Medical Marijuana free essay sample

Over many years and especially in recent times people have been debating whether or not marijuana should be legalized for medical use. Those who support legalization claim that marijuana has legitimate medical benefits. Many argue that marijuana is a better alternative than pills because it is less addictive and no known marijuana overdoses have been reported, as opposed to the numerous that are reported with prescription drugs every day. Many advocates have also come up with plans to tax and regulate the purchase of cannabis. This tax is supposed to help boost the economy of the state. Those who are opposed to the legalization of medicinal marijuana argue that marijuana is a gateway drug. This means that once people try using marijuana, they will want to experiment with other drugs which are usually much more dangerous. Also, marijuana is considered a schedule one drug. This means that it does not have any medicinal value. We will write a custom essay sample on Medical Marijuana or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While many people know that marijuana does indeed have medicinal value, it remains a schedule one drug. Marijuana should be legalized for medical use in The United States because it has numerous medical benefits, it’s a much safer alternative to many prescription drugs, and it will generate tax revenue. For thousands of years humans have been using the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant has numerous benefits. It has been recorded to have been used in food by the Ancient Chinese. It can be used to make clothing, rope, necklaces, and bracelets. And of course, it has been consumed in a variety of different ways. Marijuana was first smoked mainly during religious ceremonies. Over time, civilizations like the Chinese began to experiment with using cannabis as an herbal medicine. Armies would smoke marijuana before going into battle in order to calm themselves down so they didn’t panic while fighting. Later, starting in 1915, in the United States prohibitions started for nonmedical use of marijuana. In 1937 the Marijuana Tax Act made possession of marijuana illegal in the United States, whether it was for recreational or medical use. In 1970 the Controlled Substance Act created schedules to classify drugs. Marijuana was determined a schedule one drug meaning that it has no medicinal value. It remains a schedule one drug to this day. Five years later in 1975, the FDA established the compassionate use program for medical marijuana which decriminalized the cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Only those who were severely ill and had a doctor’s recommendation were able to possess and smoke marijuana. Today 21 states including Washington DC have legalized medical marijuana, California being the first, and Connecticut and Massachusetts being the most recent. These 21 states did not legalize medical marijuana just so that their citizens could legally get high. They legalized it because marijuana has legitimate medical benefits. In the past marijuana has been used medically for pain relief, malaria, constipation, insomnia, depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, epilepsy and more. Modern suggested uses for marijuana include the treatment of nausea and vomiting, glaucoma, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, researchers in the United Kingdom did a study to see how marijuana would affect patients with MS. 40% of the patients reported at least a 30% reduction in spasticity, while only 22% of those taking a placebo reported at least a 30% reduction (Durand and Holland 57). Marijuana is one of the most restricted drugs in the United States. It has been seen through studies like the one done in the UK that marijuana has medical benefits, but these studies cannot be conducted in the United States because marijuana is a schedule I substance. As long as marijuana remains in this category of drugs, American scientists and researchers will not be able to conduct research on its possible benefits. Jessica Berg stated in her article â€Å"Smokescreen† that, â€Å"On April 20, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration stated, in an ‘Inter-Agency Advisory regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine,’ that it does ‘not support the use of smoked marijuana for medical purposes’† (Berg 1). The FDA must know that cannabis does have medical benefits, yet they refuse to fund research toward it. This is research that could help save tons of lives. Like the life of five year old Charlotte Figi. Charlotte had a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. Dr. Sanjay Gupta visited the Figi’s home in Colorado in his documentary WEED to see how Charlotte’s parents used marijuana to treat her seizures. Before trying cannabis, Charlotte’s parents experimented with many treatments for their daughter. None of them worked. She continued to have hundreds of seizures every week. If her life continued to go on like this she would surely not live for much longer. Just when her parents thought there were no more options, they decided to try medicinal cannabis. At first hesitant, her parents decided to go through with the idea. They didn’t want to get their five year old high, so Charlotte’s parents tried to find a strain of cannabis that was high in cannabidiol (the ingredient in marijuana with medicinal benefits (CBD)) and low in tetrahydrocannabinol (the ingredient that creates euphoria (THC)). Charlotte’s mother extracted the cannabidiol from the cannabis and injected it under Charlotte’s tongue. Charlotte’s number of seizures dropped from hundreds every week to about one every month (Gupta, Dr. Sanjay WEED). Cannabis literally saved Charlotte’s life. It was the only thing that worked for her when all other treatments failed. Dr. Gupta also visited another patient named Chad Moore who uses medicinal marijuana to treat his painful and sometimes hour-long diaphragm spasms. Moore explained to Gupta that he had tried many different pills and medications to treat his disorder and none of them worked. Moore had been hospitalized many times because of near overdoses. Moore experienced spasms on camera, and then consumed cannabis, and the spasms stopped one minute later all in the same take. Gupta was shocked at how fast the cannabis took affect (Gupta, Dr. Sanjay WEED). The experience of working with Charlotte and Chad really changed Gupta’s opinion about medicinal marijuana. In an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, Dr. Gupta admits publicly that his 2009 Time Magazine article entitled, â€Å"Why I Would Vote No on Pot† does not correctly represent his current views about medicinal marijuana. After creating this documentary, he went from being against the legalization of medical marijuana, to being an advocate for it. Gupta explained to Piers Morgan, â€Å"I did not look far enough. I did not look deep enough. I didn’t listen to patients who said, ‘Not only does marijuana work for me, it’s the only thing that works for me’† (Gupta and Morgan). If more people who are against the legalization of medical marijuana took the time to go out and see the way that it helps people and even saves lives, maybe then they would change their minds. As mentioned before, Colorado is one of 21 states that have legalized medicinal marijuana. It also legalized marijuana for recreational use for those over the age of 21 in 2012. As of the year 2000 approved an amendment to the state constitution which allows a defense to the charge of marijuana possession for approved medicinal marijuana patients and their physicians. The amendment requires that the patient seeking a medical marijuana card to have a diagnosed, debilitating condition and to receive a doctor’s recommendation (Kamin 1). Two members of my own personal family live in Colorado and both have medicinal marijuana cards. My cousin Eric and Uncle Steve both use medicinal marijuana for different ailments. Eric works in the restaurant business and is on his feet several hours a day. This causes him to get very bad knee pains and muscle fatigue in his legs. Not to mention the stress of running a good restaurant. In an interview conducted with Eric he stated, â€Å"Marijuana is better at relieving my muscle pains after work than any kind of pill I have ever taken. I am always nervous taking pain killers because I don’t want to take too many or get any bad side effects. With cannabis I know I won’t overdose and I’m being safe† (Wall-Hauser). Even though Eric uses marijuana every day he says he doesn’t feel like he is addicted to it. He said, â€Å"I don’t come home from working craving to smoke a joint like people crave a cigarette when they don’t have one. I just do it because it makes me feel a lot better† (Wall-Hauser). Eric isn’t the only one in my family who uses medical marijuana. His father, and my uncle, Steve also has a medicinal marijuana card and lives in Colorado. Steve is a doctor, an anesthesiologist specifically, so he has been around different kinds of medicine for about 40 years. Working in a hospital, Steve is up and on his feet walking around for almost the entire day. This can take a toll on a person’s body, especially someone who is 60 years old. Steve said, â€Å"The marijuana really helps a lot with my muscle and joint aches and it doesn’t take very much to have an effect† (Sniadach). He also said that the cannabis helps with his high stress level job and helps him relax in the evenings when he gets home from the hospital. â€Å"Working at a hospital is very stressful. Sick people everywhere. If I mess up my job the patient is going to have a painful procedure. The marijuana helps me cope with a lot of this stress† he said (Sniadach). All 21 states that have legalized marijuana for medical use have some sort of tax system that helps to generate revenue for the state. In the state of Colorado citizens just voted to raise the tax on marijuana to 25%. According to the Colorado State Department of Revenue the state of Colorado generated over five million dollars in the fiscal year of 2012 from the taxation of medical marijuana from dispensaries (Department of Revenue). This money really has helped boost Colorado’s economy and can be put toward state projects like road maintenance, schools, public works projects, and many more. This was just the amount Colorado generated in one year and the number is growing. If all 50 states legalized medicinal marijuana and generated an average of five million dollars in tax revenue, that is an average of 250 million dollars in tax revenue for the entire nation. The struggling economy of the United States would surely benefit from the legalization of medicinal marijuana. Even though there is so much scientific evidence that marijuana does have legitimate medicinal value, many people still do not support its legalization. Many argue that marijuana is a gateway drug, meaning that people who try marijuana will soon want to try other, usually more dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Many also argue that if medical marijuana is legalized more teens and young adults will want to use it. Both of these arguments are based around young adults because anti-drug corporations figure if they can stop drug use among teens, then these teens won’t want to use drugs later in life. A study was done in the 1990’s to see if marijuana legalization affected drug-related attitudes and drug use among teens and young adults. This study found that, â€Å"Although some marijuana-related attitudes changed between 1995 and 1999, use did not increase. These findings suggest that recent policy changes have had little impact on marijuana related behavior† (Khatapoush and Hallfors abstract). This study proves that the argument that teens will begin to use marijuana more or will want to experiment with harder drugs is invalid. Those who are against the legalization of medicinal marijuana also bring up the idea that if it was legalized, teens and those under the age of 21 will have an easier time obtaining it. The idea is that teens will know someone that is over 21 and ask the person to get them marijuana with their medicinal card. Medicinal marijuana can only be obtained through dispensaries that are approved by the government, so the act of a young adult getting marijuana from a patient is highly illegal. A study was done to determine if there is a relationship between marijuana use among teens and young adults and ease of access with the number of medicinal marijuana cards at the county level. The study found that living in a county with a higher number of medical marijuana cards did not result in an increased use of marijuana over a 30 day period or over the test subject’s lifetime (Friese and Grube abstract). This study shows that just because a teen may live in an area where many people hold medicinal marijuana cards, they are not more likely to gain access to marijuana or use it illegally. People against the legalization of medical marijuana also argue the idea that people who want to obtain a medical marijuana card will tell their doctor whatever they want to hear just so they can get a card and go get high. The law in Colorado states that it, â€Å"(†¦) requires those seeking to register as marijuana patients to demonstrate a diagnosed, debilitating condition and to receive a doctor’s advice that they might benefit from the medicinal use of marijuana† (Kamin 1). It is true that some people do go to their physicians and claim they get headaches and need to get medical marijuana. These people do not have the intent of using the marijuana for medicinal purposes, but they have a card so it is still legal. This form of â€Å"cheating the system† can be a problem. No one has yet come up with a plan in order to weed (no pun intended) out those patients who really need marijuana for its medical purpose from those who just want to get high. In order to solve this problem, physicians need to have a stricter process for issuing medicinal marijuana cards. If a patient is interested in using cannabis for their illness they need to be tested to make sure that they really have that illness and will benefit from medicinal marijuana. The law states that patients must be diagnosed with the condition, not just say they have it. When the state law says diagnosed they mean by a licensed physician, not a self-diagnosis. If a person does turn out to not have the condition, or it is determined that they will not benefit from medical marijuana, then their request should be rejected. Another way to stop people from obtaining medical marijuana cards just to get high would be to use marijuana as a last-resort medicine. By last-resort medicine, I mean that the patient has tried all other alternatives for their condition and none of them have worked. If a patient just wants to get high, they won’t want to try the alternative medicines because these prescriptions won’t produce the high that marijuana does. If the patient does try all the other alternatives and none of them work, then the physician should consider issuing them a medicinal marijuana card. We saw this with Charlotte Figi’s parents in Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s WEED documentary. Charlotte’s parents tried tons of different medications to treat Charlotte’s epilepsy and after they saw no results, then they turned to trying medical marijuana. Cannabis is a plant that has so many beneficial uses to humankind. Yet its use is restricted. Marijuana has been seen to save lives of those with epilepsy. It has been seen to make those who are extremely weak from chemotherapy able to eat. It has been seen to help those who have terrible muscle pains and migraine headaches. It has relieved the stress of many people and helped those who have extreme anxiety. No deaths have ever been reported from an overdose of marijuana, but accidental overdoses on prescription pills occur every day. Marijuana is also much less addictive than painkillers like Percocet’s and Oxycodone. For some people marijuana is the only thing that makes them feel better. If they live outside of one of the 21 states that have legalized medical marijuana then they are at risk for being arrested even if they use marijuana for medical purposes. If marijuana wasn’t a schedule one substance then maybe scientists could find even more benefits from this amazing plant. Legalizing medical marijuana will help stimulate our nation’s economy. This tax revenue can be used to create better drug education programs, improve public transportation, create public works programs, and many other things. Cannabis is a plant that has endless possibilities. Science has proven its medicinal value and it is time that we recognize the work that these researchers have done and legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Human Resources Management Expatriate Adjustment Management

