Ethics in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics in Strategic Management - Essay Example Contemporary development in services dealing with finance has prompted stakeholders to question corporations’ moral obligation. These obligations together with business ethics provide important and integral part in the process of strategic management. Early management proponents showed the needs of CEOs to be morally responsible (Barnand, 1938). Executives should be ethical to their customers. Organizations endure the ethical breadth via which their governing is based. Moral responsibility is attached to executives to the people they serve. Likewise, they are responsible for the inspiration via leadership and creation of trust through understanding and common purpose. Those who pioneered strategic thinking advocated for ethics in decision making. Corporate strategy is defined as an organizational process that cannot be separated from behavior, culture and structure of a firm. This provides enterprise strategy basis by definition of context in which those firms operate in both economic and human terms. In the last ten years, there has been the development of ethics and strategic management. Strategic management originated recently and has been accepted in planning and business policy fields. Nevertheless, ethics is a different field that is still evolving, and up to date it has not troubled strategic management academics. Stakeholder's interests have internal worth despite it advancing shareholders interest. From this point of view, an organization’s success should not be viewed as an end but also as a means for advancing stakeholders interest. Ethical analysis is the only way for resolving conflicts in goals and values; it is important in strategic management.... In the 1970s, the technique of strategizing thrived in business schools. Corporate strategy if defined as decisions pattern of a company that reveals and determine its goals, objective or purposes, produces policies and make plans on achievement of the objectives, and defines type of business a company is likely to pursue. While there are similarities between ethics and strategy, there are misunderstandings between the two. Recent thinking in management developments have converged the two. The notion on ethics and strategy are distinct, and separate fields do not hold of recent. Unless it acknowledged that the two should be closely integrated, more problems might be experienced and failures in business. Ethical issues Moral and Morality Problems Morality deals with beliefs, values and norms embedded in a process which define wrong and right for a particular society. The manager is characterized as a moral individual in accordance to the traits. With the moral values, a manager should convey ethical messages, which others can notice. Problems related to morality are associated to harm caused by others. Harming others do not bring any good but prevention of it promotes good. It can be debated that moral issues related to strategic management are complicated because harms caused to other individuals are predictably related to benefits of others. For instance, transformation of an economy to an economy of low wage harms workers who have been displaced but benefits the newly recruited employees and existing stakeholders. Ethical Analysis The policy behind the analysis of ethics can be linked to point of view which claims that principles of ethics are not measures of subjection which vary with economic and cultural conditions. In the real sense, they are first

Kaavyas so Not Happy Ending Essay Example for Free

Kaavyas so Not Happy Ending Essay In summarizing this article, be sure you focus on what Daum thinks rather than what Viswanathan did. This will let you use signal verbs more gracefully. Be sure you focus on the main ideas. The story of Viswanathans action is the evidence for the main point or claim or thesis, not the main point itself. If you are unfamiliar with signal phrases, be sure to review pages 556-557 in Everythings an Argument. Pages 567 to 571 provide you with examples of most in text citation formats. Look especially carefully at #1 on page 567, Author named in a signal phrase. Note that you dont have to use the authors name in parenthesis if you use a signal phrase. You do have to use a page number from a print source, but since this is online, you dont need anything. one sentence summary: Who does what to whom or what? Where? When? How? (by means of) Why? because (identify the reasons) Also remember this convention of academic writing: use the authors full name and identification the first time you mention the author: Famed physicist Albert Einstein explained that . . . Use ellipsis (three periods interspersed with spaces) if you leave out words. Use brackets [ ] if you add words. After the first mention, use only the authors last name; Einstein emphasized that . . . . Never use only the authors first name. Information about works cited pages starts on page 572. We would use #35 on page 578. You must have a works cited entry; if you dont your paper is considered plagiarized.

Teaching Meditation to Classes in Philosophy :: Education Teacher Educating Philosophical Essays

Teaching Meditation to Classes in Philosophy ABSTRACT: In alignment with the overall theme of the congress, "Philosophy Teaching Humanity," this paper proposes that teachers of philosophy consider instructing their students in simple techniques of meditation. By meditation I mean the practice of mindfulness which typically begins by paying clear, steady, non-reactive attention to the sensations of one's own breathing, and then extending this attention to embrace all bodily sensations, feelings, moods, thoughts, and intentions. I discuss how to integrate meditation practically in the philosophy classroom and then respond to three objections that have been raised to that practice. I then discuss the potential benefits of the practice, arguing first of all that meditation has academic benefits, especially in courses in Asian philosophy. But of much wider application is the wisdom of non-attachment which the mediation naturally evokes primarily through the experience of impermanence. The potential benefits of the paradigm are then briefly indicated as related to our experience of body, mind, society and nature. I conclude by commending the proposal as a small but important practical step philosophy teachers can take to help our fellow humans navigate the challenging transformation of our time. I. A Proposal: Situating the Need and Proposing a Response The grand theme of our Congress is "Philosophy Educating Humanity". It is heartening to see philosophers from all over the world pondering how we can be of service to our species; refocusing on the root meaning of "philosophy" as "love of wisdom", we seek to be of real help in a world in the throes of many transformations. Those of us who teach philosophy in formal academic environments are already in a position to make a direct difference in the lives of our students; like it or not, we are at some level opinion leaders in our communities--what we teach and how we teach matters. And so we ask ourselves how can we best use the power that we have? Clearly we can help our students and fellow human beings by teaching them skills of discursive rationality; when we can define our meanings precisely, use our terms consistently, argue coherently, and adhere to high standards of evidence, then we are better able to avoid dogmatism and bring an effective intelligence to bear on the problems of living that face us. These skills will always be a precious resource philosophy can offer humanity. And yet there is much more to philosophy than this.

Being a High School Student Essay

A belief that I have come to hold after starting high school is that private schools fall short of the most important benefits that public schools have to offer. I have learned this through my own personal experience of going to a catholic grammar school for nine years, and then transitioning to the public high school that I currently attend. Of course, the main purpose of going to school is to gain a good education that will help you be successful in the future. This belief I do hold true; both private and public schools grant this opportunity. see more:research about tardiness But public schools and private schools each grant an entirely different social experience, and the social experience, in my opinion, is much more valuable than the academic experience. Along with gaining an education, part of being successful in life is learning how to interact and form relationships with people who are different from you. In grammar school, the majority of the people I met were white, Catholic, and of the same learning ability. Every day at school, students were expected to wear uniform clothes, uniform hair styles, and learn at a uniform pace. There were no accommodations for people with slower learning paces; everyone was expected to keep up. Growing up, this is how I expected all schools were like. For nine years I was almost blinded to the fact that people of different religion and learning pace, even physical appearance, even existed in the real world. But the fact is there are more types of people than Catholics and quick learners. For this reason, I decided to branch out and try something new by attending a public high school. My freshman year of high school was an amazing eye-opener for me. I met a greater variety of people in a single classroom at high school than I did in my entire grammar school career. I have met people with long hair, short hair, black hair, and purple hair. I have met people with different religions, and others with no religion at all. I have met people who are two years ahead of everyone else, and others who are two years behind. There are jocks, musicians, bookworms, and others with interests outside the school, but no one is judged for that; people can be whoever they want to be. I admit, all this freedom of expression was overwhelming to me, but at the same time, it was refreshing. Meeting so many different students, and also teachers, with so many different interests made me that much more interested in meeting more people. This experience made me realize how valuable the social aspect of a public high school really is. In the future, when I go to college and begin my career, I will be meeting and working with people who have different backgrounds than my own. For this reason, I will never regret the decision I have made in attending a public high school. I have heard adults tell me that high school is going to be the best four years of my life. So far, they are right. I am so grateful for the opportunity to experience a public high school. I cherish every experience and relationship that I have made in my first three years of high school so far. Of course, as I move on with my life, I will value the education that high school has granted me. But it is the relationships that I have made with students and teachers that I will take with me as I graduate high school and move on to college.

