Natural Born Killers & Capitalism

Natural Born Killers Natural Born Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) is a film directed by Oliver Stone. The story is about Mickey and Mallory Knox, two serial killers that travel across America on a killing spree which elevates them from criminals into international media celebrities. The story sounds like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967), however Mickey and Mallory's crimes are much more severe and without cause. Stone intended the film to be a critique on a culture obsessed with violence and the media’s glorification of violence.In Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers’ (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) Stone explains â€Å"What I was doing was pointing the finger at the system that feeds off violence, and at the media that package it for mass consumption. † Unfortunately, many people perceived the message of Natural Born Killers as a glorification of violence. The film even inspired several copycat killings. The film Na tural Born Killers was intended to critique a culture obsessed with violence, yet inspired murders.The reason this film was decoded so differently by some viewers was due to social stereotypes imposed by capitalist ideology. How an audience perceives a message from a text is through the process of decoding. Those who produce a text encode it with messages and meanings through the use of semiotics. When the audience receives a text, they then decode and identify these meanings through the signs and signifiers. Morley (1992, p. 53) explains that meaning in a text is generated through two main factors. The first factor is the way a text is encoded through semiotics.This can invite certain readings and block others. The second is the social background of the receiver, which can be studied sociologically. The interaction of these two constraining structures will define the notion that a text can be interpreted in an infinite number of individual ways. Stuart Hall’s work on the rol e of social positions in the interpretation of mass media texts also helps explain this. His work was based around the three different ways a viewer can decode a text. The first is the dominant reading.This is when the reader shares the text’s code and accepts the intended reading. The second is the negotiated reading, which is when the reader partly accepts the intended reading but not completely. The reader then modifies it in a way that reflects their own position, experience sand interests. The third is the oppositional reading, which is when the reader’s social situation causes them to oppose the dominant code. They understand the intended reading but don’t agree with the code and reject the intended meaning, causing them to develop their own interpretation of the text.On March 6th 1995, teen couple Ben Darras and Sarah Edmondson shot a local businessman in Oklahoma. They then drove to Louisiana where they also shot a store store clerk. After their arrest, the couple said that they had been taking acid and watching Natural Born Killers several times. Upon Darras’s arrest he also shouted the words â€Å"I’m a natural born killer man†. Since the release of Natural Born Killers it has been linked to 8 murders. Each of the murderers shared the same lower class social position, and passion for the film.What can Hall and Morley’s work tell us about how this film was decoded so differently from its intended meaning by these adolescents? Hall (1977, p. 182) explains that texts are polysemic, meaning they may be read differently by different people depending on their identity, cultural background and personal opinions. Traditionally in film, those who commit acts of violence are villains who get punished for their crimes, while the police are seen as heroes. In this film the police are violent; one being a murderer himself.Throughout the film, Mickey and Mallory slaughter without reason yet by the end of the film th ey gain sympathy and likeability from the audience. An oppressed lower class audience may see Mickey and Mallory as lower class heroes as they overcome the oppressing system. Some may sympathize and relate with Mallory's abusive upbringing. An example of this is shown in the film when Mickey and Mallory leave Mallory's house after murdering her parents, the wallpaper displayed is an open bird cage, signifying that she is now free.In this scene the fact that they have just murdered two people is completely overshadowed by Mallory’s escape from an abusive environment. The viewer’s own personal situation, experiences and beliefs heavily influence how they decode the message of this film. Each of the individuals who committed copycat crimes after watching Natural Born Killers came from lower class social backgrounds. This implies that the social conditions that the lower classes endure under capitalism have a direct relation to why these individuals received the opposition al reading of the text.Natural Born Killers dwells on the fact that the two protagonists come from a lower class family, are uneducated, and how capitalist society associates people in this situation with crime. In the film Mickey calls himself a ‘natural born killer’ as he was born into the lower class, therefore society assumes he is a natural born criminal. He explains, â€Å"I was thrown into a flaming pit of scum, forgotten by God. † In this instance, Mickey refers to society and the members of it collectively as ‘God’. The use of semiotics to express this point is quite strong.Signs such as the way Mickey and Mallory speak, the way they dress, how they are groomed and the families that they come from signify that both are a part of the lower class. Other important characters in the film, such as officer Scagnetti, warden McClusky and reporter Wayne Gale wear suits, speak well and are also well groomed. Several shots in the film such as Wayne Ga le trimming his nose hairs and McClusky combing his moustache are used to emphasize their appearance and social status. These characters are portrayed like this to signify that they are higher within the capitalist social hierarchy.All three seek control over Mickey and Mallory for personal gain, implying that the higher classes seek to control the lower class. As the film addresses the difference in occupation of classes in a capitalist society, it also addresses the aspiration levels of the lower class. As revealed previously, Mickey explains that society turned its back on him. He also states â€Å"I came from violence, it was in my blood. My dad had it, his dad had it. It’s just my fate. † Here Mickey is saying that he came from a lower class, as did his father and grandfather.He is also saying that to remain in this social status is just his ‘fate’, meaning the social norm. Hollingshead (2007, p. 285) explains that children have limited their horizons to the class horizon, and in the process they have unconsciously placed themselves in such a position that they will occupy the same levels as their parents. This being a direct effect of the capitalist ideology as Reissman (1953, p. 233) puts it, the proletarian can have no aspirations under capitalism, but instead must come to identify with their own class and aspire to an entirely different system of values. This entirely different ystem of values Reissman is referring to is that in many cases the lower class youth will pursue the quick rise to success and fame. In Natural Born Killers, Mickey and Mallory become international celebrities through their actions, they have fans and fame by taking the ‘short route’, regardless of the means used to get there. Williams and Mcshane (1993 p. 52) state that the lower class youth may be associated with and aspire to become a â€Å"policy king†: â€Å"I want to be a big shot†¦ have all of the guys look up to me. H ave a couple of lincolns, lots of broads and all of the coppers licking my shoes.As Natural Born Killers points the finger at the media for the glorification of violence, it also points a finger at capitalism for restraining the lower classes aspirations and confining them to a life of crime. Tshiwula (1998, p. 27) also shares this theory as she explains â€Å"capitalism is the root for the cause of much criminal behavior, particularly in crimes committed by the lower class. † Stuart Hall and David Morley’s work suggest that an individual’s social status can greatly influence how a text is decoded and the message they receive from it, regardless of the intended meaning.This suggests that people in a lower social status may see the antagonists as lower class heroes as they can relate to their situation. Semiotics in the film was used to signify the social gap between Mickey and Mallory, Wayne Gale, warden McClusky and officer Scagnetti. This explores the stereoty pes of social status in capitalist ideology. The film’s references to the lower class being confined to a life of crime and having restricted aspirations inform us that these factors are imposed by capitalism.Unfortunately, these points are still valid in modern society. Many people who come from low income families believe that having the occupation they desire is unachievable due to their social/financial status. This isn’t necessarily true, however people in this situation may think this due to what the rest of society thinks of them. Not only is the intended message of Natural Born Killers important in making people realize the media’s glorification of violence, but also the message of lower class stereotypes and how they affect the individuals within that class.This text also provides us with an extreme example of how a text can be decoded by different individuals. It’s safe to say that the oppositional reading of Natural Born Killers was a direct re sult of capitalist ideology and its influence on lower class individuals. References Hall, S. (1977) Culture, The Media and the ‘Ideological Effect’. America: Open University Hollingshead, A. (2007). Elmtown's Youth – The Impact of Social Classes on Adolescents. Chicago, America: Case Press Morley, D. (1992). Television Audiences and Cultural Studies.New York, America: Routledge Penn, A. (Director) Newman, D. (Writer) (1967). Bonnie and Clyde [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Reissman, L. (1953). American Sociological Review: Volume 18. America: American Sociological Association Stone, O. (Director/Producer) Tarantino, Q. (Writer) (1994). Natural Born Killers [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Tshiwula, L. (1998). Crime and Delinquency. Pretoria, South Africa: Kagiso Publishers Williams, F. P. , & McShane, M. D (1993). Criminology Theory. America: Anderson Publishing Co Natural Born Killers & Capitalism Natural Born Killers Natural Born Killers (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) is a film directed by Oliver Stone. The story is about Mickey and Mallory Knox, two serial killers that travel across America on a killing spree which elevates them from criminals into international media celebrities. The story sounds like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1967), however Mickey and Mallory's crimes are much more severe and without cause. Stone intended the film to be a critique on a culture obsessed with violence and the media’s glorification of violence.In Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers’ (Warner Bros. Pictures, 1994) Stone explains â€Å"What I was doing was pointing the finger at the system that feeds off violence, and at the media that package it for mass consumption. † Unfortunately, many people perceived the message of Natural Born Killers as a glorification of violence. The film even inspired several copycat killings. The film Na tural Born Killers was intended to critique a culture obsessed with violence, yet inspired murders.The reason this film was decoded so differently by some viewers was due to social stereotypes imposed by capitalist ideology. How an audience perceives a message from a text is through the process of decoding. Those who produce a text encode it with messages and meanings through the use of semiotics. When the audience receives a text, they then decode and identify these meanings through the signs and signifiers. Morley (1992, p. 53) explains that meaning in a text is generated through two main factors. The first factor is the way a text is encoded through semiotics.This can invite certain readings and block others. The second is the social background of the receiver, which can be studied sociologically. The interaction of these two constraining structures will define the notion that a text can be interpreted in an infinite number of individual ways. Stuart Hall’s work on the rol e of social positions in the interpretation of mass media texts also helps explain this. His work was based around the three different ways a viewer can decode a text. The first is the dominant reading.This is when the reader shares the text’s code and accepts the intended reading. The second is the negotiated reading, which is when the reader partly accepts the intended reading but not completely. The reader then modifies it in a way that reflects their own position, experience sand interests. The third is the oppositional reading, which is when the reader’s social situation causes them to oppose the dominant code. They understand the intended reading but don’t agree with the code and reject the intended meaning, causing them to develop their own interpretation of the text.On March 6th 1995, teen couple Ben Darras and Sarah Edmondson shot a local businessman in Oklahoma. They then drove to Louisiana where they also shot a store store clerk. After their arrest, the couple said that they had been taking acid and watching Natural Born Killers several times. Upon Darras’s arrest he also shouted the words â€Å"I’m a natural born killer man†. Since the release of Natural Born Killers it has been linked to 8 murders. Each of the murderers shared the same lower class social position, and passion for the film.What can Hall and Morley’s work tell us about how this film was decoded so differently from its intended meaning by these adolescents? Hall (1977, p. 182) explains that texts are polysemic, meaning they may be read differently by different people depending on their identity, cultural background and personal opinions. Traditionally in film, those who commit acts of violence are villains who get punished for their crimes, while the police are seen as heroes. In this film the police are violent; one being a murderer himself.Throughout the film, Mickey and Mallory slaughter without reason yet by the end of the film th ey gain sympathy and likeability from the audience. An oppressed lower class audience may see Mickey and Mallory as lower class heroes as they overcome the oppressing system. Some may sympathize and relate with Mallory's abusive upbringing. An example of this is shown in the film when Mickey and Mallory leave Mallory's house after murdering her parents, the wallpaper displayed is an open bird cage, signifying that she is now free.In this scene the fact that they have just murdered two people is completely overshadowed by Mallory’s escape from an abusive environment. The viewer’s own personal situation, experiences and beliefs heavily influence how they decode the message of this film. Each of the individuals who committed copycat crimes after watching Natural Born Killers came from lower class social backgrounds. This implies that the social conditions that the lower classes endure under capitalism have a direct relation to why these individuals received the opposition al reading of the text.Natural Born Killers dwells on the fact that the two protagonists come from a lower class family, are uneducated, and how capitalist society associates people in this situation with crime. In the film Mickey calls himself a ‘natural born killer’ as he was born into the lower class, therefore society assumes he is a natural born criminal. He explains, â€Å"I was thrown into a flaming pit of scum, forgotten by God. † In this instance, Mickey refers to society and the members of it collectively as ‘God’. The use of semiotics to express this point is quite strong.Signs such as the way Mickey and Mallory speak, the way they dress, how they are groomed and the families that they come from signify that both are a part of the lower class. Other important characters in the film, such as officer Scagnetti, warden McClusky and reporter Wayne Gale wear suits, speak well and are also well groomed. Several shots in the film such as Wayne Ga le trimming his nose hairs and McClusky combing his moustache are used to emphasize their appearance and social status. These characters are portrayed like this to signify that they are higher within the capitalist social hierarchy.All three seek control over Mickey and Mallory for personal gain, implying that the higher classes seek to control the lower class. As the film addresses the difference in occupation of classes in a capitalist society, it also addresses the aspiration levels of the lower class. As revealed previously, Mickey explains that society turned its back on him. He also states â€Å"I came from violence, it was in my blood. My dad had it, his dad had it. It’s just my fate. † Here Mickey is saying that he came from a lower class, as did his father and grandfather.He is also saying that to remain in this social status is just his ‘fate’, meaning the social norm. Hollingshead (2007, p. 285) explains that children have limited their horizons to the class horizon, and in the process they have unconsciously placed themselves in such a position that they will occupy the same levels as their parents. This being a direct effect of the capitalist ideology as Reissman (1953, p. 233) puts it, the proletarian can have no aspirations under capitalism, but instead must come to identify with their own class and aspire to an entirely different system of values. This entirely different ystem of values Reissman is referring to is that in many cases the lower class youth will pursue the quick rise to success and fame. In Natural Born Killers, Mickey and Mallory become international celebrities through their actions, they have fans and fame by taking the ‘short route’, regardless of the means used to get there. Williams and Mcshane (1993 p. 52) state that the lower class youth may be associated with and aspire to become a â€Å"policy king†: â€Å"I want to be a big shot†¦ have all of the guys look up to me. H ave a couple of lincolns, lots of broads and all of the coppers licking my shoes.As Natural Born Killers points the finger at the media for the glorification of violence, it also points a finger at capitalism for restraining the lower classes aspirations and confining them to a life of crime. Tshiwula (1998, p. 27) also shares this theory as she explains â€Å"capitalism is the root for the cause of much criminal behavior, particularly in crimes committed by the lower class. † Stuart Hall and David Morley’s work suggest that an individual’s social status can greatly influence how a text is decoded and the message they receive from it, regardless of the intended meaning.This suggests that people in a lower social status may see the antagonists as lower class heroes as they can relate to their situation. Semiotics in the film was used to signify the social gap between Mickey and Mallory, Wayne Gale, warden McClusky and officer Scagnetti. This explores the stereoty pes of social status in capitalist ideology. The film’s references to the lower class being confined to a life of crime and having restricted aspirations inform us that these factors are imposed by capitalism.Unfortunately, these points are still valid in modern society. Many people who come from low income families believe that having the occupation they desire is unachievable due to their social/financial status. This isn’t necessarily true, however people in this situation may think this due to what the rest of society thinks of them. Not only is the intended message of Natural Born Killers important in making people realize the media’s glorification of violence, but also the message of lower class stereotypes and how they affect the individuals within that class.This text also provides us with an extreme example of how a text can be decoded by different individuals. It’s safe to say that the oppositional reading of Natural Born Killers was a direct re sult of capitalist ideology and its influence on lower class individuals. References Hall, S. (1977) Culture, The Media and the ‘Ideological Effect’. America: Open University Hollingshead, A. (2007). Elmtown's Youth – The Impact of Social Classes on Adolescents. Chicago, America: Case Press Morley, D. (1992). Television Audiences and Cultural Studies.New York, America: Routledge Penn, A. (Director) Newman, D. (Writer) (1967). Bonnie and Clyde [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Reissman, L. (1953). American Sociological Review: Volume 18. America: American Sociological Association Stone, O. (Director/Producer) Tarantino, Q. (Writer) (1994). Natural Born Killers [Motion Picture]. America: Warner Bros. Pictures Tshiwula, L. (1998). Crime and Delinquency. Pretoria, South Africa: Kagiso Publishers Williams, F. P. , & McShane, M. D (1993). Criminology Theory. America: Anderson Publishing Co

