Timothy Nethery Essays - Philosophy, Metaphysics, Ontology

Timothy Nethery 12/12/2016 Intro into Philosophy Final Paper Pick one (1) of the following and explain and illustrate its metaphysical significance: determinism, pragmatism, or existentialism. Metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy. Without an explanation or an interpretation of the world around you and me, we would be helpless to deal with reality without it. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy responsible for the study of existence. Metaphysics is the foundation of a whole world view. Metaphysics answers the question of "what is?". Metaphysics encompasses everything that has ever existed and will ever exist, as well as nature of existence itself. Metaphysics says whether the world is real or merely an illusion. It is a fundamental view of the world around us. The degree to which our metaphysical worldview is correct is the degree to which we can comprehend the world, and act accordingly. Without this firm foundation, all knowledge becomes suspect. Any flaw in our view of reality will make it more difficult to live. Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that investigates the fundamental nature of being and the world that surrounds it. This branch attempts to answer two questions; "what is there?" and "what is it like?" many topics such as existence, objects, and their properties, space and time, cause and effect, and possibility of an event occurring or not occurring. There are two main but very wide and broad conceptions and topics about what "world" is being studied by metaphysics. The strong classical view assumes that the objects studied by metaphysics exist independently of any observer, so that the subject is the most fundamental of all sciences. The weaker, more modern view assumes that the objects studied by metaphysics exist inside the mind of an observer, so the subject becomes a form of introspection and conceptual analysis. Some philosophers, notably Kant, discuss both "worlds" and what can be inferred about each one. In most of what follows, I will speak simply of determinism, ra ther than of causal determinism. This follows recent philosophical practice of sharply distinguishing views and theories of what causation is from any conclusions about the success or failure of. For the most part this disengagement of the two concepts is appropriate. But as we will see later, the notion of cause/effect is not so easily disengaged from much of what matters to us about determinism. Traditionally determinism has been given various, usually imprecise definitions. This is only problematic if one is investigating determinism in a specific, well-defined theoretical context; but it is important to avoid certain major errors of definition. Pragmatism as a philosophical tradition that began in the United States around 1870. Charles Sanders Peirce, generally considered to be its founder, later described it in his pragmatic maxim: Consider the practical effects of the objects of your conception. Then, your conception of those effects is the whole of your conception of the object. Pragmatism rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists consider thought an instrument or tool for prediction, problem solving and action. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topicssuch as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and scienceare all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes. The philosophy of pragmatism "emphasizes the practical application of ideas by acting on them to actually test them in human experiences". Pragmatism focuses on a "changing universe rather than an unchanging one as the Idealists, Realists and Thomists had claimed". Existentialism liberates us from the customs of the past founded on myth. The quote from Jean Paul Sartre, Existence precedes and commands Essence, be the foundation for existentialism. I exist as a human. In my existence, I define myself and the world around me. The ongoing popularity of existentialism philosophy (particularly amongst young people) can be understood by its freedom of personal choice and individualism within a postmodern context of no absolute truth. The problem with Existentialism is that it leaves us without absolute foundations, encourages a separate / individual sense of self and gives too much power to our imagination and how we may choose to live. While this may be liberating, it unfortunately offers little guidance and does not abide by the fact that humans

Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses Essay Example

Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses Essay Example Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses Paper Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses Paper Essay Topic: Literature In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (c. 1595) and Malorie Blackman’s 2001 Noughts and Crosses, the theme of forbidden love is greatly conveyed throughout both texts. The themes are similar in each text, regardless of the severe differences in era which are highlighted contextually throughout each of the works. Forbidden love is the foundation to which the downfalls of characters occur and is a key component to the storylines of both texts. In both works, the character’s downfalls are greatly contributed to by those surrounding the main protagonists. This allows for the surrounding characters to stand out as the causes for the bad happenings in both texts, as it is they who make the love forbidden and perhaps thus more desirable to the protagonists. Sacrifice is a key theme in both works which helps to convey the way that both couples’ love is extremely important to the characters. Sacrifice is shown in Romeo and Juliet when they sacrifice their own lives because they are forbidden to be together. Romeo and Juliet sacrifice themselves because of what they believed in. The sacrifices also show that they would rather die than live without their love being allowed and accepted by the people around them. Juliet’s last words, â€Å"There rust and let me die†, emphasise the sacrifice that she makes upon learning of Romeo’s death. The words ‘let me’ show that Juliet wishes to be left to die, much in the way that she wanted to be allowed and left alone to love and be with Romeo. The idea of Juliet being allowed to die shows that she is making the sacrifice of her life as it is, in her mind, the only thing left that she can do which will be her own decision. She shows here that she wishes not to live without Romeo and without their love. The idea of Juliet lacking control over her future was a key concern in the Elizabethan era in which the play was written. This is down to the fact that young women like Juliet would have had decisions on big life choices often taken out of their hands. Fathers (or the head of the family) would often have the final say over who the daughter marries. This is shown in Juliet’s situation where her family have intentions for her to marry Count Paris, whilst she wishes to marry Romeo. Sacrifice is also conveyed in Romeo’s death in which before dying he says ‘here’s to my love. ’ This allows the link between the couple’s sacrifice and their love being forbidden to become apparent through the way that Romeo states that his death is for his ‘love. ’ Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘Here’s’ conveys that Romeo is killing himself for his love. Additionally, the word ‘here’s’ would usually be used in a kind of toast or tribute towards something. This allows for Romeo to glamorise his death by it being down to the love forbidden between the couple. The sacrifice in Romeo and Juliet coincides with Shakespeare’s famous genre of tragedy, which is conveyed throughout a number of his works but especially in Romeo and Juliet. David Scott Kastan suggests in his analysis that â€Å"Tragedy, for Shakespeare is the genre of uncompensated suffering. † I would agree with this idea as Shakespeare has incorporated this theory into Romeo and Juliet. The idea of the suffering being ‘uncompensated’ relates to the couple’s situation since they do not get any reward or gain for what they have endured in the end. This point relates to the couple making their individual sacrifices of life as these acts are uncompensated and unrewarded; they gain nothing from their actions. This idea of uncompensated sacrifice is down to the matter of their love being forbidden. The love being forbidden between the two characters results in the sacrifice of their own lives which shows how passionate both characters are about their love. It is conveyed in the language before each death that their sacrifices clearly link to their love being forbidden and frowned upon by others. Similarly, in Noughts and Crosses, Callum sacrifices his life for what he believes in. The ultimatum to sacrifice his life for the life of his baby or his baby’s life for his, results in Callum deciding to be executed. Much like in Romeo and Juliet, Sephy and Callum’s situation is out of their hands and out of their control. The people around them force the couple to make the decision as to who to sacrifice. Callum’s explanation that â€Å"He pulls the hood over my head. I try to pull back. Im not trying to run away. I just want to see her One last time † highlights his desperation to see Sephy for the last time. This conveys Callum’s love for Sephy and his position shows where the couple’s forbidden love has gotten him. This helps to highlight the way in which the couple’s love is truly forbidden and shows the extent of punishment for making their love known by having a baby. â€Å"I’m not trying to run away† shows the way in which Callum faces up to his inevitable sacrifice in the moment of it. Highlighting that he is ‘not’ trying to run away shows that he has accepted his fate to be executed. This shows the way that Callum has come to terms with the sacrifice he must make and in this he shows that he truly would rather save his unborn baby’s life than live on himself. The ellipsis conveys the tone of Callum’s thoughts as, whilst he clearly shows acceptance of his situation, its fragmentation highlights the way he feels about Sephy and it shows how he is much weaker and more emotional when it comes to thinking about her. The ellipsis at the end of the sentence could also represent the end of Callum’s life, as though it is to be continued. This idea could foreshadow the future after his death, conveying the way that his death could alter the views upon Noughts and Crosses being segregated in the future. Much like in Romeo and Juliet, the couple have to sacrifice something regardless of what they choose, whether it be their unborn baby or Callum himself. Whilst Romeo and Juliet would have not lost a physical person if they had not have sacrificed themselves, they would have lost out on the love that they wished to share together. The sacrifice of Callum’s life in Noughts and Crosses shows the way that the couple are forced into making a sacrifice in order to stand up for what they believe in. It also shows the extent of how forbidden their love really is, how seriously the people around them perceive it and how they are controlled by those around them to the point of a forced sacrifice. The outcomes postliminary to the sacrifices in each novel can give an array of answers as to whether the characters’ actions and decisions in the end benefitted each of society’s harsh beliefs around them. The characters surrounding the two couples in each text contribute a great amount to the outcomes and the decisions that the main protagonists make throughout the novels. This conveys the way in which the great sacrifices of life in each text affect the characters surrounding the main protagonists and shows these characters’ reactions to the events that they have partly caused. It allows the remaining characters in the texts to question whether the love was forbidden enough for lives to be lost. In Romeo and Juliet, after the couple sacrifice their lives, it is clear to see that the families put their feuds aside. Upon realising that the pair’s death was down to their love being forbidden by the families, Capulet refers to Montague as ‘brother Montague. The use of the word ‘brother’ highlights Capulet’s desire to resolve the feud. He has realised what has been lost because of the families’ differences. Referring to Montague as ‘brother’ may also indicate the way that Capulet feels guilt and remorse for what the situation has resulted in. In religious terms, ‘brother’ can also be used as a way to refer to a respected fellow male of the same faith. Since the play is set in Catholic Verona, it is possible that Shakespeare uses this language to suggest the respect from a religious perspective that Capulet wishes to show for Montague. This highlights that the families are not so different and shows that they do share similarities, regardless of their great feud. When Capulet exclaims ‘Poor sacrifices of our enmity! ’ Shakespeare demonstrates that Capulet understands exactly why Romeo and Juliet sacrificed themselves. The word ‘our’ shows that he accepts the shared blame for the deaths of the pair. The word ‘enmity’ connotes friction and hostility, which evidences the severity of the feud. The exclamation point after ‘enmity’ also helps to portray Capulet’s heartache and remorse as it makes his statement more dramatic and as though he has come to a great realisation. The tone created by the punctuation results in the strong, powerful man seeming helpless and remorseful, allowing the audience to recognise Capulet’s downfall just as he has. On the contrary, Callum’s death in Noughts and Crosses does not seem to affect the surrounding characters to the same extent as the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet does. Whilst Romeo and Juliet choose to sacrifice themselves, Callum is forced into execution after refusing to allow his unborn child to be executed. This may explain the neutral reaction after his death, because it was planned and intentional. After Callum’s death, it is clear to see Sephy’s upset and grievance, as expected. However, the situation in society does not change. In the sequel to the novel, Callum’s death is shown to have had an effect on society and shapes what will be accepted for the future. However, in the first of the Noughts and Crosses series, in the little time after Callum’s death, no characters responsible seem to feel remorseful. Blackman points out that â€Å"The deputy Prime Minister [Kamal Hadley] was unavailable for comment’’, making it clear that Kamal Hadley wishes to make no comments publicly about the execution of Callum McGregor. Since this is the last statement made about Kamal in the novel, it is unclear whether he refuses to comment because he does not care about Callum’s death or whether he refuses because he is guilty and remorseful. From Kamal’s attitude towards Callum throughout the novel, it is likely that he is careless and thoughtless of his death. However, it seems unusual that a man of such power and firm beliefs, would not make a statement or speech justifying his reasons for giving the pair this ultimatum in an attempt to get the public on his side. On the other hand, it could also be argued that there is no comment made because, despite what happened, Sephy gives her baby daughter Callum’s last name: ‘’Miss Hadley has issued a statement that her daughter†¦ will be taking her father’s name of McGregor. † The fact that Sephy is able to issue a statement whilst her father is not could show that she is the stronger one out of the two of them. It shows that, despite what has happened, she will continue to stand for what she believes in and not be put down by the beliefs of those surrounding her. Kamal’s failure to make a statement could be down to embarrassment as, despite killing Callum, he has not stopped his daughter from doing the unthinkable by having a child with a Cross. Although at this stage in the series there are no sure indications of how the events will effect society, Blackman foreshadows the events of the following books by incorporating such bravery and self-belief into Sephy’s character, right up until the end of the text. The forbidden love in both texts is ushered along by characters that could be considered as assistants or helpers to each couple in their different situations. Friar Lawrence comes across clearly as the helper in Romeo and Juliet in the way that he supports the couple. He believes that their love could be beneficial for both characters’ families, remarking that In one respect I’ll thy assistant be, For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your household’s rancor into pure love. Here, Friar Lawrence expresses the fact that he seeks to be an ‘assistant’ for the couple. He explains his reasons for believing that he should be, by expressing that he thinks the love could have a positive outcome for both families. The word ‘alliance’ connotes the idea to join and unite. This conveys Friar Lawrence’s want for unison and peace between the two families and shows that he believes the pair’s ‘alliance’ could help to achieve this. The word ‘rancor’, connoting bitterness and spite, describes the rottenness of the relationship between the two families. Friar Lawrence then uses ‘pure love’ to describe the way that the families could become if united. The use of ‘pure’ connotes innocence, fairness and also conveys religious imagery. The religious imagery here could be used to convey the way in which the couple’s love would be pure and not tarnished or affected by the evil in those around them. The religious imagery is contextually relevant to the setting of Romeo and Juliet as Roman Catholic Verona was obviously notably religious. It could also be used to indicate that Friar Lawrence expects them to marry and be a respectful, traditional couple of the time. The words ‘rancor’ and ‘pure love’ are a stark contrast. It allows for the two feelings to be conveyed and show the way in which the families will over time transform from feelings of bitterness and hatred to feelings of friendship and unison. This conveys the way that Friar Lawrence has good intentions for the couple, allowing the reader to see that he is a character with a good heart in the play, striving to do the right thing. Friar Lawrence clearly does not approve of the feud that the families have with each other. Similarly, in Noughts and Crosses, Jasmine Hadley does not seem to believe in the segregation between Noughts and Crosses, despite her ex-husband greatly believing in it and being a strong proponent of the cause. Jasmine proves this from the beginning of the novel when she shows herself to be a good friend of a Cross, who also works for her family. Jasmine is much like Friar Lawrence in the way that she also acts as a kind of assistant for Callum and his family without them knowing. However, whilst Friar Lawrence is open with Romeo and Juliet about assisting them, Jasmine is not. She secretly helps the family out of fear that she may be negatively affected and judged if people find out that she, as a Nought, is helping a Cross. This is demonstrated through her confession that â€Å"I did everything that was humanly possible to make sure Ryan McGregor wouldn’t hang. And that’s not to leave this room. Here Jasmine proves that she does have a guilty conscious towards the way that the crosses were treated. Her specification of ‘Humanly possible’ suggests that Jasmine did absolutely everything she could. However, this is contrasted by the possibility that Jasmine could have spoken up against what was happening as a well-respected Nought woman, and could have used her power to try and negotiate a change in how the Crosses are being treated. This shows the way in which Crosses would not speak out against the segregation and unfair treatment even if they wanted to. It highlights the way in which even they felt threatened to share their opinions and beliefs. This conveys the way in which even the Crosses found it hard to speak out against a firm, in place system. Jasmine’s insistence that â€Å"And that’s not to leave this room† backs up the idea that Crosses were afraid to speak out for what was right. Jasmine shows that even she is fearful of what would happen if people knew that she attempted to help a Nought family. Both novels convey helpers or assistants that attempt to help the different situations along the way. Friar Lawrence does it because he openly believes that it is the right thing to do. On the other hand, Jasmine Hadley acts upon her guilty conscience for the unfair way that the Noughts are treated. This conveys the way in which Friar Lawrence as a helper is selfless and helping for the best intentions, whilst Jasmine Hadley is helping because of her guilty conscience and inability to speak out for what she believes is right. Both works have clear themes of forbidden love shown throughout each text. Whilst the texts are both written by two very different writers and set in extremely different times, the themes and ideas are still similar throughout. The strong link between the two texts is the way in which the surrounding characters impact each of the situations and alter the end result of both texts. Without the surrounding characters, there would be no forbidden love and thus no storyline for either of the texts. Both texts provoke thought amongst the audience as to whether the dramatic acts of that characters will alter the society’s views in each of the texts, or whether life will stay the same; cruelly ignoring what has been lost and what has been broken beyond repair.

How to Write a Reflective Essay - Proofeds Writing Tips

How to Write a Reflective Essay - Proofeds Writing Tips How to Write a Reflective Essay If you think that a â€Å"reflective essay† is a college paper written on a mirror, this post is for you. That’s because we’re here to explain exactly what a reflective essay is and how to write one. And we can tell you from the outset that no mirrors are required to follow our advice. Mirrors are for kittens.(Photo: Paul Reynolds/wikimedia) What Is Reflective Writing? The kind of â€Å"reflection† we’re talking about here is personal. It involves considering your own situation and analyzing it so you can learn from your experiences. To do this, you need to describe what happened, how you felt about it, and what you might be able to learn from it for the future. This makes reflective writing a useful part of courses that involve work-based learning. For instance, a student nurse might be asked to write a reflective essay about a placement. When writing a reflective essay, moreover, you may have to forget the rule about not using pronouns like â€Å"I† or â€Å"we† in academic writing. In reflective writing, using the first person is essential! The Reflective Cycle There are many approaches to reflective learning, but one of the most popular is Gibb’s Reflective Cycle. This was developed by Professor Graham Gibbs and can be applied to a huge range of situations. In all cases, though, it involves the following steps: Description – You will need to describe your experiences in detail. This includes what happened, where and when it happened, who else was involved, and what you did. Feelings – How you felt before, during, and after the experience you describe. Evaluation and Analysis – Think about what went well and what could be improved upon based on your experience. Try to refer to ideas you’ve learned in class while thinking about this. Conclusions – Final thoughts on what you’ve learned from the experience. Action – How you will put what you’ve learned into practice. If your reflective essay addresses the steps above, you are on the right track! Structuring a Reflective Essay While reflective essays vary depending upon topic and subject area, most share a basic overall structure. Unless you are told otherwise, then, your essay should include the following: Introduction – A brief outline of what your essay is about. Main Body – The main part of your essay will be a description of what happened and how it made you feel. This is also where you will evaluate and analyze your experiences, either as part of the description or as a separate section in the essay. Conclusion – The conclusion of your essay should sum up what you have learned from reflecting on your experiences and what you would do differently in the future. Reference List – If you have cited any sources in your essay, make sure to list them with full bibliographic information at the end of the document. Finally, once you’ve written your essay, don’t forget to get it checked for spelling and grammar errors!

