Dancing at Lughnasa

In the time ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was set Gerry and Chris’s relationship would have been extremely unorthodox and would have circulated a lot of town gossip. Having a child out of wedlock was extremely shocking and making the decision to then keep Michael even more so. In 1936 women had very few rights and with the shock of Michael being born only the towns respect for their brother, a missionary, kept them from being societal lepers. Friel presents the relationship between Gerry and Chris by using stage directions to show the true feelings between them and how their relationship is sustained.Having Gerry and Chris talking in the garden while the four other sisters are inside listening intently shows how little privacy the two have in their relationship. When Gerry first arrives Chris appears extremely cold and offhand in front of him using one word answers ‘Chris: Hello, Gerry†¦ yes†¦yes. ’ All of this gives the impression that she has very little time for him and doesn’t particularly care about him. However Friel’s staging shows the audience that she really does care because we see her reaction before Gerry comes on stage.Friel portrays her as standing stock still in shock then, when coming to her senses, rushing around panicking, ‘adroitly adjusts her hair and clothes. ’ It is the panic before the extract that shows her much Chris truly does care about Gerry and also about how little the sisters have in their lives due to the their scramble to make themselves presentable.This highlights how Gerry is a key romantic figure in the play because even though all the while the sisters are saying ‘Kate: He won’t stay the night here’ and ‘Rose: I hate him!’ they still all end up crowding around the window to listen in and watch, suggesting that though disapproving they still half wish to be in Chris’s shoes. The social constraints of the situation lead them t o wanting Gerry out of the families lives, but still the desire is there through the constant comments. These comments are key to the suggestion of an invasion of privacy, ‘Maggie: you should see the way she’s looking at him†¦Kate: they’re not still talking are they?’Friel is trying to show how hard it must be for Gerry and Chris to live in such an enclosed area where everyone knows everyone’s business, thus exploring a theme of romance, or lack of romance. This is continued throughout the extract, the fact that Gerry never visits ‘Chris: 13 months’ making the relationship seem very one sided – Chris remembering the last visit to the day while Gerry can’t remember the month. Gerry proposes to Chris at the very end of the extract and this gives a sign that maybe he does care about her.Even though Chris turns him down there is still the slight remembrance of this moment throughout the rest of the play, leading to the au diences opinion that maybe Gerry does truly care for Chris despite leaving her alone with child. However through Michael’s narrative closer to the end of the play in the second act we find out that Gerry already had ‘a wife and three grown children’, Friel choosing to leave this revelation till the end to produce a far more dramatic climax to their relationship. It is then that the audience realises that Gerry never intended to marry Chris and only offered in the knowledge that she would refuse.This all gives the impression that there is never any real closeness or intimacy for the two of them and the whole summer of happiness before, ‘suddenly he takes her in his arms and dance. ’ was a lie. A large influence on Friel when writing ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was the changing role of women in society. Thatcher had just been Prime Minister and women’s rights were becoming much more accepted in the 1990’s, perhaps why Friel chose t o make this such a large part of the play. Set in 1936 the Mundy sisters would not have been at all accepted by society with Chris having Michael out of wedlock and then deciding to keep him.Changing attitudes within society would have influenced Friel’s interpretation of Chris and Gerry’s relationship. Friel depicted this family as an example of what is yet to come, the sisters supported Chris throughout and after her pregnancy even though it went against societies beliefs, thus inflicting Chris’s embarrassment upon themselves as well yet still sticking together as a family. Friel emphasizes that women should have the right to do as they please through the disruption of outside influences.At the beginning of the play the sisters are happy in their little bubble making jokes about the outside world ‘Maggie: steady on girl, today its lipstick; tomorrow it’s the gin bottle’ although never participating in it. It’s when they begin to allo w others into their circle that things begin to go down hill for them. Before Gerry’s arrival they were all dancing and laughing but his arrival marked a change for them all, Friel perhaps suggesting that women don’t need the influences of men and all they bring with them is destruction.Danny Bradley and Rose are another example of this, the death of Rose’s defenceless white rooster is symbolic of mans predatory nature and the violence of this act implies violence between Rose and Bradley. Therefore Friel is portraying women as stronger without the male interference, Chris and Gerry’s relationship is used to highlight this as it is obvious to the audience that Chris would have been better off without Gerry in the first place but it is this continued procrastinating relationship that truly destroys her.The audience views Chris and Gerry’s relationship with trepidation throughout the play due to Friel’s depiction of him as a stereotypical woma niser. Kate calls him a ‘Loafer! Wastrel! ’ but conveniently neglects to mention the obvious charisma he has. In a short few minutes of conversation he has turned Chris from cold and unwelcoming ‘Chris: Thirteen months. ’ To one who is warm and laughing and allows Gerry to ‘dance her lightly, elegantly across the garden. ’ The audience views this exchange with surprise having heard only very negative things about Gerry from the sisters; the easy acceptance from Chris confuses them.The audience’s mistrust of Gerry’s character increases after the small discussion of Agnes between the two. Having already seen Agnes’s rigid, almost forced disinterest in Gerry, and then to have Gerry asking specifically after her Friel creates a slight unease for the audience, suggesting that something may have between the two of them. This leads to the audience beginning to see the cracks in the family’s foundations with Gerry seemingly at the centre of this. Friel enforces this idea of him being a womaniser later in act 2 when he begins to flirt with Agnes ‘Gerry: Dance with me Agnes.’ and then kisses her forehead, all of this watched by Chris.The audience begins to really mistrust Gerry at this point as it is obvious that he is the cause of conflict between the family they have come to love. The audience is seeing men in a bad light which relates to the feelings at the time it was being performed when the term ‘glass ceiling’ was coming into existence, women in the workplace being oppressed by men and now, in the play, them to being oppressed in relationships. There is the feeling that men can get away with any sort of misdemeanour by just walking away, leaving, whereas women i.e.Chris, are always left with the result – a baby. Gerry’s carrying on represents this stereotypical male so that when the audience discovers that Gerry in fact has ‘a wife and three grown chil dren’ it comes as no surprise. In conclusion, Friel presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship as something parallel to that of a pre 1990’s relationship. He wants to suggest to the audience that women no need longer depend on men by showing how much better off the Mundy sisters were before the arrival of Gerry and the conflict he brought within the family.Although the influences on Friel were all about the empowerment of women, he presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship with Gerry as the dominant figure, putting the play in the context of its setting and to show how the male dominance was a cause of the family breaking down. Through his presentation of the relationship he is evoking the idea that there are more possibilities available to an empowered women rather than a dominated one.

London Jets

Questions for the London Jets Case Download the file LondonJets. xls, available on the course website. I. Perform RFM Analysis: (recency, frequency, monetary (total sales) analysis) as indicated on page 3 of the case; steps for RFM are given on page 8 of the case (I have provided one approach on page 3 of this document). Use pivot table with Frequency and Monetary value for rows and Recency for column. Data field should be Count of CustID. Important Note — The format for this table is shown on the next page; use this format for your RFM table. Please provide a brief interpretation for the RFM analysis – assume you are the consultant to London Jets; how would you explain what the numbers in the pivot table mean (keep the discussion brief; each and every entry need not be explained). II. Additional Analysis: Do two additional sets of analysis beyond RFM. As an example, you may want to analyze attendance patterns for Fan Club Members versus non-members to see if there is any merit in increasing the size of this club (this would count as one analysis). There are several different variables in the database, and as such there are lots of ways in which the data can be analyzed. Think about the issue London Jets is facing – how to increase attendance – and let this objective drive your analysis. For each additional analysis undertaken by your team, provide a rationale as to why should London Jets consider the customer segment you are analyzing. Please also be sure to briefly explain the outcome of your analysis (what did you learn for your analysis, and how London Jets can benefit from this analysis). What to submit? Please submit one hard copy of the report per team. List the last names of team members on the cover page in alphabetical order. Prepare your report in power point such that it could be presented to London Jets’ management (although your team will not be asked to present the report). Your report should end with a Conclusions page where you draw conclusions from all the analyses you have done, and recommended actions London Jets can take to increase attendance to its games based on your work. Please make sure that the report is contained within a maximum of 12 pages (slides) including the title and conclusions pages. Team work models I have seen two models of team work. The first and more commonly used model is where the team divides the workload and each member is responsible for completing their share of work. These disparate pieces are put together as a report. The obvious advantage of this approach is that the work is divided evenly among members. The drawback of this approach is that sloppy work by one or more team members adversely impacts the score of those who put in good work. Additionally, if someone in the team does not take the trouble to integrate the disparate pieces, the end result can be a report that appears disjoint (i. . made up of pieces that do not flow well together). The second, less common approach is where each member provides input on every aspect (question) of the case. Compared to the approach described above, the second approach certainly requires more time from each member. The advantage however is that often the best ideas (i. e. responses to case questions) make it into the report, resulting in a higher quality of sub mitted work. Important Note — This note applies for all cases done in this class. I cannot entertain questions such as â€Å"Professor, please take a look at what we have so far and let us know if we are on the right track†. Teams are expected to work on each case independently. Taking necessary decisions in situations where there is no clear consensus is a part of team learning process. [pic] Learn more about RFM here: http://searchcrm. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci751219,00. html Steps for creating RFM table for London Jets Step 0 — Start by creating a column with 3000 entries such that the first 600 entries are 5s, followed by 600 4s, 600 3s, 600 2s and 600 1s. With copy and paste, this takes  less than  2 minutes and I can gladly show you how. Here are the remaining steps for assigning RFM codes to the London Jets. Step 1 — Sort the entire data on recency of attendance so that customers that attended the games most recently will be on the top of the list. Add a new column to the data labeled R, where you copy and paste the column created in step 0. Step 2 — Sort the entire data, including recency codes assigned in step 1, on the basis of frequency of attendance such that customers with the highest frequency of attendance are at the top of the list. Add a new column to the data labeled F, where you copy and paste the column created in step 0. Step 3 — Sort the entire data, including recency codes assigned in step 1 and frequency codes assigned in step 2, on the basis of  monetary spending such that customers spending the most are at the top of the list. Add a new column to the data labeled M, where you assign first 1000 hundred customers a  M code of 5, the next 1000 a code of 4, and the last 1000 a code of 3. You are done assigning codes at the end of step 3, and are ready to create the RFM table.