Reason of Apple’s Success

The Success Of Apple: Above And Beyond Its Technology Over the weekend I was in an Apple store in northern New Jersey. It made me very uncomfortable. See, I’m a PC guy. A staunch Windows user, from Windows 3. 1 to 95 to 98 to NT to XP to Vista (ouch) to the current Windows 7 (did I miss any? ). However, I’m dabbling in the dark side, using an iPad (in addition to other devices such as a BlackBerry Playbook and a few Android phones). On a recent trip I broke the glass of my iPad. Hence my trip to the Apple store.As I was waiting for someone from technical support (called the Apple Genius bar) to help me, I observed Apple up close and personal. Here are a couple of things I noticed that have, no doubt, played key roles in Apple’s success. Happy staff = happy customers The whole staff was excited and happy to help customers. I observed one young lady in particular, an Apple staff member, who continually and genuinely smiled as she helped customers. She warmly greete d one customer after another and helped them work through their problems with a spark of excitement.Another lady adorned in big earrings and big glasses reminded me of a concierge at a high-end New York hotel. Friendly, professional and excited to help. In another incident, a customer came in and had a question about using her product in another country. I overheard an Apple manager suggest to a staff member that he call someone in the country to which the customer was headed, to get the answer she needed! How many retailers would take the time to make a phone call (to another country! ) to help out a customer on the retail floor? A chaotically smooth in-store processOver the course of my life, I’ve had the privilege of being around several U. S. Presidents. For obvious reasons, there is always a lot of commotion, activity and security around the President. However, all of this fuss is carefully choreographed by the U. S. Secret Service, the White House advance team and other s. To an outsider it might look like confusion, but as you look closer you see there’s a very detailed plan of action in place. This is how it was in the Apple store. Their were dozens of customers milling around, all with different needs.There were customers with pre-scheduled appointments at the Genius bar, walk-ins in need of technical support, those simply making retail purchases and people trying out new products—and everyone saw immediate attention from passionate and very knowledgeable staff members. What was also interesting was that all of the sales staff on the floor had the ability to process credit card sales with their iPhones, an innovation that is not seen at most retailers. Instead of standing in line for the cashier, the cashier comes to you and processes your transaction on the spot: pretty neat (and efficient). Also Case Study will describe why Apple Inc. is a very successful company.So what happened with my cracked iPad? Since the iPad was relatively new, the Apple representative said he would make an exception and gave me a new one. The entire process took about 10 minutes. I was fully expecting to pay $200 to get it fixed. So I was pleasantly surprised. Clearly, Apple’s products are well designed, easy to use and fun. However, the products are only one part of Apple’s success. The other part is the ease of doing business (that is, making the purchase and receiving support) that Apple delivers so harmoniously to its customers Reasons Apple Is So Successful One of the more interesting questions I get asked about as an industry analyst who’s followed Apple since 1981 is why Apple is so successful. It’s an honest question because to those unfamiliar with Apple, the company’s rise and current dominance in non-PC devices is somewhat puzzling. Most people have a working understanding of the fact that Apple lost the PC wars to Microsoft, and only nominally understand that when Apple created the iPod and then the iPhone, the company started to go in a new direction.And anyone who’s gone into an Apple store knows full well that Apple’s customer service and stores represent the gold standard for selling and supporting tech gadgets. But beyond that, the reasons why Apple is really successful are still a mystery to many. (MORE: 50 Best iPhone Apps 2012) There are plenty of books about Apple that talk about everything from Steve Jobs’ history to tenets of Apple’s business models to secrets about Apple’s internal-management ideas.However, after years of watching Apple up close and personal and having to deal with every one of their CEOs, as well as interacting with various Apple execs over the years, I would like to suggest that the reasons the company is successful can be boiled down to six key principles that make it very hard for competitors to compete with Apple. 1. For any product that Apple creates, the people who create it have to want it themselves So many times with projects I do with other tech companies, the goal is almost always based around the technology first, followed by whether or not people really want to use it.Geeky engineers are dazzled by the technology at their disposal and often create something because they can. But Apple’s approach is quite different. The engineers who are creating Apple products actually make them for themselves. And Jobs was the chief â€Å"user† of Apple products when he was alive. All of Apple’s products are based on the fact that Jobs represented the real customer. And his engineers had to come to grips with that when designing a product. It has to be something that they personally couldn’t live without. 2. The products have to be easy to useJobs was a stickler on this point. While industrial design is a critical component of any product Apple makes, if it is not easy to use, it is considered worthless to the consumer. This is what drove the company’s user-interface designs from Day 1 and is still the mantra pushed to the software and hardware engineers every day they go to work. All of the products they create have to be intuitive and easy to understand and learn. As technology has become more intricate and users want more features, the task of keeping things simple is sometimes difficult.And Apple creates tools for power users and rookies, which can mean a broad range of ease-of-use issues. But even with that, Apple is the only company I deal with where ease of use is more important than the product itself. Apple makes this a critical goal of its approach to creating anything for the market. (PHOTOS: The Apple II Turns 35) 3. Keep things simple I was in Paris in the past two weeks and had talks with various French telecommunications officials about many mobile-computing issues. But one conversation I had in particular emphasizes this keep-it-simple point.We were discussing how to compete with Apple — a major pastime for all Apple competitors and carriers these days — when the question of why Apple is really successful came up. And one exec nailed it when he said he felt that the real reason Apple is successful is because it has one product; in this case the iPhone. It minimizes the decisionmaking process for the consumer by making things simple. The person speaking was with a carrier in France, and he said that in their stores, they have to have as many as 25 different models of phones available.That makes it hard for his staff to be really knowledgeable about all of them all of the time, and their customers just have too many options to choose from. But Apple only has one iPhone model, and anyone who has gone into an Apple store understands that every staff member there knows a great deal about each of the four major products carried in its stor es. Apple doesn’t have five iPhone models to choose from; it has only one. While this may seem limiting given the amount of smart phones available to users, the truth is the reverse.Our company has done consumer research for over 30 years, and consumers constantly tell us that while choice is nice, in reality they want the process of choosing a tech product to be simple and not complicated by a plethora of choices. Yes, there are tech-savvy people who like more choices and sometimes even like complexity, but from years of experience as a market researcher, I can tell you that in the end, the majority of users are not tech-savvy, and keeping things simple for them is a plus. Apple understands this in spades and is never tempted to add multiple versions of an iPhone, iPad or even more than one or two types of iPods.This makes buying an Apple product simple. And consumers seem to appreciate this considering the huge number of iDevices that are sold each year. I know the tech med ia and techies are the most vocal about this issue of choice, but in the end, while choice is good for competitive pricing, what nontechie consumers really want is simplicity. (MORE: The Inventor Of the Future) 4. Offer great customer service and in-store experiences Jobs understood one of the major conundrums of technology: even if you create products that are easy to use, the variety of things that people want to use technology for often creates complexity.Because of this, consumers at all levels may need some hand holding from time to time. I was one of the most vocal critics of Apple when it introduced its first retail store in Tokyo in 2002. I thought it was crazy for Apple to try and go into retail. At the time, and even today, tech retail stores are in decline while big-box stores like Costco and Walmart sell products on price and nothing else. I thought that if price were the issue, an upscale retail store would be DOA. Wow, were other naysayers and I wrong about Appleâ€⠄¢s retail strategy. Apple uses this conundrum to its advantage.Because it keeps product SKUs simple, the salespeople inside the stores know the products really well. Notice that when you go into an Apple store and are greeted by one of the sales staff, you’re not asked, â€Å"How can I help you? † Instead they ask, â€Å"What would you like to do today? † They go right to the heart of any technology user’s question, a question that’s always related to what they want to do with the technology the user is interested in. And once you explain your needs, they take care of it on the spot in most cases. Or if you need more hand holding, they turn you over to the Apple Geniuses.No wonder 50% of people buying Apple products are new to Apple. Apple’s products are simple to understand and use, but if you do have a problem, Apple can take care of it at their stores or over the phone quickly. (PHOTOS: Apple Announces New iPad) 5. Apple only makes a pro duct if Apple can do it better Apple normally doesn’t invent a new product or product category. Sure, the company did invent the first commercial PC with the Apple II, and the Mac improved on PCs with a graphical user interface and mouse input. But since then, all of Apple’s other products have been recreations of existing products.Apple did not invent the MP3 player; Apple reinvented it and made it better. Apple did not invent the smart phone; Apple reinvented it and made it better. And Apple did not invent the tablet; Apple reinvented it and made it better. As Apple designer Jonathan Ive said recently, â€Å"Our goals are very simple — to design and make better products. If we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it. † Clearly, Apple applied that thinking first to iPods, then smart phones and more recently, to the iPad. 6. Apple stays at least two years ahead of its competitors This is the one that scares Apple’s competi tors the most.While those competing with Apple are just getting products to market that are competitive, Apple is already working on the products at least two years out. For example, the new iPhone that will most likely go to market in October was designed and signed off on two years ago. And the iPhone the company is working on now is for the fall of 2014. The same goes for the iPad. The new iPad that we will most likely see next March was signed off on two years ago. The one that’s being worked on now we will probably see in 2015. This is a nightmare for Apple’s competitors and will continue to be for some time. (MORE: What Would Steve Jobs Do? Besides having geniuses in design, software and retail, Apple also has the cash to invent components, manufacturing processes and things like that, which almost makes it impossible for the competition to make any real headway against Apple. And don’t let the fact that Android has become the No. 1 smart-phone operating s ystem make you think that it’s the big winner. Yes, Android has gained ground by the sheer numbers of companies and products pushing Android. But the real measure of success is in the profits, and Apple is making as much as 70% of all the profits in smart phones and about 85% of the profits in tablets.Just ask any Android competitor which they would like more, market share or profits. You’ll get the answer relating to the real measure of success in this market. These six principles may seem a bit simplistic given the fact that Apple also has great software, industrial design and a powerful ecosystem of content, apps and services as part of the company’s success equation. However, I can tell you that from my three decades of following Apple, it’s these six key principles that are what really makes it successful.And as long as it adheres to them, it’s pretty likely that Apple will continue to grow and command a relatively large share of the market in the company’s product categories where it competes. Bajarin is the president of Creative Strategies Inc. , a technology-industry-analysis and market-intelligence firm in Silicon Valley The secret of Apple's success: simplicity Apple's success – driven by the vision of Steve Jobs – has been to distil its ideas to their essence. By contrast, too many companies are overly complicated [pic] Steve Jobs speaks during an Apple special event in 2010 in Cupertino, California.Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Apple's package-design team had just returned from its presentation to Steve Jobs, and the faces told the story – they had that â€Å"things didn't go exactly as we planned† look. â€Å"The suspense is killing me,† I said to the project leader. â€Å"How'd it go this morning? † â€Å"Well,† he said, â€Å"Steve hit us with the Simple Stick. † Translation: Jobs had rejected their work – not because it was bad bu t because, in some way, it failed to distil the idea to its essence. The person leading the project had directed the team to create packaging for two versions of the same product.Jobs had decided this was brain-dead. â€Å"Just combine them,† he said. â€Å"One product, one box. † There was no need to explore the idea of a second package. He was right. It was simpler, quicker, better. The conversation was over in minutes, and it left one very smart and talented group of people wondering why they hadn't thought of that before. The Simple Stick symbolises a core value within Apple. Sometimes it's held up as inspiration; other times it's wielded like a caveman's club: a deep, almost religious belief in the power of simplicity. If you're prepared to do battle with complexity, you'll have no trouble finding a fight.Chances are you're surrounded by it. Unless you work in the rarest of environments, complexity lives inside your organisation's hierarchy, its goals, and probabl y most of your colleagues as well. If your company ever fails, you can be sure it won't be the fault of simplicity – it will be the result of its absence. Think brutal Clarity propels an organisation. Not occasional clarity but pervasive, 24-hour, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners clarity. Most people never perceive that this is lacking in their organisation, but 90% of the time it is. Just open a few random emails, activate your â€Å"brutal-vision†, and read.The muddying messages are rampant. If people were brutally honest in their emails, the time we spend sorting through our in-boxes would surely decrease by half. Steve Jobs demanded straightforward communication from others as much as he dished it out himself. He'd cut you off if you rambled. He ran his business as if there were precious little time to waste, which well reflected the reality for Apple – as surely it does for any company serious about competing. This is probably the one element of Simplicity t hat's easiest to institute. Just be honest and never hold back.Demand the same from those you work with. You'll make some people squirm, but everyone will know where they stand; 100% of your group's time will be focused on forward progress – no need to decode what people are really saying. There is a general perception that Jobs was the nasty tyrant who demanded allegiance, barked commands, and instilled the fear of God in those around him. While Jobs certainly did exhibit these behaviours, this portrait is incomplete. The man could also be funny, warm, and even charming. There is a huge difference between being brutally honest and simply being brutal.You can't let yourself be talked into going along with something when you know it can be better. Ever. To settle for second best is a violation of the rules of simplicity, and it plants the seeds for disappointment, extra work, and more meetings. Most disturbing, it puts you in the worst possible business position: having to def end an idea you never believed in. Your challenge is to become unbending when it comes to enforcing your standards. Mercilessly so. If you submit only the work you believe in 100% and approve only the work you believe in 100%, you own something that no one can take away from you: integrity.As often happens in life, one must often suffer the consequences of doubting before becoming a believer. I'm not proud of it, but that's the way I learned my lesson about standards. There was a certain amount of theatre that went on inside Apple. The rules were well known, and a number of dramas played out with predictability. That Jobs was intolerant of stupidity is a matter of record. He wasn't at all polite when stupidity reared its ugly head. He especially wasn't fond of employing stupidity, so if you were on Apple's staff and wanted to retain that status, it was wise not to display your lack of smarts in a meeting with him.You'd just set him off and get it right between the eyes. A former App le senior staffer remembers a routine that he saw played out often during his time as a direct report to Jobs. He calls it â€Å"the rotating turret†. There was no predicting when it would happen, as it depended on how conversations evolved. But in some meeting, at some random time, some poor soul in the room would say something that everyone in the room could tell was going to light Jobs's fuse. First came the uncomfortable pause.The offending comment would reverberate in the air, and it would seem as if the entire world went into slow motion as Jobs's internal sensors fixed on the origin of the sound wave. You could almost hear the meshing of gears as his â€Å"turret† slowly turned toward the guilty party. Everyone knew what was coming—but was powerless to stop it. Finally, the turret would lock on to its target. In a split second Jobs would activate his firing mechanism, and without a second thought he'd unload all his ammunition. It was uncomfortable to wat ch and even more uncomfortable to experience, but at Apple it was just a fact of life.Think small How many overpopulated meetings do you sit through in a year? How many of those meetings get sidetracked or lose focus in a way that would never occur if the group were half the size? The small group rule requires enforcement, but it's worth the cost. Out in the real world, when I talk about small groups of smart people, I rarely get any pushback. That's because common sense tells us it's the right way to go. Most people know from experience that the fastest way to lose focus, squander valuable time, and water down great ideas is to entrust them to a larger group.Just as we know that there is equal danger in putting ideas at the mercy of a large group of approvers. One reason why large, unwieldy groups tend to be created in many companies is that the culture of a company is bigger than any one person. It's hard to change â€Å"the way we do things here†. This is where the zealots of simplicity need to step in and overcome the inertia. One must be judicious and realistic about applying the small-group principle. Simply making groups smaller will obviously not solve all problems, and â€Å"small† is a relative term.Only you know your business and the nature of your projects, so only you can draw the line between too few people and too many. You need to be the enforcer and be prepared to hit the process with the Simple Stick when the group is threatened with unnecessary expansion. In one iconic technology company with which I worked I found a framed sign in every conference room designed to nudge the employees toward greater productivity. The headline on the sign was how to have a successful meeting. The content read like it came right out of a corporate manual, which it likely did.It featured a bullet-pointed list of things like: â€Å"State the agenda at the start of your meeting,† â€Å"Encourage participation by all attendees,† and â⠂¬Å"Conclude your meeting with agreement on next steps†. What these signs really said, though, was: â€Å"Welcome to a very big company! Just follow these signs and you'll fit in well. † It's not hard to imagine Jobs, who actively fought big-company behaviour, gleefully ripping these signs off the wall and replacing them with Ansel Adams prints that might provide a moment of reflection or inspiration. If you ever work at Apple there will be no signs on the wall telling you how to run a meeting.Likewise, there will be no signs telling you how to tie your shoes or fill a glass of water. The assumption is that you are well equipped with brains and common sense and that you're a fully functioning adult. If you're not already a disciple of simplicity, you'll become one soon. Either that, or you'll decide you'd rather not be part of such a thing, which is okay too. Simplicity prefers not having to train a bucking bronco. If big companies really feel compelled to put something on their walls, a better sign might read: How to Have a Great Meeting 1. Throw out the least necessary person at the table. . Walk out of this meeting if it lasts more than 30 minutes. 3. Do something productive today to make up for the time you spent here. Think clarity This is an area where just about every business needs more work. Words are powerful, but more words are not more powerful – they're often just confusing. Understand that in your company's internal business and in communications with your customers, dissertations tend to drive people away. Though many writers never seem to grasp the point, using intelligent words does not necessarily make you appear smarter.The best way to make yourself or your company look smart is to express an idea simply and with perfect clarity. No matter who your audience is, it's more effective to communicate as people do naturally. In simple sentences. Using simple words. Simplicity is its own form of cleverness – saying a grea t deal by saying little. Think human Unless you're in the business of sterilising things, business is no place to be sterile. Have the boldness to look beyond numbers and spreadsheets and allow your heart to have a say in the matter. Bear in mind that the intangibles are every bit as real as the metrics – are often even more important.The simplest and most effective way to connect with human beings is to speak with a human voice. It may be necessary in your business to market to specific target groups, but bear in mind that every target is a human being, and human beings respond to simplicity. Best advice: Just be true to your species. This is an edited extract from Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success by Ken Segall (Portfolio Penguin, ? 14. 99) or at Guardian Bookshop for ? 11. 99 Doing business the Steve Jobs way It's natural for people to be resistant to change, large or small, so trying to change attitudes within an organisation can be difficult.But when you spread the word about the value of simplicity you are not spreading some oddball theory, you're echoing one of the most successful people in business history, Steve Jobs (right). If you refer to the benefits Apple has enjoyed by embracing simplicity, and make the appropriate parallels to your own business, you'll build a compelling case. You can spread the religion of simplicity project by project, by interacting with people and groups one at a time. Getting people to buy into a concept to the point where they start contributing their own ideas can literally create a movement within an organisation.Simplicity is a way of looking at every part of your job, the jobs of those around you, and the way your company operates. Once you start seeing the world through the lens of simplicity you'll be astounded at how many opportunities exist to improve the way your business works What are the Keys to Apple’s Success in Emerging Technologies? by Bill Halal [pic]Apple did not co me by its present success easily. Before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad became profitable icons of high-tech fashion, Steve Jobs suffered a long series of failures.Apple’s Pippin game player, the Next computer, Apple TV, the Lisa computer, the Newton PDA, and the Apple mouse are among the many products that are barely known because they were dismal flops. For many years, there were serious doubts if Apple could survive the battles it was losing to competitors like Microsoft. In contrast, Apple is now expected to sell 30 million iPads in 2011 — two-thirds of all tablet computers sold globally. Although the iPhone is fighting off 90 different smart phones, Apple’s sales are up 60% and could reach 100 million iPhones in 2011.The source of this staying power is seen in the fact that the Apple iPhone has the highest consumer satisfaction scores ever recorded. Apple’s profits exceed those of IBM, and it is considered one of the most Innovative and valuable companie s in the world, Such stunning success always raises questions over its origins. How did a struggling company run by a charismatic but somewhat erratic CEO learn to excel in the brutal battle among emerging technologies? Can the factors of this success be identified and used to guide others? The most striking conclusion about Apple’s rise is that Steve Jobs learned bitter but crucial lessons from failure.After years of autocratic leadership, dismal sales, and temperamental behavior demoralized the company, John Sculley became CEO in 1985 and Jobs was sent into the computing wilderness. For 12 years, he suffered losses such as the Next computer, which was overpriced and sold only 50,000 units in seven years. When Jobs returned to head Apple, he had learned to focus on good design, to treat people well, and to develop winning strategy. Tim Bajarin, president of a consulting firm, said â€Å"[Steve Jobs] would not have been successful if he hadn’t gone through his wildern ess experience. The main lesson from Apple’s success, however, is the central importance of focusing on strong products that are well-designed for the market. Jobs is a genius at minimalist designs that integrate technology breakthroughs to fill a newly emerging need with unusual style. He thinks success requires â€Å"listening to the technology† in order to â€Å"discover† the potential products waiting to be invented. The result can be seen in the way Jobs describes the attraction of the iPad – â€Å"It’s like holding the Internet in your hands,† he told a crowd. It’s so much more intimate than a laptop and more capable than an iPhone. It’s truly magical. † This keen sense of anticipating where emerging technologies are leading comprises the central talent that allowed Jobs to create revolutionary breakthroughs like the first personal computer (Apple 1), the first graphical interface (Mac), the first Unix PC (Next), th e first successor to Sony’s Walkman (iPod), the first online music store (iTunes), the first widely used smart phone (iPhone), and the first successful tablet (iPad).Serious processes are needed to closely follow advances in technologies that will impact your organization and to find creative new solutions for the market. That’s why Apple does far less conventional product research than other companies, and focuses instead on product discovery. Here’s how Jobs described his approach: If I had asked someone who only used a calculator what a Mac should be like, they couldn’t have told me. There’s no way to do consumer research so I had to go and create it, and then show it to them. Behind such great products, Apple thrives because it has been described as a â€Å"well-oiled machine. † Jobs learned to delegate, so his COO, Tim Cook, now runs a tight ship, and a cadre of managers and designers have learned to â€Å"think like Steve. † The company has outsourced its manufacturing operations, while 317 Apple stores are wildly popular and profitable. The Apple music store – iTunes – has expanded into a powerful vehicle for trading videos, movies, and possibly other information products.Even with these stunning achievements, Apple faces enormous new challenges as competition among other smart phones and tablets heats up. There are at least 20 versions of Android phones alone, slowly taking Apple’s market share. In 2011, Americans will buy more Androids than iPhones. The main issue, of course, is what happens when Jobs’ illness requires a successor? Despite claims that Apple has institutionalized practices that foster creativity, innovation, good design, and other legacies of Steve Jobs, it is really impossible to replace true genius. When Jobs returned from the wilderness to save Apple, John Sculley

