The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology

John B. Watson work on classical behaviorism that paved the way for B. F. Skinner's radical or operant behaviorism which has had a large impact on educational systems. Watson was one of the influential psychologists of the twentieth century. His material is still used in most psychology and educational psychology texts. Watson helped with defining the study of behavior anticipated Skinner's emphasis on operant conditioning and the importance of learning and environmental influences in human development.Watson’s criticized of Sigmund Freud has been given credit for helping to disseminate principles of Freudian psychoanalysis. Watson is known for the Little Albert study and his dozen healthy infants quote. Watson is given credit for popularizing the term behaviorism with the publication of his seminal 1913 article â€Å"Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It. † In the article, Watson argued that psychology had failed in its quest to become a natural science, largely due t o a focus on consciousness and other unseen phenomena.Rather than study these unverifiable ideas, Watson urged the careful scientific study of observable behavior. His view of behaviorism was a reaction to introspection, where each researcher served as their own research subject. The study of consciousness by Freud and Watson believed to be subjective and unscientific. Watson believed that controlled laboratory studies were the most effective way to study learning. In approach manipulation of the learner's environment was the key to fostering development.The approach stands in contrast to techniques that placed the emphasis for learning in the mind of the learner. The 1913 article gives credit for the founding of behaviorism but it had a minor impact after its publication. Watson prepared psychologists and educators for the highly influential work of Skinner and other radical behaviorists in subsequent decades. B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential theorists in modern psycho logy. His work was very important and has been studied by many for years. His theories have helped mankind in many ways.He studied the behavior patterns of many living organisms. His most important work was the study of behaviorism. John B. Watson, behaviorism is one of the most widely studied theories today; Influence in Psychology. B. F. Skinner was one of the most famous of the American psychologists. Skinner was responsible for experiments such as the â€Å"Skinner box†. He wrote some very famous books. One of them was â€Å"The Behavior of Organisms†. This book describes the basic points of his system. Another was Walden Two. This book describes a utopian society that functions on positive reinforcement.Behaviorism is a school of thought in psychology that is interested in observable behavior. Skinner said, â€Å"Behaviorism is not the science of human behavior; it is the philosophy of that science. † There are various types of behavior, such as innate beha vior. Innate behaviors are certain behaviors. B. F. Skinner, in his novel Walden Two, presents many arguments about how he foresees a positive change in the world through manipulation of behavior on the personal level. B. F. Skinner's entire system is based on operant conditioning. This organism is the process of operating on the environment.This operating the organism encounters a special kind of stimulus called a reinforcing stimulus or reinforcer. The special stimulus have the effect of increasing the operant which is the behavior occurring. Operant conditioning the behavior is followed by a consequence or the nature of the consequence modifies the organisms’ tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. Example; you have a cat and the cat just playing around with a ball and when you throw the ball at the cat and the cat catches it and you give him a treat. The cat is starts to catch the ball as you throw it in the air .The operant is the behavior prior to. The cat will s top the trick which you’re were enjoying. This is called extinction of the operant behavior. If you were to start showing the dog treats then likely the cat with start doing the tricks again and more quickly than the cat learned at first. This is because the return of the reinforcer takes place in a reinforcement history that goes all the way back to the first time the cat was reinforced for doing the tricks. Freud and Skinner agree that human behavior is the result of outside barriers that hinder the ideal of free ill. Skinner believes that humans in good environment can live happy while Freud understands that humans are design to live in some degree of anguish or discontent. Skinner uses the example of Walden Two to illustrate his ideas of how human behavior should be formed. Skinner’s argues on how to eliminate what he knows as problematic rests on his prescription of dismissing the notion of individual freedom. Skinner does not only say that the ideal of individual freedom is farce. He takes further and states that the search for it is where society has gone wrong.He wants no part in the quest for individual freedom. If we give up this illusion, says Skinner, we can condition everyone to act in acceptable ways. Skinner has a specific prescription for creating this utopian society. He believe that all that is necessary is to change the conditions which surround man. He believe that by controlling what a