Human Resources Management Expatriate Adjustment Management Introduction International corporations need to have an effective international human resources management team that is able to make sound decisions on the right way to develop their human capital; generally there are three ways that they can develop the work force.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resources Management: Expatriate Adjustment Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ways are localization approach, expatriates approach and third country approach. Whichever the method, it should ensure they maintain quality and quantity workforce; the department of human resources in multinationals can be central point, head office, or/and at the foreign country level (Hollinshead and Leat, 1995). The approach of expertise involves the foreign company sending people from the country with knowledge and experience to manage and operate a foreign investments; human resources are the driving force of an organisa tion, thus they need to be well managed to develop an orchestrate team and tap their intellectual knowledge effectively. When expatriates are deployed, there is physical relocation of the expatriate, probably his or her family, and if the expatriate has a team of operation, they may go together. The relocation destabilizes the psychological comfort of the expatriate and exposes him or her to another life and cultural setting different from what he or she is used to; the instability may reduce the efficiency of the manager. To ensure that the expatriate adjust effectively and fast, there are some human resources management strategic functions that need to be undertaken (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 2000). This paper analyzes human resources actions multinational corporations (MNCs) should take to facilitate expatriates adjustment. The theory of Expatriates MNCs have the role of maintaining qualified and efficient human capital; when they decide that they are going to human resourc es finances with expatriates, they should ensure they offer the expatriates assistance that facilitates quick and effective adjustment. The rate at which they adjust to new environment will determine how well their intellectual knowledge will be tapped and how they will be able to attain their objectives and mission in the foreign company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The cost of deploying experts is high thus their failure is detrimental to an organisation thus they need to be given the right tools and supports to effectively perform. Failure can occur in two main ways; when he underperforms or returns home without having completed the task or when he takes a long time before adjusting and producing results for the company. There are cases that MNC have expatriates in their foreign mission only or they may have as holding a certain office as others are occupied by the operating countries locals; in whichever version adjustment or the so called cost of orientation or familiarization has to be incurred. When sending expatriates, there are three main ways of approach, they are, flexpatriates and impetrates (Bamber and Lansbury, 1998). MNCs can be divided into multi-domestic, global, transnational or international; they all have different features and characteristics however when it comes to development of staffs and facilitation of expatriates adjustments, there is no difference. There are some basic functions that should be looked in when managing expatriates; they start from preparation to orienting an expert back to country of origin. In general, expatriates adjustment is influenced by three main factors: individual adjustment factors, environmental issues factors, and position-related issues. All the areas must be well addressed early enough before the expert has messed up with the assignment given (Hoogvelt, 2001). The actions to facili tate fast adjustments are: Foreign mission preparing and Planning MNCs operates a chain of business establishments in foreign countries; when they are developing them, they should know the best approach they are going to use for human resources and enact such appropriate measures to have the work force on board. When determining the individual or individuals to send for a foreign mission; the company is limited to certain factors like the level of knowledge, education, foreign experience, and work experience of the person to get the post.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resources Management: Expatriate Adjustment Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When selecting the particular person to engage, the initial action is to determine the task that he is going to undertake in the foreign country; for instance when an engineer is needed, the search will be limited to engineers in the company or the MNC will seek someone with an engineering experience from the holding country’s labour force. MNCs prefer to use the staffs they have for such assignments as they are aware of their potential, however they may outsource some expatriates in some areas. In the case that task to be undertaken needs an existing team, then the MNC has no option other that sending the team (Triandis, 2006). With the tasks and the kind of employees needed, the MNC adopts at least two methods of outsourcing for these people; internal recruitment (focus on people who have been working in the company and have such required skills and experience) and external recruitments (this is where the company seeks to use people whom have never worked for the company but have a proven record of high performance). In whichever the approach, the IHRM team should ensure they get the most qualified people for the mission; this stage is crucial since if a point or step is missed, then the company stand to suffer (Trudel ,2009) Under internal recruitment, it can take the form of direct appointment of people whom the management think they can perform the task or it can be through application after the offer has been placed in the MNCs job advertising board. In direct appointment, IHRM teams should objectively analyze the performance, experience and exposure that a candidate has, approaches a potential expatriate or team of expatriates. When using direct appointment, care should be taken not to force or dictate terms on the expatriate; free will should be allowed as well as time to rethink the decision by the appointed party. One mistake that MNCs when appointing an expatriate is to deny them their free mind and free thought; when they appoint a certain party, they pose as if they are glorying and promoting the party which may result to negative perception and attitude that results to issues of adjustments.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When appointed, the appointee should be allowed to consult his immediate family members, friends and colleagues. The offer should define all aspects of the assignment like benefits, functions, family, the duration of the assignment, and what next after the accomplishment of the assignment (Shaffer, Harrison and Gilley, 1999). When the exercise involves choosing an external person whom the company has not had a working experience with, the right approach is to handle the process as any other recruitment but some special attributes placed on the expatriate like any foreign experience, the nationality and the existence of proven track record. The company should understand that the expatriate will have to consume company resources by virtual of his employment over and above the agreed salary or contact fee, thus there is need to ensure that the best candidate has been chosen. At the preparing and planning stage, there is one thing that is outstanding and a fact, the expatriate must be w illing to be deployed in the foreign mission; the psychological preparedness starts with the acceptance and embracing of the task. When an expatriate moves at his own free will, then ensuring that he adjusts is fast and more effective. Mentoring, Coaching, preparing, and psychological preparation Candidates chosen should be mentored, Coached, and prepared by the company; the process is wide and depends with the mission, experience of the candidate, and the country of venture. In the case the candidate has an experience in the country of venture (return expatriates), the preparation may not be so intense since he is aware of what to expect; when preparing the candidates, those people close to the person should be involved, they include people like the family, close friends, personal mentors, and colleagues. Psychological preparedness involves touching almost all corners of someone’s life to ensure they adjust effectively; they may involve the services of a counsellor to work o n the mind part of the expatriates as well as friends to support the person, and the family. The main subject to learn in this stage is cross-cultural differences that the expert is likely to face in his assignment. If there are people who have similar experiences, they should be consulted to give in-depth and informed information to the potential assignee. Preparing involves offering the expatriate and the family with cultural intelligence skills to be able to live in harmony in the foreign country and adjust effectively, if the country uses a different language than the language that the expert understands, measures should be put in place to ensure that the expert and the team learn the language. When training such things like language, those people whom the expatriates’ will move with should also be a party to the training, the people may involve spouse and children (Shaffer, Harrison and Gilley, 1999). Mentorship, pilot survey and initial orientation This stage only happe ns after the company has been satisfied that the candidate and the parties involved have been psychologically prepared; then a mentor should be looked for to facilitate in preparing the concerned party. A mentor should be a person who have had an experience with a foreign mission successfully if possible in the country of the mission; the role of the mentor is to discuss and share his experience in the foreign country or mission in the efforts of widening the thinking capacity of the person and offering a different experience. In the case the company has an establishment already running in the foreign country, it is crucial for the company to plan the sending of a mentor to the expatriate, the mentor may be a person in the management of the company or someone with a pool of knowledge that he can prepare the expatriate effectively. After spending some time and bonding with the mentor, they are then supposed to visit the country of assignment; this may be the first visit if the expatr iate has never had an experience with the country of mission (Tayeb, 2005). The visit is crucial and plays an important role in the entire adjustment; when in the visit, the expert get to learn, feel and experience some of the things that he had been trained and advised on; he is able to create a certain perception, attitude and feeling about the county and the people in general. It should be noted that the report from the visit (informal), will go a long was in creating a certain perception to his children, spouse, friends and people who matters in the mission. There are sometimes that after the mission the expatriate may wish to withdraw from the mission, he should be listened to (Harzing, 1999). Physical relocation stage After all plans have been made, the final second final stage of the process of relocation; MNCs should take the responsibility of relocating the expatriate with the family if they are going together; they should be guaranteed that all things are in order. The fir st few days may be time to orient oneself with the new environment, thus the company should not expect the expatriate to be working, and some finances should be provided for basic social things like shopping, clubbing and exercise. If there are kids, they should be mentored to develop new friends and mix with the new environment (Briscoe and Schuler, 2004). In the case that there was a foreign company; the management in the company should be encouraging and supportive of the expert, they should give him well welcome and guide him on how the country operates and the way he should conduct himself. Social function and team building are important in orienting and relaxing the environment that the expert is working. Maintain a mentor is important since he is likely to be free with the expatriate so he or she can be able to keep the expatriate company all through. There are times that an expatriate may have issues to express or feels that the set targets are far from being attained as he had expected. These situations require the intervention of top management; when operating in the international arena, a company has to manage a diverse work force; managing diverse human capital has continued to be a challenge to human resources managers (Scullion and Starkey, 2000). Effective training and performance evaluation One major role that strategic international human management (SIHM) plays is to manage diverse human capital performance; performance management is a continuous process through which the output of human capital is gauged to ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. After the expatriate have settled and started working, there is need for an effective appraisal and evaluation method to ensure that his performance level can be gauged irrespective of the operating environment. There is the possibility that the adjustment was not effective thus during appraisal, areas of future training and mentoring will be established. T he outcome after a certain period and the strategies set by the expatriate and team should be effectively evaluated to ensure they are in course. The appraisal takes the same way like in normal employees appraisal, however there may be some problems encountered by the team, which they had not anticipated (Brewster, Sparrow and Vernon, 2007). When evaluating expatriate performance, there is need to involve some social factors like culture shocks, loneliness, and hangovers and homesick, to ensure that the appraisal result can be effective and offer such sound information that can result to improvement of the expatriates roles. When appraising an expatriate, management have the role of ensuring that issues that he has brought are address appropriately, training should be continuous and areas that the expatriate needs self improvement addressed. There are high chances of stressing moments in the working life of the expatriate, policies to psychologically support the expatriate, his or h er spouse and offspring should be enacted, in some cases, it may involve the foreign mission of the country (Edwards and Ferner, 2002). Motivational measures should be put in place to ensure that employees are loyal to the organization and they work efficiently. This ranges from attractive salaries or/and benefits, to developing a good working environment. This ensures that employees are retained as assets in the organization (Bratton and Gold, 1999). Conclusion International human resources management should ensure they have the right number of employees in foreign companies; there are three method of deploying in foreign outlets, use of expatriates, localization, and use of third country employees. When using expatriates, the company should enact policies that facilitate quick and effective adjustments or the expatriates; when they adjust fast, they become an asset to the company with ease. An effective expatriate deployment strategy has five main stages as preparing and planning, coaching and mentorship, pilot survey and initial orientation, relocation and orientation, and effective performance management. An effective adjustment program should focus on the expatriate, the family, close friends, colleagues and any other person who will be affected by the relocation; they should be prepared psychologically using experts like counsellors and mentors. References Bamber, G. and Lansbury, R. D., 1998. International and Comparative Employment Relations; A study of industrialised market economies. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. Bratton J., and Gold. J. ,1999 Human Resource Management; Theory and Practice. New York: Macmillan Business. Brewster, C., Sparrow, P., and Vernon, G. ,2007. International Human Resource Management. New York: CIPD. Briscoe D., and Schuler, R. ,2004. International Human Resource Management. New Jersey: Routledge. Edwards, T. and Ferner, A., 2002. The renewed American challenge.: A Review of Employment Practice in US multinationals. Industrial Rela tions Journal, 33(2), pp. 94-111. Hampden-Turner, C. and Trompenaars, A., 2000. Building cross-cultural competence: How to create wealth from conflicting values. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Harzing, A.W.,1999. Managing the Multinationals: An International Study of Control Mechanisms in Multinational Companies. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar. Hollinshead, G., and Leat, M., 1995.  Human Resource Management; An International and Comparative Perspective. New York: FT Pitman. Hoogvelt, A., 2001. Globalization and the Postcolonial world; The new political economy of development. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Scullion, H. and Starkey, K., 2000. The changing role of the corporate human resource function in the international firm. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(6), pp.1061-1081. Shaffer, M.A., Harrison, D.A. and Gilley, K.M.,1999. Dimensions, determinants and differences in the expatriate adjustment process. Journal of International Business Studies, 30(3), pp. 557- 581. Tayeb, M.H., 2005. International Human Resource Management, a Multinational Company Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Triandis, H.C., 2006. Cultural Intelligence in Organizations. Group and Organization Management, 31(1), pp. 20-26. Trudel, J. M., 2009. International Human Resources Management: A New Challenge. Portuguese Journal of Management Studies, 14(2), pp. 149-161.