AP U.S. History Application

AP U. S. History Application Essay Many people have made an impact on me, but if I were to choose one person I have learned about in any of my History classes, I would choose Osama Bin Laden. Osama Bin Laden attacked the United States’ on September 11, 2001 and ever since the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, this event has been known as the nine-eleven. The nine-eleven was a series of four suicide attacks that were committed in the areas of New York City, Washington D. C. , Virginia, and Pennsylvania. After the nine-eleven, he has been the major target of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).After the death of Osama Bin Laden, I realized a few key points that have changed my view of the way human beings think. Osama Bin Laden did not influence me to have a grudge against the United States, or any of the sorts, but he helped me view the world in a different way. For instance, many people in the United States celebrated his death after he was found and shot on May 2 , 2011. I disapprove of this reaction from the citizens of the United States. He did wrongs to thousands of people and caused the United States to pay billions of dollars to fix the damage.But regardless of what he did, it is wrong for us to celebrate his misfortune. To take joy out of someone’s tragedy proves human beings to be immorally unjust. If human beings celebrate the death of someone who is equal to them, they are not being compassionate. Though Osama Bin Laden’s decision to bomb the United States and its people was heartless, the act of rejoicing the death of a human also proves us to be inhumane. People forget to be compassionate towards the others who make the terrible decisions, because they believe that they are only meant to do harm, but that’s not always the case.If we do not discriminate and if we treat each other equally, less suicide attacks will occur. The big reason why terrorists decide to act the way they do is because of all the unjust an d discrimination they have to face in their daily lives. The way human beings react to the death of others is important because it teaches others how inhumane our world has become. The main reason why wars start is because of power and money; and the after-results of the war often does no good.It only forces the people of the country to live a controlled life of poverty. The government restricts us from practicing our true freedom by forcing propaganda upon us, and Osama Bin Laden is one of them. The citizens of the United States understand that he made wrong decisions and that he needs to pay for what he’s done, but we should respect everyone; because all human beings were created equal. In conclusion, Osama Bin Laden has influenced the way I think towards the human behavior and thoughts through America’s response to his death.American citizens took joy out of his misfortune, without thinking about the amount of respect they are giving to Osama Bin Laden, because I be lieve we should all be treated and respected equally. Rejoicing for someone’s death will do no good for the present or the future, because of the immoral actions. It’s imperative for each person to remember that everybody is created equal and human beings are human beings; we think similarly. Osama Bin Laden has inspired me see the world with a different perspective: to think and treat others with respect, no matter what kind of background they have or what kind of sins they have committed.

Reasoning About Morality and Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reasoning About Morality and Values - Essay Example Conflict that the law offers to safety establishes ground for moral dilemma in the war against terror to generate the moral debate on rights actions into people’s security. The law provides for liberty, a right that is further applicable under international law, and is the source of the moral debate on torture of suspected terrorists. The moral dilemma is whether to torture a suspect for information that can be used to protection potential victims or respect the law that protects people from torture. Richard Posner, a justice of the United States Court of Appeal, offers an argument on the moral debate and notes that torturing a criminal, who is probably guilty, is justified for protection of an innocent victim (Gordon, 2014). The argument can be presented as follows. One of the strengths of the argument is it protection for innocent victims because torturing a suspected criminal is likely to reveal information for such as protection and may set a precedence that may discourage other people from involvement in terror activities to guarantee a long term solution to the problem and benefit the entire society. The argument also provides for evaluation of potential guilt before torture and therefore undermines potential injustice to the suspect but is too subjective and deductive and may not be applicable to real life. Presumption of a suspect’s guild may be a consequence of implicative coincidences and be unjust for the innocent suspect. In addition, torture may not lead to required information, as intelligence based investigations could, leading to occurrence of the subject crime and harm to both targeted victims and the tortured suspect. The argument that aims at preventing crimes such as terror attacks may however succeed in sending a thri lling warning and retrieving information towards its objective. The argument for torturing suspects towards terror prevention may

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Assignment Example Thus there exists a significant relationship between the content and the process. Content is one side of teaching on the science subject where you need to know what needs to be taught. The content is the knowledge side of the activity of teaching. This knowledge needs to be imparted in an effective manner in the classroom which suits the pedagogy of the students and generates an interest on the subject. For example, an adoption of the process of meta-cognitive discussions include discussing the strategies required to effectively disseminate the learning to the students creates a balance between the two concepts in the classroom. Setting ground rules, providing a road map, taking feedbacks from the students on their expectations followed by delivery of the educational content fulfils the objective of learning in a balanced manner. Answer 2 The five elements of effective adolescent literacy program are i) direct, explicit and comprehensive instruction, ii) effective instructional princ iples embedded in the content, iii) motivation and self directed learning, iv) text based collaborative learning, v) strategic tutoring. In elementary level grade, strategic tutoring is essential for effective adolescent literacy program. The teachings on science concepts are imparted through strategic instructions on reading and writing given to an individual and group of students. The requirements of the students are assessed in terms of their needs and expectations and strategic instructions are given to the students to suit their capacity of learning. For example, a group of students who may not be able to keep up with pace of progress of studies could be instructed separately to bring their reading and writing skills on the same platform. This helps to carry out the classroom program in elementary grade in an effective manner. Answer 3 A culturally responsive classroom environment celebrates the existence of different culture and languages in the environment. The activities to support culturally responsive instruction includes i) labelling of objects of the classroom like desk, chair, table by different languages, ii) inviting students from different cultural background to share stories of the culture and religion of their origin, iii) use of video clips of different regional sources in the course of learning, iv) having a world map or globe to promote acceptance of global views, v) using choral readings for students with limited fluency of language of instruction. During science classes in elementary grade, the invitation to students to share stories on scientific achievements of their countries would help to promote a culturally responsive classroom environment (Gay, 2010). Answer 4 The B-D-A framework of teaching is adopted by the teachers that are largely dependent on the students present in the classroom, the text that is to be studied during the course of education and the kind of activities that are to be performed in the classrooms. The three stag es of B-D-A activities are the before reading stage, during reading stage and the after reading stage. The purpose of the before-reading stage is to understand the knowledge and awareness of the students on the subject. The responses of the students are connected to the areas of learning through engagement in activities. For example, small groups of students are formed and are made to participate on activities related to science subjects and then feedback is taken from the students on t

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Anthropology - Essay Example Scientific theories are accurate, comprehensive, and reliable aspect of the scientific knowledge, which is different from the theory definition that explains its common usage of something that exploratory or unproven. When there are evidences to support the hypothesis, the testing changes its name to a theory, which becomes a convincing justification of the phenomena. As mentioned earlier, when a theory is used in non-scientific perspective it refers to something, which is speculative or unproven. However, when used in the scientific context, it refers to a model based on experimentation, reasoning, observation, and one that is confirmed and tested as a principle that clarify and forecast natural phenomena. Typically, a scientific theory should base its concept on a rational and careful examination of facts that can be measured and observed for evidences purposes. This is because although scientists may have different analysis of the experiments observations and outcomes, the facts of the scientific method cannot change. For a theory to be a scientific theory, it should be tested regularly by different scientists in different places and should pass the test when tested. Still, it should fit in other scientific theories of difference branches such as chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, geology among others. In this case, a scientific theory in one of the mentioned branch should hold the truth in other branches of science. For instance, atomic theory of matter was discovered in physics. However, it was later applied in other branches of sciences such as chemistry through chemicals used, biology on the living tissue, rocks learnt in geology, and planets studied in astronomy. With this in mind, it stands out that the atomic theory of matter hold true in all branches of science. The following are lists of major scientific theories with no invalidity when tested. These are atomic theory of matter, cell theory, evolution theory,

Dye-Sentitised Solar Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dye-Sentitised Solar Cells - Essay Example ll (DSC), and their equivalence to process of photosynthesis5 6 Figure 2: Components of DSC11 10 Figure 3: common organic dyes with their conversion efficiency in DSC6 13 Figure 4: Molecular structures of Ruthenium based inorganic dye complexes18 14 Figure 5: Structure of Ru(II) NCS complex19 15 Figure 6 Photocurrent action spectra of bipyridine and Terpyridine dye along with photocurrent response of plain TiO2 films4 15 Figure 7: General structure of main betalain dyes extracted from red turnip and wild prickly pear. 1. Betacyanin, 2. Indicaxanthin. R1 and R2 = H (betanidin) or R1= ?-D-glucose and R2= H (betanin)14 17 Figure 8 Photoaction spectra of betalains from red turnip and wild prickly pear on transparent titania19 17 Figure 9: Photoaction spectra of Bchlorin 1 and Bchlorin 224 18 Figure 10: Iodide triodide redox couple25 19 Figure 11: Spirobifluorene4 20 Figure 12: Operation principle of DSC26 20 Figure 13 Current generation in DSC, step 1 21 Figure 14: Current generation in DSC, step 2 22 Figure 15: Current generation in DSC, Step 3, light absorption 22 Figure 16: Current generation in DSC, step 4 22 Figure 17: Current generation in DSC, step 5 23 Figure 18: Current generation in DSC, step 6 23 Figure 19 : Maximum voltage in DSC25 24 Figure 20: Kinetics of DSC operation. 25 Figure 21: A: Action spectra of Energy relay dye DCM alone and in combination with near IR sensitizing dye TT1; B: Molecular structure of DCM and TT128 27 Figure 22: porphyrin chromophore linked to dye29 27 Figure 23: Photocurrent density of TiO2 nanowires photoelectrode film as a function of measured potential (IPCE spectrum in inset)2 28 Figure 24: Absorptance spectrum (?) calculated from measured diffuse reflectance (Rd) and diffuse transmittance (Td) spectra of a cellulose template dye sensitized 6Â µm thick film of titania hollow fibers. APCE (absorbed photon to current conversion efficiency calculated from IPCE plot and ? plot 30 29 Figure 25: Hybrid nanosheets31 30 Figure 26 : Spectral response of photocurrent DSCs using T2/T- and I3-/I- as the electrolyte34 31 1.0 Introduction Energy is the basic need of all economies, whether developed or developing. For the past two centuries electricity requirements have been provided mostly by fossil fuels, which have two basic limitations: being non renewable and environmentally damaging . Considering the ever increasing demand of electricity that is expected to peak in coming years1 it has become imperative to explore alternative sources of energy which are not only renewable, but also eco-friendly. Of these, use of solar energy has been found to be practical and viable. The solar energy available to