Detection of artefacts in sleep studies data Literature review

Detection of artefacts in sleep studies data - Literature review Example The studies have yielded different findings and this implies that scientists are yet to comprehend the phenomenon fully. However, empirical studies have established that sleep is important for enhancing normal and healthy performance of physical and mental aspects of the human body. In addition to these findings, sleeping process has been exclusively studied to establish the various stages involved and the brains level of activity during the process. This paper investigates the various stages of sleep and the role of sleep to human beings. Recent scientific studies have discredited the common misconception that regarded sleep as a dormant mental state. Scientists have established that the brain maintains a high level of activity during sleep. In addition, sleep influences the physical and mental functioning of our bodies in various ways that continue to attract numerous studies in order to enhance our understanding about the phenomenon (Baddely, 2000). Nerve-triggering chemicals call ed neurotransmitters determine whether we are awake or sleep by stimulating various groups of nerve cells and neurons in the brain. In the brainstem that links the brain with the spinal cord, neurons produce various neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin that ensures that some parts of the brain remain active while in a wakeful state. When we begin falling asleep, neurons at the base of the brain start signalling and they suppress the neurotransmitters that keep us awake (Espana and Scammel, 2011). According to Espana and Scammel (2011), the state of wakefulness is enhanced by neurons present in the midbrain, pons, and in the posterior hypothalamus that produce various types of neurotransmitters, including histamine, serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, orexin and norepinephrine. The neurotransmitters that determine wakefulness and sleep diffuse actively in the brain, activating the targeted regions of in the cortex and forebrain. The reciprocal inhibition that occurs between sleep and wake controlling regions in the brain helps in the production of sleep and wakefulness with quick transitions between the states (Espana and Scammel, 2011, p 847). Scientists use three basic measures to classify sleep into different stages. The three measures include the gross brain activity, muscle tone and the eye movement (Carlson, 2001). Electroencephalograph (EEG) machine detects gross brain wave activity from which it produces summary of electrical action from the brain. The muscle tone is measured using an electromyogram (EMG) machine while eye movements during sleep are recorded using electro- oculogram (EOG). According to Harvey and Bruce (2006), electroencephalograph (EEG) is the most widely applied measure of distinguishing the different sleep stages while electromyogram (EMG) and electro-encephalograph are crucial in differentiating rapid eye movement (REM) sleep from the other types. Two different states alternate in cycles when a person is asleep and they portray the varying levels of neural activity in the brain. The states that constitute sleep are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) (Zhang, 2004). According to Zhang (2004), each of these states is associated with a unique and different form of brain wave activity. Non -rapid eye movement (NREM) is subdivided into four different stages that include stage 1, 2, 3 and 4. Therefore, typical sleep is made up of five stages, where NREM constitute 75% and the rest is REM (Carlson, 2001). The stages of REM sleep and NREM

Film This Boy's Life Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film This Boy's Life - Movie Review Example Thesis This film vividly portrays family problems and troubles, psychological pressure and emotional distress caused by complicated family relation and misunderstanding. The main problem discussed in the film is emotional abuse and misunderstanding which cause psychological and emotional sufferings to Caroline and Toby. This life story is devoted to emotional abuse faced by the author, Tobias Wolff, during his childhood. He vividly depicts hardship and emotional burden experienced by the teenager. This story is very impressive, because it reflects personal past of the author, physiological stress and cruelty of his stepfather and his children. Different parents have different ideas as to the proper way to bring up children, or as to what counts as adequate care for them, but this story unveils hash realities of childhood and family violence faced by some children. Dwight Hansen explains to Caroline that he tries to change rebellious nature of Toby and makes him a better person. But his methods and behavior unveil that he does not love Toby seeing him as the object of abuse. Physical abuse of the child is closely connected with emotional abuse and in volved physical punishment and family violence. Toby describes that his stepfather often finds any excuse to punish him while favoring the other children. Another family trouble is dominant of the father and a husband within the family. Dwight Hansen plays a dominant position in the family exercised through aggression and cruelty. From sociological point of view, this problem is caused by different gender roles and inequality within the institution of marriage. These gender variables shape the values and hence the behavior of the main characters and show that specific gender roles determine the way of living and norms of several generations of people. During the 1950s, gender roles have not undergone metamorphoses. They have followed the economic, social, and political trends of the country's history. Unfortunately, this resulted in distraction and harassment of children, primarily Toby. The film vividly portrays that father's dominance and lack of understanding ruins family happiness and warm relations. Toby describes that there is no doubt that physical injuries tend to be more evident, and their effects more public then emotional s ufferings. Stress and mental disorders can be seen as one of the most important family problems which is difficult to identify, but which have a great impact on the family and family relations. From the sociological point of view, people are faced with stress at work and at home. Stress is a social problem but it arises from an imbalance between the demands made upon individuals and their capacity to cope with such demands, family relations and economic conditions of the family. The mental well-being of family members is more difficult to define or protect. For a long time, Caroline does to recognize problems and grievances faced by her son, Toby. In his Boy's Life', stress arises from personal factors and emotional abuse It is possible to say that rebellion nature of Toby is a form of disobedience against abuse or psychological conflict between parents and children. Generation gap supports this situation and resulted in negative consequences such as rebellion and escape. Another problem described in the film is a secondary role of women and mothers within the instit

Metaphysics SHort essay 4 Essay Example for Free

Metaphysics SHort essay 4 Essay Price begins by describing how things we see in nature share elements. He explains how a tomato, sunset in the sky and a blushing face share nothing more in common than the color. However, some objects have many things in common. These objects group themselves together into Natural Kinds. Price describes a Natural Kind as a group of objects, which have many, perhaps indefinite, features in common. He explains that while this repetition makes things seem dull and monotonous, they are important because they are what makes conceptual cognition possible. In a world of incessant novelty, where there was no recurrence at all and no tedious repetitions, no concepts could ever be acquired. It would also make difficult the act of thinking because nothing would be recognizable. Price goes on to describe different terms of quality and relation. Quality is a recurrent feature of the world, which presents itself in individual object or events taken singly. Redness and bulginess are examples of this. A relation is a recurrent feature of the world, which presents itself in complexes of objects or events, such as this besides that, or between A and B. These terms allow us to give a simple analysis of change. Price explains how change has puzzled philosophers since the time of Heraclitus. Understanding objects in terms of quality and relation help us understand the concept of change. Another term that allows us to do so is the term ‘characteristics’. Characteristics are of at least two different types of qualities and relations. For Price, allow of this leads us to Aristotle’s theory of univeralia in rebus, or philosophy of universals. The philosophy of universals agrees that all objects characterized by x resemble one another. However once must be cautious and note the difference between exact resemblance in a certain aspect, and total or complete resemblance. While some have debated whether complete resemblance can be achieved, the important thing to note is the different intensities of resemblance that exist. Price goes on to list differences between the philosophy of resemblance and the philosophy of universals and deals with classical arguments against them both. Price concludes by saying that one must have a good knowledge of both. Since both can be misleading at times, when in danger of being misled by one of the theories, then can turn to the other for truth. D. C. Williams, on the other hand, comes out against the philosophy of universals in â€Å"The Element of Being. † He attempts to explain this in his example of the three lollipops. He tires to prove that when one says a is similar to b, one is only saying that a part of a is wholly similar to a part of b. He states that entities or abstract components are the primary constituents of this or any possible world. Many know these to be ‘abstract particulars’. Williams decides to name these parts tropes. He defines a trope as a particular entity either abstract or consisting of one or more concrete entities in combination with an abstraction. Tropes are connected to each other by way of location and by way of similarity. He goes on to explain and concludes by saying any possible world, and this one, is completely constituted by tropes and their connections of location and similarity. He explains how they would pertain to the notion of abstract and universal by using the example of Socrates (concrete particular), his wisdom (abstract particular/trope), Socratesity (concrete universal) and all of the wisdom (abstract universal). He goes on to explain how tropes would apply to different areas of philosophy, such as the philosophy of knowledge. He concludes by saying that all the things we see are no universal but consist of parts, tropes, which these things are a part of. Williams differs from Price by stating that objects consist of tropes and they are what create these appearances or similiarties. Price on the other hand states that objects share a certain resemblance in quality, relation and characteristics. Resemblance Theory and Trope Theory Carlos Manuel Jordan PHI 3500 Metaphysics December, 4 2014.