Roper vs. Simmons

Roper vs. Simmons was one of the few cases in almost two decades to address whether it’s constitutional under the eighth and fourteenth amendments to execute a juvenile offender who was over the age of fifteen but under the age of eighteen when he/she committed a capital crime. In 1988, Thompson vs. Oklahoma banned the execution of minors who were sixteen years of age when they committed a capital crime. Another case, Stanford vs. Kentucky (1989), divided the court which eventually rejected that the Constitution excludes capital punishment for minors of this age group.Roper vs. Simmons overturned the decision in Stanford vs. Kentucky. Only seven countries in the past century have favored execution of minors convicted of capital crimes: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, China, and Congo. Before the case many Americans did not think that the execution of minors was considered cruel and unusual punishment if a capital crime was committed, but after the crime many Amer icans began to oppose it. Those seven countries have also, since then, prohibited these executions.Christopher Simmons was a junior in high school at the age of seventeen when he committed a pre-meditated murder. Around nine months after the crime was committed when he was eighteen years of age, he was tried in court and sentenced to death. Simmons discussed his plan to kill Shirley Crook with his two friends Charles Benjamin and John Tessemer (ages fifteen and sixteen at the time), resulting from a car accident involving Benjamin and Simmons. Simmons’ idea was to break in to Mrs. Crook’s home, tie her up, and drive her to a bridge where he would throw her off of to her death.Simmons was under the impression that he and his friends could get away with the crime because they were minors. The three boys met around 2:00 A. M. on the night the murder was committed (September 9th, 1993). Tessemer backed out before the other two boys went on their way (he was charged with co nspiracy at first, but the charges were dropped when he testified against Simmons). The two boys proceeded to enter the Crook home by reaching through an open window and unlocking their back door. Simmons turned on a hallway light, startling Mrs.Crook as she asked who was there. Simmons then entered her bedroom, recognizing her which he later said was his resolve to murder her. The two boys worked together and used duct tape to cover her eyes and mouth and bound her hands. They took her minivan to a state park, reinforced her bindings, and covered her head with a towel. They then walked to a railroad trestle over the Meramec River, tied her hands and feet together with electrical wire, and wraped her entire face with duct tape before they threw her into the waters below for her to drown.The afternoon of September 9th, 1993, Shirley’s husband, Steven Crook, returned from an overnight trip and was alarmed by the messy house he came home to without his wife there to welcome him. After he reported his wife missing, the same afternoon fisherman recovered the victim’s body form the Meramec River. Simmons apparently had been bragging to his friends about murdering Shirley saying he killed her â€Å"because the bitch seen my face†. The next day, police received information about Simmons’ involvement the crime and he was arrested at his high school in Fenton, Missouri.Simmons waived his right to an attorney and immediately agreed to answer questions. Before the second hour of questioning was over, Simmons had already confessed to murdering Shirley Crook and agreed to perform a video reenactment of the crime. Simmons’ excuse for the crime he claimed was to avoid his arrest for the recent car accident they both had been involved in. The State of Missouri charged Simmons with burglary, kidnapping, stealing, and murder in the first degree. Simmons was seventeen years of age at the time, but was tried as an adult.The State immediately soug ht the death penalty, after Shirley Crook’s husband, daughter and two sisters presented horrifying evidence on how much impact her death had already brought to their lives. Simmons’ mother, father, two half brothers, neighbor, and friend all pleaded on behalf of his mercy to the court. Simmons’ lawyer argued that his age should be considered a mitigating factor, but the jury still recommended the death penalty, and the trial judge decided to impose it. About 9 years after the Simmons’ case had completely run its course, in 2002 Atkins vs.Virginia prohibited the execution of a mentally retarded person, and Simmons’ tried to file a new petition for state postconviction relief, saying that this made the Constitution prohibit the execution of someone if the crime was committed when they were under 18. This was the second time Simmons had appealed; the first being when he claimed he had not received adequate assistance during the trial because additiona l information regarding his difficult home background, impulsivity, and being easily influenced by others was not presented to the judge (this appeal was rejected). They reviewed the Stanford vs.Kentucky case and agreed that it was no longer valid with influence of international opinion of execution of minors who had committed capital crimes. Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke for the State in March 2005 stating that execution of juveniles who committed crimes before they turned 18 was considered cruel and unusual punishment. Simmons’ death sentence was then set aside and they resentenced him to life in prison with no chance of parole, probation, or release without the Governor’s doing so personally. This case showed very well that the United States is fair to their accused criminals.The court showed this strongly when they thoroughly considered and thought out each appeal that Christopher made to them, and they thoroughly reviewed all of his rights as well. Any other adult would have received the death penalty without questioning, but Simmons got multiple opportunities that people over eighteen would not have gotten. It was surprising that Simmons won the appeal after the Atkins vs. Virginia case because he was not mentally retarded and couldn’t exactly relate to the case himself. Murder is murder, and Christopher should not have had as much mitigation because his crime was completely pre-meditated.

Self Evaluation Essays

Self Evaluation Essays Self Evaluation Essay Self Evaluation Essay Self-Evaluation from Employee It’s easy to say you can use any performance review phrase, change it to â€Å"I† or â€Å"me† and be finished with your performance review – but it’s not always that simple. You want your phrases to be honest, accurate, but not too harsh. Phrases criticizing performance need to be well balanced. We’ve compiled a list of hundreds of self evaluation phrases you can use to complete your performance review and receive the high marks you deserve. We’ve separated the phrases by topical area, then by positive and needs improvement. Find the right balance to describe yourself and speed up your performance review paperwork. This is part 1 of a several part series on self evaluations. Self Evaluation Sample Templates Writing a great self evaluation during performance review time can be a difficult task. How exactly do I describe my performance in Training or Leadership? We’ve written 450 self evaluation paragraphs in 30 categories – by exceeds expectations, meets expectations, and below expectations. These paragraphs make completing the self evaluation easy – simply copy and paste into your document. This ebook is available for instant download for $18. 5. - Top of Form Bottom of Form Attendance and Punctuality Self Evaluation Positive Phrases I am a reliable employee who arrives on-time and leaves on-time. My break times are well planned and do not exceed the allotted time. I arrive each day fully prepared to tackle my responsibilities. I am reliable and do not have any attendance problems. I   ensure my team adheres to their lunch schedules and breaks. I meet all company standards for attendance and punctuality. I begin each day refreshed and ready for any challenges I will face. My attention to punctuality has paid off this year, I consistently arrive on time. I start and end meetings on time. I schedule time off well in advance. I am conscientious of others when scheduling time off. Attendance and Punctuality Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases I am occasionally late for work and will improve this area by focusing on showing up on time each day. I need to improve showing up to work on time and keeping a normal work schedule. Over the next year, I’m going to improve meetings so they run to their prescribed time. Some of my breaks may run a little long, but I will improve my schedule. I will work on taking heavy traffic and weather into account for arrival time. I will continue to work on punctuality. Attitude Positive Self Evaluation Phrases I always try to keep a positive attitude, a smile on my face, and demonstrate how much I enjoy my job. I try to be cheerful to help those around me feel welcome and appreciated. I have an even demeanor through good times and bad. I do this to help others keep their â€Å"enthusiasm† – both positive and negative – in check. I have a calm personality to keep an even attitude. I bring a high level of enthusiasm to my job. I try to always set a good example for the team and be here when they need a lift. I maintain a positive mind-set. Even though we have difficult situations and decisions to make, I maintain a positive outlook. I maintain a positive attitude. I like to build trust with my team by being a positive force on the team, congratulating high performers on successes, and working with those that need assistance to improve. Attitude Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases At times, I can be brisk and to the point. I don’t mean to offer a negative impression, but sometimes I am very focused on the work at hand. Due to the demanding nature of our business, my team may at times think I am insensitive, but we have to get the job done, on time, and on budget. I am working to improve how I deal with others and customers. Though some may struggle with my personality, I believe I effectively use it to manage my employees. Communication Positive Self Evaluation Phrases I keep managers and coworkers informed of my work progress. I report all necessary information to my coworkers. I am excellent at keeping written information about my assignments and projects. One of my strengths is the use of candor and effective communication with my employees. One of my core strengths is the ability to immediately connect with someone. I am a very competent communicator. I clearly communicates with my employees and they understand my expectations. I am clearly good at communication as evidenced by my effectiveness in resolving customer problems. At first, communication was not my strongest attribute. However, after a lot of work, I have become a very good communicator. Communication Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases Though some may believe I withhold information from my co-workers, I provide all information as required. My written communication is great, but I need to improve my verbal communication skills. My verbal communication skills are very good, but I need to work on my written communication skills. I believe I effectively communicate with my fellow team members, but I must improve communication with my management team. Communication is a weakness which I know I must improve. Creativity and Innovation Positive Self Evaluation Phrases My ability to change direction when required is an asset to the team. I am an innovator at heart – my skill at inspiring new ideas adds a lot to the team. I have an imaginative personality and am very resourceful in times of need. I have a creative touch in a sometimes normal role within our team. I add an artistic flair to everything I produce which makes my projects much more fun than most. When a major problem arises, I use creative problem solving to look at different sides of an issue I think outside the box when crafting solutions. I demonstrate a key ability to craft creative solutions to problems. I show ingenuity when facing difficult situations. Whenever we need a fresh look at a problem, I try to provide a novel perspective. I don’t rely on common methods to solve a problem, but address each situation with a innovative viewpoint. I constantly search for new ideas and ways to improve efficiency. I create an exciting atmosphere for his team: one in which new ideas are rewarded and encouraged. Creativity and Innovation Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases I find at times that I am more practical than creative in many aspects of my job. Over the next year, I plan on working to improve my imagination at work to think more creatively. Innovation is not at the heart of what I do – I am more of a task oriented person. There are times when creative solutions are just not called for, but I have a creative mind and have a tendency to go there immediately. Sometimes I have difficulty thinking outside of the box and creating innovative solutions. I plan on improving innovation this year by seeking out new opinions and ideas. I have a tendency to ask for help from other people more frequently than researching potential solutions and fixes. Customer Satisfaction Positive Self Evaluation Phrases I take great pride in my work with our clients. I skillfully overcome client objections. I consistently receive high marks on my customer satisfaction surveys. I understand the latitude to ensure customer satisfaction and do everything necessary to retain customers. I am able to handle clients well. I am very good at keeping happy customers and successfully up selling them at the same time. I deal with customer complaints with a calm demeanor. I am very good at handling difficult situations with customers. I work with customers very well. I am very good at dealing with irate customers in a calm and rational manner. I believe no problem is too big that cannot be solved with care and understanding. I listen to our customers and resolves their problems in an agreeable manner. I understand how to listen to customers and extract those details which make a big difference when dealing with our clients. Customer Satisfaction Needs Improvement Self Evaluation Phrases Sometimes, I do not follow up with customers quickly enough. Though I have some low marks on customer satisfaction surveys, I am working to improve those scores. I continue to work on improving my ability to overcome customer objections. I understand the importance of customer service training, though I do believe I’ve received enough training to be successful. I am much better about handling telephone customer service than in person situations.