Estimating Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Estimating Process - Essay Example No matter whichever technique is used the estimator is supposed to cover all the aspects of construction project which includes the direct costs i.e. labor, equipment, material, subcontracts and the indirect costs i.e. insurance, permits, taxes , site office expenditure, head office expenditure etc. An estimate actually is the calculation of quantities of materials, work and their costs which will occur during the course of completion of the project. Moreover a good estimate should also incorporate some of the costs which are not evident during the estimation phase but are likely to occur during the execution of the project. Such a predictive expertise requires a lot of experience in the field of estimation. The total of this predicted expenditure in each category is the total estimate of the project. The estimated cost of a work is a close approximation of its actual cost. The agreement of the estimated cost with the actual cost of the project depends on two factors; the correct est imate of the project cost and following the correct procedures according to the designs and specifications during the execution of the project. For the correct estimation of the project, site investigation along with the detailed study of the project drawings and technical specifications is essential. The following are the various aspects of the estimating process: Estimating Using Handheld Devices Estimation process does not only depend on the design and specifications as certain aspects of the cost can only be calculated through thorough site investigation by visiting the site. During site investigation an estimator has to take and record certain on-field observations for which handheld estimation and recording devices are very useful. The data thus collected can easily be transferred to the desktop computers for carrying out extensive calculations. Types of Estimates Estimates in construction have been divided into various types according to the extent of details in the estimate. These types are: 1. Conceptual Estimate: It is prepared to realize the concept and idea of the owner which allows the owner/investor to have an idea about the required investment for the project and he sets a budget for the project. 2. Preliminary Estimate: These estimates are prepared at the very start of the project by the designer for the owner of the project to judge whether the architect’s/engineer’s design is in accordance with his budget or not. 3. Engineer’s Estimate: After the preliminary estimate which is based on the preliminary designs the design engineers and architects complete the detailed design of the project and the engineer’s estimate is based on these detailed designs and specifications. This helps the owner to set a criterion for the bids. 4. Bid Estimate: The bid estimate is also a detailed estimate which is prepared by the contractor and his bid is based on this estimate after adding a profit factor to it. Cost Centers Cost Centers are the various heads into which the project is divided to facilitate the estimating process i.e. foundations, columns, beams, slabs, partition walls etc. These are further subdivided into categories like excavation, formwork, masonry work etc. This approach helps organizing the estimation data as well as carrying out the estimate accurately. Estimating accounts and cost accounts are two types of cost centers which are the cost of these heads and subheads.