Lucas-Phelps model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lucas-Phelps model - Essay Example Government’s interest in stabilising the economy is not only rooted on its political responsibility to control fluctuations in prices but equally to reign-in inflations that is brought about by temporary economic stressors as well. Ensuring the predictability of its economy will strengthen the job market and will also reinforce the collective confidence of the people to the government and its goals. Governments that are heavily involved in its country’s economic activity can, by its regular function, control interest rates that will restrict the liquidity of the market. By introducing temporary tax incentives however can create a situation that will lead to an excess supply of goods which circumstance will similarly bring down prices for that commodity. While enforcing stricter rules and regulation, the government can also influence the supply or the availability of goods in the market that will, in turn, force the prices of that commodity. These controls when implement ed on key economic indicator products such as oil or even wheat are effective tools in stabilising an economy. However, the end-results of these controls are not absolute due to the volatile nature of the economy. There are tangible variables that can be controlled through fiscal policies or through the degree in which laws are enforced but the collective consciousness of the market is very hard to control much less predict. The â€Å"rational expectation hypothesis† or â€Å"theory of rational expectation† posits that in uncertain conditions, the main players—composed of the people—in any economy make decisions based on their perceptions of how economic stressors will affect them (Muth, 1992). Meanwhile, economic agent’s rational expectations revolve around other market forces that would include government intervention, raw materials or input materials availability to create the best possible economic model for the future. Thus, the rational expec tation hypothesis propose that economic predictions based on the correlation of an infinite number of different variables are correct even if individual predictions made on the different variables turn out to be erroneous or inaccurate so long as the expected model holds. The primary reason why stabilisation policies are enforced or applied to a volatile market is to stabilise the economy, if not make it more predictable in order for economic agents to settle. However, if economic agents create an economic model base on the current economic values of economic stressors towards stabilising the economy, the introduction of a new variable from the government base on the â€Å"rational expectation hypothesis† will not make a huge impact. The primary reason for this is that over time, given that the economic agents also need to respond to the economic model they created the economy will eventually stabilise or settle. Cyclical Aggregate Demand Policy defines an economic systemâ₠¬â„¢s fluctuations as far as demands for goods are concerned. Counter cyclical or reversal of the economic system’s demand for goods to force it to follow a different path is not an absolute solution to stabilise prices in particular and stabilise the economy in general. This is especially accurate at full employment since the output of the work force will eventually find its way to mainstream market where its price is subject to market forces. The proposition that stabilisation policies are negated by rational expectati

Three short essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three short essays - Essay Example This will indeed reflect on the performance of the firm as growing, startling or diminishing. Managerial capitalism as Chandler suggests, is a structure where an enterprise is controlled with managerial skills (Chandler and Alfred, 1984:476). This is a system that has been used by a number of organisations and firms since the nineteenth century, especially in the United States and Great Britain. As a fact, the stakeholders and owners are not in control of their enterprise. Therefore, the performance of an enterprise will solely depend on the managers. The administration of all activities in an enterprise is the work of the managers, which is reflected on the end results. Managers that have apt managerial skills are on the forefront of recording success in an enterprise. As such, they will give adorable results in each financial year. However, managers that do not have the required skills are likely to reflect negative results. On the other hand, Taylorism is a form of management wher e main objectives of an enterprise or firm are stipulated for economic efficiency (Dunning and Boyd, 2003:129). In this type of management, labour productivity is instilled by using scientific forms which have analysed ways of flowing activities. In such a manner, most of the activities of a firm are done according to the laid out criterion. Similarly, some organisations chose to use Fordism and bureaucracy in management. Fordism involves industrialised forms of production, which are geared towards making a massive production. These forms are mostly industrialised to make work easier. However, bureaucracy in management involves an administration that executes legal rules and enforces them to make an achievement in the organisation. These administration rules are socially organised by the administration. All these managerial administrations are core concepts in controlling and managing an enterprise, which reflects on the performance. These are historical concepts that have been used by many organisations. Some organisations encompass several managerial concepts depending on how they work and the success of each one of them. Therefore, it is in the best interests of a firm to choose on the best concept to use, especially when they need to amass resources for their development (Ryrvik, 2011:62). For instance, in managerial capitalism, all the managers have the right to make decisions in a firm. The stakeholders do not have to change such decisions as they do not have a right. On the other hand, in bureaucracy management, all the stakeholders and mangers have to settle down for a unanimous decision. As such, all the people that are in the firm have to make decisions for the firm. On the other hand, Taylorism and Fordism involves scientific ways of management. These are structured ways that ensure a firm is developing accordingly. Changes are only made with reference to these scientific ways. As Hall and Soskice state, each of these methods is fundamental in makin g a firm or enterprise progress. As much as firms continue to conduct their business, some problems may occur. In such instances, there should be generations of solutions. For instance, when there is a problem in a firm that embraces Fordism and Taylorism, they have to look for structured ways that will help avert the situation. However, in a firm that embraces bureaucracy and managerial capitalism, the management is the core subject to structure the solution. Topic

Inappropriate Behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inappropriate Behavior - Research Paper Example The sexual harassment committed by Marwan has been quite offensive in nature. Marwan’s performance in the role of a pirate in the Studio Five Theme Park has been appreciated to a great extent by the audience and the guests who have been watching Marwan performing over a period of some time now. Marwan’s behavior has not been appropriate while interacting with the guests of the park after the performance is over. Marwan has the tendency to become cozy with the female guests of the park. He even went to the extent of placing his hands on the back of the ladies while posing for photographs. This behavior of Marwan was inappropriate in nature as the female guests of the park did not expect Marwan to engage such kind of unwelcome conduct. The behavior of Marwan towards his junior fellow colleague who was female and newly hired was very offensive and could be treated as an act of sexual harassment without any debate under the civil rights laws of the country. Marwan not only grabbed her breast but also threatened to get her fired if she refused to go on a date with Marwan. This was an inappropriate behavior of Marwan under the context and was totally not welcomed by the female junior colleague. This is a serious case of sexual harassment committed by Marwan and was strictly prohibited under the civil rights laws of the country. The complaint by the junior female artist against Marwan led to his termination from the contract of performance in the Studio Five Theme Park. The legal nature of employment of Marwan was contractual in nature.

Organic Food Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Organic Food Industry Analysis Essay The organic products industry has shown consistent growth over the last 25 years, growing 3,400% (Flynn, 2014). The organic industry earned $35 billion in 2014 up from $1 billion in 1990 (Flynn, 2014). Credited with being the primary market force drivers, food safety and health concerns have been driving the industry since the end of the 2009 recession. This research paper examines the organic products industry and identifies how supply and demand affects future prices of organic products. ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 3 Organic Industry Analysis This paper provides a succinct market analysis of the organic food and product industry. The paper provides background and description of the organic product market. The paper examines U. S. and global market trends of the organic food and product industry by examining demand and supply for organic products. This paper identifies key box store retailers and describes their roles in driving the organic food industry. Analyzing various studies from the USDA and its Economic Research Section (ERS) identified the driving market forces behind the popularity of the organic foods and products, which are the improvement of health and reduction of pesticides from individual diets. The purpose of this paper is to identify market trends and the driving forces behind the global organic food and product market. The driving forces behind the organic food market are health conscious millennials and new mothers who want to reduce chemicals from their diet. Background and Description The term organic has been the topic of controversy for academics and business leaders since the 1940s. The controversy involves several sub-topics such as lack of international standards for organics, cross contamination of organic products during transport, genetically modified organisms (GMO), chemicals and pesticides, and costs to produce organic goods. The definition of organic is: made or grown without the use of artificial chemicals (Organic, 2015). The premise of organic food is not new; however, the creation of national standards has objectively standardized what may be considered an organic product. As the global population grows, the demand for food has caused farmers to increase efficacy and reduce crop waste; however, the methodology utilized to preserve crops may be more of a detriment to human health resulting in the higher demand for uncontaminated food sources and products. ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 4 Demand The organic food market was supply driven for many years; however, demand now drives the organic market (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009, p. 10). The demand for organic products is increasing every year as people use marginal analysis to justify the higher expense for organic products: Do the benefits out weight the costs? Consumer mistrust in conventional food producers, who add harmful dyes, trans-fats, and high fructose corn syrups to products, is another variable driving the organics market. Environmentalists are also another market force mechanism contributing to the demand for organic products because organic farming reduces environmental pollution. The emergence of organic food is directly linked to an amalgam of food safety and health concerns, which directly relate to ingestion of chemicals used to grow, treat, and preserve foods. The organic food industry has shown consistent global growth over the last two decades and is projected to continue to grow until 2018 (Research and markets adds report: United States organic food market report 2013-2018, 2014). The organic food market has grown 3,400 % in the last 25 years (Flynn, 2014). Organics are divided into several categories such as, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, and packaged organic products. In 2014 annual organic food sales, mainly fruits and vegetables, reached $35 billion, $290 billion if packaged products are included, up from $1 billion in 1990s (Flynn, 2014). The United States and Europe have the highest demand for organic products compared to other nations (Lohr, n. d. p. 68). Identifying potential organic product consumers is a challenge, but some market research has shown consumers who choose to purchase organic products are generally well educated, millennials, higher income families, and households with children (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009, ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 5 p. 4-5). The United States consumes approximately 44% of the global organics market followed by Europe at 41% (Aggarwal, 2014 p. 3). The remaining countries that contribute to the consumption and export of organic foods may have difficulty in exporting goods due to individual national standards and export acts (Aggarwal, 2014 p. 3). Demand for organic products is not central to one part of the world; many countries and cultures realize the importance of consuming foods free of harmful chemicals. Supply Demand has grown for organic products; however, there is a shortage of organic farming land, which may negatively impact supply. The organic industry is constrained by its supply chain; there are only so many farms to produce organic goods and organic goods can only be shipped so far. According to the 2012 U. S. Census of Agriculture, there are now around 17,000 organic farms in the U. S. out of an estimated 2. 1 million total farms; acreage used for organic agriculture accounts for just 0. 6 percent of all U. S. farmland, while organic food sales make up over 4 percent of the total annual food sales. (Young, 2014) The organic farm shortage is an important variable to the organic industry because consumers who tend to purchase organic products generally want to support local farmers in a grass roots type of movement; excluding climate specific food such as, bananas, coffee, limes, and pineapples (Greene, 2013). Contributing to the supply shortage in the United States are strict national standards set in place by the USDA and strict requirements for potential farmers looking to transition into the organic industry. Also contributing to the shortage in organic food and ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 6 products are large box retail stores, such as Whole Food Markets, Wal-Mart, Tesco, and Target. Wal-Mart is the United States’ largest grocer and is competing for organic goods to remain competitive against its competitors, such as Target, which has made agreements with organic producers to supply products for its stores (Hopkinson, 2014). Partnering with organic companies, large retail box stores have created their own brands of organic products to reduce costs associated with providing customers a wide range of product choice. Price Changes Due to Supply and Demand: Historically, organic food is more expensive than conventional food (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009, p. 5). Organic food prices come with a premium due to costs involved in growing and harvesting crops. Prices are set through the suppliers because the organic standards restrict the certification of potential farmers. The certification process slows down potential farmers entering the industry, which reduces the number of producers available to farm the produce and make products. The reduction in organic products available reduces supply and increases demand. Market shelf placements of organic foods are fetching premiums and farmers are realizing the advantages of entering the market. As demand rises for organic products, the current producers are not able to sustain sufficient crop production compared to industry growth. In any competitive market, when demand rises so does opportunity. Due to the premium prices associated with producing products in the organic industry, many farmers may potentially conform to industry standards and convert their farms. The potential for commercial organic farms may also increase due to the undeniable growth of the industry. As more competition enters the organic industry, prices will drop. Large retail box stores, such as Whole Food Markets, Wal-Mart, Tesco, and Target may also have a significant effect on the price of organic ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 7 foods and products. Wal-Mart’s expansion into the organic market has the capability to reduce organic food prices alone due to the numbers of stores across the nation. In conclusion, the undeniable growth in the organic industry is a product of consumer mistrust of conventional growers, mainly due to toxic chemicals used in the production of food. The growth of the organic food industry is directly related to food safety and health conscious consumers who do not mind spending more money to consume uncontaminated products. Consumer demand has been the driving force of much of the organic industry since the end of the recession in 2009. The high consumer demand for organic food is part of an initiative from well-educated people, millennials, higher income families, and households with children, resulting in a 3,400% in the last 25 years creating a $35 billion industry (Flynn, 2014). With the high demand for organic goods, suppliers are unable to maintain sustainable level operations due to lack of organic farmland. Many of the problems associated with the organic food industry are centered on strict certifications that are necessary to maintain product integrity; the stringent certifications are creating supply shortages. The strict organic standards hinder potential farmers from entering into the organic industry. For example, farmers must be pesticide free for at least three years before being certified to produce organic food. Large retail box stores are recognizing the growth of the organic food industry and are currently adding more products annually, but even so, demand exceeds supplies. As the organic food industry continues to grow, prices for organic goods should reduce due to the increased competition in the market. ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 8. References Aggarwal, P. (2014). Supply chain management of locally grown organic food: A leap toward sustainable development. Retrieved from http://www. cognizant. com/InsightsWhitepapers/Supply-Chain-Management-of-Locally- grown-Organic-Food-A-Leap-Toward-Sustainable-Development-codex928. pd Dimitri, C. , Oberholtzer, L. (2009). Marketing U. S. organic foods recent trends from farms to consumers. USDA, Economic Research Service, (58). Retrieved from http://www. ers. usda.gov/media/185272/eib58_1_. pdf Flynn, D. (2014). Report: Organic industry achieved 25 years of fast growth through fear and deception, Food Safety News. Retrieved from, http://www. foodsafetynews. com/2014/04/report-fast-growing-organics-industry-is- intentionally-deceptive/#. VL0ILWd0xjo Greene, C. (2013). Growth patterns in the U. S. organic industry. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1518534011? accountid=35796 Hopkinson, J. (2014). Will Wal-Mart gobble up organic food supply? Retrieved from http://www. politico. com/story/2014/04/walmart-organic-food-105631. html Lohr, L. (n.d. ). Factors affecting international demand and trade in organic food products. USDA, Economic Research Service. Retrieved from http://www. ers. usda. gov/media/293617/wrs011j_1_. pdf ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 9 Organic. (2015). In Merriam-Webster. com. Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/organic Research and markets adds report: United States organic food market report 2013-2018. (2014). Manufacturing Close Up, Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1498350288? accountid=35796 Young, T. (2014). Organic check-off. Retrieved from https://ota. com/organic-check.