An Analysis of Hermann Ebbinghaus’s Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

An Analysis of Hermann Ebbinghaus’s Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was the pioneer of Cognitive Psychology, which has a long past with a very short history. The part of human thinking has always been an elemental focus of interest. An Even ancient philosopher such as Aristotle was interested in understanding the mechanics of how our minds work. Psychology can be generally defined as the study of mental processing as well as behavior. Cognitive Psychology is defined the same, just without the behavior. This is why behaviorism is a study set apart on its own, which can be compared and contrasted with Cognitive Psychology. Although Cognitive Psychology will observe some behavior, it is only as a segway to understanding the mental processing that goes on â€Å"under the hood†. These intricate processes include attention, remembering, understanding language, and even solving problems. Even though these processes require a complex amount of thinking, we rarely stop to â€Å"think† about us actually thinking. P sychologist John B. Watson suggested that we separate psychology from consciousness to be able to focus solely on the behavioral perspective. Many experimental methods researching measurements, observations, and repeatability, which Cognitive Psychology is unable to use. These methods are some of the most instrumental in developing research conclusions that have led to some of the most important breakthroughs in history. Watsons approach was later termed, Behaviorism, this dismissed the scientific aspects of psychology while emphasizing the study of observable stimuli with observable responses. This has led to Behaviorism also being called S-R Psychology. In many instances, you cannot observe the same experimental methods and arrive at the same conclusions as you could with Cognitive Psychology, even though Cognitive Psychology does observe little behavior explain why the brain processes the way it does. Behaviorist does not discard the need for consciousness, they do however reject the idea that it is meaningfully studied. In both psychologists, their intent is to fully understand the mind and all it inhabits. Cognitive Psychologist just believes that studying the actual processing of the mind is how you can arrive at the answer. Behaviorist believes that human behavior is the key element in fully understand the way our brains work and function. They both do agree, however, that without either the c onsciousness or the behaviors they would come to a â€Å"standstill† in their research. Most of our research that has been conducted in regards to attention is characterized by the terms of pre-attentive and post-attentive processing. Pre-attentive processing is generally characterized as happening quite quickly, mainly before the attention has been focused on the stimuli. One could say that it refers to arriving at the conclusion before one starts thinking. Thoughts that occur pre-attentively are also considered as synesthetic experiences. Pre-attentive and post-attentive processes contrast in the way that we think about objects. With post-attentive processing, we may actually count objects if there are more than a small amount, or focus on something longer than if we thought about it pre-attentively. In the example of counting sheep pre-attentively, if you see two, chances are that you did not count in your head, one and two. You automatically just saw the two sheep and you r brain processed them as the number two. Post-attentively you would most likely have this occur if there were seven sheep, counting each until you reached the number seven. These processes of counting are referred to as Subitizing, which means quick and effortless. You can see this example when you are counting the two sheep, which seemed quite easy compared to counting numerous sheep. Subitizing is actually faster than counting and if the items are less than three, it is virtually unaffected over time. (Schwartze) The process where we strategically direct our attention in response to situational demands is executive attention. Many describe the nature of executive attention as becoming an object in direct focus recently with many researchers struggling to specify what we might call â€Å"cognitive control†. For example, when you are simply doing homework you may be reading research while typing, along with having music playing in the background. We are able to direct our attention to many different things depending on the relevance or the importance of the subject. The Stroop effect is present when we see a colors word printed out in a differen t color than the word printed. For example, the word blue printed out in pink ink, this would make it very hard for us to say the word pink when we look at it since we tend to read the word. We must slow down and pronounce the word as the color of the ink instead of the word printed, this is relevant to executive attention because we must focus on the color instead of mindlessly reading the word. In regards to the measure of our control on where we focus this attention, this is referred to as the operation span. The operation span can assess a person’s ability to keep track of multiple forms of information. This can go hand in hand with the inhibition effect that inhibits you from processing certain information. The inability to control your attention or to focus it on our homework instead of listening to the background music that was previously stated. (Fernandez-Duque) One original example of a perception of agency is when people visit a hypnotist. They believe their action s are not from their own choice but rather from being hypnotized to do so. This has actually been proven to be a hoax, so the person unknowingly decides to do those actions. People have this feeling that they are not in control and in the case of a hypnotist telling you to do something your metacognition of agency is quite poor. Your metacognition of agency might be quite high if you are doing an activity such as painting. You know you are making strokes with the paintbrush and what colors you are painting with. Knowingly you choose where to paint and even the subject you are going to paint. This is an example of being in complete control of what you are doing while consciously knowing that you are the one doing it. (Carr)

Cybercrime - reading critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cybercrime - reading critique - Essay Example Cyber criminals and terrorist groups are formed a nexus to destroy the US interests. US military is currently depending partly on the civilian technology services which can be misused/ exploited by the cyber attackers. Kinetic weapons, power of electromagnetic energy, malicious computer code etc are some of the most common methods of cyber attacks employed by cyber terrorists. Botnets (vast numbers of compromised computers that have been infected with malicious code, and can be remotely-controlled through commands sent via the Internet) are another major tool for cybercrime, because of its effectiveness and the easy use by even a non-skilled malicious user. The cyber attacks faced by Estonia in April 2007 revealed that political protestors may have rented the services of cybercriminals in order to destabilize the government. Cyber criminals have already established alliances with drug traffickers in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and elsewhere where profitable illegal activities are used to support terrorist groups. A coordinated attack on civilian and military computers by the cyber attackers may adversely affect the interests of US economy and the US military. â€Å"Every action has equal but opposite reaction† which is Newton’s third law. It is true in the case of computers and internet as well. It is a fact that computers and internet have revolutionized the human life immensely. At the same time like most of the other great discoveries, internet can also be used for destructive purposes. When nuclear energy was discovered, people thought that it can be used for constructive purposes. But nowadays the world is undergoing the immense threat of nuclear weapons and a possible nuclear war. Same way it is quite possible that prominent countries may engage in cyber wars in order to destabilize other countries. Instead of utilizing the contributions of science and technology for constructive purposes and collective growths, most of the prominent

Participation Exercise #9 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Participation Exercise #9 - Assignment Example Activity Based Costing is more efficient to manufacturing companies and provides a more efficient, effective and economical costing system. The different manufacturing companies have different activities that together make up the overheads that the company incurs in their operations. Its application to manufacturing companies will provide an easy accounting and costing system that will aid in providing more accurate accounting in an efficient manner. The costing system also considers the application of overheads to the different products produced in a manner more logical hence successfully compared to the traditional means that allocate costs to the different machine hours employed. The ability of the system to consider each activity and its costs makes it more efficient for manufacturing companies due to their approach to costing and operations. It bases on the different activities that prove to be the real cause of the

Women in Politics in the Progressive Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women in Politics in the Progressive Era - Essay Example At the end of 19th century women were considered the moral guardians and the protector of the home. During the progressive era, female reformers used ideology that in order to fully protect the home, females should shift to the public scope where they could practice their ethical power over matters such as public hygiene and education which eventually had huge impacts on the homes (Schneide & Schneider 106). Before having the right to vote the women participated in the political arena by joining volunteering organizations to work for reforms in the country. Efforts began to develop at the grassroots level and extended to the state and national level. These women carried out research, executed program, and pushed for the legislature to look into social, political, and economic problem. Middle class club women and settlement workers were to organize and address issues concerning education, healthcare, and political corruption while working women got organized in their own and in partnership with middle class women to raise welfare wages and improve working conditions in America. African American women were in organization to fight racism and provide mutual support. The status of women was beginning to change rapidly in this era, for most part middle class white married women thou they still did not work outside their home. Working women were primarily young and single, widow or divorcees or poor married woman. Most women continued working in agriculture as domestic servants especially the African American women. However, new jobs were opening up and most women began to seek for occupations in department stores. Mid-class women were able to find jobs as clerical workers i.e. typist, clerk, telephone operator, and a few excelled as lawyers, doctors, journalists, and scientist (Schneide & Schneider 146). In the 1930s some reformed women in the era were already in

Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Agents and Incidents Essay

Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Agents and Incidents - Essay Example This results in a greater affected area caused by migration by affected individuals. A chemical agent is defined as a chemical substance either in solid, liquid or gaseous form, which is employed to injure, incapacitate or kill human beings or animals because of its toxicological effects (Staten). Chemical agents can be classified into various groups such as â€Å"blood agents, nerve agents, pulmonary or choke agents, blister agents, incapacitating agents and riot-control agents† (Burda 253). An example of a blood agent is cyanide which is commonly used as hydrogen cyanide, or as halogen compounds. Cyanide poisoning causes dizziness, confusion, vomiting, hyperventilation and hypertension leading to coma, hypotension, convulsions, metabolic acidosis and even death. Common cyanide antidotes are sodium nitrate, sodium thiosulphate and sodium bicarbonate (Davies et al. 550). Nerve agents are chemically organophosphates such as sarin, soman, GF, tabun and VX (Burda 254). Organophosphate poisoning produces muscarinic, nicotinic and CNS symptoms. The antidotal agents used for organophosphate poisoning are atropine sulfate, glycopyrrolate and pralidoxime chloride. In March 1995, a sarin attack was made on a Tokyo subway station. Choking agents can be substances like chlorine, chloropicrin and diphosgene. These agents give rise to such symptoms as cough and dyspnea followed by pulmonary edema. Commonly used antidotes are albuterol sulfate and nebulised sodium bicarbonate. Examples of blistering or alkylating agents are nitrogen mustard, mustard gas, lewisite and distilled mustard. Blisters, eye injury, vomiting and vesiculations are typical symptoms of such toxicity. Such a poisoning is treated by using antibiotics. Popular incapacitating agents are QNB and Agent 15, which result in hallucinations, delirium and other anticholinergic symptoms. Such symptoms are reversed by using benzodiazepines and physostigmine salicylate.