The Subculture of Nerds and Their Rise to Stardom Research Paper

The Subculture of Nerds and Their Rise to Stardom - Research Paper Example Cultural divisions between nerds and popular culture a) The fact that there is certain music, movies, and other interests that are viewed as being solely for nerds. The Treatment of Nerds 1. Bullying Nerds a) The lack of effectiveness in the solutions for picking on nerds that the educational system ash offered and reasons why their actions continue to ineffective. The Nerds’ Status Change 1. Cause of the increased popularity of nerds a) The appearance of the sexy, rich nerd and explanations for the growth in popularity of the nerd subculture Conclusion The Subculture of Nerds and Their Rise to Stardom Introduction Subcultures define the state of high school society. While the identification with a set subculture often fades from a person’s definition of themselves after high school, some people stay members of their groups. Subcultures themselves have a continuation past the school years and emerge in mainstream society. While for some subcultures there is no particula r judgment of being good or bad, there are many subcultures to which many would hesitantly subscribe because of the negative way people in that group are perceived. Nerds, in particular, are a subculture to which the members often have been assigned without their choosing. On the opposite side of judgment stands the popular crowd. Usually, it is the popular subculture that is responsible for the many social ills from which those deemed nerds suffer. Being considered good, they judge against all that are not like them. It is members of this group that give labels to the others. Many who are called nerds would rather not be called thusly. Nerd has been a term used in teasing and still persists in modern bullying. Yet, even with all the persecution that those who are considered nerds must bear, this subculture has received some promotion in today’s society. Being once only a group to be despised, the nerds have actually won fans and there are some who now enjoy being members of this subculture, proudly wearing the label that they have been ascribed. An investigation into the nerds as a subculture cannot effectively be completed without defining just what a nerd is. There are actually many different meanings of the word. For some, a nerd is a special group which is set apart from others whose members display a greater than normal intelligence. Yet, for others it is a name that can be used interchangeably with others. In explaining the stereotype of the nerd, it has been said, â€Å"The stock character nerd is typically depicted as a white male with glasses and large sets of obscure data committed to memory† (Stauffer, 2009). Indeed, media would depict a nerd the same. The controversy lies in making the distinction between the nerds and a similar subculture called ‘geeks’. For many it seems ridiculous to make a distinction between a geek and a nerd, as it has been stated, â€Å"They are called â€Å"nerds,† â€Å"dweebs,† à ¢â‚¬Å"dorks,† â€Å"geeks,† â€Å"brainiacs,† and â€Å"computer jocks† (Kinney, 1993: p.21). All of these names are generally meant to imply someone who is socially inapt and has an above average interest in things like science, math, science fiction, computers, and the like. However, there has been some distinction made. For example, from an interview performed it was quoted, " 'Nerd' is a stickier term that is applied to people in a more negative way," Kendall said. â€Å"

How did the Constitution impact the development of American freedom Essay

How did the Constitution impact the development of American freedom - Essay Example The foremost reason for the proposal of the amendment of the articles was to ensure a harmonious operation of the states1 under an active central government. It was mainly to achieve union of the states given that it was not operational in most other states. The proposal for amendment, however, was not feasible. Many states were uncomfortable with the articles and cited possibilities of failure to materialize and function in such states. Since achieving a consensus among the thirteen states was a great challenge, the necessity for a new document led to the drafting of the constitution. Drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788, the constitution became operational in 1789. The constitution would create a powerful central government as required by proponents of its drafting. The drafted constitution would turn out to form an efficient government that endured successful operation of the confederation. Some of the thirteen states greatly supported the necessity to change the articles that wer e the foundations of the initial government. According to the provisions of the articles, there were thirteen elected delegates. That formed the national congress. The basis of most decisions was on the conformity of majority delegates in the national congress since the state had single representative and vote. Advocates of reforms of the articles cited reasons as loose confederacy of the different states. The articles granted limited authority to the central government, over the states. States were too powerful under the articles. The

