlightenment brought new hope to war-ravaged Europe† (57). The Enlightenment had four principles; â€Å"Reason, nature, autonomy, and harmony† (68). These principles created the foundation for modern thinkers.Many modern thinkers throughout the era, regardless of their discipline, â€Å"Turned to the reasoning subject rather than divine revelation as the starting point for knowledge and reflection† (65). Through these foundations set for modernity, the modern philosophers turned to science in support for their hypotheses. à ¢â‚¬Å"Thinkers such as Descartes, Newton, and Kant provided the intellectual foundation for the modern era† (80). Rene Descartes was one of the first modern thinkers of his time, â€Å"often being referred to as the father of modern philosophy† (63). When Descartes irst set out on his journey for knowledge, he set out with doubt, in search of absolute truth that doubt could not deny (64). Like many other thinkers of that period, he â€Å"Attempted to introduce the rigor of mathematical demonstration into all fields of knowledge,† because he believed that the truths of mathematics were more concrete than knowledge based on observation (64). Descartes eventually reached the destination of his searching; the one thing that could not be doubted was one’s own existence. His new way of thinking led to a different outlook of the human person.His work defined â€Å"The human being as thinking substance and the human person as an autonomous rational subject† (64). This new definition supported Augustine’s philosophy; â€Å"Cogito ergo sum – ‘I think, therefore I am,† (64). Although Descartes’ work did not discover subjectivity, â€Å"the chief importance of his contribution lies in his emphasis on personal experience and personal knowledge, on knowledge arising from the individual’s unique point of view† (64). His role in the Enlightenment paved the path for his modern-thinking successors.Following Descartes’ work, Newton began making his own imprint on the world, emphasizing the importance of science. His work focused on trying to explain the workings of his universe that he saw as a â€Å"Grand, orderly machine,† (67). Newton’s idea of the world as a machine provided the framework for modernity. Newton believed that by viewing the world as a machine, he would be able to know its movements because it would follow a set of distinct laws (67). His design led modern thi nkers to have a mechanistic understanding of the world, as opposed to a natural view (50).Although Newton looked at the scientific explanations of the world, his intent was to explain the existence of God. Similar to Descartes, Newton used the power of reason to enhance the meaning of theology. â€Å"The modern world turned out to be Newton’s mechanistic universe populated by Descartes’ autonomous, rational substance† (67). Through Newton’s work, other philosophers had the foundation needed to make their own impressions on the world of modernity. Eventually, philosophers began questioning the Enlightenment and modernity as a whole.Through Immanuel Kant’s work, he strengthened the ties between society and modernity, which associated himself with the beginning of the Enlightenment. Kant’s most important contribution to modernity was his publication of Critique of Pure Reason (57). His critique strengthened the support of modernity and terminat ed all questioning of it. Kant sought to create a more concrete platform for metaphysics through his writing (76). He hypothesized that the mind is systematical in organizing sensations from the external world. â€Å"According to Kant, the human person is not only a creature capable of sense experience bus also a moral being† (77).Kant believed that by living morally, one lives the way he wishes all people would live. He argued that the moral aspect of human existence is essentially rational (78). This view of existence created the realm of practical reason, which encouraged other modern philosophers to concentrate on the individual self. This attentiveness came from Kant introducing the idea that the self is â€Å"not just the focus of philosophical attention but the entire subject matter of philosophy† (79). Through this notion, Kant directed his attention to the individual imposing reality.Kant’s work provided future philosophers with the concepts needed to u nderstand and eventually deconstruct modernity. Johann Gottlieb Fichte operated off of Kant’s discoveries. He accepted Kant’s work but also â€Å"Was enabled to explode it from the inside† (87). Fichte did not want to eliminate Kant’s ideas, but instead wanted â€Å"To expose the Kantian ‘fiction’ of an objective world existing in its own right beyond the self,† (87). Through his work, Kant emphasized the idea â€Å"that the self creates and determines the objects that constitute its own external world† (87). Hence, the realm that Kant claims to know through ‘pure’ reason, Fichte claims to produce through the exercise of ‘practical’ reason† (87). His work has created a freedom that â€Å"is important because it holds the potential of liberating us from a single way of understanding the world,† (88). Fichte managed to dissolve Kant’s idea of an absolute reality through â€Å"eliminat ing the noumenal realm† (88). Although he worked against Kant in many ways, Fichte managed to uphold Kant’s concept of the absolute self (87).Fichte, along with other thinkers’, beliefs led to what is now considered to be the postmodernism era by questioning the context of modernity and its constructors. Postmodernism is the mere rejection of the ideas that modernism and the Enlightenment support. The main theory that postmodernism rejects is the construct of individualism. In its denunciation of modernism, it also rejects the modern theme of meta-narratives, except for its own. The postmodern world does not believe that all knowledge is good, nor that knowledge is objective. They view life on earth as fragile and believe that the continued existence of humankind is dependent on a new attitude of cooperation rather than conquest† (7). Postmodern beliefs have a more pessimistic view on the world, as opposed to the modern idea. Postmoderns believe that the wo rld is â€Å"historical, relational, and personal† (7). The main postmodern view is that everything is different from everything (7). â€Å"Many voices have joined the postmodern chorus. But of these, three loom as both central and paradigmatic – Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Richard Rorty.They constitute a trio of postmodern prophets† (123). Michel Foucault was persistent in the rejection of the modern worldview. He argued that â€Å"reason and rational discourse are problematic.. , because they require that we squeeze the variety of reality into the artificial homogeneity that accommodates our concepts† (127). His intentions were not to present the ideas of a better society, but to understand order. This new society that Foucault presented was called â€Å"’heterotopia,’† as opposed to the modern view of â€Å"utopia† (20).Foucault focused on the connection between knowledge and power in regards to social systems, sta ting that â€Å"every interpretation of reality is an assertion of power† (6). Foucault believed that this power was â€Å"the power of violence† (59). He used genealogy to gain a better understanding of how we arrived to the beliefs supported by society (135). â€Å"According to Foucault, the practice of genealogy informs us that history is not controlled by destiny or some regulative mechanism but is the product of haphazard conflicts† (136).He reveals himself to be the model postmodern by making the assertion that â€Å"no natural order lies behind what we invent through our use of language† (137). Foucault provided a new outlet for the newly formed notion to be interpreted by future philosophers. Subsequent to Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida reinterpreted some ideas of postmodernism. Unlike Foucault, Derrida had different views on what was in correct about modernism. He focused on defying logocentrism: â€Å"The philosophical method that looks to th e word as the carrier of meaning† (141).He began, in a sense, where Kant left of by questioning â€Å"what foundation can we offer for our use of reason† (140). Derrida was critical of Western philosophers in saying that they view writing as a demonstration of speech. He spent his lifetime of work trying to deconstruct the idea that written language represents reality. Unlike Foucault, Derrida did not try to create new ideas for postmodernism on the basis of old ideas; he rather deconstructed or disproved the foundations of modernism. Derrida wanted to demolish the modern construct that â€Å"views philosophy as pure, disinterested inquiry† (148).Along with that, he also wanted to renounce the popular idea that there is a clear link between language and the external world, (148). â€Å"Derrida’s primary goal is to divest us of logocentrism by showing the impossibility of drawing a clear line between reality and our linguistic representations† (148). Overall, Derrida’s target for deconstruction was Western philosophy as a whole. The ideas represented by the philosophy were viewed as hopeless by Derrida. The notions that Derrida brought to the table allowed thinkers to move past the modern ways and seek refuge in postmodernism.After Derrida, came a philosopher with a new way of thinking, Richard Rorty. Unlike his predecessors, Rorty expressed his belief in a clear style. Rorty is considered to be â€Å"the central figure behind the renewed interest in the American pragmatist tradition† (151). His pragmatist outlook abandoned an Enlightenment idea; â€Å"The mind is the ‘mirror of nature’† (151). In pragmatism, the view of truth is that it is a result of human