Free Essays on Behaviorism

Behaviorism, The Problems with Reward The learning perspective claims that many behaviors generally looked upon as puzzling, or just plain â€Å"natural† may be the consequence of patterns of reinforcement-and that these patterns can be manipulated to alter behaviors. (Tavris and Wade, p 214) I believe this has been proven, with studies like little Albert, and in Pavlov's study of the dogs. Both of these studies show that behaviors can be learned, but the question is; does behaviorism make a positive or a negative contribution to explaining human behavior? My opinion? Negative. I think it simplifies us (humans) to a point were all that is supposed to matter is what we get for what we do. A statement I read written by Alfie Kohn explains this well: â€Å"Gradually it began to dawn on me that our society is caught in a whopping paradox. We complain loudly about such things as the sagging productivity of our workplaces, the crisis of our schools, and the warped values of our children. But the very strategy we use to solve those problems-dangling rewards like incentive plans and grades and candy bars in front of people-is partly responsible for the fix we are in. we are a society of loyal Skinnerian's, unable to think our way out of the box we have reinforced ourselves into.† (Kohn, preface-xii) What I think he is trying to say is that raising our children in this way causes the behaviorists to be correct, because we have taught them to â€Å"do† only if they â€Å"receive†. I think this approach has caused us to forget about the intrinsic rewards, such as the good feeling we get when we help someone, not because we have to-but just to be nice. I do think conditioning can be quite helpful in some situations, such as training your dog, or even potty training a child. Behaviorists can also help many people using behavior modification such as training brain damaged patients to control inappropriate behavior, and help ordinary people e... Free Essays on Behaviorism Free Essays on Behaviorism Behaviorism, The Problems with Reward The learning perspective claims that many behaviors generally looked upon as puzzling, or just plain â€Å"natural† may be the consequence of patterns of reinforcement-and that these patterns can be manipulated to alter behaviors. (Tavris and Wade, p 214) I believe this has been proven, with studies like little Albert, and in Pavlov's study of the dogs. Both of these studies show that behaviors can be learned, but the question is; does behaviorism make a positive or a negative contribution to explaining human behavior? My opinion? Negative. I think it simplifies us (humans) to a point were all that is supposed to matter is what we get for what we do. A statement I read written by Alfie Kohn explains this well: â€Å"Gradually it began to dawn on me that our society is caught in a whopping paradox. We complain loudly about such things as the sagging productivity of our workplaces, the crisis of our schools, and the warped values of our children. But the very strategy we use to solve those problems-dangling rewards like incentive plans and grades and candy bars in front of people-is partly responsible for the fix we are in. we are a society of loyal Skinnerian's, unable to think our way out of the box we have reinforced ourselves into.† (Kohn, preface-xii) What I think he is trying to say is that raising our children in this way causes the behaviorists to be correct, because we have taught them to â€Å"do† only if they â€Å"receive†. I think this approach has caused us to forget about the intrinsic rewards, such as the good feeling we get when we help someone, not because we have to-but just to be nice. I do think conditioning can be quite helpful in some situations, such as training your dog, or even potty training a child. Behaviorists can also help many people using behavior modification such as training brain damaged patients to control inappropriate behavior, and help ordinary people e...

Cheating in Education Today

Cheating in Education Today On the last day of the term, I needed to grade a set of papers while my class was taking the same test in order to distribute exam waivers by the end of the day. Suspecting that students coming to my desk might accidentally see answers on the key for the one multiple choice page, I coded the answers on my answer key the multiple choice responses so that I AB, BC and so on and proceeded to grade papers. My suspicions were correct: Of the fifteen or so students in the room, six came to my desk once or twice, returning to his seat with a smug smile. I felt a twinge of guilt as I watched them quickly scribbling answers, considering the situation had a flavor of entrapment, but decided these students might learn an unexpected lesson. The slickness of their moves was dismaying, but I felt worse seeing which students were cheating only those I had held in highest regard. When all papers finally were in, I said I had bad news for all those people who had cheated. Innocent cries of Who cheated, ensued, loudest from those who had. But they ceased when I said the cheaters had reproduced a perfect pattern of wrong answers. I had believed cheating in my classes was tightly controlled. I rarely gave credit for rechecked answers, I kept assignments until students can no longer get credit for turning in copied work, and I rarely gave multiple choice tests. Nevertheless, during final exam week I found a little crib sheet stuck on a shelf and another lying on the floor. Perhaps more telling, a few students who rarely complete their work left the room once they realized cheating on the essay exam would be impossible. Apparently, their experience had given them confidence that they can get away with cheating. I wondered if this confidence made studying seem a waste of time. A Nationwide Problem Survey results about the prevalence of cheating in high school taken by Whos Who Among American High School Students in 1993 revealed that an alarming 89% of high school students thought cheating was common and 78% had cheated.It seems logical to assume that successful cheating in high school inspires cheating at the college level, for surveys taken in 1990 indicate as many as 45% college students cheated in one or two courses and 33%, in eight or more courses. The problem, however, is not just with the students themselves, in a recent U.S. News Poll 20% of adults felt there was nothing wrong with parents completing their childs homework. Resources That Help Detect Cheating and Plagiarism While, discouragingly, there are many internet sites that give examples of slick cheating techniques and sell pre-written term papers, there are many other online resources to help teachers catch cheaters. One of the best is Grammerly, which has a plagiarism checker as well as providing strong grammar checking tools.

Strategic Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Business Report - Essay Example The company over the initial years has relentlessly focused on obtaining scale of operations which it believes will be the foundation for its future profitable growth. It has been to such an extent that it has sacrificed profits for growth during initial phase and posted its first profit only in the year 2003, nearly after nine years of operations. The strategy followed is a customer focused approach which the company believes will help it attain the scale it needs for long term success. 1.2.1 Product: Amazon .com sells operates in North America as well as internationally through retail websites which include amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.de, amazon.fr, amazon.co.jp, amazon.co.uk, shopbop.com, endless.com, and the Joyo Amazon Web sites at joyo.cn and amazon.cn.. It sells its product in over 200 countries. The product range which its sources and sells are books; electronics and computers; toys, kids, and baby; sports and outdoors; movies, music, and games; home and garden; apparel, shoes, and jewelry; tools, auto, and industrial; digital downloads; grocery; and health. Amazon.com, Inc. operates retail Web sites, as well as provides programs that enable third parties to sell their products on its Web sites. It enables customers to use single click technology to complete purchase of all sellers and check out, making purchase easy and convenient. The company's Amazon Enterprise Solutions offer sellers e-commerce expertise, technology, and operational infrastructure to e nable e-commerce businesses operating under their own brand name and Web site address. It also offers Amazon Web Services, which provide access to technology infrastructure that developers can use to enable virtually various types of businesses. 1.2.2 Price: The unique offering of Amazon.com is its ability to offer products at a price lower than any other retailer, because of its unique model (no expensive retail space). 1.2.3 Promotion: MillionAmazon.com has steadily increased its spending on advertising and promotion and brand building. In 2005 it valued its goodwill as $159 million. Amazons unique brand image as a top web based retail company built right from day one, is what drives the company's growth. 1.2.4: Place/ Supply chain management: Strong delivery system is one of its strong points of Amazon.com. To manage logistics it believes in having strong analysis based systems. It uses mathematical modeling and algorithms extensively to forecast, match delivery centres,

Segregation's Lingering Legacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Segregation's Lingering Legacy - Essay Example It is highly beneficial for children to learn what makes them different aside from the color of skin. Whether African-American, Asian, Native American and so on, each race and ethnicity has so much to offer and share with their communities that people of other races simply cannot understand without being taught. Institutional racism is ultimately causing widespread neglect of cultural differences that are important to learn. I think our educational system still has a large amount of segregation because they allow it to happen. Teachers, principals and parents are all too afraid of hurting someone’s feelings or being touted as a bigot if they open their mouth and say something. Our country is so absorbed with â€Å"what will they think of me?† that society is ceasing to function. The fear of a legal claim of racism, the NAACP, the ACLU or another organization’s intervention is likely a great fear for many, so they have no desire to change the segregation. Blacks a re no better than whites, Asians, or any other race and vice versa. Our children need to be taught by their elders both in the home and in school the differences in race, culture and communities so that they can grow, learn and be steadier, well-rounded adults.