person's environment is it is possible to craft a man to behave in any way. Skinner wants to use this notion to create a world without pain and suffering. In Walden Two, he describes what conditions are necessary to create a world of happiness.Skinner proposes that to create his perfect society one need only to come up with the characteristics of what man should be. Edward Chace Tolman was a modern cognitive psychology. He showed that animals in learning mazes acquire organized spatial and temporal information about the maze and about the conse quences of various alternative behaviors. He was combating the dominant views of his time which emphasized the acquisition of conditioned reflexes rather than knowledge about environmental events. Although several short biographies or reviews of Tolman's contributions are (Crutchfield, 1961; Crutchfield et al. 1960; Hilgard, 1980; Innes, 1999, 2000; McFarland, 1993; Ritchie, 1964; Tolman, 1952), it is appropriate that one be included in an encyclopedia of learning and memory because workers in this field today are using ideas that were initiated and developed by Tolman. Tolman's findings and ideal have helped to shape modern understanding of learning, memory and cognition. Tolman was similar to the behaviorists in his ideals on objectivity and measurement. He did not believe reinforcement was necessary for learning to occur. Tolman (1932) proposed five types of learning: pproach learning, escape learning, avoidance learning, choice-point learning, and latent learning. All forms of l earning depend upon means-end readiness, goal-oriented behavior, mediated by expectations, perceptions, representations, and other internal or environmental variables But the problems with his work were that he poorly defined many terms that he used in his fundamental theories, and that is difficult to make predictions from a point of view because of lack of determining the nature and strength of expectations before hand and when or how expectations may change.There are different ways to think about humans and their behaviors. In modern psychology provide researchers a way to approach problems and find ways to explain and predict human behavior. Develop new treatment for problem with behaviors. All three men contributes to psychology even to psychologist are still using their methods in studies. Several area of the human’s behavior is accomplished by Skinner, Watson and Tolman that stand today in modern psychology.These men did not agree on every thing but made a caramel grou nd in studying the human behavior. Also they was studied of animal compare with the human’s behavior which many theory still exist today. These three men remain widely accepted, but all have contributed tremendously to our understanding of human thought and behaviors. The field of psychology has come a long way and these are three men that help paved the way for modern psychology for researchers and student who studied field pertaining to psychology. The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology Abstract Research and statistics are essential elements within the field of Psychology. Through the evolution of technology, the task of conducting adequate research and statistics methods have become abundant in methodology. Because of such, research collection and experimentation approaches of researchers and Psychologists, greatly vary in specificity. However, one method reigns true and consistent, and that is the Scientific Method; of which will be further explored.This paper will discuss and make sense of the roles in which both research and statistics play in the field of Psychology, and the procedures in which such methods are conducted will be defined. This will include explanations of the validity, importance, and relevance of the above stated procedures, as such are referenced for study. The Role of Research and Statistics in the Field of Psychology Research and statistics play a crucial role in the field of psy chology, both of which are used to ascertain and examine informational data. Such methods are used to greatly increase the effectiveness and success of an organization or field of study.Scientific or logical informational data is typically established through the use of the scientific method. Over the course of research history and study, the scientific method has become known to be the most reliable and consistent method of obtaining dependable knowledge. Such knowledge is then kept and utilized by researchers, either for their own study (primary data), or by a secondary party referencing said data (secondary data). Essentially, the field of Psychology is geared towards ascertaining the truth about people, the mental process, and behaviors that follow.The truth can only truly be found through the above methods. The Scientific Method For as long as the human mind has had thought, human beings have, in one way or another, questioned, observed, and analyzed the world we live in and th e way we proceed to live within it. These human beings, the thinkers, the observers, the analyzers have always been and still remain the scholars of their time period. The phrase â€Å"method of scholars† is an alternative title for the scientific method, for it is the absolute best set of methods in finding the truth, and of course the scholars would know. It has often been said that the greatest discovery in science was the discovery of the scientific method of discovery†: (Feibleman, 1972). This method is an investigation in which a problem is initially identified. With this, observations, experiments, and other relevant data (provided by research) are then used to create or test hypotheses that lead to conclusions about the original problem. The steps involved in this process include: 1) Forming a testable hypothesis. 