The Significance of the Open-Source Act and Linux Essay -- Exploratory

The Significance of the Open-Source Act and Linux In the 1980's hardly anyone knew what a DOS attack was, most people hadn't ever seen a computer. There was one great OS for companies back then, UNIX. Unix was commercially made, very expensive, but was a very strong Operating System. Because of the price of equipment, many people wouldn't get into computers, but there was no reason to. Nothing of great significance was stored on computers. By 1985, computers hit the mainstream, providing many universities with links to each other and their libraries. This all came along with the invention of the Internet. Suddenly there was a great amount of information available to those who had access. There were many people who wanted to have the information these universities had, and they tried to get it any way possible. Within almost no time an underground culture started to spawn on the net. This underground consisted of many different type of people: Hackers, someone who exploits security for their benefits; Crackers, someone who breaks software to get it for free; Phreakers, someone who hacks the phone system; and other various, less significant others. These people alone were useless, but once the Internet had connected them, they are allowed to do what they want, when they want. Most of them were stuck with early versions of Microsoft Windows, or Unix. In 1986, another big boom caused the internet-underground to increase in size. Congress passed what is known as the "Open-Source Act." It allowed any code that was made open source to be edited by anyone, as long as the copyrights remained intact in the source-code. Suddenly there were thousands of the underground types getting into programming more than ever. With every... ...s are sure to surface. And with many companies producing versions of Linux, more and more people switch to it over Windows. Any software you use on your Mac, PC, or Unix can be ran on Linux, which causes more people to switch there. Everyone who opens up X Windows, the GUI in Linux, will almost unsurably notice the Source-Code compilers and examples in the startup menu. If just one out of a hundred of those tries to run it, and one out of a hundred of them keeps at it, there will be many more open-source programs out, most of them not made to better the world. Works Cited: Raymond, Eric. The New Hacker's Dictionary. Online: http://info.astrian.net/jargon/Local/, Perodically Updated Raymond, Eric S. The Cathedral And The Bazaar. 2001 Verton, Dan. The Hacker Diaries. Osborne McGraw-Hill 2002 Thomas, Douglas. Hacker Culture. Univ of Minnesota Pr. 2002 The Significance of the Open-Source Act and Linux Essay -- Exploratory The Significance of the Open-Source Act and Linux In the 1980's hardly anyone knew what a DOS attack was, most people hadn't ever seen a computer. There was one great OS for companies back then, UNIX. Unix was commercially made, very expensive, but was a very strong Operating System. Because of the price of equipment, many people wouldn't get into computers, but there was no reason to. Nothing of great significance was stored on computers. By 1985, computers hit the mainstream, providing many universities with links to each other and their libraries. This all came along with the invention of the Internet. Suddenly there was a great amount of information available to those who had access. There were many people who wanted to have the information these universities had, and they tried to get it any way possible. Within almost no time an underground culture started to spawn on the net. This underground consisted of many different type of people: Hackers, someone who exploits security for their benefits; Crackers, someone who breaks software to get it for free; Phreakers, someone who hacks the phone system; and other various, less significant others. These people alone were useless, but once the Internet had connected them, they are allowed to do what they want, when they want. Most of them were stuck with early versions of Microsoft Windows, or Unix. In 1986, another big boom caused the internet-underground to increase in size. Congress passed what is known as the "Open-Source Act." It allowed any code that was made open source to be edited by anyone, as long as the copyrights remained intact in the source-code. Suddenly there were thousands of the underground types getting into programming more than ever. With every... ...s are sure to surface. And with many companies producing versions of Linux, more and more people switch to it over Windows. Any software you use on your Mac, PC, or Unix can be ran on Linux, which causes more people to switch there. Everyone who opens up X Windows, the GUI in Linux, will almost unsurably notice the Source-Code compilers and examples in the startup menu. If just one out of a hundred of those tries to run it, and one out of a hundred of them keeps at it, there will be many more open-source programs out, most of them not made to better the world. Works Cited: Raymond, Eric. The New Hacker's Dictionary. Online: http://info.astrian.net/jargon/Local/, Perodically Updated Raymond, Eric S. The Cathedral And The Bazaar. 2001 Verton, Dan. The Hacker Diaries. Osborne McGraw-Hill 2002 Thomas, Douglas. Hacker Culture. Univ of Minnesota Pr. 2002