If people are just complex machines, what does that suggest about the Essay

If people are just complex machines, what does that suggest about the moral status of machines Could I be committing murder every time I turn off my computer - Essay Example Every machine has a system that makes it work, which is composed of several electrical and mechanical subsystems. Likewise, human body functions as a result of mutual work of circulatory system, digestive system, and respiratory system etc. On the other hand, like every machine either needs charging or fueling to work, human body needs food for the systems to work. This paper analyzes the moral status of the act of turning a computer off and discusses whether it can be called as a murder or not in light of the perception that humans are just complex machines. While humans may qualify to be called machines keeping these factors in mind, there is a very important factor that humans contain that machines do not; Emotions. Humans have feelings. They can not only think, but also evaluate the pros and cons of different options and select the most suitable option in a given context. Machines do not have this capability. Some machines like computers do have the capability to evaluate the different variables of certain mathematical procedures, but that knowledge is fed into the computer by humans themselves. A computer does not have the capability to feel for something nor does any other machine. On this basis, it is irrational to define humans as complex machines. Hence, on the basis of the argument that humans are much more than complex machines, it is not justified to comment upon the moral status of machines as the laws of machines are different from those of the humans. While a human can be sentenced to death for having committed the murder of another human, a machine cannot be dealt with in the same way since the machine cannot commit murders in the first place. Likewise, turning a computer off is not similar to committing a murder. Concluding, on the basis of the points discussed in this paper, it is wrong to think of the act of turning a computer off

RAK properties company financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

RAK properties company financial analysis - Essay Example RAK Properties will also maximize shareholders’ value through its development projects in the coastal and inland areas of Ras Al Khaimah. RAK Properties has a sound capital of AED 2 billion. The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of RAK Properties in early 2005 was over-subscribed by almost 57 times. RAK Properties is a company which was listed in the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange from 2005 onwards. Just like many of the property companies, the company also has faced a difficult time due to the past recession. However, the markets are turning around with UAE growth resuming and it is very much likely that the company also is in the process of bouncing back with the recovery of the markets. The company was almost bankrupt during the recession period and now is gradually emerging out of the recession and working towards developing properties aggressively. Comparing with the high ranked competitors in the region, the company is more of a smaller player in the market. However, the company h as the opportunity to build a totally new portfolio and compete effectively with the other very large holder of the property and continue to offer high value products in the market. RAK, unlike many other high end large scale companies is thriving to strike a balance between offering high end product portfolios and maintaining medium end offerings as well. Thus, the company actually has a better mix of products on offer. Abu Dhabi real estate markets are growing very fast. Currently, there are 193,000 residential units in place and this is likely to increase to 246,000 units by 2013 according to estimates by Estatesdubai (2011). This indicates that the residential properties are expected to grow fast. Most of the residential properties were purchased by Indians at a cost of AED 3.3billion for 2010. This indicates that the confidence in the property markets is increasing and as a result of the total exercise, it is very much likely that the property companies will face increased dema nd over 2012 - 2015 periods. On the Abu Dhabi growth front, office space has grown by 55,000 square meters just in Q3-2011 reaching a total office space of 2.4 million square meters and this indicates the fact that the business growth is also faster in the region. This is likely to result in sustainable growth in the property market in the future. Thus, the company is one placed in a growth oriented industry and it is likely that they need to place themselves appropriately in the market for growth. While the company holds smaller properties compared with the competitors, the company will be able to expand portfolio with the current investments and will be able to aggressively grow in the markets. 2.0 Financial Analysis When analyzing the financial statements, there are few key observations that are noteworthy. Just like many of the companies who went through troubled times during the economic recession, the company also had faced difficult times and thus, they do not have revenue nu mbers for 2009 financial year due to the temporary halt in the operations. This is common with the industry as the whole industry was impacted negatively and most of the smaller players had to face this scenario. Another important aspect to note is that the company has changed the year end date from June to December. These aspects have to be noted prior to analyzing of

Iris recognition system using principal component analysis Dissertation

Iris recognition system using principal component analysis - Dissertation Example This gives a fine demarcation between the inter class and intra class irises and hence the recognition becomes easier. Principal component analysis has been used to reduce the dimensionality. This enables choice of appropriate features from the iris templates and improves classification. The iris recognition accuracy has been described in terms of False Reject Ratio and False Accept Ratio. Table of contents Chapter 1 – Introduction of Project 1.1. Introduction 1.2. Project background 1.3. Problem Statement 1.4. Project aim and objectives 1.5. Significance of the project 1.6. Scope of project 1.7. Overview of project 2. Chapter - 2 Review of Literature 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Human Iris System 2.2.1. Iris and Biometrics 2.2.2. Artificial Intelligence for Iris recognition 2.3. Scanning the Iris 2.3.1 Localization of Landmarks 2.3.2 Digital Imaging 2.4. statistical dependence 2.5. Principal Component Analysis 2.5.1 Covariance 2.5.2 Normality and Residuals 2.6. Chapter summary Chap ter 3 – Methodology and framework of the Project 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Method 3.3. Requirements 3.4. Project Design 3.5. Hardware Design 3.6. Software Design 3.7. Chapter summary Chapter 4 – Project implementation and testing 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Image Segmentation 4.3. Image Normalisation 4.4. Feature extraction and encoding 4.5. Dimensionality Reduction 4.6. Iris matching Chapter 5 – Analysis and Discussion of Results 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Effect of the Parameters 5.3. Analysis of Hamming Distance 5.4. Recognition performance Chapter 6 – Project Management 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Project scheduling 6.3. Time management 6.4. Risk management 6.5. Quality management 6.6. Cost Management Chapter 7 - Critical Appraisal 7.1. Achievements 7.2. Future Research Chapter 8 – Conclusion Chapter 9 – Student Reflection References Appendices List of Figures Fig. 2.1. The Iris marking process. Fig. 2.2. Iris Localization/ Hough Transform Figure 2.3. Ir is Recognition Method Fig. 2.4. Iris Recognition in Java Fig.3.1. Sample eye images from CASIA database Fig. 3.2. Waterfall diagram Fig. 3.3. The UML Class diagram for the project in Smart Draw tool. Fig. 3.4. UML activity diagram for this project in Smart Draw. Fig. 4.1. Segmented eye image. Fig.4.2. Eye image with isolated iris region. Fig.5.1. Variation of intra class Standard deviation with number of shifts. Fig.5.2. Histogram of Hamming distance (intra class) without shifting of bits. Fig.5.3. Histogram of Hamming distance (intra class) with 8 times shifting of bits. Fig. 5.4 Histogram of the hamming distances (inter class) with 8 times shifting of bits. Fig.6.1. The Gantt chart for project schedule. List of Tables Table 2.2. Characteristics Index of Biometric Variations Table 2.1 False Rejection Rate Table 6.1. Risk Management Chapter 1 – Introduction of Project 2.3. Introduction This chapter presents a brief introduction about the project in terms of the project backgr ound, the scope of the project, the aim and objectives of the project and the overview. Researchers have developed several methods to develop Biometric tools. â€Å"A biometric system provides automatic identification of an individual based on a unique feature or characteristic possessed by the individual† (Majumder, Ray, & Singh, 2009). Among the various biometrics the Iris Recognition System uses

RAK properties company financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

RAK properties company financial analysis - Essay Example RAK Properties will also maximize shareholders’ value through its development projects in the coastal and inland areas of Ras Al Khaimah. RAK Properties has a sound capital of AED 2 billion. The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of RAK Properties in early 2005 was over-subscribed by almost 57 times. RAK Properties is a company which was listed in the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange from 2005 onwards. Just like many of the property companies, the company also has faced a difficult time due to the past recession. However, the markets are turning around with UAE growth resuming and it is very much likely that the company also is in the process of bouncing back with the recovery of the markets. The company was almost bankrupt during the recession period and now is gradually emerging out of the recession and working towards developing properties aggressively. Comparing with the high ranked competitors in the region, the company is more of a smaller player in the market. However, the company h as the opportunity to build a totally new portfolio and compete effectively with the other very large holder of the property and continue to offer high value products in the market. RAK, unlike many other high end large scale companies is thriving to strike a balance between offering high end product portfolios and maintaining medium end offerings as well. Thus, the company actually has a better mix of products on offer. Abu Dhabi real estate markets are growing very fast. Currently, there are 193,000 residential units in place and this is likely to increase to 246,000 units by 2013 according to estimates by Estatesdubai (2011). This indicates that the residential properties are expected to grow fast. Most of the residential properties were purchased by Indians at a cost of AED 3.3billion for 2010. This indicates that the confidence in the property markets is increasing and as a result of the total exercise, it is very much likely that the property companies will face increased dema nd over 2012 - 2015 periods. On the Abu Dhabi growth front, office space has grown by 55,000 square meters just in Q3-2011 reaching a total office space of 2.4 million square meters and this indicates the fact that the business growth is also faster in the region. This is likely to result in sustainable growth in the property market in the future. Thus, the company is one placed in a growth oriented industry and it is likely that they need to place themselves appropriately in the market for growth. While the company holds smaller properties compared with the competitors, the company will be able to expand portfolio with the current investments and will be able to aggressively grow in the markets. 2.0 Financial Analysis When analyzing the financial statements, there are few key observations that are noteworthy. Just like many of the companies who went through troubled times during the economic recession, the company also had faced difficult times and thus, they do not have revenue nu mbers for 2009 financial year due to the temporary halt in the operations. This is common with the industry as the whole industry was impacted negatively and most of the smaller players had to face this scenario. Another important aspect to note is that the company has changed the year end date from June to December. These aspects have to be noted prior to analyzing of

Importance of The Web-based Software for Students Assignment

Importance of The Web-based Software for Students - Assignment Example Campus cruiser software has a fully and seamlessly integrated LMS that students can access from their portal (TimeCruiser, 2007). The seamless integration of course cruiser and LMS enable students to access the campus LMS through their student’s portal and within a single sign-in. To facilitate user its friendliness, the software is designed using familiar tools that facilitate student’s learning experience and use of the system. The system also enhances streamlined and wide range course management and collaboration between the students and the school’s management. The campus cruiser also provides essential academic tools that are required for the management of instructions. Some the basic tools include gradebook, assignments, course level charts, file sharing tools and research tools. The grade book enables students to set up instructions concerning the grades that they would wish to achieve. Gradebook might include assignment tools that enable students to manage their assignment and share research questions. The course-level forums & chart enables a student to share experiences and information relating to their coursework and assignments (TimeCruiser, 2007). On the other hand, the file-sharing tools enable students to share content with other students taking a particular course. Finally, the online journal tool facilitates student’s online research and provides essential information concerning academic honesty. The course cruiser has considerable benefits to an institution. These benefits can be an analyzed by considering the benefit achieved by each of the stakeholders. For instance, the faculty benefits from an increased interaction among students and course instructors. This facilitates exchange of ideas and other related academic materials. The system also enhances streamlined and wide range course management and collaboration between the students and the school’s management.The campus cruiser also provides essential academic tools that are required for the management of instructions.  