2) Devising a research plan and method of application. 3) Collecting data and researching. 4) Analyzing the data and reaching possible conclusions abo ut the study. ) Report findings. This research can be characterized as an activity of creative work that is carried out in a systematic way in an effort to increase knowledge and truth. In the field of psychology, this refers to the knowledge of the human mind, human behavior, cultures, and societies. In order to fully understand how researchers, scientists, psychologists, scholars, and students alike reach such conclusions, one needs to recognize the importance of the research process and measures that are applied when conducting the various types of psychological research.With this knowledge, one will not only understand what is involved in reaching conclusions about psychology, but also how to do so oneself. (McLeod, 2008) Primary and Secondary Data. Primary and secondary data are both key components in any piece of information. These two types of data are used within many avenues of life, not just research and science. They can be published or unpublished and in any media presen tation, from print to electronic. Therefore, since Primary and secondary data are quite abundant, yet perhaps undistinguishable from the uneducated eye†¦ What exactly are the differences and characteristics of such?The distinct difference between primary and secondary data is the method of research in which the data was found. While primary data is both researched and utilized by the same source, secondary data comes from the research of a combination of external or secondary sources. An accurate example of primary data is that of personal vital statistics records, for such are accounts that have been personally witnessed and recorded by the source, and then kept by public institutions, as well as the source. Specific examples of personal records would include but are not limited to: birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses.Such examples are vital to the functioning of an individual and the organization (country) of which that individual resides. Additional ly, such documents can be used in genealogical research, and other research projects related to society, culture, and psychology. One stepped removed from the original source of data, would be data that is secondary. A prime example of such would be information found in textbooks and historical documents, which are comprised of information that was borrowed from multiple primary sources.Case in point, when a history book includes computed data regarding a regions birth and death rates for a specific time period, the birth and death certificates would have originally been considered primary data, but when utilized and calculated by an outside source for the purpose of a study shown in the book, that data then becomes secondary. (McLeod, 2008) Statistics in Research. Statistics are a crucial part of research. Without, statistics, it is nearly impossible to attain a definitive conclusion and/or compute data in any research study.Being that the study of statistics is the science of coll ecting, analyzing, and making inferences from data, it quite literally communicates research findings in an effort to give credibility to the research itself. Obviously, it is imperative that researchers understand statistics, however, it is also important that the general population has at least a basic understanding of such. For not only researchers, but the entire population is bombarded by statistics every day, and in one way or another, everyone performs research.Whether the research is nominal, such as comparing prices, or significant, such as proving a ground breaking psychological theory, the point remains that it is all research and all research is comprised of statistics (Aron & Coups, 2009). Conclusion. Arthur Schopenhauer once said, â€Å"Just as the largest library, badly arranged, is not so useful as a very moderate one that is well arranged, so the greatest amount of knowledge, if not elaborated by our own thoughts, is worth much less than a far smaller volume that h as been abundantly and repeatedly thought over. Schopenhauer’s quote is an excellent representation of the importance of research, the scientific method, primary data, secondary data, and the role of statistics in research. Essentially, an abundance of information is only influential and valuable when it has been analyzed and brought to purposeful point. Through the understanding and proper use of the above explored topics, one can surely make a positive impact upon the field of Psychology and research alike. References Aron, A. , Aron, E. N. , & Coups, E. J. (2009). Statistics for psychology (5th ed. ).Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Darwin, Charles. (1859). On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 428. Retrieved from http://todayinsci. com/QuotationsCategories/P_Cat/Psychology-Quotations. htm Feibleman, Dr. James. (1972). The Scientific Method. Retrieved from http://www. scientificmethod. com/index2. html McLeod, S. A. (2008). Psychology as a S cience. Retrieved from http://www. simplypsychology. org/science-psychology. html Reiff, Harwood, Phillipson. (2002). â€Å"A scientific method based upon research scientists' conceptions of scientific inquiry. (Presentation). Presented at the Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science. Retrieved from http://cires. colorado. edu/education/outreach/rescipe/collection/inquirystandards. html Sage, Nicole. (2001). â€Å"Steps of the Scientific Method†. Introduction to Research. Retrieved from http://finntrack. co. uk/learners/research. htm Figures The Scientific Method based on Research Scientists’ Conceptions of Scientific Inquiry (Reiff, Harwood, Phillipson , 2002) Standard Steps of the Scientific Method (Sage, 2001)