HRM practices at Ford Essay

Henry Ford â€Å"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again this time more intelligently.† â€Å"I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night† â€Å"It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.† – Henry Ford History of Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American automaker and the world’s third largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. Based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the automaker was founded by Henry Ford, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. Ford Motor Company would go on to become one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, as well as being one of the few to survive the Great Depression. The largest family-controlled company in the world, the Ford Motor Company has been in continuous family control for over 100 years. Ford now encompasses several brands, including Lincoln and Mercury. The founding of Ford Motor Company Henry Ford’s initial foray into automobile manufacturing was the Detroit Automobile Company, founded in 1899. The company floundered, and in 1901 was reorganized as the Henry Ford Company. Ford had a falling out with his financial backers, and in March 1902 left the company with the rights to his name and 900 dollars. The Henry Ford Company changed their name to Cadillac, brought in Henry M. Leland to manage the operation, and went on to be a successful manufacturer of automobiles. Henry Ford himself turned to an acquaintance, coal dealer Alexander Y. Malcomson, to help finance another automobile company. Malcomson put up the money to start the partnership â€Å"Ford and Malcomson† and the pair designed a car and began ordering parts. However, by February 1903, Ford and Malcomson had gone through more money than expected, and the manufacturing firm of John and Horace Dodge, who had made parts for Ford and Malcomson, was demanding payment. On June 16, 1903,  the Ford Motor Company was incorporated, with 12 investors owning a total of 1000 shares. Ford and Malcomson together retained 51% of the new company in exchange for their earlier investments. When the total stock ownership was tabulated, shares in the company were: Henry Ford (255 shares), Alexander Y. Malcomson (255 shares), John S. Gray (105 shares), John W. Anderson (50 shares), Horace Rackham (50 shares), Horace E. Dodge (50 shares), John F. Dodge (50 shares), Charles T. Bennett (50 shares), Vernon C. Fry (50 shares), Albert Strelow (50 shares), James Couzens (25 shares), and Charles J. Woodall (10 shares). At the first stockholder meeting on June 18, Gray was elected president, Ford vice-president, and James Couzens secretary. Despite Gray’s misgivings, Ford Motor Company was immediately profitable, with profits by October 1, 1903 of almost $37,000. A dividend of 10% was paid that October, an additional dividend of 20% at the beginning of 1904, and a nother 68% in June 1904. Two dividends of 100% each in June and July 1905 brought the total investor profits to nearly 300% in just over 2 years; 1905 total profits were almost $300,000. However, there were internal frictions in the company that Gray was nominally in charge of. Most of the investors, both Malcomson and Gray included, had their own businesses to attend to; only Ford and Couzens worked full-time at the company. The issue came to a head when the principal stockholders, Ford and Malcomson, quarreled over the future direction of the company. Gray sided with Ford. By early 1906 Malcomson was effectively frozen out of the Ford Motor Company, and in May sold his shares to Henry Ford. John S. Gray died unexpectedly in 1906, and his position as Ford’s president was taken over by Ford himself soon afterward. Ford came to India in 1998 with its Ford Escort modelFord India was ranked as one of the top 25 best employers in India in 2009 by the Hewitt Associates. The company was included in the top 25 employers due to an objective oriented strategy, strong emphasis on recruiting, motivating, developing and training capable human resources. The company has implemented career development in the company objectives and there is an open culture at every level of the organisation. Growth oriented strategies and well being of employees are emphasised to enhance employee satisfaction (Ford Motor Company 2009). Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry  Ford’s methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Alan Mulally Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American engineer and business executive who is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company. Ford, which had been struggling during the late-2000s recession, returned to profitability under Mulally and was the only American major car manufacturer to avoid government-sponsored bankruptcy. Mulally was previously executive vice president of Boeing and the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). He began his career with Boeing as an engineer in 1969 and was largely credited with BCA’s resurgence against Airbus in the mid-2000s. Education Mulally graduated from the University of Kansas, also his mother’s alma mater, in 1969 with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. He is an alumnus of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and is its 2007 Man of the Year. He received a Master’s degree in Management (S.M.) as a Sloan Fellow from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1982. Ford Motor Company Mulally was named the President and CEO of Ford Motor Company on September 5, 2006, succeeding William Clay Ford, Jr. CURRENT NEWS FORD EARNS FIRST QUARTER PRE-TAX OPERATING PROFIT OF $2.3 BILLION AND NET INCOME OF $1.4 BILLION + Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today reported 2012 first quarter pre-tax operating profit of $2.3 billion, or 39 cents per share, and net income of $1.4 billion, or 35 cents per share, led by strong performance in North America and Ford Credit. Ford has now been profitable on a pre-tax operating basis for 11 consecutive quarters. (27 April 2012) Ford claims multiple Edmunds value awards Ford dominated five categories of Edmunds’ 2012 Best Retained Value Awards. Ford F-150 took Large Light-Duty Truck honors for â€Å"offering so many models and useful features,† while Ford F-350 Super Duty’s â€Å"ideal mix of power, brawn and refinement† earned it the Large Heavy-Duty Truck award. The â€Å"best pony car you can buy† goes to Ford Mustang in the $25,000-$35,000 Coupe category while â€Å"top dog† Ford Shelby GT500 won twice, taking both Coupe and Convertible Over $45,000 groups. Click here for more. (24 April 2012) Ford Motor Company has long had a history of advertising slogans that bring the current company direction to the masses and now, FoMoCo has unveiled the newest motto that the company believes will resonate well both with consumers and employees – â€Å"Go Further†. Human Resource Managment for Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a world-wide leader in automotive and automotive-related products and services as well as in new industries such as aerospace , communications and financial services . Their mission is to improve continually their products and services to meet their customer ‘s needs , allowing them to prosper as a business and to provide a reasonable return for their stockholders , the owners of their business . Values , how they accomplish their mission is as important as the mission itself . Fundamental to success for the company are these basic values : People , their people are the source of their strength People provide their corporate intelligence and determine their reputation and vitality . Involvement and team work are their core human values . Products , Their products are the end of their efforts , and people should be the best in serving customers world-wide . Operation in the Human Resource Department The Ford Motor company ‘s transition from tough managerialism , a management philosophy based on the promising pursuit of tight control over all employees , to a strategy of willing participation and involvement. Ford Motor Company in the 1980s provided a powerful example of major changes in personnel practice . They chose to concentrate on Ford for two reasons (a ) because of its paradigmatic importance as progenitor of the traditional production approach and (b ) because of the magnitude of the chance it initiated during the 1980s which reflected a critical re-evaluation of the production approach and a significant move in the direction of HRM for strategic reasons Ford is synonymous with the creation of a particular  management style- Fordism based on hierarchical decision-making with strict functional specialization , tightly defined job design and specialized machinery to mass produce a standard product for mass markets (Starkey Mckinlay ,1989). A conjunction of market and technological factors stimulated Ford ‘s continuing efforts to redesign jobs , its mode of organization and its prevailing culture . The organizational model for Ford ‘s rethinking of its approach to personnel management was , in part , Japanese-inspired The company ‘s close links with Mazda , in which it owns a 25 a percent stake , serves as a source of competitive bench-marking . This bench-marking formed the basis of its long-term strategy . The pre-existing Fordist system provided important elements of continuity System or Strategy Used For Hiring New Workers Henry Ford ‘s celebrated Five-Dollar-a-Day program , introduced in 1914 contained an element of investment to deal with worker heterogeneity . In the early 1900s , most of Ford ‘s workers were recent arrivals to Detroit and many were new immigrants : in 1915 more than 50 languages were spoken at Ford ‘s Highland Park plant Ford made two types of investments in employment relations to deal with worker heterogeneity . First , it is well known that he introduced an extreme division of labor in his mass production system. Such an arrangement reduced , if not eliminated , the necessity for workers to communicate with one another. Second, for introduced a system of inspection and certification to homogenize workers with respect to certain productivity attributes . Thus , according to Raff and summers (1987 , some 150 Ford Sociological Department inspectors visited the homes of all workers in to inculcate them with Ford values and to certify them for the Five-Dollar-a-Day program Recruitment is the first important step in creating the right work force for successful training . Most hiring in Japan takes place in spring when students graduate from high schools and colleges . New hires arrive ready and malleable for employment-based training . Japanese employers stress academic achievement in their hiring decisions , in contrast to the U .S . situation where academic achievement rarely serve as a hiring criterion . In Japan schools , which are in the best position to judge students ‘ achievements , perform much of the screening through semiformal ‘ arrangements with specific employers. Many employers have  established ongoing relationships with particular high schools to help recruit their graduates year after year . In hiring for production and clerical jobs , for example , employers , especially large ones , rely extensively on the recommendations from high schools . These recommendations are based mostly on academic achievements . In some cases , employers also administer their own tests , though this practice has become less common recently , given the shortage of high school graduates In hiring workers , Ford had no use for experience and wanted machine-tool operators who have nothing to unlearn , who have no theories of correct surface speeds for metal finishing , and will simply do what they are told to do , over and over again , from bell-time to bell-time In deskilling shop-floor work , Ford conformed to the more general trend in US industry at the time . By the 1920s craft control had been defeated , and in the process , in most of the major mass-production enterprises , shop-floor workers found themselves excluded from the organizational learning process that generated competitive advantage responding to , and reinforcing , the segment system of skill formation that emerged in dominant US industrial enterprises in the early twentieth century , a highly stratified educational system evolved that effectively separated out future managers from future workers even before they entered the workplace. Thus , a deep social gulf was created between managers as `insiders ‘ and workers as `outsiders ‘ in the employment relations of US industrial enterprises Until the last decade of the nineteenth century , a formal system of higher education was relatively unimportant for the development and utilization of productive resources , in part because US industry was only beginning to make the transition from the machine-based first industrial revolution , in which shop-floor experience remained important , to the science-based second industrial revolution , in which systematic formal education was a virtual necessity . From the late nineteenth century , however , the system of higher education became central to supplying technical and administrative personnel to the burgeoning bureaucracies of US industrial enterprises Developing its system. During the period when Ford was developing its system of mass production , it  encountered on a correspondingly massive scale the individualized resistance of workers who refused to consent to permanent subordination under the new system . By the time the first moving assembly lines were being created in the Highland Park plant , labor turnover was becoming an acute problem for Ford management . In 1913 the rate of quits at Ford was about 370 percent of the Further , according to company officials , during the same period it was not unusual for 10 percent of those currently holding jobs at Ford to be absent on a given day . The company was becoming aware that problems with its labor force were costing it money . hiring and training of new workers on such a massive scale entailed a significant seen as impairing the efficiency of production Another aspect of the labor problem ‘ which Ford management perceived was restriction of output or soldiering by workers , a form of covert and informally organized resistance which directly challenged the basic presumption of Taylorism and Fordism : management control of the pace and intensity of work. Flow production and moving line assemble were reducing the scope for soldiering , but would not eliminate it. Ford management