An inspector calls Essay Example for Free

An inspector calls Essay How does Priestley use the Inspector to create a sense of impending doom for the Birling family in act one of An Inspector calls? There are several themes portrayed by certain characters including responsibility, community, guilt, egocentricity and denial. They are key ideas in Priestleys play An Inspector calls, and contribute to the general sense of imminent trouble. There is a great deal of contrast with regards to social events and historical context between the time the play is set in, 1912 Pre World Wars, and the first staging of the place, post World war 2, 1945-46 (disputed). This difference is what fuels many ironic statements throughout Act one, mainly by Mr Birling (one example of this is his speech on page 4). The class Hierarchy also plays an important part in the play, as the Birlings are upper-middle class, and Act One conveys this impression of the stereotypes of class very well. The Impact of the staging suggests a money-orientated posh lifestyle surrounding the family, which the audience would generally disapprove of because of the economic slump and more lower classes present post World War 2. The Birlings are an almost aristocratic family and they look down on any one who is below them in the social hierarchy. Priestley uses the inspector as a key dramatic device and moral conscience to teach the Birlings moral values and the themes discussed earlier. There are many emotive metaphors one can link to the idea of war in the play, such as fire blood and anguish. Furthermore Priestley may have written this detective thriller play set in Edwardian England in an industrial city to convey the message Learn from your mistakes so it doesnt happen again referring to the world wars. Who is the inspector? No real person of interest, more something like a personified bad conscience of guilt and internal voice. The play opens with an intimate celebration of Gerald and Sheilas engagement. Priestley presents the audience with a calm, family and celebratory mood at the beginning of Act Ones first scene. This is clearly shown in the stage directions the lighting should be pink and intimate. The adjective intimate may suggest a mood of relaxation, cosiness and self-involvement. This contrasts to the set as being described as not cosy and homelike implying something is out of place in the atmosphere, which may suggest presage to looming mess and confusion. It also contributes to the foreshadowing of the inspectors entrance (as one would expect contrast later in a play) when the lighting is described as brighter and harder. The comparative adjectives brighter and harder both suggest the mood turns focused and may imply an intensification of the already tense atmosphere caused by the dramatic effect of the inspectors entrance. Moreover this use of lighting hints at the foreshadowing of the trouble that the Birlings will come to turns with. Priestley presents Mr Birling in a very arrogant and negative light to the viewers. An example of this is Mr Birlings toast on page 4, when he talks about his view regarding the engagement of his daughter. Perhaps we may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing For lower costs and higher prices. This shows Mr Birlings possible key objective and may suggest Mr Birling is materialistic, as that is how he finished his speech, pressing more emphasis on money and profit. This is an example of his totalitarian obsession with money, and is likely what caused the idea of Eva Smiths loss of job, and eventual death, exposed by the inspector. In addition, the focus on reputation and honour are key factors in presenting Mr Birling as a corrupt, self-obsessed, and acquisitive businessman, obsessed with his image. I gather there is a very good chance of a knighthood so dont get into police court or start a scandal his suggestion of a knighthood may indicate his need of representation within his social class; as a righteous citizen, showing the Birlings have high hopes within their society. Mr Birling appears to use his social status to acquire respect and nobility from Gerald. It is also ironic that he asks his family not to get into police court or start a scandal since that is exactly what appears happens in the play, and this can ironically foreshadow the future events. His obsession in keeping his image, and his attitude toward lower classes is what makes him reluctant to disclose details concerning and regarding his company, Birlings and Company, to the inspector. This defensive attitude, this wall is what he inspector expects and retaliates against. By doing so he makes the family feel uncomfortable as if there is something worse to be revealed, adding to the sense imminent disaster in this Act. Furthermore, Mr Birlings strict view on life is another probable cause for the unfolding of the events. The fact that Mr Birling says that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own and- shows his self-obsessed and uncaring side, which makes the audience feel uneasy. At this point, at the pinnacle and point of Mr Birlings speech, the doorbell sharply rings interrupting him. This has a substantial dramatic impact as Mr Birling was likely to say family and, ironically, the inspectors supposed aim is to teach him and his family community responsibly, as if the inspector wants to say community by ringing the doorbell, and, by using hindsight, one may assume this foreshadows the inspectors intentions. Also, the inspectors entrance is considerably significant, as it adjusts the mood and alters the atmosphere. His entrance invokes a sense of apprehension which is built on later on in the play, starting the sense of impending doom of the inspectors interrogation because no one would expect anyone to come to the house this late, unless it concerned something very important, urgent or a combination of the two. His first words are Mr Birling? simply inquiring to if it is Mr Birling he is talking to. This may imply the inspector wants to cut to the chase and start the inquiry, to the annoyance of Mr Birling, as he wants to butter him up and get it over with. It may also show that the main reason the inspector is here is Mr Birling, and he may directly implicate Mr Birling just by asking a simple question, even though we know that is not true later on in the Act, the audience is still unaware. This adds to the uneasy, nervous atmosphere caused by his entrance. The stage directions clearly intensifies the mentality and superiority of the Inspector, as he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity, and purposefulness. The sense of anxiety, interest and uneasiness rises at the sudden impact of a police inspectors entrance, just spelling trouble, and the fact that it is late at night implies deep trouble for the Birlings and Gerald. Moreover, the inspector makes the family ask him questions rather than the other way around (as one might expect with an inspector, as that is his job, to ask questions) and he intentionally withholds details and information from the family to use their curiosity to implicate themselves. For example when Eric tries to get out of the interrogation as he says he feels uneasy, the Inspector tells him he should stay there, and waits for Eric to ask Why should I? and replies with It might be less trouble. If you turn in, you might have to turn out again soon. This answer could simply state the impracticality of Eric turning in yet his answer may also be ironic because he will implicate Eric in a number of ways, revealing Eric is in more trouble than he previously thought, possibly because he stayed. This may be because the inspector is trying to teach them a lesson, and he does so by Inspecting the family and he gathers and uses the information he derives from the reactions of the characters, in this case Eric. By telling Eric to stay he makes not only the characters but also the audience feel uncomfortable, and this further builds on the apprehension and mystery surrounding the inspector, adding to the sense of impending doom in the Act. Moreover, Mr Birling is trying to get the interrogation over with and refuses to believe he is involved. For example, Mr Birlings reaction when he realises hes not the only one involved, but also his family, is quite significant. He said If id known that earlier, I wouldnt have called you officious and talked about reporting you and may imply that Mr Birling is relieved that he isnt involved, but the fact that its any better for him that his family is involved, is quite disconcerting for the audience because it shows he is more self-involved and egocentric, as he cares more about himself than his wife and children. The statement may also imply that, in the point of view of Mr Birling, his temper got out of hand when he talked about calling him officious, and he now regrets what he said either because he was just worried about himself and looked for an excuse to show his remorse to show himself in a more positive light, or because he feels he needs to protect his family, and that his calling the inspector officious he may have offended him and this could negatively change the inspectors view of the family, which may lead the inspector do or act unsympathetically towards them, and by explaining his actions he could avoid impending trouble. In addition, Priestley presents Sheila as being part of the audience. He does this by using her as a dramatic device, as the inspector. But in contrast to the use of the inspector as a dramatic device to be the voice of moral value, Sheila may be used to represent the ear, or audience to absorb Priestleys lessons. For example the inspector talks about Eva Smith not exactly going on the streets, Sheila enters, as if her entrance represented the audiences curiosity toward Eva. Sheila immediately inquires whats this about streets? Leading into her involvement in the supposed suicide of the character Eva Smith by making her ask the questions and him using emotive language. Finally he shows a photograph, which may or may not be the character Eva Smith, to Sheila and she instantly exposed herself with the person on the photographs involvement. The inspector feeds on this and uses it to implicate her further. This gives an impression of the inspectors superior knowledge To the Birlings and builds on the sense of impending doom in the Act. Adding to that, the family, especially Sheila, feel there is no point in lying because the inspector knows the truth. The family, and event he audience, might wander why the inspector asks the questions if he already knows the answers? The answer to that may simply be he wants to find out he credibility and honesty of the family but I think its deeper than that. It could be Priestleys intention of teaching audience, through the play, moral responsibilities and values by showing the social flaws at the time. An example of this is the discussion of the inspector between Gerald and Sheila at the end of Act 1 revealing Geralds connection with Eva Smith (Daisy Renton) and Sheilas reluctance to lie to the inspector. This shows how deep the dramatic impact of the inspector really is, as was foreshadowed earlier in the Act concluded by the entrance of the inspector right before the curtain falls leaving a dramatic cliff-hanger at the fall of the curtain. Finally, Priestley was a soldier in the First World War, experienced many of the harsh realities of war; which may have motivated him to write this play. He wanted to express his beliefs through a character. So he created the inspector as his image to convey his scepticism and criticism toward anti-socialist upper-class arrogance represented by the Birlings. Priestleys use of the inspector as a dramatic device and Sheilas representation of the audience promoted and got across his views throughout the play and especially in Act One. He created the sense of doom for the Birlings to show what happens to such attitudes represented by the family, because as we know, the war would have had a devastating impact on them. The mood of the act started out intimate and casual and slowly evolved to tense and disquieting because of the inspectors interrogation and even by him simply being there. What J. B. Priestley wanted to tell the audience through the play and through the inspector was One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smith still left with us We dont live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. I didnt much like the play, but I did enjoy the subtleties and casual metaphors that made me think. To conclude, I think it is a piece of literature that was significant at the time, though I think a different piece which wouldve evoked more interest wouldve been a better choice to analyze. I hope you enjoyed reading it more than Ive enjoyed writing it.