History of Behavior Modification Essay

Behavior Modification is defined as the use of rewards or punishments to reduce or eliminate problematic behavior, or to teach an individual new responses to environmental stimuli. The goal of a behavior modification program is to change and adjust behavior that is inappropriate or undesirable. Two main tools used in behavior modification are positive and negative reinforcement. Behavior modification can be traced to lab research as far back as the 1800’s and 1900’s. Most of this research was done through experimenting with animals. Many had impacting research, here are a few. Ivan P. Pavlov (1849-1936) -Concerned with stimuli that evoke responses (noise, food, lights, etc.) -Pavlov’s famous dogs: Gastric secretions were stimulated at the sight of food (a reflex response). Indicated that digestive processes could be stimulated without direct contact. -He then focused his research on how connections were made between environment stimuli and reflex reactions. This type of learning became know as Classical Conditioning. -Classical conditioning is concerned with stimuli that evoke involuntary or automatic responses. Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949) -Not concerned with reflex responses like Pavlov. -Focused on the learning of new behavior. -Well known for his research involving cats and a puzzle- box. -Placed hungry cats in a maze and timed how long it took for them to reach the food at the end of the puzzle. He found that the cats got faster and faster. (learned behavior) -From this research Thorndike formed laws of behavior, one of the most famous being the Law of Effect. -The Law of Effect states that the consequences that follow behavior help learning, and that rewards, positive and negative, provide consequences that increase the learning of behavior. B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) -Like Thorndike, Skinner focused on learning that resulted from consequences. -From his research, such as, the Skinner Box, the pigeon project, and the baby box, Skinner stated that all behavior is followed by a consequence, and that consequence determines the likeliness of repeating that behavior. -When an association between a behavior and a consequence is formed it is known as Operant Conditioning. -Operant conditioning is learning that is based on a trial and error process in which a subject remembers what behaviors have elicited positive, pleasurable, responses and which elicited negative ones. Simply put, behavior modification is based on the idea that events occur before a specific behavior, and events occur after that behavior as well. The appropriate behavior is learned by observing and changing the pre-event behavior and the post-event behavior so that the appropriate behavior  increases and the inappropriate behavior decreases. The use of rewards to help affect this increase in appropriate behavior is called positive reinforcement- i.e.–strokes, gifts, more privileges, etc. The use of punishment is called negative reinforcement. i.e.–spankings, withdrawal of privileges, etc. To stop an inappropriate behavior, first the behavior must be observed. Then, a pattern can be recognized and a system of rewards can then be constructed. Using positive reinforcement, a choice is presented and if a desired action occurs, a reward is presented. If undesirable behavior takes place no reward would be given. This is an example of negative reinforcement. As the juvenile justice system enters a new era, it is faced with major challenges. Each year it is estimated that police arrest nearly 2 million youths under the age 18 on criminal charges. Nearly 10,000 children under 17 appear before judges in the Cook County Circuit Court Juvenile Justice Division every year. The court refers many of these to the juvenile probation department because they offer several alternatives to detention. Electronic monitoring, home confinement, and intensive supervision are among their abundant services. With the collaboration of social service agencies and community-based organizations, the department works to afford every youth in its supervision structured programming and services. All services are performed with an emphasis on public safety while also attending to the needs of minors. The current mission statement of the Juvenile Probation Department is as follows: â€Å"To serve the welfare of children and their families within a sound framework of public safety. The Department is committed to providing the guidance,  structure and services needed by every child under its supervision. In partnership with the community, the Juvenile Probation Department †¦directs delinquent children toward reforming their behavior and making responsible decisions according to the principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice.†(cookcountycourt.org) Alongside this mission the probation department has a prescribed set of objectives that it operates under that assists them in being able to effectively respond to the increasingly complex need of delinquent children. Of the 8 goals named in conjunction with the mission there are two that spotlight principles set forth by the balanced and restorative justice initiative. *To assist the court in developing interventions that serves the needs of the minor and facilitates the restoration of the victim and the community. *To instill in all children a sense of responsibility for their actions and a belief in their own innate value and potential through a combination of individualized attention and community networking (cookcountycourt.org). Prior to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 1998 the department always encouraged community involvement. But, a more sophisticated approach has been implemented to create equilibrium between the offender, the victim, and most importantly the community affected by the crime committed. They believe no child is beyond the realms of rehabilitation. They are confident that any child can benefit from rehabilitation and treatment. With these realizations in mind, and an increase in juvenile offenders, the probation department has moved away from locking youth up and taken a kinder, gentler approach in dealing with troubled youth. Innovative alternatives to detention are becoming more prevalent worldwide, especially within the confines of juvenile probation. Several program improvements and changes in legislation can be in part credited for these changes. However, the most important factor responsible  for effecting change in the mission of the department is the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 1998. This reform has put in a call to † strike a balance between the juvenile justice system’s long standing orientation toward rehabilitation and the more recent trend toward a more punitive system that holds juveniles accountable for their actions†(ICJIA). The adoption of the balanced and restorative justice plan is outlined in a purpose and policy clause of the Act. Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Randall Roberts, one of the principal facilitators of the legislation, says the clause gives â€Å"specific guidance to judges, as well as others who work in the system† (ICJIA). With the introduction of this reform the probation department and other agencies working within the juvenile justice system have had to reassess their objectives in a manner that addresses the communities’ need for balance. Keeping the Promise to America’s Youth Nearly five years after this reform the juvenile justice system has recognized the benefits both the system and the child receive when cases are referred for probation instead of detention. Children are indeed responsive to intervention, supervision, mentoring, and other forms of growth and development offered by probation. Proof can be seen in the stories of the 19 men and women in Second Chances who’s lives changes because of the flexibility and leniency of the juvenile justice system. Without the commitment and service of probation departments nationwide such successful second chances would be hard to obtain. aftercare focuses on reintegration into the community, using a counselor. This counselor includes the family and community when assessing their method of care. After a program is made to suit the individual, there is strict supervision, used in conjunction with rewards and sanctions available to the successful candidate.

Tire City Case

Tire City, Inc. Analysis As a lender, I would have no problem giving a loan to Tire City, Inc to help finance their growth for the following reasons. The first thing that is apparent is the annual revenue growth. It is expected to steadily increase by 5% in the coming years. This means that Tire City has strong operating cash flows to fund its day-to-day operations. Additionally, Tire City, Inc has improved in total asset turnover over the years, suggesting that they are indeed growing their revenue in proportion to sales. Also, their net margin, gross margin, and return on equity have stayed constant over the years.It is good that there has been no significant decrease in these ratios. Furthermore, their noteworthy sales growth from ’93-’97 suggests they are finding ways to bring in more money such as increasing their prices. Another thing to be considered is the inventory turnover and payables period. It could be a concern that the inventory turnover period is at almo st 60 days; however, the payables period has been decreasing over the past few years, which means that Tire City is able to pay off some of their debt to creditors more frequently.Also, the company’s current ratio has been improving with only a slight drop in 1996. This proves the company has liquidity and is having no problem generating cash. Plus, it is apparent that the company has more assets than equity as the years move forward, meaning that they are trying to lower their financial leverage and their level of risk as they continue to grow. All things considered, I would be comfortable loaning funds to Tire City, Inc to finance their growth for it seems they have the resources necessary to pay back this loan in the future.