Theory Based Character Description Essay Example for Free

Theory Based Character Description Essay The structure of Jenny’s life begins with her beliefs, morals, goals and capabilities of change throughout her lifetime. Early in life, she seemed to have dreams and goals for the future. She desired to be a performer, singer, songwriter and musician. Unfortunately, those aspirations were destroyed when she instead became a nude model and stripper, which killed her college career when she was expelled. She degraded herself and could never recover the self-respect and respect from others that she lost from doing that. There are many examples throughout her life that she seemingly set herself up for failure, as she gets into unhealthy, abusive relationships, and relies heavily on drugs, alcohol and a life of promiscuity. Jenny never followed through with her dreams or made responsible decisions. Her principles and standards changed as her surroundings did. She made many bad choices that led her down a life of destruction. The Social Cognitive process is demonstrated throughout the move as we watch her struggle in life. As Forrest becomes increasingly successful in most things he does. She admires him so much and deeply cares for him as a friend. They remain in contact in high school and periodically throughout life. She reaches out during some of her more desperate times or runs into him as fate would have it. Forrest asks Jenny to marry him, however, she replies, â€Å"You don’t want to marry me†. I speculate that she compares her life to his and therefore feels beneath him, and that he deserves better than herself. He replies that he may be stupid but he knows what love is and in fact does want to be with her. Later that night she slips into his room and they make love. Early in the morning however, she leaves without a word. It is possible that she felt like she made a mistake and did not want to drag him down with her. Her growth and development was demonstrated as her social learning skills were developed throughout life through observation. After her mother died, there was no one to protect her and her sisters from her drunk father that sexually molested them. She is then influenced by the anti-Vietnam war protestors she becomes involved with during her life as a hippie. The direct contact with several extreme activists and other negative groups lead her into a more negative slope. As she lives on, she continues to make terrible decisions. She becomes an increasingly immoral person, and is filled with extremely low self-esteem and deep depression. Jenny does not demonstrate self-efficacy. She slides down a slippery slope of denying her true pain and anguish. She runs away from her fears and feelings and goes out into the world of destruction to attempt to escape her past. She depends on the environment she is in to determine her future, goals, and values. As the movie flashes throughout several different scenarios, Jenny lives through, one-thing remains consistent, and she seeks the ability to forget the past. She does not want to deal with it therefore, she uses sex, drugs, extremist views and lifestyle with hopes it will distract her from the scary truth of her history. Finally, Jenny writes Forest to meet up so she can introduce him to his son. It is only then that she becomes concerned with herself, as well as her son’s well-being. For once, she actually wants to do better from them. She decided to marry Forrest and set her child up for a good example of a healthy family dynamic. It does not appear Jenny ever dealt with her past, her feelings, and the underlying issues that caused her grief. She did however, finally feel real love before she passed away. She understood what it felt like to be unconditionally cared for; something she never thought was possible. Trait Theory Jenny’s personality traits change throughout her life. She was not consistent from childhood to adulthood. As a child, she was kind, caring and generous. As she aged, she became increasingly nervous, scared and unsure of her surroundings. As she moves into late adolescence and early adulthood, she harbors the same fearful attitude and decides to run away, wander and travel with hopes a finding a new identity. Throughout life, she remains in love with Forest but does not love herself, therefore is unable to accept his love in return. Her personality traits come for a lack of understanding of why she experienced such painful things at such a young age. She never received love from her father, but was instead abused physically, emotionally and sexually. This trauma caused her inability to know love, receive love or understand that unconditional love truly exists. We know that her mother died when Jenny was just 5 years old. We do not, however, know why. This may also have influenced her growth and development. We do know that her father has some extreme mental health issues due to his abuse towards his daughters as well as the alcohol usage. As her environment changes throughout life, so does her personality traits. She continues to run from one situation to worse because she is not dealing with the true underlying issues. She ultimately runs to drugs in an extreme desperation to rid her memory of the pain of the past. The Big Five Trait Factor Scale appears as follows: Openness: Very High – Jenny is a creative, inquisitive, imaginative and unconventional. Conscientiousness: High – Before her life ended, after having a child, she finally learned to make the most responsible decision for herself and her child. Extraversion: High – Jenny had to always have someone in her company, whether it be Forrest or male company in the form of boyfriend, male clients or her hippie friends. She finds pleasure in being social. Agreeableness: Very High – Jenny is ultimately a kind hearted and helpful person with good intensions. Neuroticism: Very High – Jenny is highly insecure. This is the reason she bounces from one place to the next so often. This is why she completely submits to men and chooses those that treat her with the same disrespect her father one did. There is no formal model of change in Jenny’s life. Her traits simply change throughout the film as she pursues the task of running away to find herself and erase the past. She completes the cycle of the one sweet, kind and generous Jenny as a child, to a life of self-hatred and destruction, then back to seemingly healthy personality traits of a loving, caring person. After having a child, then learning that she is sick and dying, she finally faces reality and learns to love, accept and embrace love and peace.

What Is Social Policy?