Hierarchy of Human Needs and Goal Setting Theory

Hierarchy of Human Needs and Goal Setting Theory Introduction As the increasing concern of how to achieve performance excellence through employees, most of the organizations now pay more attentions on the means of motivating employees, such as incentives, rewards. Kreitner (2004) quoted Mitchells definition of motivation which refers to those psychological processes that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed. Different motivation theories guide the ways of encouraging people to make effort and exploit their ability for the organizations goal and meeting their own needs; also, they suggest the factors resulting in job satisfaction and their influence on employee performance (Armstrong, 2006). This essay attempts to explore the motivator and the process of motivation by a critical review of motivation theories; moreover, it examines the theories through a questionnaire research in terms of what people are motivated and how they are motivated. Thereby, it leads to a further discussion of the appl ication of motivation theory in practice. Literature Review As Armstrong (2006) states motivating people refers to encourage them to work toward the expected direction, motivation in organizations aims at creating a context and undertaking a motivation process in which individuals work and provide the performance according to the managerial expectations. The process of motivation is described as a needs-oriented model that goes through four stages: need, goal setting, action and achievement (Armstrong, 2006). It is suggested that people are aware of the unsatisfied needs consciously or unconsciously; and then the desire of satisfying the needs enables the establishment of goal (Latham, 2007). To achieve the goal by taking actions is believed will meet the needs. If the goal is obtained successfully, the same actions are likely to be repeated for satisfying the needs (Latham, 2007). In this way, the process of the motivation is completed. The theory of motivation is divided into two main categories C content theory and process theory. Content theory interprets the insights of peoples needs and explores the factors that motivate people (Foster, 2005). It emphasizes the intrinsic elements that energize, direct and endure behaviour; also, it explains how these elements are valued as internal motivators by individuals (Porter, Bigley Steers, 2003). There are four primary content theories of motivation at work, including Maslows hierarchy of need, Alderfers ERG (existence-relatedness-growth) theory, Herzbergs motivator-hygiene model and McClellands learned needs theory (Porter, Bigley Steers, 2003). Content theory C Maslows Hierarchy of Human Needs Among these theories, Maslows hierarchy of human needs is the most famous one connecting peoples needs to motivation. According to this theory, individuals needs are categorized as deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs are the basic needs that must be satisfied; it contains three levels C physiological, safety and security, belongingness. The physiological needs are at the bottom of Maslows hierarchy theory. That is to say, all other needs are out of peoples consideration until the physiological needs are satisfied (Latham, 2007). The implication of physiological needs at work may include lunch break, rest break, sufficient wage to support daily essentials (NetMBA, 2007). Safety and security needs arise for protecting oneself from threats and harm either physically or emotionally on condition that physiological needs are satisfied. In the context of work, safety and security needs can be reflected through a safe working environment, retirement benefit, job security, etc (NetMBA, 2007). Since the two lower needs are satisfied, people are continuously seeking higher needs; thus the desire of interaction and communication with other people emerges. Belongingness needs covers this extent of peoples needs that receiving and giving love, and belonging to a group. Growth needs refer to the advancement and achievement of individuals potential; it includes self-esteem and self-actualization (Foster, 2005). Growth needs are indeterminate but higher than deficiency needs. Maslows theory assumes that higher needs will be the focus of the individuals attention and become dominant when the lower needs are satisfied (Armstrong, 2006). Self-esteem needs classified as internal and external. The desires for achievement, confidence, freedom and independence come from oneself. The external esteem is about the desire of attention, importance, recognition and reputation (Armstrong, 2006). Self-actualization implies the needs to maximum ones potential and advance skills, and the needs to achieve higher goals that one considers one is capable for it (Armstrong, 2006). Self-esteem and self-actualization lie on the top two layers of the pyramid of Maslows theory. Although they may be difficult to accomplish, they are the greatest drive for individual behaviour. However, Maslows theory is also questioned by other scholars for two points. Firstly, as Armstrong (2006) points out, the priority of different needs is varied with individual. Maslows hierarchy of needs theory indicates that people follow this hierarchy of needs steadily. Nevertheless, different people may have different need to be satisfied as their priority. There are two researches conducted among a group of managers from different organizations for examining Maslows theory. Lawler and Suttles research found managers predominant needs at the higher level are varied with individual (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). In another research, Hall and Nougaim found little evidence to support the theory of hierarchy as managers increasing attention on growth needs is mostly determined by the changes in upward careers instead of the satisfaction of lower-order needs (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Process theory C Goal Setting Theory As it has been mentioned, content theories are about what people are motivated. Simply, process theories suggest the means that people are motivated. They concentrate on the process of peoples decision-making and the actions they take in order to attain the expected goals (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). Process theory of work motivation has three major theories: equity theory, expectancy theory and goal-setting theory. Goal-setting theory states individual motivation and performance can be enhanced through setting a specific goal on condition that the goal is challenging but committed, and along with a feedback on performance (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). From the management perspective, goal is used as an effective means to manage motivation and to control organization performing in relation to the expected result (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). It also helps organizations to interpret and forecast employees work behaviour as the theory assumes behaviour is the outcome of sensible goals and purpose(Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Goal-settig theory contains four major propositions: challenging goals, specific goals, participation and knowledge of results (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). The four major propositions are regarded as the fundamental elements of goal-setting theory that mostly contribute to higher level performance (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Challenging goals are more likely to cause desirable performance. Once people commit the goal and believe it is achievable, they become goal-oriented; and they take actions for goal achievement (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Difficult goals require more effective outcome of behaviour than easy ones. Further, specific goals administer to higher level performance than general ones; for reasons of providing precise plan that people work upon. Participation in goal-setting theory is an important part as it is a proper way to get agreement on setting higher goals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). In this way, people are willing to make effort to accomplish the goals. Knowledge of results or feedback is playing the role of informing people of the results and maintaining motivation for higher goals (Armstrong, 2006). Theoretically, goal-setting is an effective method for organizations to managing work motivation and achieving high goals. However, it is doubted of its effectiveness out of laboratory setting (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Austin and Bobko point out goal-setting is likely to focus on quantity of work rather than quality of it as quantity is more measurable and clearer than quality when setting goals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Moreover, there may be conflicts among different goals in the real work context. To decide which goal is prior means to ignore or reserve the other goals. Thereby, the application of goal-setting is weakened (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Besides, goal-setting theory is limited to individual work and performance. In practice, group goals and performance, especially a companys goals and performance account for more importance (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Crown and Rose found setting group goals can enhance the performance of the group; and the group goals are consisted of individual goals agreed by individuals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Therefore, goal-setting theory is suggested to be applied to group or organizations as whole rather than stick on individual levels. Research Data Analysis The research aims to find out what people are motivated in the workplace and in which way they are motivated on the basis of Maslows hierarchy of needs theory and goal-setting theory. The data is collected through questionnaire from ten respondents. The first part of questionnaire is developed for exploring the motivators according to Maslows theory. The core proposition of Maslows theory is that peoples needs have five stages from low to high forming the hierarchy. Five specific items indicate the five levels of needs: reasonable wage, job security, employee relationships, achievement and recognition, opportunity of upward career (see appendix 1, Question 2). The research data presents that respondents give priority on different items. Reasonable wage implies the physiological needs which are the basic needs that must be satisfied. There are sixty percent of respondents ranking it as their priority; twenty percent rank job security (which represents safe and security needs) as their primary needs. Interestingly, twenty percent of respondents rank the theoretically top needs opportunity of upward career (which represents self-actualization needs) as their prime needs. For a further investigation on this question, a cross-tabulation is used in order to find out the relationship between the priority of needs and the role in a group. The data shows who play the role of doer and shaper in a group consider physiological needs are primary; who take the leader positions in a group attach more importance on higher needs, e.g. self-esteem and self-actualization needs. Moreover, the responses on Question 4 (see appendix 1) show there are certain percentage of respondents are willing to work under unfavourable conditions when they believe there is something valuable to them. From this point, it can hardly support Maslows theory that people have higher needs when their lower needs are satisfied. Reviewing Armstrongs doubt on Maslows hierarchy of needs, he points out that the priority of different needs is varied with individual. Therefore, peoples needs do not follow Maslows hierarchy strictly. Also, the data reveals that physiological needs, safe and securit y needs, and self-actualization needs are the top motivators among the respondents. The second part of questionnaire attempts to understand how people are motivated to deliver high-level performance. The questions are designed base on the theory of goal-setting. Seventy percent of responses show goals are able to improve the performance (see Appendix 1, Question 5). The other responses upon the points that specific goals, participation and knowledge of results lead to enhancement of performance positively support the theory of goal-setting (see Appendix 1, Question 7, 89). That is to say, most of respondent believe challenging goals and specific goals helps them to deliver an enhanced performance, and participation in goal-setting endows them the willingness to work toward the goals; finally feedback is regarded as a vital means to know how well they have been, also a form of motivator. Question 6 (see appendix 1) exposes the potential issue of application of goal-setting theory. It cannot be denied the possibility that people would accept higher goals if their lowe r needs are at risk of satisfaction. When such situation occurs, people acceptance of higher goal is reluctant. This may fails to produce an expected performance as the goal probably is exorbitant or the person is less motivated. Austin and Bobko argue that goal-setting theory concentrate on quantity rather than quality (Armstrong, 2006). The responses collected from ten respondents also point to this limitation. This issue can be perceived in different contexts. For instance, quantity can be understood as the number of product produced by individual workers or groups. In this situation, the goals set for individual or group have limited effectiveness on product quality. Yet, when quantity stands for the amount of money, for example sales amount, goal-setting theory is still effective on work motivation relating to the organization performance. An Evaluation of Motivation Theory in Practice In the literature review part, the proposition of Maslows hierarchy of needs represented the content theory of motivation has been explained. Also the limitation of this theory is discussed. Through the research, the weaknesses of Maslows theory are further exposed; especially the concept of hierarchy of needs is strict. Nonetheless, Maslows theory of needs helps organizations to have the idea of the basic nature of human motives (Porter, Bigley and Steers, 2003). Knowing the needs theory, Managers are able to manage work motivation by creating a work environment that aims to satisfy employees needs (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2005). Goal-setting theory is introduced to organization management as known as Management by Objectives (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2005. It is broadly applied in the organizations for its strengths of guiding and directing individuals to work toward the goal; and of providing indicators for performance evaluation (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2005). Goal setting is a process of advancing, negotiating and set objectives that challenge the individuals as well as the organizations. Therefore, as Crown and Rose state, setting group goals is more important than individual goals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). The group goals are consisted of several individual goals that are agreed by individuals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Therefore, the process of achieving group goals actually is the process of attaining group members individual goals. Thus, individual performance and group performance can be advanced through goal achievement. Conclusion Motivation is described as a process that needs-oriented pass through four stages: need, goal setting, action and achievement. Content theory helps to identify the elements that are able to motivate people. Maslows hierarchy of needs theory recognized five levels of peoples needs. By knowing the needs, organizations are able to motivate employee to deliver high level performance through satisfying their needs. Process theory is regarding to the methods of motivation. Goal-setting is an effective way in modern organization management. It identifies the relationship between goal and performance. It advocates that challenging and specific goal, participation and feedback can result in high level performance. Although goal-setting theory is argued that it focuses on individual goal and performance, it also can be employed in groups or organization. Further, setting group goals can improve the whole performance rather than individual. Therefore, it is sophisticate and effective way for wo rk motivation in modern organizations. REFERENCE Armstrong, M., (2006), A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 10th ed, Kogan Page Limited Arnold, J. and Silvester, J., (2005), Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace, 4th ed, Pearson Clegg, S., Kornberger, M., and Pitsis, T., (2005), Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to theory and Practice, SAGE Foster, N., (2005), Maximum Performance: A Practical Guide to Leading and Managing People at Work, Edward Elgar Publishing Griffin, R. W. and Moorhead, G., (2009), Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations, 9th ed, Cengage Learning Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D. A., (2007), Organization Behaviour: An Introduction Text, 6th ed. Pearson Kreitner, R. and Kinicki, A., (2004), Organizational Behavior, 6th ed, McGraw-Hill Koontz, H. and Weihrich, H., (2006), Essentials of Management, 7th ed, Tata McGraw-Hill Latham, G. P., (2007), Work Motivation: History, Theory, Research and Practice, SAGE Publication, Inc. Porter, L. W., Bigley, G. A. and Steers, R. M., (2003) Motivation and Work Behaviour, 7th ed, McGraw-Hill NetMBA, (2007), Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, NetMBA.com, Last accessed on 1st November at URL: http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/maslow/