IT Failures in History and How They Could Have Been Avoided Research Paper

IT Failures in History and How They Could Have Been Avoided - Research Paper Example Why did the companies never focus on advertising as they would have? While researching this topic, I realized that some of the products were not globally recognized. Why were the products not globally known to consumers all around the world? May be the communication was not good enough. The most important question that prevails in my mind is that why the communication networks were not used as extensively as they would have to market the high-tech products? (Flyvbjerg, 2011). From this situation of products of IT falling in the market, we can derive that there was a lack of communications all across the globe. Particularly, there is a desperate need for efficient teamwork which makes sure that the whole organization thinks the same way. Famous leaders, such as Cameron have comprehended that a mutual structure for a strong hand by the government will ensure enhanced communications. The communications process should be well recognized and well integrated all across the organization (So urcing Shangri-La, 2011). The worldwide language of end-to-end business procedure has to be holistic particularly. The whole communication process has to be well integrated within the organization so that it spends enough on advertising and promotion to let people know of the company’s products. The combination of risks, analysis, compliance, quality, and document has to well integrate in the firm. Different stakeholder groups have to be treated differently by the management of the firm to support IT processes with the businesses. Also, bolster the people through continuous improvement of the organization (Sourcing Shangri-La, 2011). These problems, issues and questions have been answered by prestigious leaders in the field of Information Technology. As described earlier, an integrated system of communications has to be used by the company. Obviously, this is not an easy task practically. Theoretically, it seems like it is clear and neat but realistically, it is not. Complete execution of communications also goes through confrontation which is beyond the normal pace of work (The TIME Magazine). It is difficult to shift the whole culture of information technology communications to welcome simplicity and new levels of accountability and visibility in the organization. But, there is an even greater reason for just adhering to things and viewing change as hazardous. It is because management wants to keep a level of control and certainty to itself which is prevalent in the cases of bigger projects. The project control cannot be lost and so all activities need to be coordinated within the organization for a much wide viewpoint. This is the prime way that huge IT failures can be avoided or eschewed and millions of dollars could be saved (The TIME Magazine). Approximately ninety percent of all SMEs close down almost two years after losing data that could never get recovered. According to the Manager Director at City Lifeline, Roger Keenan, SME’s are the ones most susceptible to data losses as six hours of downtime makes pay for a working day. It is important for SMEs to save files not only on hard drives but also on secure and protected locations which are off the site. Also, collocation data centers assist in these disasters when all the information is gone by safeguarding the servers and equipments which are

Risk Appraisal and Remediation of Oil-contaminated systems Dissertation

Risk Appraisal and Remediation of Oil-contaminated systems - Dissertation Example The main purpose of the determination of both the risk posed to the receptors and the extent of that side was mainly achieved through background research and essential data collection, the development of a conceptual site model (CSM) describing the pollution linkages and the risk values calculated by using the RISC4 software. Through the conceptual site model and software used in the conduct of the research, a number of important results were found. For instance some of the high risk receptors of the various risks that were posed were found to include workers of the company on board the vessel that crashed against the Bligh Reef, the marine animals in areas of 5,500 square meters (14,000km2), the water within the area of 5,500 square meters (14,000km2) and air within 5,500 square meters around the spill. Again, the quantitative results turned out an average risk of 5.2E+02. Having identified the pollution linkage and the risk posed to receptors, one of the core objectives of the rese arch was then to identify remedial actions that are necessary in reducing the possible harm that receptors may receive. Out of the discussions, it became clear that a well coordinated risk assessment held the key in preventing the disaster. On the other hand, key factors like the fact that the Bligh Reef, which was the site of the disaster had a number of environmental conditions such as the presence of plant forest and high tidal activities, which were all sources of the accident. The fate of the crude oil, which includes the ability of the oil to evaporate and undergo volatilisation also accounted for the degree of harm that was caused because the air became highly polluted. Several pathways which included both active and passive pathways also made it possible for the hazard to reach receptors, which included human receptors and environmental receptors. In order to curtail the intensity of the harm that receptors may get from the spill the use of solidification as a remediation st rategy is suggested. This is because it helps in further spread of spilled oil to nearby sources. For all future oil transportation, it is recommended