Should Gay Marriage Be Legal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Should Gay Marriage Be Legal - Essay Example Having a different sexual orientation does not make homosexuals outcasts and they have every right to exercise their freedom even if the freedom means marrying the same gender. Gay marriages do not pose any sort of threat to the states or the society so it is not at all correct to assume it as a social vice. The issue should be looked at with an open mind and in a broader perspective. Gays would not change their sexual orientation if the gay marriages are not legalized. However legalization would allow them to enjoy the same rights as the others without the fear of humiliation or disgrace from the general public. They would enjoy the same respect and recognition from the community which is gained by the straight couples. Previously the laws defined in a country were according to the religion that was being followed there with little regard for the minorities. However we now live in an era where laws are constituted keeping in mind the public interest and sanctity of their rights. Therefore if the states are advocates of freedom then this freedom should also be extended towards gays since they are equal members of the society. The opinion of the states should be taken into account but it should only be under the discretion of the government whether to allow or disallow legalization of gay marriages because leaving it onto the states would only promote discord and disunity. Not granting equal rights to the gay community is another example of discrimination that has tainted the human history for so many years. The argument that is proposed by its opponents is of immorality and that the gay couples can live together privately without marrying but this attitude only tends to force them into social isolation. It also forces the gay couple to explain their relationship continuously to the general public which makes them feel embarrassed, stopping them from active social

The Importance of Slavery in the Development of Early America Research Paper

The Importance of Slavery in the Development of Early America - Research Paper Example They started to transport slaves from Africa to America during the sixteenth century. In the subsequent years, slavery became an economic, political and social factor in the development of early America, which resulted in the American Civil War or the American Revolution. This paper analyses the importance of slavery in the political and social development of early America and its contribution to the civil war. South America and North America were entirely different as far as the prominence of slavery was concerned. Negro slavery was absent in the North, whereas it occurred in many forms in the Southern parts of America in the last few centuries. â€Å"There has been one school of thought which regards presence of Negro slavery in the south and its absence in the north as the essence of sectional controversy† (Potter 30). From the onset, slavery had been the most serious cause of sectional conflict (Potter 52). In other words, the views and attitudes of the people in the south ern and northern parts of America were different. People in the North were more liberal in their nature, attitudes and beliefs, whereas people in the South were more conservative in their thoughts. It should be noted that European countries such as Britain were in control of Southren America in the eighteenth century. Britain had colonies in most parts of the world during this period. Africa was in control of Britain during this period, which made the slave transportation from Africa to America an easier task. Howe pointed out that â€Å"almost 14 million Negros were held in hereditary slavery during this period in America† (Howe 52). Slavery in the eighteenth century has created many social changes in America. Exports of slaves from Africa to America happened frequently during this period. Even though an independent American state was established in the eighteenth century, the process of exportation of slaves from Africa to America has not stopped. Americans were not in a mo od to give the luxury they enjoyed due to slavery. To sustain slavery as much as possible, they prevented black people from getting education, income and opportunities for employment. Even though human right issues were discussed very seriously in America during this period, nobody took slavery as a serious human right violation issue until the 1780s. In fact, the black community was not much interested in avoiding slavery in the eighteenth century. They were particular about improving their economic conditions rather than avoiding slavery or acquiring equal status with whites. Poverty was the biggest problem faced by the negros during this period. â€Å"For Negros, economic circumstances were more important than legal status (Slavery) in shaping their conditions of life† (Potter 31). It should not be forgotten that the negros were deprived of opportunities for education and, as a result of that, they were unaware of the things like human rights. For them, acquiring enough fo od at any cost was the major objective of their life. Even though dominant white people did everything possible to sustain slavery in America, they failed to prevent black people from becoming aware of freedom and liberty. For example, black people were used extensively for maritime employment by the white people in the eighteenth century. It was impossible for white people to execute maritime works without slaves. Maritime works were often done without much supervision from the

The effects of power Essay Example for Free

The effects of power Essay The power of union and the management although different in nature both affects the outcome of a negotiation.   The power of the union is based on numbers whereas power exercised by management is power conferred upon it by the nature of the business.   In negotiations, there is always a point of equilibrium where both parties are going to benefit from the exchange and which is the most profitable point for both parties.   However, this point of equilibrium can be manipulated into moving towards either side by the power the two parties possess.   The effects of the power exercised management and the power exercised by the union during negotiations differ as to the situation or the environment, when the company is involved in a business that requires highly technical employees, the union will probably have a stronger bargaining power than the management especially since the workers are under short supply.   In cases where the management is required to face-off with a union that is composed of low-skilled employees and the situs of the company is abundant on such resource, then management will be able to steer the negotiations towards the direction that is most favorable to it. Balancing of power   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Balancing of power can be equated as the power of both parties negating each other and thus ending in a state of equilibrium wherein both parties have reached the best possible solution to their problems.   Balancing of power can only be achieved if both parties â€Å"assume that mutual gains are possible, and should not assume that one party must suffer for the other to benefit† (McCarthy, 1991).   Balancing of power is important because it is in this state that both parties are benefited without sacrificing too much of their demands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several ways to maintain this balance of power and prevent its abuse.   One tactic is to understand others’ interests, another is to analyze the sources of power available to all parties – but not being paralyzed by it, another tactic is to consider other options making your position flexible thus reducing the risk of the other party easily influencing or manipulating you, and also, you must understand your personal style, your own strengths and weaknesses to know what you are capable of and protect oneself from the other party’s bluffs (Kochan, 2005). Power over employment status   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Power that is normally exercised by management is the power over the employment status of an employee.   Although several state policies and internal company policies are aimed to prevent the abuse of this power when dealing with individual workers, it is still commonplace that management easily manipulates the lowly worker into succumbing to its wishes under the pressures of losing his or her job.   It is because of this power that there can be no effective communication between a worker and management in conflict situations.   When entering into conflict negotiations, the ideal state is that the parties are on equal footing, however, there can be no equality when the other party has control over your livelihood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regardless of this power that management holds, the lowly worker can seek redress from the courts on grounds of equity.   Courts knowing the imbalance between the two parties are more inclined to rule in favor of the lowly worker given there is sufficient basis.   Because of this fear of litigation and the prospect of losing more money in the long run, most companies are now shifting towards justice and fairness in conflict resolutions.   As a matter of fact, â€Å"Eighty-three percent of corporate executives report the fear of a lawsuit affects their decisions† (Hubert, 1998) and tend to do what is equitable. References Hubert, Denise V.M. (1998). The First Step in Alternative Dispute Resolution: Fact-Finding. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://www.management-advantage.com/newsletr/jul98.htm Kochan, Tom (2005). Negotiations and Conflict Management Basic Concepts: Theory and Practice. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://ocw.mit.edu/NR/rdonlyres/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-668Fall-2005/F06D4B27-6A22-4FDD-9449-B2664318C7C4/0/lecture_12.pdf McCarthy, William (1991). The Role of Power and Principle in Getting to Yes. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/mcca7535.htm

Literature Review of Pain Assessment Tools

Literature Review of Pain Assessment Tools Introduction This essay will identify the issue of poorly addressed acute pain in hospitalized patients and critically compare and discusses a range of pain assessment tools referring to contemporary research literature and practice guidelines for patients who are able to self describe their pain and who are unable to self describe their pain due to verbal communication barriers, critical illness or delirium/dementia. Main Body According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience arising from actual or potential tissue damage (1). Clinically, â€Å"Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever he/she says it does† (McCaffery, 1968). The temporal profile classification is most commonly used to classify pain.This broad classification of pain duration is often used to better understand the biopsychosocial aspects that may be important when conducting assessment and treatment. For example, many times chronic pain is a result of unresolved acute pain episodes, resulting in accumulative biopsychosocial effects such as prolonged physical reconditioning, anxiety, and stress. It is obvious that this type of time categorization information can be extremely helpful in directing specific treatment approaches to the type of pain that is being evaluated (Gatchel Oordt, 2003). Acute pain is usually indicative of tissue damage and is characterized by momentary intense noxious sensations (i.e., nociception). It serves as an important biological signal of potential tissue/ physical harm. Some anxiety may initially be precipitated, but prolonged physical and emotional distress usually is not. Indeed, anxiety, if mild, can be quite adaptive in that it stimulates behaviors needed for recovery, such as the seeking of medical attention, rest, and removal from the potentially harmful situation. As the nociception decreases, acute pain usually subsides. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain persists. Chronic pain is traditionally defined as pain that lasts 6 months or longer, well past the normal healing period one would expect for its protective biological function. Arthritis, back injuries, and cancer can produce chronic-pain syndromes and, as the pain persists, it is often accompanied by emotional distress, such as depression, anger, and frustration. Such pain can also often significantly interfere with activities of daily living. There is much more health care utilization in an attempt to find some relief from the pain symptoms, and the pain has a tendency to become a preoccupation of an individuals everyday living. According to Buckley (2000) nurses are the primary group of health care professionals responsible for the ongoing assessment and monitoring of patients to ensure that pain is effectively and appropriately managed and that patients and families are informed of the consequences of acute pain. Assessment of pain can be a simple and straightforward task when dealing with acute pain and pain as a symptom of trauma or disease. Assessment of location and intensity of pain often sufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ces in clinical practice. However, other important aspects of acute pain, in addition to pain intensity at rest, need to be deà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ned and measured when clinical trials of acute pain treatment are planned. If not, meaningless data and false conclusions may result. The 5 key components: Words, Intensity, Location, Duration, Aggravating factors pain assessment are incorporated into the process. Objective data are collected by using one of the pain assessment tools which are specià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ c to s pecial types of pain. The main issues in choosing the tool are its reliability and its validity. Moreover, the tool must be clear and, therefore, easily understood by the client, and require little effort from the client and the nurse. According to Husband (2001) to measure the pain severity or intensity, several scales can be used such as a numeric rating scale (NRS), the visual analog scale (VAS), observation scales with indicators of pain, and even creative depictions of pain intensity with scale using a pain thermometer. The numeric rating scale allows patients to rate their pain on and 11-point scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). The majority of patients, even older adults can use this scale. The thermometer scale may be useful in the elderly, according to Rakel and Herr (2004). It shows a picture of a thermometer arranged on a background with a vertical word scale. Finally categoric scales use verbal descriptors to quantify the level of pain and those scales have been validated and are considered to be reliable. Chronic pain has a major impact on physical, emotional, and cognitive function, on social and family life, and on the ability to work and secure an income. Meaningful assessment of long-lasting pain is therefore a more demanding task than assessing acute pain. This is true both in clinical practice and when conducting trials of management of long-lasting pain. A comprehensive assessment of any chronic complex pain condition requires documenting (i) pain history, (ii) physical examination, and (iii) specià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ c diagnostic tests. Chronic pain assessment tools are the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), which assesses pain severity and the degree of interference with function, using 0 – 10 NRS, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and the short-form MPQ (SF-MPQ) evaluate sensory, affective–emotional, evaluative, and temporal aspects of the patient’s pain condition. Pain assessment in older adults can be challenging and very difficult in some situations (Rakel Herr, 2004). When the patient cannot report his/her subjective pain experience, proxy measurements of pain must be used, such as pain behaviours and reactions that may indicate that the person is suffering painful experiences. Besides communication difà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ culties caused by language problems, patients in the extremes of age, and critically ill patients in the intensive care setting, are common assessment problems. Older patients may prefer to use alternate means to express their pain through the use of word descriptors that best characterize the pain, such as aching, hurting, and soreness (Herr Garand, 2001). Significant challenges occur when assessing patients who are unable to communicate verbally, in writing, or by gestures, or when they are cognitively impaired. Pain assessment should be ongoing at regular intervals, individualised and documented clearly to facilitate treatment and communication among health care clinicians. Conclusion In conclusion, adequate assessment of pain, using validated tools appropriate to the population or individual, is an essential prerequisite of successful pain management. It has been shown in many countries that inadequate pain assessment is common, with resultant failings in management of pain. Inadequate pain control can prolong the recovery period, increase length of stay, and increase overall health care costs ( Shang Gan, 2003) Only by regularly assessing and measuring pain, as routinely as the other vital signs, can we hope to make pain visible enough to those caring for patients and thus improve management. This is especially true for the patients that anaesthetists care for every day, those with acute pain after surgery, trauma, and in the intensive care unit.