Collectivization and the Peasant Rebellion

Collectivization and the Peasant Rebellion Collectivization and the Peasant Rebellion Collectivization was one of Joseph Stalins policies in addressing the looming decline in food production in the Soviet Union. This policy, implemented from 1928 through 1940, involved the consolidation of farms from individual farmers into collective farms. Because of the collectivization policy, the Soviet Union experienced significant problems as the peasants opposed collectivization and as the government remained adamant in supporting the policy. Support from the Peasantry One of the main benefits of the collectivization policy was that the landless peasants would be able to experience significant improvements in their economic situations, especially when considering that the policy provided for increased involvement of the landless peasants in the farm activities. This was the major aspect of the policy that attracted the peasants to provide support for the establishment of collective farms. Another important consideration is that the collectivization policy was aimed at providing necessary information in order for decision-making at different government levels to be well-grounded. Such information was the main target of the government in controlling the collective farms, with the information being delivered or made accessible to decision-makers in the timeliest manner possible through the centralized structure of the collective farms. This means that the reach/ scope and effectiveness of the centralized collective farms could significantly contribute to the success of the governments efforts in increasing agricultural output. In this regard, it is arguable that one of the advantages of the collective policy was that it made decision-making more attuned to the current conditions of the Soviet Union. However, an important consideration is the structure of the Soviet Union this influenced how economic information on the collective farms could be disseminated among the de cision-makers at the different government levels. For instance, a centralized structure could readily allow for the dissemination of such information through just a singular effort. In the case of a decentralized structure (as was the case of the non-collective farms prior to the implementation of the policy), however, such information would have proven to be difficult to disseminate. This was important to consider, especially amidst the widely implemented combination of centralized and decentralized economic processes within the Soviet Union.[1] The structure of the centralized collective farms would have had to be well-adapted to this (generally) dual nature of the government for it to be utilized fully. From this perspective, if the structure of the centralized collective farms was indeed designed to support such nature, it would have allow decision-makers to be effective at making use of available information. In a decentralized government as in the case of the farms prior to the implementation of the collectivization policy, a properly configured structure would have allowed for the most appropriate way of allocating of resources. In addition, it would have helped decision-makers in assessing options and in implementing control over a variety of processes. The significance of the structure of the centralized collective farms was greater in the overall performance of the economy of the Soviet Union and its centralized operations. Since decentralization meant that many components produced different sets of information and were likely to make decisions based on such varying information sets, having centralized structure such as the structure of the centralized collective farms that comprehensively covered the government and the Soviet Union and its needs would have meant great improvements in making decision making among the different components well-organized and in harmony with each other. Having this done would have meant that the Soviet Union would be able to col1aborate its efforts, in spite of being decentralized. The challenge, however, was that the different components had different information outputs that did not necessarily conform to each other. The system would have had to make major adjustments to such information-processes before actually being able effectively implement the structure of the centralized collective farms. Under decentralization, there were a number of advantages that the peasants and government could use of when implementing the centralized structure of the collective farms. For instance, the costs of developing the centralized structure of the collective farms and implementing it were relatively lower than maintaining decentralized farms that could barely support the food needs of the Soviet Union. This was because of the â€Å"divided† nature of the system individual components of the system did not have to cover the entire Soviet Union, but only had to be connected to the system core Moscow.[2] In addition, the centralized structure of the collective farms in the economic environment of the Soviet Union at the time meant that the system could be customized in such a way that the specific needs of the individual components are addressed in the best possible way. Therefore, through the centralized structure of the collective farms in such a setting, the processes in the di fferent areas were maintained, thereby theoretically allowing for more efficient production. This, in turn, made the system considerably flexible as some areas could be made to function differently from the rest of the Soviet Union. The centralized structure of the collective farms allowed for more effective implementation of Soviet strategies. Theoretically, it also allowed the government to maintain or improve participation of peasants. Moreover, decision-makers in the different areas, even though having access to information regarding other areas, would still have maintained a sense of responsibility, considering that they were made to perform within their own areas in spite of having better access to the system information. Moreover, the centralized structure of the collective farms had the advantage of being theoretically more reliable. This was because of the use of different systems (or sub-systems) in the different areas. When a problem/ failure occurred in one sub-system, t he centralized structure of the collective farms would still remain functional in other sub-systems. The centralized structure of the collective farms also provided for responsiveness among the government offices. It is important to emphasize on the increased motivation/ satisfaction that, theoretically, peasants would have in such a setting peasants were theoretically encouraged to participate in processes and have a heightened sense of responsibility. Also, since the theoretically took into consideration the various needs of the different areas and not just those of the entire Soviet Union as a whole, theoretically, the decision-makers in the different areas would have been able to achieve improvements in their response times. Peasants Discontent and Its Parameters The main discontent of the peasants with the policy was that it took away land from peasants who already had land prior to the policy implementation, and it effectively decreased the income of the peasants in spite of the supposed improvements in the economic situations of the peasants. One of the parameters of the peasants discontent was their freedom to work on their own lands and on lands of their own choosing. The former farm system prior to collectivization is generally associated with democratic societies. This makes sense because the former farm system prior to collectivization required individual freedom and control of resources, properties and means of production. It is arguable that the framework of democracy was the most appropriate for the former farm system prior to collectivization at least at the village level. In contrast, communism and socialism imposed by the collectivization were not typically associated with democracy, especially when considering that communism an d socialism prohibits individual ownership and control of the economys means of production. As a result, the former farm system prior to collectivization could not exist in purely communist or purely socialist economic systems.[3] It is important to note that the former farm system prior to collectivization was characterized by three main aspects: (a) private ownership, (b) individual economic freedom, (c) competition among farming entities. In terms of private ownership, the entire village accepted and accommodated private ownership. This meant that, in such an economy, resources such as land, as well as the means of production and goods and services were privately owned at the village level by individual members of the society, by groups or entities like partnerships or families. In terms of individual economic freedom, the former farm system prior to collectivization allowed individual members of the villages to pursue their own interests to achieve certain economic goals. This meant that in such a situation, the individual peasants were allowed and accommodated to act for personal gains. Considering that individuals were free to go for whichever occupation they desired, the former farm system prior to coll ectivization was frequently referred to as an enterprise system within the socialist Soviet Union.[4] In terns of competition among farming entities, the former farm system prior to collectivization allowed and accommodated individuals and groups to compete against each other. This aspect of the former farm system prior to collectivization was actually an offshoot of individual economic freedom at the village level people competed against each other because of their desire to accomplish their personal economic interests in a system where resources and, thus, economic opportunities were limited. These three aspects were important factors that contributed to the discontent of the peasants and that distinguished the former farm system prior to collectivization from the collective farming villages upon implementation of the policy. In the new collective farm structure, there was no individual economic freedom, no private ownership and no economic competition among individuals or groups of individuals. In such an economy, there was no private ownership. The main positive effects of the former farm system prior to collectivization were as follows. It supported individual freedom. It also allowed for individual control of resources and properties at least at the village level. This prevented the government (or a few individuals) to control economic resources and properties. Overall, the former farm system prior to collectivization was a dominant factor in the Soviet Unions situation during the implementation of the collectivization policy. In contrast, the new structure of the collective farms entailed economic equality. Peasants were compelled to work, with their efforts ideally being pooled together to be distributed equally among the people. In terms of productivity, the people were theoretically encouraged to be more productive. Socialist and communist strategies (agenda) were similar in that they consider the people as the origin of power. However, they also differ in terms of how such power is utilized and maintained, and in terms of how the people have control of such power once it has already been given to the ruler(s). The new structure of the collective farms meant that the landed peasants would lose their properties, that the landless peasants would gain access to farmlands but lose their economic freedom, and that the farming villages would be subjected to the control of Moscow, mainly for the benefit of the densely populated cities of the Soviet Union. The new structure of the collective farms also meant that, with the aim of increasing overall economic efficiency, there was the very realistic risk of the government making reduced payments to the peasants in spite of the peasants increased agricultural output. Uprising Effectiveness, Expectations of Peasants and Overall Outcome The peasant uprising was effective in the sense that it effectively counteracted the collectivization policy. For instance, the Soviet Union as a whole experienced decreased agricultural output because the peasants refused to the work in the farms.[5] This is completely opposite the initial goal of the collectivization policy, which is to increase agricultural output to support the growing demand of the Soviet Union, especially in urban areas where populations were concentrated.[6] One of the main reasons for the effectiveness of the uprising was that the peasants expectations of maintained or increased income were not met by the collective farms. In fact, many of the peasants experienced decreased income because of the collectivization policy.[7] The result of such failures can be observed in the situation of the Soviet Union by the late 1930s. For instance, large-scale collectivization and the reaction of the peasants resulted in major changes in the effectiveness of Soviet Unions institutions especially at the level of the villages. Such collectivization policy did not necessarily have the power or strength to be successful at being effective, in spite of the fact that the policy was supported, theoretically, by the socialist economic system that framed the economic activities of the villages in general.