that a technology based risk assessment models such as RISC 4 be used to get a better idea of the levels of risks that exists so that appropriate remedial measures will be taken in relation to the identified risks. Keywords — Risk assessment, fate, receptors, contaminants, transport pathway, oil spill, RISC 4 Table of Contents Introduction 6 Historical Background 6 Natural Environment of Prince William Sound 9 METHODOLOGY 17 Sources of Information 17 The present study was conducted following the qualitative research approach. Subsequently, a lot of secondary data were collected for analysis under the methodology section of the paper. By secondary data, reference is being made to the fact that the data collected made use of existing data on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. This was necessary to do because the data collected did not h ave immediate access to primary data from the disaster grounds where first hand data collection could be collected. Noting the need to ensure a high quality paper that could be trusted as reliable and valid, the data collected ensured that only authentic academic sources of information were used. These included information from academic journal, books from the National Geographic Library and of course, internationally approved statistical websites. 17 Model used for Data

Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Amazon - Essay Example Amazon remains focused on providing convenience and excellence in customer service, much of which is promoted with the assistance of technologies. The company’s internal culture is aligned to respond and adapt to changing market conditions, giving the business a significant competitive advantage over other rivals. 2. The features of Amazon’s strategy Amazon is a leader in understanding its target market characteristics and then adjusting the organisational culture, products and services, and marketing strategies to appeal to these known characteristics. Amazon has identified three market segments that the business will service, including consumer customers, seller customers, and developer customers. It is a very customer-centric organisational model that seeks, primarily, growth as an objective. Amazon accomplishes this by establishing a pricing structure under a price leadership strategy, offering a vast assortment of merchandise, and injecting convenience into the bus iness model (Stockport 2010). The business’ vision to be the most consumer-centric business in its industry reflects how Amazon continues to develop strategies, both corporate-level and business-level, to ensure that it fulfils these promises for focus on providing value to its many diverse markets. One method of promoting this value and convenience is the recent program entitled Frustration-Free Packaging, which was designed to ensure consumers could easily remove their products from Amazon’s packaging. Cloud computing, additionally, provides its developer customers with low-cost IT services and the ability to outsource many business functions for further cost-savings. The continual development of new services, such as the MP3 Music Store, IMDb.com allowing for television program viewing, and launch of the Office Supplies Store in 2008, illustrates the constant evolution of the business model that caters to a wide variety of target markets with varying needs. Innovati on, as compared to competition, is what makes this business model difficult to replicate by rivals and secures the promises of being consumer-centric that makes up the foundation of corporate strategy. 3. Analysis of Amazon’s internal environment Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, is a firm believer in corporate frugality. In the company’s headquarters, this thrift is evident with employee desks that have been recycled from doors, at an estimated cost of $130 USD and monitors that rest on telephone books to avoid the high costs of stands (University of Graz 2013). Amazon maintains very powerful competitive advantage as it relates to human capital, having established a firm set of values and a shared vision that allows for decentralised business function for better teamwork and interpersonal relationship development. In order to develop the appropriate service culture necessary for Amazon to achieve its mission of consumer-centrism, the organisation must have leadership t hat is visionary, one that establishes and iterates mission and vision, and inspire others through positive and ethical leadership traits (Fairholm 2009). Figure 1: Internal Competency Framework Success factors for internal efficiency Figure 1 illustrates the six competencies of the internal organisational culture at Amazon that contribute to fulfilment of the customer-centric mission and vision. The decentralised structure provides employees with opportunities to engage socially and professionally to establish a team culture that is flexible and where knowledge transfer is part of the organisational model with tacit and explicit knowledge holders in multiple divisions of the business model. Coupled with a cultural attitude for reducing overhead (the Amazon frugality culture), the business is able to devote more resources