Nelly in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights Essay -- Emily Bronte Wuther

Nelly in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights In a novel where everything is turned upside down and every character plays a role they probably shouldn’t, Nelly Dean’s role is the most ambiguous. As both Lockwood’s and the reader’s narrator, Nelly plays the role of the storyteller. Yet at the same time, Nelly is also a character in the story that she tells, occupying a vast array of roles. As a character within her own tale, Nelly attempts to manipulate the actions of her fellow characters. The best way for the reader to understand both Nelly’s role in the novel and her manipulative actions is to see Nelly as being representative of the author. Authors occupy roles that are similarly as ambiguous as Nelly’s role, acting as both writers of and characters in their own stories, often unwittingly writing aspects of themselves into a large variety of roles within their own novels. Furthermore, Nelly’s manipulative actions and biases are analogous to an author’s exertions to move the narrative in accordance with her artistic vision. The multiplicity and ambiguity of Nelly’s roles as well as Nelly’s clearly manipulative maneuvers to alter the plot ultimately implicate Nelly in the meta-fictional role of representing the author. Nelly’s role in Wuthering Heights is inherently ambiguous because she occupies a vast array of roles throughout the course of the narrative. Who she is and what niche she fills depends on the characters with whom she interacts and on the situations in which she is immersed, resulting in great ambiguity over Nelly’s exact role in the novel. This lack of clarity arises before Nelly’s narrative even begins. When we first encounter Nelly, we know that she is the housekeeper of Thrushcross Grange. ... ...other, or a matchmaker; she is all four at the same time. This multiplicity in roles, as well as her exertions to manipulate her fellow characters, implicates Nelly in the role of the author, who both occupies the role of all of her characters and manipulates those characters to act as she wishes them to. As a reader, it is easy to dismiss Nelly as merely being a means to an end. It is because of Nelly that we are allowed the opportunity to hear the story of Wuthering Heights, but the narrative certainly does not revolve around her, and nor should it. The author herself should never occupy more space than her story. Yet by performing a meta-analysis on Nelly’s role, we can see the importance of not simply dismissing such a character, because her presence says just as much about the turbulences of passion for love as it does about the passion for a writer’s art.

Romanticism, Realism and Emily Dickinson :: Romanticism Realism Emily Dickinson

Romanticism, Realism and Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson wrote at the tail end of the Romantic period, and even though she was influenced by some of the ideals of Romanticism, is most commonly known as a writer from the Realist era. However, her writing embodies the defining characteristics that are identified with each of these periods. The main characteristic of Romanticism that Emily Dickinson portrays in her writing is the emphases of the importance of Nature to the Romantics. In most of her poems there is some mention or comparison to something found in Nature. In Poem 449, she refers to the moss that covers the names on the graves of the tombstones of â€Å"Beauty† and â€Å"Truth.† The Puritans believed Nature to be the realm of the devil. By including references to Nature in many of her poems, she was rebelling against the ideals of the Puritan upbringing she had hated so much. Realists are considered to be concerned with poverty, extortion and the negative aspects of life; the harsh realities of life. In Poem 216, Emily uses words to create a metaphor for the Puritan way of life. She reveals how much they distance themselves from others and how living a Puritan way of life is much like walking on earth dead. In many ways, she mocks the wealthy Puritans too. It was their belief to not spend their money, but rather save it. In Poem 216, she is saying that all the money the Puritans obtain in life is spent on their tombstones since they are not allowed to enjoy their riches in this life. Many of her poems deal with death or dying, but this is simply a metaphor to express how bleak life has come to be in the present. Realists were also trying to push for social reform through their writing, hinting at what may happen if reforms do not take place. Emily Dickinson views the Puritan life as a life that oppresses people from the joys it can bring. Puritans try to live a life full of hard work and little pleasure since pleasure is a thing of the devil.

Differences between Acute and Invasive Streptococci Infections Essay

The Differences between Acute and Invasive Streptococci Infections: an analysis of Acute Group A Streptococci and Invasive Group A Streptococci Infections Abstract Group A Streptococci infections are commonly known throughout the world, however the idea of acute and invasive strains of Group A Streptococci are unknown. In addition, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, there are roughly 120 different strains of Group A Streptococci. The dissimilarity of the strains is what provides the various types of proteins, which are responsible for differences of acute and invasive Group A Streptococci infections. These infections can vary in severity and can, additionally, be the difference between minor throat trauma and death. In which case, it is imperative to know the differences between Acute and Invasive Group A Streptococci Infections. 5 of the 120 different strains of Group A Streptococci bacteria. Group A Streptococci infections differ in numerous ways, which can mean the difference between a minor or major infection. Today, scientists have accounted for virtually 120 different strains of Group A Streptococci (GAS), each containing its own exclusive protein to produce. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2004) Nonetheless, all Group A Streptococci are gram positive without flagella, making it non motile. (Todar?s Online Textbook of Bacteriology, 2002) Streptococcus is very common in humans and animals. Whether or not the bacteria acts and takes over the immune system is dependent upon the victims? immune system strength. Group A Streptococci can cause different degrees of illness, from none at all to very severe and life threatening. The acute Group A Streptococci ... ...oupastreptococcal_g.htm National Institutes of Health. (2004, June). Group A Streptococcal Infections. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. July 29, 2005. www.niaid.nih.gov.factsheets/strept.htm Fix F. Douglas. (1997-2005). Streptococcus. July 25, 2005. www.cehs.siu.edu/fix/medmicro/strep.html Johnson A. Paul. (2002, December). Flesh Eating Disease. Health A to Z. July 28, 2005. www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/flesh-eating_disease National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2004, November). Streptococcal Infections. Department of Health. July 28, 2005. www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/communicable_diseases/en/gas.htm ?Streptococcus Group A Infections.? Excerpt from Streptococcus Group A Infections. Emedicine. (July 25. 2005) www.emedicince.com/med/byname/streptococcus-group-a-infections.htm Acute and Invasive Streptococci Infections 8

Cartoon and Japanese Society Essay

Japan’s animation boom began in the summer of l977, when the movie Uchu Senkan Yamato (Space Cruiser Yamato) captivated teenagers and young adults to emerge as a major box-office hit. The success of this sci-fi â€Å"anime† prompted a fundamental shift in the cultural status of animation. Even before Space Cruiser Yamato, Japan had produced a considerable number of animated films, but they were generally regarded as children’s fare or, at best, family entertainment; the few adult-oriented animated movies were not successful commercially. Space Cruiser Yamato was the first anime to demonstrate that the medium need not restrict itself to kiddies fare. Following suit, from the late l970s, Japan put out a steady stream of animated films geared to young adults, including Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Galaxy Express 999) and Kido Senshi Gandamu (Mobile Suit Gundam). Most of these were commercial successes as well, although critics dismissed these as exploitation films pandering to teenage taste. The attitude of film critics changed abruptly, however, with the 1984 release of Kaze no Tani no Naushica (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind), a film whose artistic quality was widely regarded as more than sufficient to hold the attention of adults. With this movie, writer-director Miyazaki Hayao overturned the conventional image of the anime director as a versatile hack, and was soon crowned as anime’s first genuine auteur. Of course, not all anime rose to the level of non-juvenile entertainment or art. In fact, in the late 1980s, with young adult anime showing signs of staleness, the focus began to revert to children’s films. Nevertheless, the genre never relinquished the commercial foothold it had gained during the young adult anime craze; furthermore, Miyazaki began to enjoy a large degree of freedom in his filmmaking, as did several other directors who subsequently achieved the status of anime auteur. The results of those efforts, particularly the anime produced by Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, are not simply movies with high box-office potential; they are in many instances artistically superior to the live-action films made in Japan, and they have won growing legions of fans overseas. During the 1990s, animation, spearheaded by the work of a few anime auteurs, emerged as the face of Japanese film, positioning Japan as the worlds undisputed â€Å"anime superpower. † And in 1997 — a full twenty years since anime took off — animation’s preeminence over live-action films in Japan was more apparent than ever. In a matter of months after its release, Mononoke-hime (Princess Mononoke), Miyazaki’s latest film to date which was then alleged to be his last directorial effort, broke every box-office record to become the biggest domestic movie hit of all time in Japan. In the languishing field of young adult anime, the avant garde sci-fi work Shin Seiki Evangerion (Neon Genesis Evangelion) scored a major box-office hit and won a huge cult following. Moreover, children’s anime are as popular as ever. In all, it appears that anime has taken center stage in the Japanese film industry, pushing live-action movies into the wings. Kenji (2002) opined that Animation became popular in Japan as it provided an alternative format of storytelling compared to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike America, where live-action shows and movies have generous budgets, the live-action industry in Japan is a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Asians. The varied use of animation allowed artists to create characters and settings that did not look Japanese at all Now a bit about how animation gets to wherever you are today. In the dusty yet not-so-long-ago time, when old cities began to get overweight and thus suburban areas started to be a new synonym for the term ‘eyesore’, the post-LSD generation of the Northern hemisphere imported anime from the Land of the Rising Sun at approximately the pace of a snail-mail package sent from Alabama to Tibet. The riotous 1970’s has just received enlightenment in this field of concern — the quicker-witted Americans in the industry started to stop calling non-human-non-nature-non-animal motion pictures ‘cartoons’ and have used the word ‘animation’. Naturally the content of slim boxes of taped animation movies embarking there was then called ‘Japanese animation, and for the convenience of those who tend to misspell anything more than three-lettered it was promptly squeezed into ‘Japanimation’, so no wonder that they still misspell it. Anyway, no derogatory wink was involved in the term ‘Japanimation’ — it’s just a matter of geoprofile for the product that has come in faster and in bulk during 1980’s. The malicious intent is not there, if you really are so paranoid about such things; it is for instance in the term ‘Japornimation’, for which the Yoshiwara might have had an influence (i. e. modern sexually explicit and repulsively bloody anime movies). Meanwhile, in 1990’s someone (probably the same person who snail-mailed from Alabama to Tibet) informed the Northerners that the Japanese themselves have always called the thing ‘animation’. From then on ‘animation’ often replaces ‘Japanimation’ in the lexicon, but it didn’t blast the old word out of circulation — usually attached to the ‘Old School’ of diehard, seasoned, loyal and zealous anime fans (‘otaku’) among the Americans, it is still valid to use ‘Japanimation’ today in any case of generally useless elaboration such as this, plus the term ‘anime’ is seen as too wide to refer to just the characteristic Japanese product — ‘anime’ could mean the entire baggage this planet must carry in the form of every kind of animation, including Beavis & Butthead.