The Impact of Absent Fathers in Black Female Upbringing Essay -- Famil

A father’s role in a child’s life is extremely important when it comes to a child’s development. With so much emphasis placed on young black boys needing their fathers during crucial developmental ages, the rate of our young black girls growing up without fathers is staggering and overlooked. What is an absent father? The definition is quite simple; an absent father can be defined as a father who is not present in the life of their child whether it is physically, emotionally, or both. Although the absence of a father is detrimental in any child’s life, the absence of such in a young black girl’s life is even more crucial. The absent father in a black girl’s life leads to, in some cases, promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, poverty, and emotional affects such as feelings of unworthiness and unable to be loved, fear of abandonment, and issues with rejection and commitment. The ways in which they view the opposite sex, the outside world and their self are forever tainted as a result of missing the key element of a father. I do not have any memories of my own father as a child. I met him when I was about fourteen years old. My mother and grandmother, with the help of my uncles and aunt, raised me. Although I had strong positive male role models in my life, there was always the void of my father that I dealt with on a daily basis. I can remember at a young age, before blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, I would wish that my father would show up to my party. I had elaborate daydreams of him coming back into my life and doing things with me like I saw on television. It never happened. While walking to the train station one evening my uncle casually said to me â€Å"there’s your father† as if I saw him on an everyday basis. I didn’t... .../p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2572_v121/ai_13358877/ Ellis, B.J., et al. 2003. Does father absence place daughters at special risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy? Child Development 74(May/June):801-821. Hogan, D., P., and Kitagawa, E. M. (1985). The impact of social status, family structure, and neighborhood on the fertility of black adolescents. Am. J. Sociol. 90: 825-855. Kost K, Henshaw S and Carlin L, U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity, 2010. Stanton, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Health Statistics."National Health Interview Survey." Hyattsville, MD, 1988. Toppo, Greg, â€Å"Obama urges absent fathers to re-engage in children's lives†. USA Today. 19 Feb, 2011. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-06-22-obamafathersday22_ST_N.htm

Fate or Free will Romeo and Juliet Essay

Fate: Is it just an excuse? Excuses are something people use to clear themselves or others of the blame of their own foolish actions. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it is not fate, but impulsive and desperate actions that bring about the downfall of Romeo and Juliet. In the Victorian era, fate was known as the development of events out of human control, and determined by a supernatural power. By no means was the demise of Romeo and Juliet out their control. It happened because of the choices they themselves to make. Romeo always blames his own reckless actions on fate. Romeo is warned not to go to the masquerade party but tells fate to â€Å"steerage of [his] course† and â€Å"direct [his] sail† and goes anyway. Romeo knows himself that he will die if he goes but still chooses to go. Romeo decides that whatever happens is up to fate and it’s completely out of his control. Also, after killing Tybalt, he calls himself â€Å"Fortune’s fool† and realizes he will be punished severely (Rom 3.1.142). Romeo is basically says he is a subject to the whims of fate. He thinks fate is playing around with him and not taking responsibility for what he himself did. However when he hears of Juliet’s â€Å"death† Romeo tries to â€Å"defy the stars† and kills himself (5.1.25). Romeo is taking responsibility for his actions by trying to defy his â€Å"fate† and finally taking thing into his own hands. This doesn’t work, since he didn’t bo ther to check if Juliet was still alive and just kills himself in his attempt to be together with her, even if it’s in death. Romeo uses fate to justify his actions and say that a power outside of his control fueled his action, but instead everything was just his impulsive choices. Juliet makes reckless and impulsive actions knowing very well what the consequences could be, and then blames it on her unavoidable fate. When Juliet first sees Romeo at the party, Juliet tells the nurse to â€Å"go ask [for his] name. If he be married† and says that her grave is â€Å"like to be [her] wedding bed†, foreshadowing her own death (1.5.148). Juliet wants to know if Romeo is married, and she is just a thirteen year old girl who saw Romeo the first time in her life. Juliet is the one that eventually proposes to Romeo, and she does this knowing to be married means her own death. When Romeo  visits Juliet on her balcony that night, she says she has â€Å"no joy of this contract tonight, it is too rash, too unadvised, [and] too sudden’ about Romeo swearing his love to her. Even before they are married, Juliet already knows their actions are impulsive. Combined with the fact that she even foreshadows her own death, she still rashly decides to marry Rome o. This wedding was by her own choice and not like the one where her parents force her to marry Paris. In addition, after Romeo leaves Juliet after their only night together, Juliet pleads to fate to â€Å"be fickle†, and to â€Å"not keep him long, but to send him back† to her (3.5.63). She also hopes that since Romeo is â€Å"renown’d for faith† unlike fate (which is fickle) fortune should be kind to him. She is excusing his killing of her cousin Tybalt with the fact that fate is unreliable and unpredictable. It wasn’t fate being unpredictable, it was Romeo losing his cool and acting rashly. Juliet shows that she knows the consequences of her actions, but goes forth with them anyways. Friar Lawrence’s reckless actions brought together the deaths, and he blames them on fate. When Friar John tells him that the letter couldn’t be sent, Frair Lawrence decides to blame it on â€Å"unhappy fortune† and not himself (5.2.17). He is a grown man, but decides to let Friar John travel alone to deliver the message. Instead of sending the message himself, he gives the crutial task to people that aren’t even involved. Knowing this, he blames his own blatant fault on fate being unhappy. Also, when Friar Lawrence walks in to see both Paris and Romeo dead, he says it is â€Å"lamentable chance† that they are dead (5.3.151). Again, fate is blamed for something easily avoided. He is saying that it was out of his control that the two died, but Frair Lawrence was the one who married them and masterminded the plan in the first place. Not only that, when Juliet awakens the Friar tells her â€Å"a power greater than [they] can contradict has thwarted [t heir] intents† and as a result, Romeo is now dead (5.3.158). When he talks about a power that could not be resisted he is talking about fate and how fate ruined the plan to reunite Romeo and Juliet. He was the one that botched the sending of the message to Romeo. The Friar just doesn’t take any responsibility at all for his actions and opts instead to blame uncontrollable forces. Throughout Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the characters’ own impetuous and  brash choices, not fate, bring about the deaths. Characters repeatedly used fate as an excuse by saying the series of events were completely out of their control. In contrast, everything could have been avoided if the characters just decided to think rationally. By having them blame fate, Shakespeare is asserting that people need to take responsibility for their own actions. They should realize it is their own choices that affect the future, not fate. People’s destinies can be changed, and it is not predetermined by an all-powerful force.