What Is Social Policy? Essay Topic: What is social policy and why is it controversial? Write an essay in which you explore the topic of social policy giving consideration to differing theoretical debates, positions and arguments for and against the provision of social policy as well as the nature of wellbeing in society. Use New Zealand examples to support your discussion. Marks will be allocated based on: The breadth of your reading and the sources you use to develop your argument. Your ability to develop a strong and effective argument, with a good introduction and conclusion. Your use of references, taking into account accuracy, suitability and conformity to the Style Guide for this paper. The level of originality which you bring to the topic. The extent that you cover the topic fairly and comprehensively. Introduction Wellbeing is a relatively new concept it references draw from a satisfactory in good health and happiness through having material or attitude compare to others in society. Social policy has long been a material well being as to response to a basic needs create a safe environment, providing food and shelter. In the mid of rising populations and rapid social change and uncertainty, Social policy regards to well being becoming more important to response to more complex needs as by far is hard to measure of it quality wellbeing is increasingly important and to regulate under different political ideologies.Various environment socio economic, there is much to look for. Social policy accompanied welfare state is the remnant of an old policy from the post war era, today political parties in search policy that fit in others economic ideology spectrum, pay attention to social reform agenda, to achieve this requires great flexibility, compromise or consent of voters and opposition party. Social policy is an urgent agenda for New Zealand that have grown into multicultural society although still trapped in a disorder of a bi-culturally tough going effort to achieve in the last 200 years. This essay is an attempt to explore different theoretical debates and position for and against social policy that incorporated in New Zealand political context. Controversial policy Exiting gap between men and women, employed and unemployed, rich and poor there is large number of left out people in working life, minor, gender and others who get pay unequal to that of other workers. The disable, mentally ill and the elderly receive minimum live able income and being support by government funded organization employees to visit in their home in community, for this reason government is to look closing this gap of equality in society. The Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics defines social policy as an interdisciplinary and applied subject concerned with the analysis of societies responses to social need (Pawar, 2014, p. 131) the definition confined within the idea of responding to need, it recognize the inaccessible and inequality as necessitate by default. Social policy in a wider term is an action that affects the well-being of members of a society mainly regarding distribution and access to goods and resources(Cheyne, Belgrave, OBrien, 2009). The initiative emphasis on the need that arises concerned the society where intervention and mechanism is put in place to response to it. This humanitarian response is mainly base on socialism that exit in most welfare states regarding how the government should help it citizen enhance the capability to achieve as oppose to capitalism scheme (Giddens, 2013) Influences by socialism from the left wings, Labour party for example a Social democratic old party in early 1900s initiate change to the fundamental social policy in New Zealand. After 1935 labour party won the election and form the government, result in Social reform in social security, national health services and low rent housing programs(Smelt Lin, 2008). Labour influence policy has not flourish without tension for example in 1970’s Crisis of the welfare state where theoretical debate was become critical on government legitimacy on state intervention was put to the ordeal (Cheyne, Belgrave, OBrien, 2009) key inherently to this was about the ability of state unable to develop the framework response to the market economic and political ideological context. Liberal based political ideology the prominent right in New Zealand politic perceived social policies as counterproductive it interrupting the nature of market economic and political ideology. Liberal idea emphasis on equality of the individually takes priority over society and the right to make choices for themselves. Liberalism and Neo liberal opening stages of the free-market economy has influence scientific revolution that fundamentally altered New Zealand society today however a Classical Liberal opinion awkwardly associated with state intervention as â€Å"necessary evil†(Heywood, 2002, p. 45) Political axes can no longer be over amplified from the fact that there are flavor variations within political party show pluralistic of political idea. Recently there are strong conservative patriotic support to the â€Å"new right† movement of social conservative i.e United future combine strength of voters to support state intervention(Mulgan Aimer, 2004) both came from right and left of the political spectrum. Regardless of it controversial, from an observation social democracy in a small mono ethnic country in Europe seemed to be successful with a state welfare management but could be different in a multicultural environments (Giddens, 2013) Theoretical debates/ position for social policy Socialism believes based on the principles of collectivity, equal opportunity, distribution of wealth and public responsibility for those who are able to help themselves these emphasis on the applied policy involving a welfare state within the framework of a capitalist economy (Sejersted Adams). Originated in 19th century Germany from the influence of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (Aspalter, 2001) grew out of necessity to combat the universal suffrage, the poor and middle class play a great role in supporting social democratic process. Liberal on the other hands with a vague idea of allocation of resources to the disadvantage base on justice and inequality in realizing that the individual freedom need some form of guarantee (Cheyne, Belgrave, OBrien, 2009) and safeguard individual for social evil(Heywood, 2002).Liberal showed need for states to sustained and decided what matter for individual(Lister). This argument has been cultivated by Socialist resulting in assimilations and made an alliance. Social democratic party in a post war New Zealand it has morphed into hybrid, the mix between Socialism and Liberal ideology. Socialism has been favor in democratic process and it has made it way to the capitalism dominated political arena (Cheyne, Belgrave, OBrien, 2009) pressing it influences in to capitalism market economic. Policy model largely based on the principle of eligibility, government granting access to benefits and services based on citizenship, socialist regime in practice include the welfare system(Giddens, 2013) in order to achieve equality a legitimate, ideally the elected government will engages in retribution of resources depending on the given policy and process. State management involved transferring of funds to the services providers. Labour party manifesto, for example in 1960’s emphasis on taxation must be use to achieve major wealth and income for disadvantages routing distributions to education, social security and healthcare(Lavalette Pratt, 2007). Labour adopted social liberal promotes woman right, honoring treaty of Waitangi, opposing nuclear weapons and a sport apartheid in South Africa (Mulgan Aimer, 2004). New Zealand has been a bi-cultural country follows the treaty of Waitangi.(SooHoo Nevin) treaty regulates the co-exit between westerners, newcomers and the Maori indigenous population this has causes more grieve than pleased chiefly to the indigenous populations. Subjected to a colonization process that strip Maori of their land for resources, the country then route immaturely into a global market capitalism (Cheyne, Belgrave, OBrien, 2009) resulting from lost of land, cultural and identity, Maori community relied on political party’s policy draw heavily on the socialism collective practice regarding to the right of indigenous people as a citizen and as people of the land, issues highlight the problems of social exclusion (Humpage, 2006). There is yet to find solutions around the issues of Tino rangatiratanga, the right, ownership accountability, management of tribal resources recognition of duty and ability to participate the concern of tribal issues this become part of the Labour policy in 1957 and recently Maori custody right to the foreshore and seabed the space for mussel farming.(Orange, 2011) Debate argument against social policy Post cold war society Liberal have gain it popularity it satisfy the Demand for individual autonomy and accommodates the rise of global market (Giddens, 2013) Liberal admire democratic process gaining power through freedom to vote. Fredrick Hayek writing of Neo-Liberal ideas from the classic political economic believes in the power of unregulated market liberalism will deliver efficiency and prosperity (Heywood, 2002) Liberal ideas allow people to developing different ways of thinking takes action for changes to happen, practices contributes to the progression, ideology hold the individual responsibility to create their own destiny for a person fortune this oblige people to become self reliance (Pawar, 2014) for this reason Liberalism and capitalism are fit together favor free market and limited government control , they despise the welfare state as the source of all evil (Giddens, 2013) government redistribution of income or capital as an unacceptable intrusion upon individual freedom(Lavalette Pratt, 2007) The Liberal model remained market dominance and private provision, the state only recognized poverty and provide minimum support to the basic needs but still limited to it terms of agenda hence the poor need to keep up the speed or be the economic victim of the rich. There are numbers of New Zealand political party that base one Liberal ideology for example†¦. Conservative†¦ National maintain it conservative regarless of liberal favor among young people.(Mulgan Aimer, 2004) Argument; welfare state lost it quality representing the collective interest.(Sejersted Adams) nz example explain references 3 National party always oppose to socialism (Cheyne, Belgrave, OBrien, 2009) National the second oldest political party emerges from an old Liberal and Reform party to counter the balance(Miller, 2005) Labour and National currently exist as the two main rival parties. National party favored the the idea of liberal and conservatives. Having been form against Labour national have strong policy again collectivism unionist and welfare(Miller, 2005)†¦. In early 1990’s National actively promote the one country one law, new minister elected uphore the inherent Labour policy seeing favor Maori is socially devisive(Hill). Nature of well being in society The discourse of wellbeing is underpinned by an individual satisfaction and, as such, is inherently quality of life. in concept to be well is to be not â€Å"unwell† for this reasonâ€Å"well† comes to be defined by the absence of crisis episodes. In this sense identifying the sufferers, and natural human reactions can lead to a better picture of it. Enable people to experience freedom and realize their potential Material well being psychological well being development and long term†¦productivity in life cycle as social investment†¦. conclusion number of key events including the elections of†¦.help turn the tide national showed level of ideology flexibility and pracmatic†¦.. = National and Labour represent an opposing view for the same agenda to the ultimate goal of policy for the well being of all. social policy reported one sided account mark the growing self confident; well being can not be express in monetary unit†¦ , the promotion of health and treatment of the sick, the care and support of those unable to live a fully independent life; and the education and training of individuals to a level that enables them fully to participate in their society. Social policy out there†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦different theoretical social policy according to 2 rival ideas in the western world B.social democratic state duty to guarantee to establish well being. References Aspalter, C. (2001). Importance of Christian and Social Democratic Movements in Welfare Politics: With Special Reference to Germany, Austria, and Sweden: Nova Science Publishers. Cheyne, C., Belgrave, M., OBrien, M. (2009). Social Policy in Aotearoa New Zealand: Oxford University Press. Giddens, A. (2013). The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy: Wiley. Heywood, A. (2002). Political Ideologies: politics (2 ed.). Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Hill, R. Maori and the State: Crownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Maori Relations in New Zealand/Aotearoa, 1950 2000: Victoria University Press. Humpage, L. (2006). An Inclusive Society: A leap forward for Maori in New Zealand: Auckland University Press. Lavalette, M., Pratt, A. (2007). Social Policy: Theories, Concepts and Issues: SAGE Publications. Lister, R. Understanding theories and concepts in social policy: Policy Press. Miller, R. (2005). Party Politics in New Zealand: Oxford University Press. Mulgan, R. G., Aimer, P. (2004). Politics in New Zealand: Auckland University Press. Orange, C. (2011). The Treaty of Waitangi: Bridget Williams Books. Pawar, M. (2014). Social and Community Development Practice: SAGE Publications. Sejersted, F., Adams, M. B. The Age of Social Democracy: Norway and Sweden in the Twentieth Century: Princeton University Press. Smelt, R., Lin, Y. J. (2008). New Zealand: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. SooHoo, S., Nevin, A. Culturally Responsive Methodologies: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Human Resource Management Strategies: Tesco Case Study Human Resource Management Strategies: Tesco Case Study As Tesco has grown, so has the importance of Every Little Helps. Over time, theyve gone from simply selling groceries to providing anything from loans to mobile phones. By setting out in all these new directions they ran the risk of losing our way. So, they have relied on Every Little Helps more and more over the years, to act as a common philosophy to bind us all together. Mission statement: Tescos mission statement is Creating value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. The Organisation  Structure and culture: Structure: The structure of Tesco is simple one apart from the fact that it has huge labour force under its belt. The company have found more efficient ways of completing a task or business activity. Tesco has advancement in technology to minimize human error e.g. stock ordering, delivery schedules, etc. The company is giving general staff more responsibility when helping or serving a customer. The managers within each store have now been given a much broader span of control with their workforce. This means that each manager will have more employees to communicate with, but each employee has been trained to a set standard, which allows the manager to trust them to get on with the job with little guidance from him or her. All of the key decisions are made by the board of directors based in Chesnutt, which makes the company centralized in its diction making. Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviour shared by a group of people. Culture is the behaviour that results when a group arrives at a set of generally unspoken and unwritten rules for working together (humanresource.about.com). Organizational culture is the workplace environment formulated from the interaction of the employees in the workplace (portal.brint.com). It can be analysed through the observations of the companys behaves, including routines, rituals, stories, structures and systems. Tesco has a very friendly and supporting approach in the routine ways that staff at Tesco behaves towards each other, and towards those outside the company. The control systems and measurements are constantly under the management review to monitor the efficiency of the staff and managers decisions. The rituals of the companys life are the special events, corporate gatherings, which Tesco emphasizes are very important. Leadership styles: Previously, Tesco was following John Adairs Action Centred Leadership (ACL) model of leadership. The ACL model is represented by three interlocking circles encompassing the following: Achieving the task Building and maintaining the team Developing the individual (Thomas 2005). Action-Centred Leadership tends to focus on the hierarchical structure of the organization. It is applicable in organizations that are highly authoritarian. But later, with the appointment of Terry Leahy as the Chief Executive Officer, Tesco led into a series of organizational changes. Leahy is considered as a visionary leader who aimed for the company to become more customer-focused and to develop its workforce. According to him, there are four things that a leader must provide to his workers and followers to satisfy and motivate them. These are: A job that is interesting to do A chance to get on in life To be treated with respect A boss who is some help and not their biggest problem Leahy adapted a participative style of leadership wherein the employees are given voice in the decision-making process. The organizational structure became more flat where the roles and responsibilities of everyone are clearly stated. Leahy delegates leadership roles to individuals in the organization in order to ensure that the company, with more than 300,000 employees, operates effectively. The leadership style that is manifested by Terry Leahy and is imitated by the leaders in the company has changed the structure of the company. The company has adapted an organic, a simpler and flatter organizational structure. Corporate Social responsibility: CSR is defined as the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. Approach to CSR in Tesco: Environment: Tesco promote environmental issues through training package in order to create enough awareness on the issue of environment and to allow the company to maximize its operational effectiveness initiatives e.g. recyclable bags Community: In several attempt to give back to the society Tesco create special support for children, community based projects and education programmes in order to create a peaceful environment to operate e.g. Tesco Charity Trust. Suppliers ethical trading: In order to maintain high ethical standard in business practices, Tesco is encouraging long term trade relationship with supplier with a centralized distribution system with transparency and accountability to promote good quality of rang products and services at competitive pricing. Customers choice and health: It promotes the health of the customers through the management of customers choices. This can be confirmed by the statement that Tesco will continue to appeal to a broad range of customers and that the company will offer something for everyone through an extensive product range, offering price and product choice, in food and non-food products. People/workers: Employees are given opportunities of carrier development through Training and development programme with effective communication to facilitate staff feedback. Rewards and benefits are used to motivate workers, based on performances on the job, pension scheme, save as you earn and family friendly working through flexible hours of work to accommodate mother education. Ethical Practices: All employees contribute to TESCOs reputation; therefore, it is important that all employees adhere to ethical guidelines. Always follow these principles: Compliance with Laws: TESCO business, whether domestic or international, must be conducted in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Honesty and Integrity: All employees must be honest and honourable in all dealings with other employees, the public, the business community, shareholders, customers, suppliers, competitors, and government authorities. Entertainment and Gifts: Any gift, entertainment, or benefit you provide to a business associate must be modest in scope and value. Never provide a gift, entertainment or benefit that contravenes any applicable law. Consultant Fees, Commissions and Other Payments: Never give or receive any payment that falls outside the normal conduct of business. If staff is found engaged in giving or accepting kickbacks, bribes, payoffs or other illegal or similar transactions, will be subject to immediate