Hofstede Cultural Difference Critiques Essay

Arguably, Hofstede’s work (1980, 1997) represents a pioneering approach of culture as a way of comparing international management frameworks. First of all, prior to offering any evaluations in regards to McSweeney’s criticism (2002a/b), it is crucial to identify the nature of Hostede’s work within the entire sphere of the culture approach itself. In contrast to the guarantors of the emic approach , whose main concepts tend to discard the equalization and standardization of dimensions in national cultures’ comparisons, the pillars of Hofstede’s work, which belong to the etic approach , are based on 5 dimensions whereby national differences are then measured. In other words, from the emic standpoint it is also arguable that the etic research methodology, as aiming to identify equalities among national differences, would risk throwing out the baby with the bath water . On the other hand, from the emic perspective, dividing the culture into a set of defined scopes stands as the only way to actually enable researchers to compare cultures . Having briefly introduced the shortcomings related to both approaches, McSweeney’s critiques can now be narrowed down to a specific scope, which is mainly encompassed with Hofstede’s research methodology. Research Validity  In light of the importance for any researches to provide clear definitions on the specific research concepts and key words, the first part of this essay will evolve on contextualizing the meaning of culture within Hofstede’s work, thus, giving ground to McSweeney’s relevant sources of criticism. Geert (1980) has defined culture as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another†. McSweeney essentially critiques Hofstede’s adoption of nations as means of cultural comparisons, scorning the territoriality uniqueness of culture in primis. In regards to this issue, Hofstede in a second stage (2002: 1356) acknowledges that nations are not the ideal elements for studying cultures, yet this is the only way researchers could have access to comparable units. Predictably, thousands of other author’s contributions in regards to the definition of culture would make this argument even more complex. For the sake of this analysis, emphasis would be given to the arguments in regards to the research methodology. Research Reliability: Research Sample The first criticism which may arise is likely to involve the representativeness of Hofstede’s research sample. In more details, he argues that 117,000 questionnaires for two surveys, covering 66 countries would be enough to ensure the research reliability. From my point of view, McSweeney’s critiques result founded when analysing the sampling framework in more details. CountryNumber of Respondents for Each Country Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and Sweden (6 countries)More than 1000 Chile, Columbia, Greece, Hong Kong, Iran, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey (15 countries)Less than 200 [Tab. 1] As it can be seen by the table (Tab. ), in 15 countries the sample size is composed by less than 200 respondents, which results to be extremely small compared to other countries with over 1000 respondents. To couple this argument, McSweeney discusses about the narrowness of the population surveyed as respondents were all IBM employees, mainly involved with the marketing and sales departments. Hofstede’s reply ( 2002), stating that this sample’s framework had only been used in order to isolate the national culture differences from both the organizational and occupational culture, seems however to give rise to other arguments. As McSweeney’s (2002a: 95-99) argues, respondents’ cultural framework is made up by three non-interacting and durable levels of culture (Tab. 2). At the first level, the assumptions which would free this model from any shortcomings would be that there is only one IBM culture and that there is also a common worldwide occupational culture for each job (Hofstede 1980a: 181). What are these assumptions based on? According to McSweeney (2002a: 96), these assumptions are â€Å"too crude and implausible to underpin Hofstede’s emphatic empirical claims† . Following the thread of his argument we come across a situation where assuming that an IBM employee, whether in a developed USA head office or a new opened branch office in Pakistan, will possess the same identical organizational and occupational culture does become hard to encompass. In response to this argument, Hofstede acknowledges that considerable differences exist at the â€Å"organizational level† (1991: 93), yet it redefines the entire organizational culture as a mere set of â€Å"shared perceptions of daily practices† (1991: 182-3), therefore distancing from the early-stage value-based definition. According to McSweeney (2002b), this is only a failed attempt to deliver a straightforward concept and definition of organizational culture. Back to Culture Hofstede’s vision of culture is often linked to two different concepts, unique national tendency and central tendency, respectively. In the first case, as pointed out by McSweeney, the national uniformity which Hofstede claims to have found, results to have no valid grounds as it derives from a very specific micro-level (IBM). Secondly, in regards to the claimed average tendency, the heterogeneity of questionnaires’ responses completely contradicts this conceptualization at the first place. As cited from Jacob (2005), â€Å"if exceptions to the rule are as numerous as the rule itself† to what extent could predictions based on that rule be reliable? In many countries, McSweeney argues, the typical IBM employee would at a high extent diverge from the general population. That is to say that an IBM employee in Taiwan would not necessarily reflect Taiwan’s population average individual, especially when we are talking about someone who holds a managerial position in a multinational firm. This concept brings us to another aspect of McSweeney’s criticism (2002a:92), â€Å"culture treated as a mere epiphenomenon, completely casual†, as conceptualized by Hofstede, it would look like something which moves along the history â€Å"enduring†, yet it is not subject to radical changes due to fluctuating social, economic and institutional trends (Tab. 3). Questionnaire and Dimensions Arguably, the questionnaire itself also presents some limitations. Firstly aimed to investigate the employees’ morale at IBM, it also resulted to reflect some values that, for Hofstede, could have been used to unveil the national cultural differences’ myth. Citing one of his research questions, â€Å"How long do you think you will continue working for this company? †(1980 Appendix 1) , it is obviously clear there would be differences in whether this question is being asked in a country, say, the USA, with plentiful employment vacancies, or in a country, say Thailand where at the time of the research the unemployment rate was comparatively high. Under these circumstances, it is extremely hard to assume that the respondents were not influenced by other social, political and institutional factors (See Tab. 3). Therefore, his research’s entire reliability could be easily questioned on this basis. Despite ensuring the confidentiality of respondents’ answers, employees’ foreknowledge of the end objective of the survey might have easily encouraged them to assume a more positive attitude in order to support their divisions’ reputation. Arguably, the responses analysed by Hofstede were situationally restricted (McSweeney, 2002a: 107). In more details, the questions only reflected values related to the workplace, furthermore the surveys were exclusively directed within the workplace and were not tested in non-work place locations for both same respondents and others. In light of the first purpose of the questionnaire, it is spontaneous to raise a question in regards to the validity of the dimensions found by Hofstede. Could it be possible that a specialized study in cultural differences would have delineated different dimensions? In his response, Hofstede acknowledged that, although there may be some other dimensions equally important for the structuring of a comparative cultural analysis, relative questions were simply not asked. McSweeney with reference to Triadis (1994) argues that bi-polar dimensions of national cultures should not be comprised of opposite poles (for example: Individualism – Collectivism), but depending on the situations they could coexist. Under these principles, the work of Schwartz (1992) appears to give a comparatively dynamic dimensions’ disposition. History and Research Validations In the last section of his book, Hofstede (1980: 326- 331) includes some historical and contemporary events which he states would validate his research findings. However, McSweeney (2002b) argues that these stories reveal nothing but justifications, leaving out the basics for an accurate confirmation. According to his analysis, Hosfstede’s assertion, â€Å"the more masculine a culture the more antagonistic are industrial relations, is flawed as the trends for working days lost in industrial disputes , in both Spain and the UK, result to vary enormously over time. In other words, we could argue that these fluctuations are highly influenced by political, economic and institutional changes. In the case of industrial relations’ disputes in Spain, after the death of Spanish dictator Franco in 1975, the level of working days was subject to a huge increase. Hofstede’s findings have also been validated by other studies, reflecting the same national cultural differences . This is one of the reasons why Hofstede’s work has so far been used in many disciplines as pioneer of the cultural approach in the sphere of comparative international management. Under these circumstances, as Hofstede states (2002 p. 1358), it is just not all about faith in his research, but it is the willingness of the society to accept his work as something which could be taken to a step further. In some cases, institutional factors, history, politics and economy do provide better explanations in this field, yet as Hofstede would argue, the cultural perspective does have his validity as it offers a complete different view on values embedded by people which do have an influence on their daily lives. Conclusion Arguably, some of Hofstede research framework’s features, especially the ones related to his research methodology, do present various shortcomings. However, the overall importance of cultural approach for national differences should be seen as undeniable (Koen, 2005). Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that after all, the main argument merely evolves on Hofstede’s claims to have â€Å"uncover[ed] the secrets of entire national cultures† (1980b: 44). Despite his book title narrowing the scope of its findings down to the work-place, â€Å"Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Place Values†, Hofstede, in many of his publications, seems to overestimate his findings. It is extremely important to acknowledge and appreciate the enormous contribution that Hofstede has made to the entire society’s understanding of international cultural differences. On the other hand, it is also crucial to stay away from the â€Å"taken for granted† approach when coming across such a complex topic. As mentioned in the preface, etic and emic approach despite having a different vision on how to measure and analyse culture, they could still be seen as two complementarities which could be extensively used for a more thorough research. In addition, although admitting that limitations in research methodology do hamper the objectivity of findings, the etic approach still stands as the unique way to allow researchers to obtain comparable quantitative data. I do also appreciate the contributions made by McSweeney, whose criticisms have enabled me to adopt a more critical line of thought in analysing this interesting topic. At some extent we could assume that Hofstede’s research is still a â€Å"work in progress†, eventually other advocates of the etic approach will take it to a more universal level, as some of other authors in this field have already done. I would like to conclude this essay with a quote from McSweeney (2002a: 90), when he states that Hofstede’s work could be dismissed as a misguided attempt to measure the unmeasurable .