convention, thus it is constructed. Similar to Derrida, Rorty believes that language does not have the capability to represent the world accurately.He views language as a device used to satisfy one’s wants and needs. Working against modernism, he also states that â€Å"we give up the idea that the goal of science is to produce models that correspond perfectly with reality† (154). Rorty believes that science is just one way to view the world, but there are many other ways to perceive it. Through the work of Foucault, Derrida, and Rorty, a new way of thinking was born which opened the world up for questioning. Postmodernism and Christianity have a working relationship. That is, Christians support and also disagree with some postmodern concepts.When postmodernism was first presented as an idea, Christians did not know how to approach it. A concern that Christians have with the postmodern view is the rejection of meta-narratives. The concept of stories uniting a group as one is the foundation for Christianity. As Grenz states, â€Å"We simply do not share the despair over the loss of universality that leads to the radical skepticism of the emerging era† (165). In addition to the rejection of meta-narr atives, postmodernism focuses on the inability to discover an all-encompassing truth. Here lies the major dilemma Christianity has with postmodernity.Christians believe that God includes the truth about everything, but postmodern thinkers do not believe that an â€Å"all-encompassing truth† is possible to reach (163). The postmodern rejection of individualism worries Christians because they â€Å"must always keep in view the biblical themes of God’s concern for each person, the responsibility of every human before God, and the individual orientation that lies within the salvation message† (168). On the other hand, Christians support the rejection of the Enlightenment idea that â€Å"the rational, scientific method is the sole measure of truth† (166).Also, the postmodern denial that all knowledge is good and objective strengthens the ties between Christianity and postmodernism (168). Christians also support the postmodern finding that no person can be sepa rate from creation. As years pass, Christians are more accepting of postmodern concepts and are more rejecting of the modern ideas they once supported. Grenz’ view of the postmodern world is acceptable for what society faces today. The postmodern views have been mirrored throughout the public. Even in school, teachers focus more on group projects and group activities rather than the individuals.Children judge each other on the amount of time they spend with others, as opposed to the ability to spend time alone. Now, it is a must for children to always be with their friends. It is also represented in the working world. Bosses would prefer group presentations rather than individual. Most people do not like to be alone or even to be singled-out. Also, as the economy is closer to being in a recession, the postmodern idea that the world is not getting better every day is strengthened. People no longer believe â€Å"that humanity will be able to solve the world’s greatest r oblems or even that their economic situation will surpass that of their parents,† (7). Every day it seems as though the world is not capable to overcome what it has started, such as wars. It seems as though the world is no longer a â€Å"happy† place at most times. The postmodern pessimistic view is presented daily. It is awkward for others when people are optimistic about their life. Overall, people seem accepting to the postmodern views. Over the years, the world has seen different phases sweep through, and each one is eventually accepted. The most current themes are modernity and postmodernity.The modern views were set forth by Rene Descartes, Isaac Newton, and Immanuel Kant. Modernism is the idea of focusing on the individual in means of scientific explanations. Also, modern thinkers believe that all knowledge is inherently good. Johann Gottlieb Fichte is partially responsible for the beginning of questioning modernity. Once Fichte opened the doors, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Richard Rorty put an end to the modern way of thinking. What their idea created was postmodernity. The postmodern thinker steps away from the individual, focusing more on group relations.Also, postmodernism denies that all knowledge is essentially good. This new way of thinking has made Christians question how to respond. Christians agree, but also disagree with some of the postmodern views. As a whole, the world has come to terms with postmodernism by accepting it. What is going to happen when philosophers begin to question postmodernity? How will the world be viewed once people stop accepting postmodernism? Works Cited Grenz, Stanley J. A Primer on Postmodernism. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.