discipline, up to and including dismissal in accordance with TESCOs policy on employee discipline. Political Contributions: TESCO does not wish to discourage the participation of employees in political and related activities. Employees cannot do on behalf of Tescos either directly or indirectly, without the prior written approval of TESCOs Executive Management. Compliance with Accounting Controls and Procedures: Employees must always comply with the Companys accounting procedures and controls, and all applicable laws. They should properly record all financial data and transactions. Leadership styles: Tesco PLC is one of the leading retailers in the United Kingdom and one of the largest food retailers in the world. The management and leadership styles analysed below, are approaches which are likely to be implemented by Tesco. McGregors Theory X and Y: According to Douglas McGregor (1960) in developing theories X and Y, managers took two different views of their subordinates and conducted practices that would best suit their assumption of the workers. Theory X managers, think that people dislike work, which is a necessity for survival. They perceive workers to be lazy who avoid responsibility, who lack ambition and prefer to be directed, rather than use initiative to take roles of responsibility. These managers use directive approach to leadership and are very strict and controlling with their subordinates. Organisational goals already established and workers are pushed in a certain direction so that these goals can be fully achieved. Theory Y managers believe that if workers are in the right conditions, they will work hard their own will, helping the organization achieve the set out goals, and in return, being rewarded for this hard work and effort. In this scenario, managers will work together with subordinates, deciding work objectives and by developing strategies designed to achieve these goals. They will encourage team working and also delegate decision making when and where possible. In relation to Tesco, the management are likely to take a theory X approach in running their organisation. Due to the enormity of the number of subordinates a manager is likely to be in supervision of, it would be almost impossible to use the latter approach. Blake and Moutons Management Grid: The management grid identifies a range of management behaviours based on various ways that task-oriented and employee-orientated styles can interact with each other. In relation to Tesco, the management would identify themselves mostly to an Authoritarian management style (also known as produce or perish style), which has a high concern for production and efficiency and concentrates less on people. They take a task oriented approach which takes in hand the needs of the task rather than the wants of subordinates. This is again, similar again to the Theory X approach stated approach, and is effective to Tesco where there is a larger amount of lower-skilled employees. Herzberg Two Factor Theory: Fincham and Rhodes (2005) stated that Herzbergs two factor theory involved, firstly the motivators and secondly the hygiene factors. Hygiene factors involved supervision, salary, work environment, company policies and relationship with colleagues. The absences of these were seen as dissatisfying aspects of a job which can affect the morale of workers. Motivators stated by Herzberg include; responsibility, achievement, promotion and recognition. In relation to Tesco, subordinates of the managers such as shop floor employees are unlikely to achieve the motivators stated by Herzberg. This can be very negative for a firm like Tesco because a de-motivated workforce is obviously more unproductive then a motivated workforce. Taking this into thought, it is vital for managers to tackle motivational issues of the workforce and see that the hygiene factors of employees are met, making it an effective approach to adopt. Development of workforce: Workforce development links staff learning and development to other human resource and business activities. It includes strategic planning, workforce planning, performance management and career development. Strategic planning: Tesco has a systematic planning process involving a number of steps that identify the current status of the association, including its mission, vision for the future, operating values, needs (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), goals, prioritized actions and strategies, action plans, and monitoring plans. Workforce planning: Workforce planning is the process of analysing an organisation includes: Identifying current and future numbers of employees required to deliver new and improved services. Analysing the present workforce in relation to these needs. Comparing the present workforce and the desired future workforce to highlight shortages, surpluses and competency gaps. Analysing the diversity profile at all levels against that of the local population. Recruitment and selection process. Risk of deployment. Performance management: An important element in workforce development is to have clear job descriptions and person specifications. A job description sets out: the title of the job to whom the job holder is responsible for whom the job holder is responsible a simple description of roles and responsibilities If employees will know their job well, their performance will automatically be beneficial for organisation. Career development: Tesco seeks to fill many vacancies from within the company. It recognises the importance of motivating its staff to progress their careers with the company. Tesco practises what it calls talent planning. This encourages people to work their way through and up the organisation. Through an annual appraisal scheme, individuals can apply for bigger jobs. Employees identify roles in which they would like to develop their careers with Tesco. Their manager sets out the technical skills, competencies and behaviours necessary for these roles, what training this will require and how long it will take the person to be ready to do the job. Report: Organisational structure and its impact on people in Tesco: Tesco is a company that has also delayered the amount of employees used throughout the company. Reasons for Tesco delayering are: The company have found more efficient ways of completing a task or business activity. The advancement in technology has allowed the company to take some of the more demanding tasks away from employees to minimise human error E.G stock ordering, delivery schedules etc. The company giving general staff more responsibility within stores and allowing them to use their own initiative when helping or serving a customer. The managers within each store have now been given a much broader span of control with their workforce. This means that each manager will have more employees to communicate with, but each employee has been trained to a set standard, which allows the manager to trust them to get on with the job with little guidance from him or her. Looking at the Tesco Company the report can see that all of the key decisions for each region of the country are made by the board of directors based in Cheshunt, which makes the company centralised in its diction making. As the company is run centrally it allows Tesco to minimise the cost of having big finance, general office departments in each of its stores as well as minimise the amount of work each store has and allows them to concentrate on selling the businesses products to the customers. Organisational culture and its impact on workforce: In Tesco today the company is still recognised by the motto of pile it high and sell it cheap, but the company has introduced quality into its products by offering three different key areas of products. The first area consists of very high quality products such as organic and these products are usually the most expensive. The middle group of products are usually a collection of Tesco and company branded products and covers a wide price bracket. The third group of products are Tescos value range, which consists of the cheapest products such as toilet rolls, bin liners and ready meals. These types of products are all about value for money and are not priced by the level of quality. As well as offer their customers more choice, in the way of groceries, Tesco now offer their customers the opportunity to purchase clothes, electrical goods, DVDs CDs etc. By offering their customers these other products Tesco are changing their culture into becoming a one stop shop, which offers customers the chance to purchase almost anything they need at the same time. A danger for Tesco is the threat of ASDA overtaking them in affordability along with viability and becoming the new store that piles it high and sells it cheap. Leadership styles: A managers leadership style creates the climate within which employees work and influences the attitude and performance of his team. A manager will have a preferred style, but this will not be appropriate in every situation. To be effective, managers must learn to adapt their leadership style to the circumstances and in response to the employees they manage. This is known as situational or contingency leadership. In an article published in the Harvard Business Review in 2000, Daniel Goleman identified six leadership styles: coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching. Goleman linked these six leadership styles to managers able to choose the style best suited to the situation. Coercive and Authoritative: Managers with a coercive leadership style exert tight control over employees and rely on the threat of negative consequences to ensure compliance. This style of management can be successful in crisis situations. However, coercive leadership is not effective in the long term because it can create a negative atmosphere by demotivating capable employees and damaging morale. This style engages employees and results in the most positive work environment. Affiliative and Democratic: An affiliative style emphasizes harmonious interactions and can be useful if a manager needs to encourage a group to work together or heal rifts in a dysfunctional team. However, it is not effective if a manager needs to deal with inadequate performance or crisis situations that require clear direction and control. Democratic managers involve their employees in decision-making and encourage them to collaborate. This motivates capable employees because it encourages them to apply their skills and expertise. A democratic style is unlikely to be effective with employees who lack competence or require close supervision. Pacesetting and Coaching: Managers who lead by example have a pacesetting style, which can work well when an organization has to adapt and move quickly. Pacesetters set high standards and are apprehensive about delegating. A pacesetter can overwhelm his team with demands for unachievable excellence, resulting in a drop in morale. A manager adopting a coaching style of leadership helps employees identify their strengths and weaknesses. He encourages employees to set and attain goals, providing regular feedback to assist them to improve their performance. Benefits of flexible working practices to individuals: Ability to balance work and home commitments more readily. Increased quality of life. Reduced stress. Greater levels of job satisfaction. Ability to continue to work. Ability to maintain career development and personal growth during a period of temporary increased family commitments. Benefits of flexible working practices to organisation: Retention of trained and valuable staff. Increased productivity. Decreased absence. Individuals who have jobs tailored to meet their individual needs may be more motivated. The company is seen to support its diversity values. Access to a talent pool which might otherwise be unavailable thus improving recruitment. Ability to allow employees to continue to develop and grow in their career and to match the natural cycle of family commitments that everyone experiences. http://www.hirescores.com/flexible-working-corner.php Impact of ethical practices on motivation level of staff: The ethical climate of an organization can have both positive and negative impacts on employee job satisfaction. Unethical workplace behaviours create chaos and impact the organization in a variety of ways. Motivation level impacts the organization on many levels. Low levels of job satisfaction lead to low motivation, decreased productivity and increased turnover. Dishonest management practices lead workers to be suspicious of their leaders. The most successful organizations include high ethical standards at all levels of the organization. Cognitive Dissonance Theory Cognitive dissonance theory is often used to explain the loss of motivation and job satisfaction that generally results from unethical organizational practices. This psychological theory, first developed by social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1956, holds that, there is a tendency for individuals to seek consistency among their cognitions (i.e., beliefs, opinions). When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or behaviours (dissonance,) something must change to eliminate the dissonance. As this dissonance continues in the workplace, the worker feels increasingly dissatisfied with their positions when they there is no support or rewards for exhibiting ethical behaviours. http://www.ehow.com/info_7753033_job-satisfaction-organizational-ethics.html Use of CSR to motivate employees: Employees are motivated by corporate social responsibility (CSR). The integration of social, environmental, and economic improvement through CSR makes workplaces sounder. Below are the top 10 ways to motivate the workforce through CSR. Let employees participate in all the social activities done outside the company. Let employees lead volunteer and charity efforts in the local areas. Recognize attitude of the employees towards their job to raise the commitment and motivation level Encourage employee referrals to help retain and recruit talent. Bring CSR inside the company to develop employees inside the company through training and tuition Convert sick days to rewards by creating a rewards program for unused sick days. Make executive team visible by handshake and personal thanks. Encourage initiative taken by employees to increase employee engagement. Create a competitive advantage by true and defining differentiation from competitors which can be felt by employees, suppliers, partners, and customers. Be loud when you have done a great job with CSR, share it through social media, newsletters, media coverage, and face-to-face interactions to increase the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm of employees. Management styles to deal with difference in behaviour: Theory X and Theory Y have to do with the perceptions managers hold on their employees, not the way they generally behave. It is attitude not attributes. Theory X: In this theory, management assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can and that they inherently dislike work. As a result of this, management believes that workers need to be closely supervised and comprehensive systems of controls developed. A hierarchical structure is needed with narrow span of control at each and every level. Theory X managers rely heavily on threat and coercion to gain their employees compliance. Beliefs of this theory lead to mistrust, highly restrictive supervision, and a punitive atmosphere. Theory Y: In this theory, management assumes employees may be ambitious and self-motivated and exercise self-control. It is believed that employees enjoy their mental and physical work duties. They possess the ability for creative problem solving, but their talents are underused in most organizations. Theory Y manager believes that, given the right conditions, most people will want to do well at work. They believe that the satisfaction of doing a good job is a strong motivation. Motivation theories: The most commonly held views or theories are discussed below and have been developed over the last 100 years or so. Taylor: Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 1917) put forward the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued the following: Workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control. Therefore managers should break down production into a series of small tasks. Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they produce in a set period of time- piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work hard and maximise their productivity. Mayo: Elton Mayo (1880 1949) believed that workers are not just concerned with money but could be better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work (something that Taylor ignored). He introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers taking more of an interest in the workers, treating them as people who have worthwhile opinions and realising that workers enjoy interacting together. Maslow: Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) along with Frederick Herzberg (1923-) introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees. Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. All of the needs are structured into a hierarchy (see below) and only once a lower level of need has been fully met, would a worker be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied. For example a person who is dying of hunger will be motivated to achieve a basic wage in order to buy food before worrying about having a secure job contract or the respect of others. Benefits of training and development to individuals and organisation: Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees. This has an added benefit of making your company more attractive to prospective employees. More motivated workers, which in turn tends to increase productivity and spur profits. More effective and efficient use of workers time as a result of higher skill levels, combined with a better understanding of the job function. Employees who know they are competent, and therefore feel more confident. Self-assured, well-trained employees are important in the debt collection function. An increase from employees in the number of ideas, recommendations and suggestions for improving performance, or processes and procedures. Lower overall employee turnover and less absenteeism. Investing in employee training enhances the company image as: a good place to work a company that offers its employees the opportunity to grow and meet their individual goals and aspirations a company that values employees a company that nurtures its employees Creating a pool of cross-trained employees can bridge gaps when someone unexpectedly leaves the company or if they accept a transfer or a promotion. Doing so tends to create more efficient employees that require less supervision and who need less detailed instructions. This frees managements time for higher value added activities. Employees that receive in houses training tend to be better equipped to adapt to changes and challenges facing the credit department in particular, and the company as a whole. http://www.coveringcredit.com/business_credit_articles/Credit_Management/art204.shtml People management strategies used in organisations: Here are some key strategic factors on the management of people to reinforce the importance of them to businesses. Understanding the competitive advantage they can gain from employing good people and including workforce planning in their business strategies. Developing people management strategies, structures and practices that align with the overall business strategy and customer-driven business processes. Attracting, training and retaining key people through effective recruitment processes, training and development, employee engagement and succession planning activities. Active leadership from business owners and managers through clear organizational communication, development of a team culture and effective management of organizational change. Effective recognition and reward systems, including performance reviews and feedback, rewards for good performance and support for individual development plans. Essential human resource systems to meet legislative requirements regarding employing people to ensure the business will avoid expensive litigation and employment problems. http://www.harris-management-solutions.com/managing-people.html Conclusion: In conclusion we can argue that the human resource aspect of any organisation can be seen as the greatest asset for an organisation. However neither the knowledge of this resource or knowledge about this resource should be seen as static, instead for organisational strategies to be effective they must be dynamic and adapt to be external changes in the environment as well as internal information concerning this human resource.