Kpmg Analysis

An overview of what the company does its history and its product/service range KPMG is a multinational leading professional services firm, which deals with both audit and tax with over 10,000 partners and staff. They have achieved a vast amount of awards for both employment and health and safety, and this in turn reflects their dedication to excellence in their services. In 2008, KPMG merged with other firms in Europe, which formed KPMG Europe LLP. This therefore makes the company the largest integrated accountancy firm in Europe, with the headquarters based in Frankfurt. KMPG has a wide range of human resources, and these results in a diverse and highly skilled workforce. Furthermore, it can be seen that KPMG treat their workforce as an intangible resource, and this contributes to the firm’s competitive position. KPMG deal with three key areas: audit, tax and pensions and advisory. Their audit department deals with decision making within capital markets (KPMG, 2011 p. 1). Therefore, they provide a service to stakeholders, by ensuring that they are able to independently audit organizations. Their tax and pensions function helps individual organizations to reduce their tax burden and to ensure they meet the highest levels of compliance. Therefore, this involves key areas such as corporate reputation, pensions, and effective tax rates. Finally, they offer advisory support, which supports businesses through their business life cycle. This therefore helps and encourages firms to develop within regulatory environments. An analysis of the firm’s macro-environment Table 1: PEST analysis Political Increased governmental regulation. Increased taxes reducing consumer spending and corporate spending. Focus on environmental governance for example: environmental auditing. Economic Difficult and restrictive economic times. Businesses closing down on the UK high street. Unstable economic times, which has resulted in an increased focus on the financial sector. Social Consumer demand for CSR. Social concerns over the stability of the economy – this result, in firms such as KPMG coming under increasing scrutiny. Technological Integration of economies – the need for global expansion. Boundless economy – technology has facilitated 24-hour communication across borders. Advances in technology, which can be used to promote the detailed nature of KPMG’s services. The PEST analysis highlights a dynamic environment, which is ever changing. In particular, it can be seen that the company must utilize strategic tools to understand and deal with many of the issues presented in the PEST analysis. At present, the main difficulties facing the firm are in the economic and political environment. The economic recession has resulted in a scrutiny of the financial sector, and this in turn demands a need to offer an increasingly integral service. Furthermore, the secondary result of which has been increased regulation, which, not only affects KPMG itself but the many services it offers to its clients. An analysis of the company’s microenvironment Figure 1: Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s five Forces model is an excellent tool for understanding how powerful is a company in its particular business environment. It is very useful, because it can recognize the business’s strength in the competitive market and the possible future position will occur if the company thinks to change its plans. As a result the firm can take benefit in a condition that has power; also it can avoid any wrong steps in the future. On the other hand it can improve a situation that seems to has weaknesses. †¢Competitive rivalry: As KPMG belongs to a market that can be defined as oligopoly; the level of competition is not too high. This kind of market is controlled by the â€Å"Big Four† because they share a huge proportion of the market. Because of this the firms have the power to have high fees. †¢Power of Suppliers: The main purpose of KPMG is the provision of services. As a result of this, the major asset of the business is its own individual’s employees and members. For that reason the firm should seek to keep and extend its talents and trying to hire more qualified accountants. †¢Power of buyers: Customers are powerful in that kind of market. They can easily switch to another competitive firm because the costs of doing this aren’t too high. In addition the services provided by the â€Å"Big Four† are similar and with the same standard and this makes even easier the decision of a customer to move to a similar firm. †¢Threads of substitutes: The thread of possible substitutes in the accounting services is very small because there are not obvious substitutes of those services in the market. †¢Threats of new entrants: The market is conquered by the â€Å"Big Four† so the barricades of new entries in the market are very high. However, it is more common that small firms do not choose one of the big firms. As a result of this there is some space left for new small companies to enter the market. Table 2: SWOT Strengths 1)Asset leverage 2)High research and development focus. 3)Areas of online growth. 4)Strong management team, substantial focus on HR. )Strong brand equity 6)Strong financial position, which allows the firm to internationalize. 7)Strong European presence. 8)Competitive pricing of services. Weaknesses 1)Weak focus on real estate. 2)Vulnerability to litigations over gross negligence in audit practice. 3)Over-reliance on European market – need to understand more developing markets such as China and India (Wilson and Purushothaman, 2003 p. 19). Opportunities 1)Product and service expansion 2)Entry into emerging markets. 3)Future acquisitions. 4)Increased expenditure on infrastructure could increase demand for advisory services. Threats 1)Dynamic and competitive environment. 2)Increased regulation, resulting in a need for a throughout service. 3)Exchange rate fluctuations 4)Changes in the economic environment. 5)Global economic slowdown. The SWOT analysis indicates that the firm has strengths, which aid their position in a competitive market. Furthermore, it can be noted that the firm use such strengths to position themselves in the marketplace; in turn this promotes the resource-based view of strategy which focuses around the notion of ‘core competencies’ (Barney, 1991 p. 99). The threats outlined can be responded to by reviewing the macro environment, and the implementation of strategic tools, which may help to overcome any weaknesses. Finally, the opportunities outlined suggest that the firm should internationalize outside of Europe, this would extend the firms client base, and would allow them to tap in to developing markets such as China and India. This is in line with the BRICS study (Wilson and Purushothaman, 2003 p. 19): which, indicates that by 2050 China will be the world’s largest economy. Thus, an appreciation of the Eastern world is needed by KPMG to ensure success in the future. Evidence of an audit of key competences within the company The first key competency KPMG have is ‘reputation’ this is an intangible asset and one, which sees KPMG respected for a high caliber of services. This is the result of professional, and skilled staff, and a vast extent of knowledge, which can be applied to a vast array of business situations. Reputation is needed when offering such services which, require throughout and exact processing, for example: firms trust KPMG to handle aspects such as Tax and financial advisory, and thus often reputation is a key driver of success in this market. This is linked to the competency of professionalism, in which, strong ethical values of integrity and honesty provide the foundation for the firms work. Moreover, a key competency of the firm is their ability to develop a strong and skilled workforce. A focus on staff as an intangible resource; is something which aids the firms competitive advantage. For example: as Barney (1991 p. 99) notes: it is important that a firm have competencies which are unable to be imitated by their competitors, this in turn allows the firm to gain a strong position in the market and reduce competition. Therefore, it can be seen that the firm have a key competency of transforming the HR system to one which supports overall organizational learning, this is seen as something which supports competitive positioning (Pucik, 1988 p. 1). Accountability is a competency, which drives KPMG’s success. First and foremost, the company is operating in a dynamic, which demands transparency. Thus, the firm can be seen to take accountability for their actions, and this is something, which is supported by the firm’s organizational culture. Organizational culture is defined by Schein (2010 p. ) as ‘the shared norms and values, which are deeply rooted within an organization’. KPMG have a positive culture, which is upheld by values of customer service, customer satisfaction and the building of strong and meaningful relationships. Organizational culture can be seen as a competency, as it values can be translated into tangible resources such as increased clients, and stronger ex ternal relationships. This is linked to KPMG’s focus on making an impact, their clients expect the firm to make an impact and in turn build strong business relationships. Therefore, a strong organizational culture, which upports such values, supports the overall strategic direction of the firm. Needed in a dynamic environment, is the ability to be flexible and problem solving in an open, and innovative manner. These are two competencies which KPMG can be seen to have, in particular these are competencies which highlight how the firm has a key aim to be able to analyze complex data and reach an appropriate solution, in a manner which is simple for their clients to understand. Thus, in summary, it can be seen that the firm have an ability to translate their key, core competencies to contribute to the strategic success of the firm. The most important competencies to the firm are those, which are intangible in nature, as these are aspects, which cannot be imitated easily by their competition. In turn, such intangible resources often result in tangible results, as we can often see a link between the two. For example: higher levels of customer service are likely to result in a larger client database. A forecast of likely future prospects for the company’s market and recommendations as to how it should react to potential changes The ability of a firm to respond effectively to change is vital to the modern day organization operating in a dynamic environment. KPMG have a strong focus on their human resources, and this has resulted in the development of a workforce, which are committed to the strategic goals of the firm. Thus, as Hayes (2010 p. 12) notes a flexible workforce is needed to remain competitive, and therefore the firms reaction to any potential changes in the market is likely to be aided by their investment in their staff. KPMG’s future market is threatened by increased regulation. For example: in 2007 the company was found guilty of criminal wrong doing with regards to tax fraud (Department of Justice, 2007 p. 1). Such ethical wrongdoings damage company reputation, and this in turn is something, which is likely to affect the future of the firm. A firm such as KPMG gains a vast amount of business from reputation, and thus any damage to such may have a negative effect on their future clients. Therefore, in order to respond to increased regulation, the firm must ensure the highest ethical conduct at all times, and high levels of transparency. In addition, KPMG’s clients are faced with increased legislation regarding business reports, and thus, this promotes a need for a thorough service from the firm. Changing legislation will have a result on the firm itself, and increased expenditure is likely to be needed to ensure that all workers have the skills necessary to carry out an effective service. With regards to the external environment, developments in trends are resulting in future changes for the company. Firstly, the company is offering in a dynamic environment, and therefore is required to thrive and not just simply survive. In order to respond to competition it is important that the firm looks forward to the future, and implements a system of strategic planning. In turn, the firm should seek to provide accurate and insightful information to all of their clients, which will result in the firm adapting the finance function to enable their clients to survive during turbulent, economic times. Moreover, due to the economic climate, the needs of their consumers are changing. In order to respond to such a trend, KPMG must simplify complex business issues in a manner, which promotes a greater alignment of business processes. Many firms in a difficult, economic environment often have a short-term focus, and this is something which KPMG themselves need to steer away from, and something which they have to dis-persuade their firms from doing so. Instead, a focus on sustainable business is needed which, in turn will enable more than just reduced short-term costs. Thus, in summary the economic climate has created a difficult environment for both KPMG and their clients, and in order to survive such times and prosper in the future, the firm must position the company in a manner, which promotes success. The final trend portrayed in this section is an increased focus on corporate social responsibility. This is something which is required both from the company itself and it can be seen that KPMG’s CSR actions may influence the decisions of their clients. At present, KPMG have a strong belief that social responsibility and business success go hand in hand, and thus promote charitable donations, volunteering from their workforce and a key emphasis on the environment. In the future, a greater emphasis will be put on corporate social responsibility, and KPMG must respond to such changes by conducting environmental audits, promoting stakeholder theory, and an overall dedication to the cause. Strategy can be used to conduct external analysis, and such analysis will enable a firm such as KPMG to respond to future changes in the market. For many firms, their relevant success or failure is dependent on the ability to strategically align themselves to the external environment (Henry, 2007), and as many markets, in particular the financial market are as dynamic as ever, it is important that the firm are able to discern any trends which may later alter the firm’s strategy. As shown in this paper, the environment consists of both the macro and microenvironment, and this in turn is something, which promotes the complexity of the market. In turn, it is often thought that the competitive environment is the one, which has the most direct impact on the firm; however, it is the more external macro environment, which creates the most problematic situations for the firm, in particular, if a firm is unprepared for change. Dill (1962 p. 12) states that ‘at the one level the environment is not a very mysterious concept, it means the surroundings of the organization, and the concept becomes challenging when we try to move from its simple description to an analysis of its properties’. Thus, it is recommended that KPMG partake in environmental analysis in order to provide the companies with the opportunity to discern trends, and then from these trends create strategies, which enable the firm to best position itself. By using internal strategic capabilities such as reputation, the firm may be able to diversify into other markets, which are noted as being both less challenging and competitive. The prediction of the future is difficult, and is always uncertain due to discontinuities. However, by scanning the environment, the firm can be able to detect any weak signals, weak signals are those trends which ‘may be largely insignificant due to the fact that there impact is yet to be felt, however, the careful monitoring of such can result in the firm being better strategically adept for such uncertainties’ (Henry, 2007 p. 8: Van der Heijden, 1996). Van der Heijden (1996) notes how there are three different types of uncertainties, which all play a part in the external environment. These being: structural uncertainties, risk, and unknowable. Of these both structural uncertainties and unknowable’s are the two most difficult to comprehend, due to the fact that these are events which either cannot be imagined or do not offer any evidence of such a probability. Thus, noted in the literature, is the tool scenario planning (Schoemaker, 1995) which, can be used to deal with even the most unimaginable of events (Porter, 1998). If KPMG were able to adopt the concept of scenario planning, they would be more likely to gain a strong competitive position. Scenario planning is a tool, which can be seen to ‘stand out’ due to its ability to ‘capture a whole range of possibilities in great detail’ (Schomaker, 1995). Thus, it can be seen that scenario planning aims to overcome the under and over prediction of change, it does so by adopting a middle ground, in which, it considers both unknowable and uncertain events. Word count:2546 References Barney, JB (1991) ‘Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage’. Journal of management, 17 (1) pp. 99-120. Department of justice (2007) ‘KPMG to pay $456 million for criminal violations in relation to largest ever tax shelter fraud case’ [online]. Available from: – http://www. justice. gov/opa/pr/2005/August/05_ag_433. html [Accessed 18. 03. 11]. Dill, W. ‘The impact of environment on organizational development' In Mailick, S. and E. Van Ness (eds) Concepts and Issues in Administrative Behavior. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1962. Henry, AE (2007) ‘Understanding strategic management’. Oxford University Press: Oxford. KPMG (2011) ‘What we do’ [online]. Available from: – http://www. kpmg. com/UK/en/WhatWeDo/Pages/default. aspx [Accessed 19. 03. 11]. Porters fives forces model : Industry analysis model [online]. Available from: http://www. learnmarketing. net/porters. htm [Accessed 21. 03. 11] Porter, ME (1998) ‘On competition’. Harvard University Press: Harvard, Boston. Pucik, V (1988) ‘Strategic alliances, organizational learning, and competitive advantage: the HRM agenda’. Human resource management, 27 (1) pp. -16. Schein, EH (2010) ‘Culture and leadership’. John Wiley and Sons: London. Schoemaker, PJH (1995) ‘Scenario planning: a tool for strategic thinking’. Sloan management review, 36 (2) pp. 25-32. Van der Heijden, K. (1996), Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation, Wiley, New York, NY. Wilson, Purushothaman (2003) ‘Dreaming with BRICS: the path to 2050’. Global economics paper 99, [online]. Available fr om: – http://antonioguilherme. web. br. com/artigos/Brics. pdf [Accessed 20. 03. 11].