[8] In fact, the results of the collectivization policy indicate that such policy was met with significant opposition, such that support for the collectivization policy was utterly uncommon throughout the Soviet Union in spite of the outright and well-known mandate of the government for the establishment of the collective farms. The opposition exhibited by the peasants in the villages can be considered akin to the Soviet Unions transition into a state where small democratic institutions are accommodated at the village level. Democratic movements have been making some progress at the time, but they are still weak against the large communist government.[9] In addition, perhaps more importantly, the actions of the Soviet Unions government actually resulted in attention being shifted towards the government and its policies and actions.[10] This led to increased criticism of the Soviet Union government and the policies it implemented. However, movements against the communist autocracy were very difficult, in spite of the large scale refusal of the peasants to work in the collective farms. Thus, this implies that the problems experienced by the Soviet Union during the collectivization of the farms were attributable to the Soviet Unions nature of government. Such problems were very complex and difficult to address by way of movements or activities similar/ related to the collectivization.[11] In this regard, the overall outcome of the peasant uprising was the decline of agricultural production of the Soviet Union and the eventual failure of the collectivization policy. It should be noted that the Russian communist government was the principal reason behind the difficulty in addressing problems of autocracy and problems in sustaining the collectivization policy. For instance, in spite of changes in power distribution within the Russian government, the communist central government remained strong and powerful in addressing challenges and oppositions.[12] The Russian communist government actually had not changed much in terms of influence and thus remained the major obstacle to any democratic move or any move that counters the Russian communist governments initiatives and decisions, even at the lowest levels of the villages. Because of this maintenance of power, the central government was able to impose restrictions on the population even when such restrictions were against the desires of the peasantry. For instance, by controlling the farms at the village level, the Russian central communist government believed that it would be more able to control localities and effectively implement reforms for growth, especially in the agriculture and food supply.[13] Because of its power and the lack of strength of opposition, the central government readily and extremely limited the population in spite of changes in the economic conditions throughout the country. Such strength and apparent lack of flexibility undermined the growing problems linked to the peasant uprising. As a result, the inflexibility of the Russian government contributed to the eventual failure of the collectivization policy. Nonetheless, in spite of the power and oppression that the government exerted on the people in the villages, it was actually suffering from unapparent problems in maintaining central control as well as discipline, especially among the communities involved in the collectivized farms.[14] This made Moscow prone to problems in maintaining the system of government throughout the country, which, in turn, made the government unable to properly, completely and effectively enforce the collectivization policy. This also points out that need for Moscow then to examine large-scale and comprehensive reforms and their effects on the economy. An important part of the situation of the Soviet Union during and immediately after the implementation of the collectivization policy was the transformation of the Russian communist government into a major facilitator of the reform.[15] This is important because the Russian government did not properly accommodate the expectations and needs of the peasantry. There was no effective means of establishing a system that checks and balances on all institutions involved in the collectivization policy, such that there were conflicts of interests among the different offices involved in the collectivization policy, as well as between the government and the peasantry in general. The Russian communist government was then already trying to transform itself into an entity that is more understandable and acceptable to the population through the collectivization policy, which undoubtedly attempted to consider the needs of the growing population as well as the needs of the landless peasants.[16] Another principal consideration for Soviet Unions reforms was its legal system at the time of the implementation of the collectivization policy. In the past, the actions that were made in this system were practically determined by the central government. Thus the system was able to deeply enroot itself into the Russian society. The negative things about this characteristic of the government was that, under communist totalitarian government, power was unlimited, party power was permanent, and the leaders power was indivisible.[17] In addition even if the Russian communist government took on a reversal of action, this would not mean any change in the totalitarian power structure. Such inflexibility, as mentioned earlier, contributed to the eventual failure of the collectivization policy. Because of its strong persistence even to the late 1930s and after the failure of the collectivization policy, this central autocracy had to be dealt with if the country was to sustain its economic pace through reforms in the legal system. The historical task that faced Soviet Union was to create a society under the rule of law, in spite of the increased economic lawlessness of the peasants who refused to work in the collective farms. The path to such a society was a legal one, not an illegal one.[18] However, courts were not independent.[19] There still needed to be some big struggles to be faced in order for the system to be changed in favor of economic and socio-political reform for the benefit of the population. This was important because the legal path was an effective method of struggle towards properly addressing the needs of the Soviet Union.[20] It should be noted though that, in spite of apparent stagnancy and decline resulting from the collectivization policy, the Russian legal system has already exhibited significant changes alongside the decline of the economy upon implementation of the collectivization policy.[21] All these emphasize the complexity that the Russian government actually faced in trying to mold the Soviet Union into a growth-conducive society. Regarding the nature of Soviet Unions system of corruption, it is important to note that corruption was built into the fabric of Russian society such that removing it would have resulted in problems at the basic levels of government and public service.[22] Thus, there was a compelling case that essentially establishes that, probably, to some extent, the Soviet Union would have had to continue addressing the need for growth-conduciveness without actually eliminating corruption and peasant opposition comprehensively at such a large-scale. Analysis and Conclusion Regarding the establishment of collective farms in Russian villages, the problems faced by the Russian government was on the autocracy and the delegation of â€Å"power† to the villages through to ensure proper implementation of collectivization.[23] Through collectivization, the village people are deprived of their power and are compelled to give up their properties for the benefit of populations that the government considered fit for allocation of the produce from such properties. By the end of the 1930s, the country already had large scale implementation of collectivization in villages throughout all its territory. However, in spite of the general interest that such an implementation has gained from critics and analysts around the world, the Russian government was actually having problems with the implementation. The principal issues to consider in the implementation of collectivization in the Soviet Union were as follows: (1) whether or not this collectivization policy would influence lawlessness and rebellion exhibited by villages; (2) whether or not the resulting structure of the collective village farms would function as agents for suppressing village resistance to state initiatives or, on the contrary, as supporters of such resistance; (3) whether or not it is possible to establish a peaceful and beneficial coexistence between the Russian Government and the collective farm structures in the villages; and (4) whether or not the people were actually inclined to accept and participate in the collective farms. In effect, there needs to be an examination of such issues, especially in terms of the objectives of the policys implementation and how it was that the resulting collective farm structures in the villages could be established realistically. The problems and results of the collectivization policy were discussed and analyzed, especially from the perspective of the state government as well as the perspective of the peasants. The bases used for such analysis are considerably robust and makes use of earlier literature on Russian sociology and politics. This paper addresses the issues involved in the implementation and failure of the collectivization policy, with Russian socio-politics as the foundation for the analysis. It is concluded that village opposition and freedom in economic activities was difficult to attain, given the state of government (or lack of it) in the villages at the time the collectivization policy was implemented. However, it was not impossible, especially when considering the economic boom that influenced even to a small extent the villages. Overall, the collectivization policy was a failure because it did not consider all of the needs and expectations of the peasants, and because the uprising of the peasants resulted in a decline in agricultural output, which was completely opposite to the agricultural and economic improvement goals of Stalins collectivization policy for the Soviet Union. Bibliography Allilueva, A. 1946. Vospominaniia. Moscow: Apin. Conquest, R. 1989. Stalin and the Kirov Murder. New York: Free Press. Deutscher, I. 1968. Stalin: A Political Biography. London: Sage. Fotieva, L.A. 1964. Lenin. Moscow: Apin. Hingley, R. 1974. Joseph Stalin: Man and Legend. London: Sage. Jonge, A. 1988. Stalin and the Shaping of the Soviet Union. New York: Free Press. Kaminskii, V., Vereshchagin, I. 1939. Detstvo I iunost vozhdia: dokument y, zapiski, rasskazy. Molodaia gvardiia, no. 12, 1939. Khrushchev, N.S. 1989. Stalin. Vospominaniia, 28, 9-15. Krivitsky, W. 1939. In Stalin s Secret Service. London: Sage. Lewin, M. 1968. Lenins Last Struggle. New York: Free Press. Medvedev, R. A. 1969. Let History Judge: The Origins and Consequences of Stalinism. New York: U. Binding. Nicolaevsky, B. 1965. Power and the Soviet Elite. New York: Ann Arbor. Orlov, A. 1953. The Secret History of Stalins Crimes. New York: Free Press. Rayfield, D. 1976. The Dream of Lhasa: The Life of Nikolay Przhevalsky. Athens: Ohio. Slusser, R. M. 1987. Stalin in October. London: Sage. Souvarine, B. 1939. Stalin: A Critical Survey of Bolshevism. New York: Read Books. Triymfi, I.V. 1956. Stalin: Politicheski Portret. Moscow: Apin. Tucker, R. 1974. Stalin as Revolutionary. New York: Free Press. Ulam, A. 1973. Stalin: The Man and His Era. New York: Viking Press. Volkogonov, D. 1973. Stalin. New York: Free press. [1] Kaminskii, V., Vereshchagin, I. 1939. Detstvo I iunost vozhdia: dokument y, zapiski, rasskazy. Molodaia gvardiia, no. 12, 1939. [2] Krivitsky, W. 1939. In Stalin s Secret Service. London: Sage. [3] Souvarine, B. 1939. Stalin: A Critical Survey of Bolshevism. New York: Read Books. [4] Allilueva, A. 1946. Vospominaniia. Moscow: Apin. [5] Orlov, A. 1953. The Secret History of Stalins Crimes. New York: Free Press. [6] Triymfi, I.V. 1956. Stalin: Politicheski Portret. Moscow: Apin. [7] Nicolaevsky, B. 1965. Power and the Soviet Elite. New York: Ann Arbor. [8] Deutscher, I. 1968. Stalin: A Political Biography. London: Sage. [9] Lewin, M. 1968. Lenins Last Struggle. New York: Free Press. [10] Medvedev, R. A. 1969. Let History Judge: The Origins and Consequences of Stalinism. New York: U. Binding. [11] Ulam, A. 1973. Stalin: The Man and His Era. New York: Viking Press. [12] Volkogonov, D. 1973. Stalin. New York: Free press. [13] Hingley, R. 1974. Joseph Stalin: Man and Legend. London: Sage. [14] Tucker, R. 1974. Stalin as Revolutionary. New York: Free Press. [15] Rayfield, D. 1976. The Dream of Lhasa: The Life of Nikolay Przhevalsky. Athens: Ohio. [16] Slusser, R. M. 1987. Stalin in October. London: Sage. [17] Ibid, 37. [18] Jonge, A. 1988. Stalin and the Shaping of the Soviet Union. New York: Free Press. [19] Ibid, 9. [20] Ibid, 36. [21] Conquest, R. 1989. Stalin and the Kirov Murder. New York: Free Press. [22] Ibid 98. [23] Khrushchev, N.S. 1989. Stalin. Vospominaniia, 28, 9-15.