was also concerned about more organized forms of opposition and the potential influence among its workers of unions such as the Carriage , Wagon and Automobile Workers ‘ Union (CWAWU ) and radical groups such as the International Workers of the World (IWW . Although Detroit had been justly known as an open shop town since around 1902 and labor unions and radical organizations were not particularly strong in the automobile plants , the IWW had launched a well publicized campaign to organize Detroit auto workers , had agitated at Ford ‘s Highland Park plant , and led a strike-all the more frightening to employers because it was organized along industrial rather than craft lines. Ford ‘s problems of labor control were compounded by the large numbers of immigrants who comprised the new industrial workforce at Ford. In 1914 , 71 percent of Ford workers were foreign-born , representing at lest 22 different nationalities (some Ford publications claimed fifty or more ) among which eastern and southern Europeans predominated . Many of these immigrant workers were from a peasant background , and found entirely alien an industrial work culture such as that at Ford . Although the detailed division of labor and specialized machinery in the Ford shops minimized the requirements of skill and judgment and thereby made it possible for unskilled immigrants to become auto workers  with minimal training , Ford managers were concerned about the effects which such a culturally heterogeneous workforce might have upon shop discipline and the steady output of their integrated productive system Fordism and current HRM Practices at Ford Motors  Much of the origins of Modern Human Resource Management can be traced back to developments in American industry in the early years of the 20th century, more specifically t o the management and production policies initiated by Henry Ford at the Detroit factories of Ford Motors. Organising the workforce of the company on the same footing as other factors of production, Ford was instrumental in introducing the concepts of assembly lines, mass production, and the technical division of labour within companies and their production units. Fordism, as this set of personnel management practices came to be known, was identified with strong hierarchical control, extraordinarily good remuneration, (the five dollar day), and the restriction of workers to particular tasks, both skilled and unskilled. The emphasis in Fordism was on quantity, not quality, and workers were not allowed to involve themselves in any activity outside their specifically delegated functions. Fordism came to be associated with hierarchical decision making, strict functional specialisation, and tightly defined job design. With assembly line stoppages remaining unattended on purpose until the arrival of specialists, and workers knowing very little outside their specific areas of work, product quali ty in Fordism was allowed to be subordinated to the need to maintain and increase volumes. Ford Motors also saw the establishment of the first â€Å"sociology†, or employee welfare departments, in which managers tried to ensure that domestic problems were not allowed to impinge on assembly line productivity. Whilst absorption and utilisation of modern technology and design have always been associated with Ford’s way of functioning, the company even today typifies the â€Å"production model† of HR, manifested by tough and consistent practice of industrial relations and a clear focus on the continuity of production. HR policies have continued to be hierarchical and the company organisation is known to be multi layered, bureaucratic, and with comparatively low levels of delegation and working independence. Reacting to the success of Japanese manufacturing practices, Ford initiated changes in its personnel policies in the early 1980s to bring in elements of  Japanese HR practice. A number of measures for increasing participation and involvement of worker s in Ford UK over the following years led to significant improvement in results. Performance Management imperatives were incorporated into the remuneration structure and problem solving groups, similar to quality circles, now flourish in the company. The company’s Employee Development and Assistance Programme, which allowed for non-work, non-pay benefits for educational needs of employees also met with significant worker approval. Whilst Ford Motors is trying to make its HR policy more participative and focused on improving workforce skills and abilities, old bureaucratic practices still remain. Industry analysts assert that the company is manager heavy and that individual managers are prone to guard their own turf. It is estimated that Ford has 12 levels between the shop floor worker and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) compared to 4 for Toyota. Despite recent efforts to renew workforce participation, which resulted in thousands of suggestions, even transparently effective recommendations for improving productivity and cutting costs are difficult to intr oduce because of complex and time consuming procedures and the need for union acquiescence. Steady inroads made by trade unions over the years also means that all Ford workers are covered by contracts that include not just pay and benefits but also a broad range of shop floor actions. Productivity levels, once the glory of the company, is, at 37 hours per vehicle, much worse than Toyota’s comparative figures of 27 hours. Strikes are not uncommon, not just at Detroit but also at Ford factories in other countries. A recent strike at Ford’s Russian factory led to prolonged work disruption and resulted in across the board wage increases of more than 20% before production restarted. Whilst selection and recruitment policies at Ford are extremely structured, with salaries and working conditions being governed by union agreements, adding manpower is the last thing on the management’s mind right now. The management, apart from selling off its Jaguar and Land Rover brands, has initiated a process of downsizing its American workforce by 30,000 workers, a proposal that has not been met kindly by its unions, and which is likely to be the company’s chief HR focus in coming months. HR PRACTICES AT FORD MOTOR HR Strategic Planning Culture and Change Management Leadership Development Labour Relations Succession Planning Diversity Enhancement Learning and Development Employee Relations Reward and Recognition Systems Workforce Planning Recruiting and Selection OTHER HR PRACTICES- US Skills and Credentials HR Summer Intern Program HR Ford College Graduate (FCG) Program E-HR Practice HR ONLINE – a key component of Fords HR service delivery strategy Launched in Jan 1999  training program Ford’s training program includes the Fairlane Training and Development Center. This is a center that focuses on teaching vital skills to existing employees to become future leaders. For example they teach the Six Sigma theory that is now viewed as one of the most important management theories. Since 1999 Six Sigma has become Ford’s turnaround strategy to reclaim market share. They trained thousands of their workers to improve their skills on quality management so that they could implement this new strategy. In addition they have set up a Leadership Development Center that is targeted at grooming future leaders. Providing more incentive for workers to work hard and hopefully become leaders in the organization. Ford’s Performance Appraisal System Conclusion A broad summarisation of HRM policies at Ford leads to the following conclusions: HRM policies at Ford have evolved over many years. Ford’s HRM  policies still follow the production model, which works towards continuous production.Ford is making efforts to increase worker participation, its inherent bureaucracies and adversarial relationships with Trade Unions make this task difficult and complex. Ford is also very careful about the quality of its employees at all levels. However, with downsizing programme in the USA, which includes both managers and workers, has effectually led to most of its recruitment efforts occurring in overseas locations, where local constraints play a part in the recruitment process. Remuneration and benefits for employees are attractive in Ford and the company believes in providing for employees through cash and non cash means. Ford is significantly more constrained in its ability to alter compensation or work practices because of the strength of it s Trade Unions. In Ford, whilst the commitment between management and employees is lesser, strong Trade Union agreements make it difficult to terminate workers at will. Trade Unions play a far more dominant role in Ford , especially in its Japanese factories. Some future challenges for ford Globalization and increased competition Managing a global workforce. Ensuring availability of employees who have the skills for global assignments. Focusing increasingly on employee productivity to ensure competitiveness. Ensuring legal compliance when conducting business abroad. Downsizing Managing organizational relationship with survivors Managing morale and commitment of survivors Providing outplacement services or relocation for employees who lose jobs. Providing personal and family counseling to employees who lose their jobs. Industry and Occupational shifts Managing workforce with flexible working patterns. Focusing on competencies during hiring process. Designing incentive based compensation. Developing proactive employee development programmes. Technological Advancements Managing a virtual workforce. Managing employee alienation. Developing training modules and conducting programmes to provide employees with required skills. Retraining current employees to mange obsolescence. Providing work-life balance initiatives. Outsourcing Manage employee concerns about losing jobs due to outsourcing. Managing employee morale and productivity. Flexible Work Arrangement Managing the loss of organizational control over work. Developing programmes for motivating the flexible workforce. Developing ways of ensuring commitment of the flexible workforce to the firm. Workforce Composition Devising customized HR strategies for hiring, retaining, and motivating employees belonging to different generations. Developing life-style driven perks for the new generation employees. Developing work-life balance programmes. Ageing population and workforce Finding replacement for retirees. Managing the demand-supply gap for qualified managerial talent due to a large retiring workforce. Developing mentoring programmes to ensure the skills of experienced mangers are passed on to new managers. Obsolescence training and retaining of older employees. Managing retirement policies. Conducting programmes to retain experienced employees. Women in workforce Strategizing to attract and retain educated and skilled women workers. Conducting programmes for women who opt for career breaks. Providing facilities such as crà ¨ches, flexible working hours, etc. Global Workforce Developing diversity training programmes. Developing HR initiatives directed to workforce diversity. Identifying and training expatriate managers for overseas assignments. Developing equitable pay plans for individuals working in different  countries. References Briscoe, D, Schuler, R, & Claus, L (2004), International Human Resource Management Policy and Practice for Multinational Enterprises, 2nd Edition, Routledge Brewster, C, Sparrow, P, & Vernon, G, (2007) International Human Resource Management. 2nd Edition, London, UK, Chartered Institute of Personal Development Brewster, C., Mayrhofer, W., & Morley, M. (Eds.), (2000) New Challenges for European Human Resource Management, Basingstoke, England: Macmillan Briscoe, D. R., & Schuler, R. S. (2004). International Human Resource Management: Policies & Practices for the Global Enterprise. New York: Routledge Drucker, Peter, 1992, The New Society of Organizations, Harvard Business Review Fackler, M, (2007), The Toyota Way is translated for a New generation of Foreign Managers, The New York Times, Retrieved February 18, 2008 from www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/business/worldbusiness/15toyota.html Gratton, L., Hailey, V. H., Stiles, P., & Truss, C. (1999), Strategic Human Resource Management Corporat e Rhetoric and Human Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press Hughes, A. (2005, September), Fixing Ford: Darryl B. Hazel Revived the Lincoln Mercury Division. Now the 33-Year Veteran Faces the Greatest Challenge of His Career. Black Enterprise, 36, 116+ Keeley, T. D. (2001). International Human Resource Management in Japanese Firms: Their Greatest Challenge. New York: Palgrave Kim, P. S. (1999). Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector. Public Personnel Management, 28(2), 227 Kraut, A. I., & Korman, A. K. (1999), Evolving Practices in Human Resource Management: Responses to a Changing World of Work (M. London, Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Mathews, A. (1998), Diversity: A Principle of Human Resource Management. Public Personnel Management, 27(2), 175+ May, M, 2006, LEARNERSHIP: At Toyota, Success Is a Time for Reflection, Wharton Leadership Digest, Retrieved February 18, 2008 from elegantsolutions.typepad.com/elegant_solutions /2007/08/learnership-at-.html Management and Staff Motivation Key to Cope with Rapid Change, Report Stresses, 2006, August 16, Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), p 8 Mcgoldrick, J., Stewart, J., & Watson, S. (Eds.). (2002). Understanding Human Resource Development: A Research-Based Approach. London: Routledge Meyer, S. (1981). The Five Dollar Day : Labor Management and Social Control in the Ford Motor Company, 1908-1921 /. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press Prahlad, C, and Gary Hamel, 1990, The core competence of the corporation, Harvard Business Review Rosenzweig, P. M., & Nohria, N. (1994), Influences on Human Resource Management Practices in Multinational Corporations. Journal of International Business Studies, 25(2), 229+ Shiomi, H. & Wada, K. (Eds.), (1995). Fordism Transformed: The Development of Production Methods in the Automobile Industry. Oxford: Oxford University Press Sparrow, P., Brewster, C., & Harris, H. (2004), Globalizing Human Resource Management, New York: Routledge Studer-Noguez, I. (2002). Ford and the Global Strategies of Multinationals: The North American Auto Industry. London: Routledge www.google.com www.bing.com www.wikipedia.org www.managementencyclopedia.com www.yahoo.in www.scribd.com www.slideshare.com