Personal Values

Personal values are beliefs, missions, or philosophy that is meaningful on a personal level. They are reinforced by emotions and feelings, which turn mental perceptions into vital passions that we hope to realize in our lives. Whether we are consciously aware of them or not, every individual has a core set of personal values. Whatever our values are, when we take them to heart and implement them in our lives, great accomplishments and success happens. When we implement, commit to, and apply personal values in our lives, energy is released that attracts success, achievement, and well-being. Some of the more common personal values include; accomplishments, freedom, prosperity, success, friendship, punctuality, self-reliance, concern for others, harmony of purpose, accountability, quality of work, goodwill, reliability, goodness, cleanliness, commitment, creativity, customer satisfaction, equality, loyalty, justice, resourcefulness, family, independence, spirit, hard work, and faithfulness. People relate to personal values in a number of ways; thoughtful people continually think about those things they cherish and believe in, while the powerful are motivated and driven to implement personal values in their lives. Interestingly, not only do values energize us, but when we implement them, it energizes everything we come in contact with. Personal values drives and motivate us to move forward in life, which in turn enables progress. Whether they drive our own individual lives in a positive direction, improve the economic, social, and cultural conditions of a nation, or move society forward in a path of progress, personal values are important in our lives. We all have values that determine our decisions and guide our lives. Accomplishments in life depend not only on physical energy, but also on the psychological energy we are able to bring to our actions. Personal values also direct our psychological energies for accomplishment. The quality of the values we embrace and the intensity of our commitment to them determine the level of our accomplishment in life. Values, personal values, and core values all refer to the same thing. They are desirable qualities, standards, or principles that are the driving forces in our lives, and also influence our actions and reactions. They are inherited, and/or learned from our environment. Knowing your values helps you to follow a clear set of rules and guidelines for your actions, make good decisions, nd choices, find compatible people, places, and things that support your way of living, live with integrity, learn to identify and live from your values, and to manage stress (Ibtissem, 2010). Cultural Values Cultural values are sets of common understandings around which actions are organized, and the finding of expressions in language, whose finer distinctions are peculiar to the group. They are sets o f meanings shared by a group of people that are largely inferred among members, and are clearly relevant, and distinctive to the particular group. Cultural values are also passed on to new members. These values are systems of knowledge, standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating, and acting that serve to relate human communities to their environmental settings (Khalil, & Seleim, 2010). They are also deeper levels of basic assumptions and beliefs that are learned responses. Any social system arising from a network of shared ideologies consisting of substances – the networks of meaning associated with ideologies, norms, and values, and forms – the practices where the meanings are expressed, affirmed, and communicated to members, defines the cultural values of an organization. Culture is what naturally emerges as individuals transform themselves into social groups. A culture encompasses distinct observable forms – language, use of symbols, ceremonies, customs, methods of problem solving, use of tools, or technology, and design of work settings – that groups of people create through social interaction, and use to confront the broader social environment. Culture can be characterized as consisting of three levels; the first and most visible level is behaviors and artifacts, which consists of behavior patterns and outward manifestations of the culture. This is the privileges provided to executives, dress codes, level of technology utilized, and where it is utilized, and the physical layout of the work spaces. Artifacts and behavior also tell what a group is doing, but not the reasons why. The second level of culture is its values. The cultural values determine behaviors, but values are not directly observable, as behaviors are. There is a difference between stated values and operating values. To really understand culture, we have to get to the deepest third level, the level of assumptions and beliefs. Underlying assumptions grow out of values, until they are taken for granted and discarded. Many are unaware of, or unable to articulate their beliefs and assumptions. To understand culture, all three levels have to be understood (Vauclair, 2009). There is an additional aspect that may complicate the study of culture: the group or cultural unit which owns the culture. An organization may have many different cultures or subcultures, or even no apparent dominant culture at the organizational level. Recognizing the cultural unit is essential to identifying and understanding the culture. Organizational cultures are created, maintained, or transformed by people, and by organizational leadership (Khalil, & Seleim, 2010). Leaders at the executive level are the principle source for the re-infusion of an organization's ideology, articulation of core values, and the specification of norms. Organizational values express preferences for certain behaviors or certain outcomes, and organizational norms express behaviors accepted by others. They are the culturally acceptable ways of pursuing goals. Leaders also establish the boundaries for the formal lines of communication, and the formal interaction rules for the organization. Values and norms, once transmitted through the organization, establish the permanence of the organization's culture. Groups, societies, or cultures have values that are largely shared by their members. These values identify those objects, conditions or characteristics that members of the society consider important. Values are related to the norms of a culture, with the norms being the rules for behavior in specific situations, and the values identify what should be judged as good or evil. Members take part in a culture even if each member's personal values do not entirely agree with some of the normative values of the culture. This reflects an individual's ability to integrate and extract aspects valuable to them from the multiple of sub-cultures they belong to. If a group member expresses a value that is in serious conflict with the group's norms, the group's authority may carry out various ways of encouraging conformity or stigmatizing the non-conforming behavior of its members. Commonly held standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, workable or unworkable, in a community or society, is determined by cultural values. These values determine the ideas about what is good, right, fair, and just. Creating a culture based on moral excellence requires a commitment among managers to embody and develop two qualities in their leadership: virtue and wisdom. Creating an organization characterized by moral excellence is a lengthy process, because it involves changing the organizational culture (Vauclair, 2009). One of the primary responsibilities of strategic leadership is to create and maintain the organizational characteristics that reward and encourage collective efforts, with the most fundamental of these being the organizational culture. An organization's culture develops to help cope with the environment. Organizational leaders are confronted with many complex issues during their attempts to generate organizational achievement. Their success depends to a great extent on understanding organizational culture. Many of the problems that organizational leaders face are caused by their inability to analyze and evaluate organizational culture. Many leaders, when trying to implement new strategies or a strategic plan leading to a new vision, will discover that their strategies will fail if they are inconsistent with the organization's culture. Difficulties with organizational transformations arise from failures to analyze an organization's existing culture. Strategic leaders have an additional set of challenges; they have to create the means, and the opportunities to infuse their employees with new ways of looking at themselves, and their capabilities. Leaders' new ideologies and values need to be communicated effectively, internalized by employees, and then translated into productive methods of thinking, and working. Organizations consist of subgroups that have specific characteristics and a sense of identification. Within organizations, people can easily classify themselves and others into various social categories or groups based on identification with their primary work group, occupational, or professional skills, or union membership. Subgroups in organizations can and do create subcultures that comprise specific networks of meaning, and they remain associated with the ideologies and values of the organization's leadership. Organizations do not always have standardized or consistent subcultures. The social products produced by subcultures within organizations can be widely diverse, and even result in countercultures. These countercultures can have both productive and unproductive outcomes. The key to a counterculture's success is the group's ability to demonstrate how its unconventional behaviors are consonant with the core ideologies, values and norms of the dominant culture. Cultures provide members with a reliable means to interpret a highly vague environment. It is the organization’s leaderships’ responsibility to specify the features of the environment that are relevant to the organization, and then provide the supporting assumptions, and rationale for its operating strategies. Leadership should recognize that their cultural messages should specifically address cultural uncertainties associated with subculture practices within the organization, and limit their attempts to eliminate distinctions that are important to the subculture's identities. They would have a better chance of creating, or transforming an organization’s culture if they accept, and foster productive organizational subcultures, and consistently communicate how employees must perform in order for the organization to achieve its objectives. Cultural change then relies on leaders' communication techniques that cross sub cultural boundaries and carry messages about ideologies, values and norms that can be internalized by all employees. Cultural forms function as the linking mechanism by which networks of understandings develop among employees. These cultural forms act as a medium for communicating ideologies, values, and norms. They also enable leaders to transmit messages about desirable behaviors to influence thinking and ways of behaving. Cultural forms also address the emotional aspects of organizations that are commonly referred to as cohesion or camaraderie. Productive cultural change will occur if leaders correctly analyze the organization's existing culture, and evaluate it against the cultural attributes needed to achieve strategic objectives. They must first possess a clear understanding of the strategic objectives for their organization, and then identify the actions needed to reach those objectives. The next step is to conduct an analysis of the organization’s existing ideologies, values and norms. Strategic leadership needs to be transformational if it is to serve the organization, and it must operate from a foundation of high morality and ethical practices. Even though culture is deep seated, and difficult to change, leaders can influence or manage an organization's culture. It isn't easy, and it cannot be done rapidly, but leaders can have an effect on culture. An understanding of culture, and how to transform it, is a crucial skill for leaders trying to achieve strategic outcomes. Strategic leaders have the best perspective, because of their position in the organization, to see the dynamics of the culture, what should remain, and what needs transformation. This is the essence of strategic success. Values and ethics are one