The Importance of Focus in the Business World Essay -- Business Admini

Let’s say in today’s competitive surroundings, marketers are attracting more global dynamic, and consumer determined. Consumers are requesting more choice, with enhanced worth and service According to Treasy and Wiesema (1995) page 68, companies will do well to consider four market disciples. There are four fundamental service theory based upon levels of focus (market focused, service focused, market and service focused and lastly unfocused. This is where focussed service operation comes in. in this essay going to define and talk about focused service operations , and point up how the aim can be practical to get enhanced understanding and also on how to improve performance in service operations. I will also talk about customer Retention and Intermediaries. When we say focus what does it exactly means in the business world? Focus can be explained as providing a fastidious part to consumers with a constricted choice of service to meet their needs. We come in contact with what we say service operations every day. We all are consumers or users of a broad choice of business and public services. Indeed numerous of us are liable for delivery services not only because of our jobs, in establishment such as firms, shops etc, other than also as routine of a daily like for people. Focused service operations are apprehensive through delivering services to the consumers or users of the service. It involves understanding the needs of your consumers; controlling the processes to delivering the services, and ensures your objectives are met adequately. Service then can be defined when the mixture of outcomes as well as experiences delivered to and receive by consumer. Customer thus judges the value of the service on understanding of th... ...de Coca-Cola a leader in the soft drink market. REFERENCES Derek R. Allen , T. R. N. Rao (1959) Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Data Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstong , Veronica Wong, John Saunders. Principles of Marketing ( 5th edition). Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Philip Kotler (EDITED Jan 2008) Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Steve Brown, Kate Blackmon, Paul Cousins, Harry Maylor. (2001) . Operation Management: Policy, Practise and Performance Improvement. Stuart. Ed, Crainer, Des. Dearlove Handbook of Management (3rd Edition 1995). Financial Times Series (PAGE 354) Timothy Keiningham and Terry Vavra (Edited 1 Sep 2001). The Customer Delight Principles: Exceeding Customer’s Expectations for Bottom- line Success (PAGE 78) Zemke, Ron Woods, John A. (Edition 1999). Best Practices in Customer Service (PAGE 38) The Importance of Focus in the Business World Essay -- Business Admini Let’s say in today’s competitive surroundings, marketers are attracting more global dynamic, and consumer determined. Consumers are requesting more choice, with enhanced worth and service According to Treasy and Wiesema (1995) page 68, companies will do well to consider four market disciples. There are four fundamental service theory based upon levels of focus (market focused, service focused, market and service focused and lastly unfocused. This is where focussed service operation comes in. in this essay going to define and talk about focused service operations , and point up how the aim can be practical to get enhanced understanding and also on how to improve performance in service operations. I will also talk about customer Retention and Intermediaries. When we say focus what does it exactly means in the business world? Focus can be explained as providing a fastidious part to consumers with a constricted choice of service to meet their needs. We come in contact with what we say service operations every day. We all are consumers or users of a broad choice of business and public services. Indeed numerous of us are liable for delivery services not only because of our jobs, in establishment such as firms, shops etc, other than also as routine of a daily like for people. Focused service operations are apprehensive through delivering services to the consumers or users of the service. It involves understanding the needs of your consumers; controlling the processes to delivering the services, and ensures your objectives are met adequately. Service then can be defined when the mixture of outcomes as well as experiences delivered to and receive by consumer. Customer thus judges the value of the service on understanding of th... ...de Coca-Cola a leader in the soft drink market. REFERENCES Derek R. Allen , T. R. N. Rao (1959) Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Data Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstong , Veronica Wong, John Saunders. Principles of Marketing ( 5th edition). Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Philip Kotler (EDITED Jan 2008) Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Steve Brown, Kate Blackmon, Paul Cousins, Harry Maylor. (2001) . Operation Management: Policy, Practise and Performance Improvement. Stuart. Ed, Crainer, Des. Dearlove Handbook of Management (3rd Edition 1995). Financial Times Series (PAGE 354) Timothy Keiningham and Terry Vavra (Edited 1 Sep 2001). The Customer Delight Principles: Exceeding Customer’s Expectations for Bottom- line Success (PAGE 78) Zemke, Ron Woods, John A. (Edition 1999). Best Practices in Customer Service (PAGE 38)

How Television Has Impacted Technology Essay

Television was introduced in 1949 but very few people had it because it was extremely expensive. The only channels people could watch were NBC and CBS. Television became increasingly popular because it was entertainment without going and sitting in the movie theaters. As TV became more popular, it became more affordable. People would hear about television through word of mouth, news, radio and newspaper. Everybody liked the idea of being entertained and staying at home. By the 1960s most families has TV sets in their living rooms, depending on if they liked being entertained at home. Television in the United States has grown year after year and has made a big impact on American culture in many ways. TV has taken a big part in violence in society, the news, how people are stereotyped, childhood obesity, family values, social interaction, and so much more. In my opinion one of the biggest impacts that television has had on American culture is childhood obesity. Obesity is considered a form of malnutrition in which food energy is stored as fat due to being unused. Child obesity is bred within the home and the television is a major contributor to it. The energy we consume from food needs to be used up by the body on a daily basis through physical exertion. An overweight child devoting a major portion of time to watching television is at risk to becoming obese. Television is certainly a contributor to that obesity. Kids these days are getting bigger and bigger, while television shows are growing and growing. To me, that is a big issue and television affects it a lot. Back in the day children enjoyed going outside to play, getting involved in sports or just anything outdoors. I feel like as of today there are now only about a quarter of the kids that enjoy doing outdoors stuff like that. The other 75% of kids choose to stay inside because most likely there favorite TV show is on or there is a movie that they just have to watch. Those kids are losing their time to play outside and mainly burn and lose calories because they are just sitting there watching TV for hours and hours. Obesity is known to be one of the major health concerns among both children and adults in the United States today. It is suggested by certain groups that children should not watch more than two hours of television a day. This in my opinion is already too much because that is where childhood obesity all gets started. The average child n the United States regularly watches between 2-3 hours of television a day and many children now days have their own television set in their bedroom. Not only are children inactive while they are watching television, they often snack on unhealthy food choices. And like I said, establishing unhealthy food habits as a child can often continue into adulthood. Investi gators have hypothesized that television viewing cause’s obesity by one or more of three mechanisms: (1) displacement of physical activity, (2) increased calorie consumption while watching or caused by the effects of advertising, and (3) reduced resting metabolism. The relationship between television viewing and obesity has been examined in a relatively large number of cross-sectional epidemiologic studies but few longitudinal studies. Many of these studies have found relatively weak, positive associations, but others have found no associations or mixed results; however, the weak and variable associations found in these studies may be the result of limitations in measurement. Even studies for reducing the amount of television intake have been completed. They do not test â€Å"reducing television time† directly, but the results that they get may help to reduce the amount of risk for obesity or help promote weight loss in obese children. â€Å"An experimental study was designed specifically to test directly the causal relationship between television viewing behaviors and body fatness. The results of this randomized, controlled trial provide evidence that television viewing is a cause of increased body fatness and that reducing television viewing is a promising strategy for preventing childhood obesity. † I really think parents need to take a stand to their children by limiting the amount of time they spend in front of the television, before it gets too late and they have an obese child. Removing televisions from children’s bedrooms and putting time limits on the TV may be a good way for parents to reduce the risk of obesity in children. Parents must serve as role models because their television viewing habits influence their children’s. Parents should also limit the frequency of television viewing. Overweight and obese children need to be encouraged to do more physical activity such as walking, playing and limiting their television time. Children may also need structured physical activity times to divert them away from television. â€Å"Although the increase in childhood obesity is not caused solely by television watching, Dr. Reginald Washington points out in the editorial that accompanies the articles, â€Å"Society, as a whole, must realize that to effectively control and prevent this obesity epidemic, all risk factors must simultaneously be reduced. † A study by the University of Liverpool psychologists has shown that it is to be true that obese and overweight children increase their food intake by more than 100% after watching food advertisements on television. Children all over the world are exposed to a huge number of TV advertisements, primarily for fast foods and sweets. Some say that it is not the amount of TV; it is the number of junk food commercials that advertise unhealthy foods and constantly play over and over. It is miserable that people blame television as a result to childhood obesity but the United States is starting to get very lazy when it comes to situations like this, therefore I truly believe TV is one of the dominate reasons of why children are becoming obese. I feel like this impact has been mainly negative on American culture. Television advertisers get talked down to by research groups, wanting them to take away all the unhealthy food commercials. Childhood obesity coming from television watchers makes American culture look very bad. When you find out that all it takes is television sets in a kids bedroom and high-quality shows that make children sit, stare and snack to become obese. It really puts a depressing look on America. In my opinion it is a very negative result because it used to not be this way at all. The parents and children put themselves in the situation to becoming obese and television just is an excuse for whenever they actually are obese. I know I will never let my children or close friends get this way due to excess amount of television watching. I have time to watch all my shows I like during the day and still get a good exercise in. I believe that all people can watch their weight and not become obese if they really try. So I really hope the culture changes and fix its look on television with obesity. I do believe that the internet will be used more wisely than television as a medium for delivering content. Television is an older and dull way of showing and sharing shows, movies and advertisements, while now days the nternet can do the same plus a whole lot more. Internet is a lot easier to get to because so many people have smart phones or laptops to be able to quickly access it. I feel like even now I start to see more and more people of all ages on their laptop/computer/smart phone rather than sitting down and watching television shows. Internet is a new (compared to TV) and entertaining way to access World Wide Web. News and broadcast stations are all starting to put their information and ideas on the internet even before they send them to television. While putting the internet into question about my topic, as much as I hate seeing younger kids run around with their own smart phone and/or laptop, it would really help society. Internet will help a lot more in this situation because children that do have smart phones will be able to play outside and exercise with their phone in hand. If the kids do go outside while on their phone it will stop them from sitting in front of a television set, sitting, staring and snacking. Therefore, it will lower the childhood obesity rate in the United States. Childhood obesity is a very heartbreaking yet occurring thing that television influenced and started in the U. S. It has been a very big impact on television and American Culture. After all, we are all hoping and praying that parents help their children get back to how it was back in the day. Have the children exercising, playing outside, and getting involved in sports that way they only spend approximately one hour watching television. We have to lower the childhood obesity rate and will continue to try and stop every way that is involved in it.