Predestination: Christianity and Romans

Predestination is one of the most widely debated topics in the Christian world among many denominations today. There are many differing views and it is a harder topic to explain and understand. Often this topic is argued by twisting or taking the bible out of context. On the other hand many people truly don’t understand predestination and what it means or what it is. Others don’t want to understand predestination because of their fear that it might be truth. This paper will be outlining predestination and Calvinism by explaining this view as well as taking a deeper look into how Romans & Galatians fits into this view.Predestination has been defined in many ways by the many different denominations. Predestination is ultimately defined in our final destination is decided by God before we were even born. God decides if we are to be saved or not. He has foreordained all things that have come to pass and will continue into the future. It is the act that God chooses those who m he wants to be saved and the rest are left for eternal punishment in hell. This is not because God is unloving but because he is just and righteous. In the end the goal and duty as Christians are to bring glory to God and to evangelize as many as possible.Our concentration should be on Christ. Predestination is divided into two parts: election and reprobation. Election is unconditional and absolute; it is God’s election of man to salvation, not because of man’s works or merit. Election and reprobation have their basis in the good pleasure of God. Reprobation is defined as preterition and condemnation. Preterition is the passing over of some in the decree of election. God owes man nothing but judgment shown in Matt 20:15. God chooses whom he wants and man cannot justly argue against God for passing over him in election, which is God’s choice of condemnation.God’s choice of saving people is the same as God’s choice of the condemnation of others. Co ndemnation is an act of God as a sovereign judge. This condemnation comes from sin, which also damns man to hell. In order for God to be righteous and glorified those who are in sin should be punished. Everything is done for the glory of God 2 Tim 1:9, Heb. 2:10. The fact that some are elected and others are not is explained through God’s glory and sovereignty. Anything that God does is for his glory and this is best demonstrated through his decrees. The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the council of His will, where by for His own glory, He hath foreordained what so ever comes to pass† (Shorter Catechism #8). God’s decrees are free, sovereign, absolute, and efficacious. God’s decrees are free in that he moves by his own good pleasure. God’s decrees are sovereign because nothing occurs outside of God’s control or knowledge. God is a God who reigns and is in control and not limited in any way. God’s decrees are absolu te because they are not dependent upon any conditions that are not themselves determined by divine decree.God’s decrees are efficacious in that they infallibly determine the certainty of the future events decreed. These decrees are for God’s glory alone and not all ways for the good of the creature. God’s decrees relate to all events and comprehend all things in heaven and in earth. Therefore His providence is determined through his decrees. Though God’s providence he preserves and directs all his creatures. In the view of predestination God cares especially for his elect. In predestination the more debated topic is that of man’s free will. This free will is the choice that man has to choose God or choose to let the Holy Spirit work.This free will can be defined as freedom of indeterminacy or uncertainty, freedom of self-determination, and the power to contrary choice. Self-determination is directing ones self from the inside with no direction from the outside. The argument against predestination determines that a sinner freely chooses God or rejects Christ. The question of will is not whether man wills or even has a will, but whether God determines their will for good. Likewise the question is not whether a man chooses; but whether his choice has a cause or reason.This choice or lack there of is shown through the fact that man is a slave to sin John 8:34. As a slave to sin can man truly choose that which is good? One example of this is in the truth that God cannot lie. It is against his nature. God does not want to lie, so he cannot lie through his own free will Titus 1:2. Some verses talking about the will of man include John 6:65 which states, â€Å"no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the father. † In John 17:12 Jesus says that he has kept all those whom God has given him. According to John 6 man in his free will cannot believe because it is not in his heart to do so.Predestination suggests th at if man can choose God by the free will of his corrupt and perverse heart, it gives him more liberty and power than God himself. There is a barrier that every man cannot over come. That is the barrier of sin. It is not that he doesn’t want to choose God, although that is involved, it is that he cannot come to God, because he does not have the spiritual capacity to change his own heart and deny his own nature. Man always chooses sin and that which is corrupt unless he has a changed heart. Man is full of corruption.Therefore, man’s free will gives man nothing and is not the source of his salvation. The issue comes up that God is not fair and that he is not loving. If God were just and fair all humans would be in hell suffering eternal damnation. Mat 22:14 suggests that many are called but few are chosen. Here is al list of verses supporting predestination: John 8:6-7; Rom 11:5-7; John 6:12, 37-39, 44, 46, 65; John 15:16; John 3:5-7, 19-20; John 15:16-19; 2 Cor 5:14-17; 2 Tim 1:9; Matt. 20:16; John 8:34; Romans 8:6-7; and 2 Tim 2:26. Predestination came about through the works of Calvin, which later was named Calvinism.This view has give major points known in the word Tulip which is total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Romans & Galatians include many verses on the subject of Calvinism and many of this view use Romans as one of the most powerful books toward their argument. The first point total depravity is strongly upheld in Romans. This is the total inability of man. Man’s nature is corrupt, perverse, and sinful throughout. The word â€Å"total† in this point refers to the whole man and being are depraved.Man’s nature is sinful because of the sin that Adam committed in the very beginning. We are dead in sin. Man is utterly depraved and cannot come to God on his own accord. This is what Paul was trying to portray to the Romans. Chapter 3 best demonstra tes this truth about man’s state in this world. The first verse in Romans that points to mans sinful nature and inability to accept God is in Rom 1:20 which states, â€Å"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.So they are without excuse. † This verse emphasizes that God has given man enough knowledge about himself through this world and nature to condemn man. This shows that evangelism doesn’t even have to be present for man to be condemned. Humanity was condemned the day it was born. Man is depraved from the heart and cannot come to God unless the Holy Spirit calls him and changes his heart. Chapter 1 also demonstrates the vileness and depravity of the people in Rome.Verses 24-25 say, â€Å"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exc hanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. † Paul continues this same topic into chapter 2 and 3 of Romans. Verse 6 of chapter 2 says, â€Å"He will render to each one according to his works. † God punishes those whom he wants because He is a just God. This same judgment is taken through verses 12-29. Paul then continues in chapter 3 preaching on the inability of man.This chapter is the strongest support of this point of Calvinism. Verse 9 begins to show that Jews are no better than any other human being. Paul was preaching directly to the Jews telling them that no one is righteous, not even one vs. 10. He continues in vs. 11-12 â€Å"no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. † There are none righteous in the whole world. The second point of Calvinism is the unconditional election of man. God chooses certain individuals from fallen sinners to receive grace and salvation.God could have saved all men from condemnation or he could have chosen to save none but by his grace he has chosen those whom he wants. This choice was not because of man’s works but instead by the mercy and will of God 1 Thes. 5:9, Eph. 1:5. This point is also shown through Galatians revealing that our salvation is through grace not of works lest any one should boast. In Romans 1 also shows that God passes over some and chooses others. Verse 6 calls the elect the chosen ones of Christ. He chose to give over these Roman sinners to the desires of their heart in order that they may receive their due punishment.God also darkens the hearts of those he chooses. Romans 8:28-30 states, â€Å"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. † This verse most specifically talks about predestination because it mentions the word as well as how God works in the process of salvation.In these verses we see that God does predestine mankind to be saved or for condemnation. Those he chose he also called. Later in vs. 33 Paul directly references Gods elect. The strongest passage for unconditional election is Romans 9 speaking on the subject of God’s sovereign choice. Paul was taking examples from the Old Testament. Paul calls the elect as the children of promise in vs. 8. God chooses not because of what man did but because of hi own will. Verse 10-24 talks about God’s purpose in election. He chose man before he was even born having done nothing bad or good vs. 1. Verse 13 states that â€Å"Jacob have I loved, but E sau I have hated†. This shows the will and sovereignty of God. Paul continues to emphasize that God is fair and he does what he chooses with whom he chooses. Many suggest that God is not fair and that God is showing favoritism when he chooses some and not others but God himself says in vs. 15 â€Å"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. † Romans continues to show that as creator God can do whatever he wants with his creation and creatures.God uses us for specific purposes in this life and we are all apart of God’s plan. It is hard to understand God’s decision to create creatures just for condemnation but this is reality. Romans 9:22 states, â€Å"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. † In the end man chooses sin and can only choose sin. Whether or not predestination is true, man goes to hell because of his decision. Some other verses regarding the election are found in Romans 11:5, 7, and 28.The third point in Calvinism is particular redemption known more commonly as limited atonement. This is explained through the work of Christ on the Cross. Christ only atoned for those whom God chose to be saved by grace. Therefore Christ didn’t die for the whole world but instead died for those who were called (the elect). Romans 8:30 also demonstrates this point. Christ’s power on the Cross was eternal. Therefore with this kind of power Christ had to only died for those who God chose and believed in Him because if Christ had redeemed the whole world then the whole world would be blameless before God and saved.If Christ had died for the world then he would have died for those who have already gone to hell. This limits Christ’s power and ultimately makes Christ’s role in this world for sinners meaningless. The fourth point of Calvinism is the efficacious c all of the Holy Spirit also known as irresistible grace. The Holy Spirit uses the gospel to call people to himself and God. He calls the elect from the inside and places a desire for God in their hearts. This call of the Holy Spirit is irresistible meaning that man cannot resist the power of the Holy Spirit.Those who were called by the Spirit were saved by Christ on the Cross and justified in the sight of God. The Holy Spirit is also powerful and his calling is irresistible. Whenever the bible speaks of the calling of God this is reference to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 1:15-16 states, â€Å"But when he who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. † Paul constantly suggests that we are called by his Grace.The fifth and final point of Calvinism is the perseverance of the saints. This is the security that believers have in Christ to never fall away f rom the hand and hold of Christ. All believers are eternally secure in Him. No one or nothing can separate God from His elected. We are saints in Gods sight. Romans 8:38-39 proves this point which states, â€Å"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This shows that nothing can be taken away from God’s hands or snatched out of His fingers. Christ is powerful and Satan can do nothing against the power of God. This verse specifically names many things and some powerful things but nothing can take believers away from Christ. Believers cannot loose their salvation. If believers could loose their salvation then God is limited and the devil is more powerful than God. This would also negate Jesus and his role on earth. Paul speaks of the righteousness of believers in Christ in Galatians 3.Paul begins to talk about being in the spirit or having salvation and suggesting to them that they are foolish because they are in sin and their fleshly desires are dominating. Paul continues to talk about the promise given to Abraham, which is eternal life. This covenant and promise that believers have in Christ is eternal and not moving or changing. This shows that believers cannot loose their salvation but instead they were not saved in the beginning or they are struggling with their sin. Predestination is clear to some but not to others many also use verses in Romans and Galatians that point away from Calvinism.Romans 5:18-19 states, â€Å"Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the ones man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. † This verse shows that condemnation is for all m en, which is direct and true but then Paul says that Christ’s act on the cross leads to justification and life for all men. If this were true then all men would be saved. Therefore, Paul here is talking about all believers.Romans 10:13-14,17 also states, â€Å"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how are they to call on him whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? So faith comes form hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ. † This verse also shows that those who call on Christ are saved. Many take this verse to mean that humans have a choice to call on God while they are in sin and that this leaves no grounds for unconditional election.Man cannot call unto God unless the Holy Spirit has worked in their hearts so that they no longer are subject to the power of sin and the blindness that comes from sin. Predestination is a powerful view and is debated among many but the most important fact about the Christian life is not the small things of doctrine but instead the Christian duty to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to the nations. Christians are called to serve Christ and build up one another not argue about doctrine. Christ is the most important part of being a Christian and that fact many times is overlooked.

Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912

Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912 In Lawrence, Massachusetts, the textile industry had become the center of the towns economy. By the early 20th century, most of those employed were recent immigrants. They often had few skills other than those used at the mill; about half the workforce were women or were children younger than 18. The death rate for workers was high; one study by Dr. Elizabeth Shapleigh showed that 36 out of 100 died by the time they were 25 years old. Until the events of 1912, few were members of unions, other than a few of the skilled workers, usually native-born, who belonged to a union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Some lived in housing provided by the companies - housing provided at rental costs that did not go down when companies reduced wages. Others lived in cramped quarters in tenement houses in the town; housing in general was priced higher than elsewhere in New England. The average worker at Lawrence earned less than $9 per week; housing costs were $1 to $6 per week. Introduction of new machinery had sped up the pace of work in the mills, and workers resented that the increased productivity usually meant pay cuts and layoffs for the workers as well as making the work more difficult. Beginning the Strike Early in 1912, mill owners at the American Wool Company in Lawrence, Massachusetts, reacted to a new state law reducing the number of hours that women could work to 54 hours per week by cutting the pay of their women mill workers. On January 11, a few Polish women at the mills went on strike when they saw that their pay envelopes had been shorted; a few other women at other mills in Lawrence also walked off the job in protest. The next day, on January 12, ten thousand textile workers walked off the job, most of them women. The city of Lawrence even rang its riot bells as an alarm. Eventually, the numbers striking rose to 25,000. Many of the strikers met the afternoon of January 12, with the result of an invitation to an organizer with the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) to come to Lawrence and help with the strike. Strikers demands include: 15% pay increase.54 hour work week.Overtime pay at double the normal rate of pay.Elimination of bonus pay, which rewarded only a few and encouraged all to work longer hours. Joseph Ettor, with experience organizing in the west and Pennsylvania for the IWW, and who was fluent in several of the languages of the strikers, helped organize the workers, including representation from all the different nationalities of the mill workers, which included Italian, Hungarian, Portuguese, French-Canadian, Slavic, and Syrian. The city reacted with nighttime militia patrols, turning fire hoses on strikers, and sending some of the strikers to jail. Groups elsewhere, often Socialists, organized strike relief, including soup kitchens, medical care, and funds paid to the striking families. Leading to Violence On January 29, a woman striker, Anna LoPizzo, was killed as police broke up a picket line. Strikers accused the police of the shooting. Police arrested IWW organizer Joseph Ettor and Italian socialist, newspaper editor, and poet Arturo Giovannitti who were at a meeting three miles away at the time and charged them as accessories to murder in her death. After this arrest, martial law was enforced and all public meetings were declared illegal. The IWW sent some of its more well-known organizers to help out the strikers, including Bill Haywood, William Trautmann, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Carlo Tresca, and these organizers urged the use of nonviolent resistance tactics. Newspapers announced that some dynamite had been found around town; one reporter revealed that some of these newspaper reports were printed before the time of the supposed finds. The companies and local authorities accused the union of planting the dynamite and used this accusation to try to stir up public sentiment against the union and strikers. (Later, in August, a contractor confessed that the textile companies had been behind the dynamite plantings, but he committed suicide before he could testify to a grand jury.) About 200 children of strikers were sent to New York, where supporters, mostly women, found foster homes for them. The local Socialists made their arrivals into demonstrations of solidarity, with about 5,000 turning out on February 10. Nurses - one of them Margaret Sanger - accompanied the children on the trains. The Strike in the Public's Eye The success of these measures in bringing public attention and sympathy resulted in the Lawrence authorities intervening with militia with the next attempt to send children to New York. Mothers and children were, according to temporary reports, clubbed and beaten as they were arrested. Children were taken from their parents. The brutality of this event led to an investigation by the U.S. Congress, with the House Committee on Rules hearing testimony from strikers. President Tafts wife, Helen Heron Taft, attended the hearings, giving them more visibility. The mill owners, seeing this national reaction and likely fearing further government restrictions, gave in on March 12 to the strikers original demands at the American Woolen Company. Other companies followed. Ettor and Giovannittis continued time in jail awaiting a trial led to further demonstrations in New York (led by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn) and Boston. Members of the defense committee were arrested and then released. On September 30, fifteen thousand Lawrence mill workers walked out in a one-day solidarity strike. The trial, finally begun in late September, took two months, with supporters outside cheering the two men. On November 26, the two were acquitted. The strike in 1912 at Lawrence is sometimes called the Bread and Roses strike because it was here that a picket sign carried by one of the striking women reportedly read We Want Bread, But Roses Too! It became a rallying cry of the strike, and then of other industrial organizing efforts, signifying that the largely unskilled immigrant population involved wanted not just economic benefits but recognition of their basic humanity, human rights, and dignity.

A Study On Television Studies Media Essay

A Study On Television Studies Media Essay Television is that fantastic media phenomenon that provides us with pursuit at the click of the remote after a long day at the office; the cultural artefact that we can all relate to in one way or another. A large majority of us have our ‘favourite’, ‘must-see’ programmes that we religiously tune into; others simply choose to flick through the channels in hope of finding something ‘worthy’ of viewing; while many consciously choose not to watch certain programmes as they dislike them- chances being that their friends and colleagues will be talking about that programme the next day, making it almost impossible to be excluded from the discourses of social ideologies and construction that television presents. Each individual produces diverse reactions to television footage; whilst considering the representation of society through television media and flow, only we can conclude what we make of said footage, providing our own encoding of the text, thus possibly coming to a different supposition than another viewer of the text. Meanings are appropriated to the audience in different ways- meanings which are actively produced by the text- and whether we choose to agree with proposed meanings directly affects our own identities and representations. Firstly I am going to consider how far television is aiming to re-produce human identity and to what extent output creates and reinforces ideologies of UK culture. I will discover how genres of programmes can have a diverse impact on the ways in which we see representation in the UK. Using Baudrillard I will revise how ‘reality’ television can persuade us to conform to a new identity and representation. I will uncover how representations are obtained, and how these might be understood by the audiences. I wish to discover how constructed ideologies have forced us to accept specific cultural norms and values, and how television might reinforce this theory. I will also exa mine how, through the use of language and signs, media representations are understood in UK culture enabling me to gain a broader perspective on how such issues are reflected and how they may influence UK identity today. Using the theories of Hall and Saussure, I will discover how the use of a common understanding of representations enables us to construct identities today. Finally, I will look at how social class and sexuality are portrayed in television; my reason for this is that not are these matters an extremely apparent dynamic within television output, but it will enable me to correspond to Marxist theory, which I believe hold valid views to the links of power, social class and representation, allowing me to summarise how television output reflects representation. . When considering how evocative television is in the representation of the UK, many points have to be measured. Firstly we have to deliberate what the term representation essentially means. Marsen (2006:12) stat es: ‘A representation is a constructed pattern or design that describes or stands for something else†¦A representation could have a likeness with its object or it could be abstract. Language is to a large extent representational because it creates the object that it describes through words.’

Decision Making Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decision Making Analysis - Essay Example This scenario creates a paradox that demanded quite holistic considerations before the decision could be made. This paper shall explore such considerations made by Pepsi and evaluate the ultimate decision made by the CEO. Pepsi is one of the leading Food and Beverage companies worldwide. The head quarter of this company is based in the United State of America. From the USA, Pepsi reaches out to over two hundred other countries of the world and has employed almost three hundred thousand workers in these various countries. This company specializes on the production of soft drinks of different brands. The company however diversifies its production to other related products such as bottled water, savory and even the whole-grain snacks. This diversification has tremendously increased the sale and consequently, the gross profit of the company across the globe (Pepsi, 2010). Moving to Africa was not a soft nut for the management of the company. There were several factors that posed threats to the operations in Africa. On the other hand, the optimistic CEO could discern abundant opportunities for making huge profit in the fallow land of Africa. For that matter, the pros and cons had to be weighed on the same beam balance. Infrastructure is always the key consideration made by any multinational companies before opening corporate businesses in foreign countries. In this case, the target location had poor infrastructure. Bad roads may deter the product distribution and sales especially in the remote areas. The company might have to spend more on vehicle repair and maintenance. Electricity distribution in some parts of Africa is unevenly. The electricity energy is needed to preserve and cool the soft drinks would be lacking in such locations, giving the products a bad taste thereby lowering the demand. Another big challenge to Pepsi Company would be its competitors, and in this case, the Coca cola company which has deeply established its roots in the