of the most important characteristic of an individual. They basically define who we are and what we believe. There are many factors that determine our values and ethics. Culture, religion, and many other factors affect our beliefs. Many times our values and ethics can clash with different people who hold different views and beliefs. This doesn't mean our values or ethics are wrong it just means we think differently than others. Most people have a good sense of ethics and values. Knowing between right and wrong is a good foundation to practicing good ethics and morals. Family members, Grandparents, friends, and school teachers all influence our thoughts and beliefs. Educational Values Education is not all about book learning and passing exams, it is also about developing personal values and living these values. Ethical Values To behave ethically is to behave in a manner that is consistent with what is generally considered to be right or moral. Ethical behavior is the bedrock of mutual trust. Values are what we believe to be right, individually or organizationally. Values distinguish between right and wrong, and doing what is right or wrong is what we mean by ethics. The first place to look in determining what is right or wrong is society, because almost every society makes some determination of morally correct behavior. Societies not only regulate the behavior of its members, but also define their societal core values. Experience lead societies to develop beliefs about what is of value for the common good. Societies may differ from one another in the specifics, but not in the general principles; reciprocity – one good deed deserves another, the notion of good intent – a person’s word is their bond, or the appreciation of merit in others regardless of personal feelings – give the devil his due. To determine what is generally considered to be right, look at the positive values of society and the organizations one belongs to. Societal or organizational norms are other aspects that should also be considered. Norms are the unstated rules, usually informally reached by the members of a group, which govern the behavior of the group's members. Norms often have a greater effect on what is and isn't done by the members of a group than formal rules and regulations. Norms are a important part of ethics, in that they allow and/or even encourage certain OK behaviors that are not in keeping with societal or organizational stated values. Ethics and morality are important for individuals, groups, organizations, and society. they should also be important for public officials, and for very much the same reasons. Some very important individual, group, organizational, and/or societal ethical values are; basic honesty and conformity to law; conflicts of interest; service orientation and procedural fairness; the ethics of democratic responsibility; the ethics of public policy determination; and the ethics of compromise and social integration. People behave unethically because of the complexity of the strategic issues that may cross that ethical line, difficulty in determining what the most ethical alternatives are, competition for scarce resources, power, or positions, conflicting loyalties, groupthink, is. There are several systemic factors also contribute to people behaving unethically; the competition for scarce resources, trying to gain a competitive advantage in the race for position or power, conflicting loyalties, groupthink among homogeneous groups with strong leaders, the presence of ideologues, or individuals who view their own extreme positions as right and any opposing positions as wrong, and an organization's negative response to dissent. Organizational members have only three choices when confronted with unethical behavior: Exit, the most direct response, means if you can't live with behavior that does not meet your own ethical standards, leave. Voice, means expressing discomfort with and opposition to the observed unethical behavior. Go public, to engage in ‘whistle blowing’. The final response to unethical behavior in an organization is loyalty, the alternative to exit. Instead of leaving, the individual remains and tries to change the organization from within. An organization cannot maintain high ethical standards without ways for eliminating unethical behavior. The steps to building an ethical climate, and to foster corporate ethics; (1) Determine the actions of strategic leadership and the ways they deal with ethical issues. The pattern of top leaders' behavior determines organizational values. (2) Make explicit ethics policies. (3) Increase awareness of how to apply ethical codes. (4) Training on how to deal with situations with an ethical dimension. 5) How to anticipate situations that involve ethical choices. (6) Expand the information system to focus on areas where ethics may come into play. Knowing what actually is going on in the organization is essential to understanding the ethical principles which govern behavior. The information system should also support ethical behavior, and allow the strategic leader to know when or where there are potential ethical breaches so that corrective action can be taken. There is real danger when unethical behavior goes unnoticed, or unpunished, members will assume it is excused by the organization's leadership. Encouraging leaders to pursue their own moral development is critical at higher levels because strategic leaders set the moral climate for the organization. Business ethics is the application of the disciplines, principles, and theories of ethics on the organizational level. These are the principles, and standards that guide behavior in the business environment. Ethical behavior in business is critical. When businesses are charged with infractions, and when employees of those firms come under legal investigation, there is concern raised about the moral behavior of that business. The level of mutual trust, which is the foundation of our free-market economy, is threatened. Business ethics is also concerned with the day-to-day ethical dilemmas faced by millions of workers at all levels of an organization. All people have their own sets of personal values that come from society, families, religions, and experiences. Ethical dilemmas can arise when those personal values conflict directly with the company’s practices. Organizations can manage their culture and ethical climate by trying to hire employees whose values match their own. Some firms even measure potential employees’ values during the hiring process and strive to choose individuals who fit within the ethical climate rather than those whose beliefs and values differ significantly. Family Values Some of the more common family values are; belonging, it is important that each member of a family feel that they are loved, that they belong and that they matter; flexibility, the order, schedules and structure of the family that helps to maintain a level of sanity; respect, to take feelings, thoughts, needs, and preferences in to account when making decisions; acknowledging and valuing everyone’s thoughts, feelings and contributions to the family as a whole; honesty, the foundation of any relationships that are meant to last; forgiveness, forgiving is an important choice to make (yes, choice); generosity, giving without thinking about what you will receive is an important value for anyone wanting to be a responsible, contributing ember to society; curiosity, which helps to build critical thinking skills, includes the spoken word, tone, volume, expression, eye contact, body language and effective listening; responsibility is something that is learned; and traditions, which ma kes a family unique (Arnier, & Stein, 1998). Religious Values Religion plays a vital role in our lives and in reinforcing personal values. It does not matter what our religious preferences are, personal values are formed and reinforced through religious teachings. Tolerance, honesty, truthfulness, respect for others and elders, purity are some of the values formed and reinforced through religious teachings. Organizational Values Organizations and institutions have values and ethics are that are central to its existence. Often time, there are one or more business values that are the key to a business’s success. Examples are Sear’s commitment to ‘trusting the customer’, Apple Computer's belief in ‘the value of solving the problems of society’, or the Marriott's value of ‘systemization and standardization’. Values are those things important to or valued by someone, whether they are an individual or an organization. Organizational values are important to its vision, which is based on and consistent with the organization's core values. Organizational values are more than words; they are the moral, ethical, and professional attributes of character, and what professionals judge to be right. These core values must be instilled in all organizational members. They determine our character, guide our lives, and are central to our profession. Some of the more common organizational values; loyalty, duty, honesty, selfless service, professionalism, caring, teamwork, stewardship. and integrity. When these values are shared by all organizational members, they can be very important and useful tools for making judgments, assessing probable outcomes of contemplated actions, and choosing among alternatives. Organizational values put all members on the same page with regard to what all members as a body consider important. These values are the embodiment of what an organization stands for, and should be the basis for the behavior of its members. When we implement, commit to, and apply personal values in our lives, energy is released that attracts success, achievement, and well-being. With organizations and nstitution’s employees, customers, products, services, and all the stakeholders, their energy attracts success, new opportunities, new sources of revenue and income, and other material and psychological benefits. In some organizations, any discord by its members may be rewarded by termination, or they may be expelled, or ostracized from the group. Group members quickly learn the operating values, or they don't survive for long. To the extent they differ from stated values, the organization will not only suffer from doing things less effectively, but also from the cynicism of its members, who have yet another reason for mistrusting the leadership, or doubting its wisdom. Organizational values provide the basis for judgments about what is important for the organization to succeed in its core business. There are three aspects to ethical behavior in organizations: the development of the individual as an ethical person, the effect of the organization as an ethical or unethical environment, and the actions or procedures developed by the organization to encourage ethical behavior and discourage unethical behavior. Most of an individual's ethical development occurs before entering an organization. The influence of family, church, community, and school will determine individual values. The organization is dealing with individuals whose value base has already been established. The organization also has a major impact on the behavior of its members, and can have a positive or negative influence on their values. There are three qualities individuals must possess to make ethical decisions; the ability to recognize ethical issues and to reason through the ethical consequences of decisions, the ability to look at alternative points of view, deciding what is right in a particular set of circumstances, and the ability to deal with ambiguity, uncertainty, and to make decisions on the best information available. Individual characteristics and organizational influence are very important attributes that determines ethical behaviors. The ethical standards that one observes in the organization will have a significant effect on individual behavior. The organization has the greatest impact in the standards it establishes for ethical and unethical conduct in its formal reward systems. Informal norms also have a strong influence on individuals' behavior as do the actions of the leaders of the organization. Strategic leaders must understand that their actions, more than words alone, will determine the operating values in the organization. Many people behave ethically, in spite of the apparent lack of gain. Ethical behavior is intrinsically rewarding; most people behave ethically because it's the right thing to do. People are guided by their personal value systems.