Free Essays on Choice

The teenage years are the most complicated for just about everyone. Teens are learning new social roles, meeting new people and developing relationships. Teenager’s bodies are constantly changing. They are making adult choices, decisions, as well as living up to other values, morals, and standards. In the teenage years, one is looking for answers to problems, but sometimes it seems like no one has the answers. Teens go through social turmoil, such as peer pressure, divorce, family alcoholism, domestic violence, or even sexual abuse. Teens with these problems feel like they have no one to talk to and nowhere to turn. Some turn to alcohol, drugs, and maybe even suicide. According to Graham Stoney, in Suicide- Frequently asked Questions, there are risk factors that may contribute to a person feeling suicidal: (1) Significant changes in the relationships with family members and peers. Teens are self-conscious of the body image, well-being, financial situations and world environment (2) significant relationship, loss of self-esteem or personal expectations (3) perceived abuse (i.e. physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, social, or even a sense of neglect). Depression is a common illness among teenagers. Symptoms such as unhappiness, confusion, loneliness, feeling misunderstood, and rebellious behavior may indicate depression. Some surveys have revealed that as many as 20 percent of high school students are deeply Depressed (Griest p. 4.). At least 5 percent of the United States population is suffering from major depression. As many as 10 to 25 percent of all Americans may experience a serious depression at some point in their lives. Symptoms to look for in a young adult going through depression: - Lack of enthusiasm, energy, or motivation - Social withdraw or isolation - Sadness or hopelessness - Confusion or difficulty with decisions - Drop in school performance - Appetite loss and sleeping ... Free Essays on Choice Free Essays on Choice The teenage years are the most complicated for just about everyone. Teens are learning new social roles, meeting new people and developing relationships. Teenager’s bodies are constantly changing. They are making adult choices, decisions, as well as living up to other values, morals, and standards. In the teenage years, one is looking for answers to problems, but sometimes it seems like no one has the answers. Teens go through social turmoil, such as peer pressure, divorce, family alcoholism, domestic violence, or even sexual abuse. Teens with these problems feel like they have no one to talk to and nowhere to turn. Some turn to alcohol, drugs, and maybe even suicide. According to Graham Stoney, in Suicide- Frequently asked Questions, there are risk factors that may contribute to a person feeling suicidal: (1) Significant changes in the relationships with family members and peers. Teens are self-conscious of the body image, well-being, financial situations and world environment (2) significant relationship, loss of self-esteem or personal expectations (3) perceived abuse (i.e. physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, social, or even a sense of neglect). Depression is a common illness among teenagers. Symptoms such as unhappiness, confusion, loneliness, feeling misunderstood, and rebellious behavior may indicate depression. Some surveys have revealed that as many as 20 percent of high school students are deeply Depressed (Griest p. 4.). At least 5 percent of the United States population is suffering from major depression. As many as 10 to 25 percent of all Americans may experience a serious depression at some point in their lives. Symptoms to look for in a young adult going through depression: - Lack of enthusiasm, energy, or motivation - Social withdraw or isolation - Sadness or hopelessness - Confusion or difficulty with decisions - Drop in school performance - Appetite loss and sleeping ...

Essay on Periodic Trends

Essay on Periodic Trends Essay on Periodic Trends Questions: 1. A) Define atomic radius. Ans: The atomic radius of an element is its mean or typical distance from its nucleus to the boundary of the surrounding cloud of electrons. 1. B) State and explain the trends in atomic radius for a period and a group. Ans: The trend for atomic radius for a period, in this case period 2, the radius decreases, because the number of orbitals is steady, but the increasing number of protons pulling on the same number of increasing electrons makes a ‘tighter’ attraction. The trend for atomic radius in a group, in this case group 1, is that the radius increases, as one step down the group adds a whole orbital. 2. A) Define density. Ans: Density is the ratio between mass and volume. 2. B) Compare the trends in density for period 2 and period 3. Ans: The trend in density for period 2 and period 3 is that the densities increase till group 3, drop at group 5, increases till group 7, and the densities decrease at group 8. 3. A) Define electronegativity and electron affinity. Ans: Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons in the formation of an ionic bond. Electron affinity is the amount of energy that is released when an electron is gained whether it is heat or light. 3. B) State the trends in electronegativity for periods and groups. Ans: Electronegativity increases from left to right in a period, since the nuclear charge increases due to an increase in atomic number, except in noble gases, which are stable elements and have no need to attract other electrons. 3. C) Explain the trends in electron affinities for periods and groups. Ans: Electron affinities increases for periods if you move left to right because the number of protons in the nucleus increases which causes a

The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters Case Study

The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters - Case Study Example All these changes are clearly directed towards strengthening the internal control of the organization in order to trace down the factors that can pose risk to shuttles. The establishment of a specialized group for review of the design of the shuttles and the evaluation of the critical items was a clear attempt towards increasing the safety and quality of the shuttles and to avoid any further disasters from happening. Aspects of NASA Practice after Columbia Disaster In 2003, another disaster was faced by NASA when shuttle Columbia broke up. It was found out that the cause of the disaster was a 1.67-pound slab of insulating foam that fell off the external fuel tank, hit the left wing and caused a breach in the tiles. Another cause that was disclosed was lack of proper funding. There was a policy called â€Å"Faster, Better, Cheaper† emphasized by the NASA Administrator that impacted the shuttle program. There were a number of management reforms done after the Challenger disaster but despite of the changes, the Columbia disaster took place. It was observed that the changes done were merely for creation of specialized groups in order to increase safety but the organizational culture of NASA remained the same. Even after the Challenger disaster, deviations from expected performance were ignored. There was lack of testing in order to determine safety and reliability and reliance of past practices was placed in place of conducting comprehensive testing. Different Factors and their Contribution to Sustaining Change It has been observed that NASA recommended and implemented the change after the Challenger disaster but the agency could not sustain the change. The organizational culture reverted back restraining the change and the bringing the agency back to the manner it was operating before the disaster. After the Challenger disaster, there were a number of reforms done by the agency and there were a number of policies and procedures set up to ensure safety and q uality of the shuttles. However, with the passage of time, these policies and procedures were ignored and reliance was placed on the past successes of NASA. Therefore, it can be said that sustaining a change may be challenging. Thus, in order to sustain a change, other factors may be used. Such factors include; redesigning the roles of the employees of the organization, introduction of reward policies and linking of selection decision to change objectives. Such policies would help in increasing the motivation of the employees who would work more efficiently as a result. It has been observed that there is a hierarchical structure at NASA and the employees at lower levels remain silent due to lack of authority. Even if there is a critical issue, it is not communicated to higher levels on a timely basis. Thus, redefining their roles and introduction of rewards and whistle blowing policies can help NASA sustain the changes implemented. Similarly, measuring the progress can also help in sustaining a chang

Case study- Corporate Governance Failure at Satyam Computer Services Study

- Corporate Governance Failure at Satyam Computer Services - Case Study Example Ethics can be termed as a moral principles or set of standard followed by an individual. Business ethics can be termed as a set of moral values and principles that help the business managers to arrive at unified conclusion. The impact of business ethics on managerial decision making is huge and has the potentiality of changing the course of managerial decision making. It is observed that the influence of legal laws on the managerial decision making is huge and can have considerable amount of influence on the personal lives of individual as well (George, 2011). Since, business activity is also regarded as a human activity, the evaluation of business ethics would be done in a similar fashion. Apart from the importance of the business ethics, various facets of ethics and its application in the Satyam scandal would be covered. The application of ethical theories and how it’s effective result oriented approach would have changed the entire business scenario in Satyam. Ethical appli cations would have a serious impact on the future business activities, as varied dimensional aspects theory approaches proposed by Laznaick and Dimitriou (1995, cited by Dimitriou et. al., 2011) would have moulded the different business situations to large extent to increase the organizational outcome and effectiveness. 1.1 Satyam Case Scandal & its Ethical Implications The Satyam case scandal was one of the most classic cases of fraudulent accounting, which had a serious impact on its business activities, reputation and its earnings. The Satyam case scandal was a result of sheer negligence by the management towards it fiduciary duties, accounting procedure and lack of corporate social responsibility. One of the major reasons as observed by the analyst behind this kind of negligent behaviour would be due to the greed to earn more revenue just to satisfy the stakeholders and the shareholders. The major need that led to this kind of illegal behaviour was due to greed overshadowing, la ck of responsibility to meet the fiduciary duties and the fierce competition just to impress the stakeholders and investors. Apart from negligence to responsibility and duties towards the company ethical policies and procedures the company management planned to acquire 51 percent stake in Maytas infrastructure, which was one of the leading construction and infrastructure development companies (Caraballo, Cheerla and Jafari, 2010). In April 2008 the company CEO had acquired 37 stakes and the total turnover generated was almost $300 million with a net profit of $ 20 million (Caraballo, Cheerla and Jafari, 2010). In the same year the company had published its first IFRS audited financial statements and five members of the boards had approved the proposal to acquire a stake in the Maytas infrastructure and other properties (Caraballo, Cheerla and Jafari, 2010). However, without the shareholders approval, the company went ahead with the decision, which led to chaotic outcome. The decisio n regarding the acquisition