Is College Worth The Cost Essay

Is College Worth the Cost? Many people argue that college is not worth the cost. Some individuals say that college is too expensive and when they graduate they are not able to find a job with their degrees. People also say that college is not worth the amount of money they have to pay back in loans after they graduate. Those are all points stated in Rodney K. Smith’s essay â€Å"Yes, A College Education is Worth the Costs,† as he argues his point on why going to college and receiving a degree in an occupation of any sort. To others, a college education is worth the costs of the loans because pursuing a higher education will greater your chances of getting a better job, the college experience will teach you responsibility, also the rewarding opportunity you experience. Pursuing a higher education by attending college can greater your chances of getting a better job. When people go for a job interview, the interviewer is looking for someone with a college education. Yes, the person being interviewed may still get the job if they do not have a college education, but the person with the most education nine times out of ten will be the one chosen for the job. When someone has a higher education listed on their resumes it also qualifies them for a higher salary. Take working at a fast food restaurant for example. There are, crew members who earn minimum wage with nothing higher than a high school education, and then there are the store managers, general managers, district managers, etc. These are the people who have a college education and they earn anywhere from about ten dollars an hour and up. College has its perks even though the cost of it may deter people away, one has to be determined. Although college helps people solidify their future with a stable income, it will also teach individuals how to be responsible. One thing about college, if a person does not learn anything else he/she will learn how to be  responsible and prioritize their time, if they want to be successful. It is okay to want to go out and spend time with friends, but college is not like high school, were the teacher hands everything to the student and holds the students hand. In college, students are expected to be responsible and to keep up with their work/due dates of assignments. If one feels as though they are not responsible enough to be on their own and go off to college, then yes of course college would not be worth the cost. They would be wasting money especially if they are receiving financial aid, that money could go to some other student whom is more dedicate to being responsible and getting their work done. Although, there is an alternative to someone who wants to go to college and ge t an education but does not want to pay the high costs that big colleges and universities charge, community college. Many people have their own opinion towards whether college may or may not be worth the costs. The chance of an individual getting a great job with a pay raise that is more than minimum wage definitely makes college worth it. Even if you do not want to go to a big college or university where it cost a lot of money to attend you have the option of going to a community college. The responsibilities college teaches individuals will pay off in the end when a person enters the real world. The opportunity and the experience that a person gets out of going off to college is more than rewarding. There are many different options that students have if they do plan to get a college education but feel as though college might be a bit expensive. Works Cited Smith, Rodney K. â€Å"Yes, College is Worth the Cost.† Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Pratical Argument. New York: Bedford/St. Martin, 2014. 29-31.

Classes in the Kite Runner Essay

â€Å"Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. † This is the start of the tension between the two distinct social classes on pages 40-43 within the novel, The Kite Runner. The author’s purpose for placing this scene within the novel is to show the relationship held between the Hazara Tribe, and the Pashtun tribe, within Afghanistan. The scene in the book allows the reader to begin to understand the tension between the tribes, which fuels the story. Due to the research I completed on the tribes within Afghanistan, I can sharpen my knowledge and interpret the scene in the novel better. While researching, I discovered that the Hazaras have Mongol Characteristics. As a result of this, I was able to understand the scene better, when Assef called Hassan a â€Å"Flat-Nose. † The reason that Assef Called Hassan this, was to poke fun at his Mongol Characteristics, such as having a flat nose. In the same manner, Assef states, â€Å"how can you talk to him, play with him, let him touch you? † Through my research, I was able to learn that it was rare for Pashtuns to play with Hazaras. Hazaras are of a much lower class than Pashtuns, and are treated poorly. Within the scene, there are three apparent literary terms—parallel, imagery and diction. Parallel is used when â€Å"Hasan [holds] the slinghshot pointed directly at Assef’s face. † Hassan uses his slingshot in this scene, to fight Assef, and Hassan’s son uses a slingshot to hurt Assef towards the end of the book. Additionally, the author uses imagery, to show the intense tension between the boys. When Hassan pulls the slingshot, â€Å"his hand [trembles] with the strain of the pulled elastic band and beads of sweat [erupt] on his brow. † This imagery allows you to realize the amount of stress, and tension Hassan must undergo. Finally, the author uses diction, when he describes the actions of the characters, including when he states, â€Å"he made a sweeping, grandiose gesture with his hands. † The diction such as sweeping, and grandiose, allows the reader to fully understand what Assef is trying to convey. There are two main ideas within the scene; they are the ideas of Assef hating Amir and Hassan, and Hassan protecting Amir. Based on the key idea of Hassan protecting Amir, the theme of love appears. Amir uses his slingshot, and does everything that he can to protect Amir, display his love towards him.

Benefits and barriers for implementation of activity based costing Dissertation

Benefits and barriers for implementation of activity based costing systems in selected Asian countries - Dissertation Example Analysis of the three countries is provided. Ultimately, the paper concludes that activity-based costing could be extremely beneficial for Asian businesses. However, activity-based costing is virtually guaranteed to fail if it is imposed top-down or haphazardly. Barriers to implementation include different organisational and social cultures, different accounting norms and regulations, regulatory frameworks, fiscal policies, varying relationships to stakeholders, and other factors. If activity-based costing is to succeed, it must grow organically from the needs and behaviors of the organisations it is applied to. Introduction As Asian countries' financial operations become more closely attuned with and leveled against the West, it is likely that the model of activity-based costing (hereafter known as ABC) will spread to Asian enterprises. This paper analyzes three countries: The Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia and mainland China. These countries are immensely different from the West where act ivity-based costing is more common, with different fiscal policies, regulatory backgrounds, macro-economic statistics and behaviors, regional problems, resources, relations to customers and suppliers, and so forth. Ultimately, activity-based costing could be extremely beneficial for Asian businesses. However, activity-based costing is virtually guaranteed to fail if it is imposed top-down or haphazardly. ... 1.1: Definition Activity-based costing is defined by Rockford Consulting (1999) as â€Å"a method of allocating costs to products and services. It is generally used as a tool for planning and control. It was developed as an approach to address problems associated with traditional cost management systems, that tend to have the inability to accurately determine actual production and service costs, or provide useful information for operating decisions†. Without ABC, managers can make errors in calculation and strategy, particularly in companies with many â€Å"products or services†. The idea is to attribute costs to activities more than products themselves. This requires that processes are mapped and understood sufficiently to be priced or measured. A comprehensive idea of the organisation's process structure, overhead, engineering times, etc. have to be honestly calculated. Ultimately, much like scientific management, inefficiencies are exposed and accounting rectified in areas that were never expected to be problematic. Averkamp (2011) offers an example of activity-based costing that illustrates its benefits. Assuming two products engineered by the same company, â€Å"Product 124† being a â€Å"low volume item which requires certain activities such as special engineering, additional testing, and many machine setups because it is ordered in small quantities† and â€Å"Product 366† â€Å"a high volume product—running continuously—and requir[ing] little attention and no special activities†. Under a traditional costing regime, Product 124 has very low machine hours, thus it would have little overhead â€Å"spread† to it; but this is not an accurate representation of its cost. Similarly, Product 366 would apparently seem to cost a lot because of its