Ethical Dilema Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Dilema - Assignment Example In the case that the child does not agree on the verdict being declared by the court, then it is the responsibility of the court to reassess their verdict and reevaluate the certain dilemma for a possible solution to the problem. In a rule-based approach, the court needs to reassess the laws in relation to the current case. According to the Kermani and Weis (1995), biological parents are entitled the power and warrant to raise their own kids; thus, considering one of the government principle which is â€Å"the right of the parents† (p. 261). Nevertheless, some parents are guilty of parental negligence towards their children, and then government agencies have the power to overrule such rights, through court, and take their children away from their custody. However, parents can regain their rights when proven that they have change for the better and best for their children, similar to the case, the biological parent undergo rehabilitation and have the confidence to take back their daughter. Thus, it is every parents right and dream to have an intact and structure family, and it is the responsibility of the government to help them reestablish to what has been broken (Kermani & Weis, 1995; Talbot, 2007). However, in the care-based approach, the court needs to reassess its verdict by considering themselves within the shoes of the child and focusing more to be empathetic rather than being more to the legal based thus considering â€Å"the interest of the child.† In this case, the child has developed an emotional and psychological attachment towards her foster parents and has a hard time detaching from them. It is important for the court to consider the union made between the child and her foster parents rather than breaking the link with each other. Thus, if the court decides to follow the mandated law, then it is also their obligation to help the child adjust with her current situation by not totally breaking the rights of the

Leaders and policy makers - making tourism more sustainable Research Paper

Leaders and policy makers - making tourism more sustainable - Research Paper Example I declare that this assignment is all my own work and the sources of information and material I have used (including the internet) have been fully identified and properly acknowledged as required in the referencing guideline given in the Course Handbook which I received. Groupwork: all members should be identified at the top of this form, but only one member need submit the work. Please clearly indicate the name/letter of the group. Approval for Extended Submission: Approved Extension Date: (to be completed by the Programme Leader) Contents Contents 3 Eccardt, T. 2004, Secrets of the Seven smallest states of Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. Hippocrene Books. 21 1. Introduction: This research paper â€Å"Leaders and Policy Makers- Making Tourism More Sustainable† will explore the impacts of policies and leadership capabilities on making tourism sustainable. The country chosen in this case study is Malta. The reason behind t he selection of this industry and this country is because the researcher belongs to Malta, and has ample experience in this industry. Tourism is a very important industry and plays an extensive and lucrative role in the economy of any country. The countries which have explored and utilized their own tourism potential are leading the economic charts today all around the world. Analysis of economically developed and developing countries especially those which have a very high per capita income shows that most of these countries have efficiently developed tourism industry at home. Tourism brings foreigners which ultimately lead to increased foreign exchange which is one of the most important indicators of a developed country. For example, Switzerland which is 133rd largest country in the world area wise has 4th highest per capita income figures in the world. Although the economy of Switzerland is very strong and has been persistent over the time but their real source of economic stabil ity and contribution comes from the well developed and lucrative tourism industry. The flourishing GDP of Switzerland is the result of well developed and organized tourism industry. (Aminu, 2009). Tourism industry in Malta can also bring huge foreign capital and foreign exchange to Malta with ample economical benefits. Malta has the tourism potential and can make the best use of it if policies are planned carefully. Tourism industry can be most beneficial if it is developed on a plan that would ensure the future sustainability. Leaders and policy makers can play a very positive and important role in developing a successful, lucrative and sustainable tourism industry. Planning sustainable tourism carefully can lead to sustainable tourism and regular growth of GDP through decades. This is what the policy makers must keep in mind while planning milestones and policies of any industry (Gupta, 2008). This report is based on secondary data. A lot of data has been studied to come up with t his research report. Analysis of the situation has been done on the basis of existing policy documents. Malta’s climate and sea remain the primary reasons why tourists flock to this resort. A natural harbor present in the island, offering significant protection to naval vessels, has enhanced Malta’s strategic location for any conqueror that seeks to dominate the Mediterranean Sea. Romans, Normans, Arabs, British and

Module 5 Discussion Taca Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Module 5 Discussion Taca - Assignment Example First, the author’s use of flashbacks in successive paragraphs ensures that the narrator gives us enough background of former events. It implies that Russell is concerned with merging both the present and the past for the essence of not only memory, but equally growing up. ‘Long after you have supposedly been cured of malaria, the fever can flare up, the tremors can shake you (Russell 3).’ Therefore, the sentence is favourite to me because it reminds of the narrator’s personal fears. My first reaction on reading it evoked the feelings of a timid childhood that were often characterized by small fears. It means the author evoked the reaction through the inclusion of the disease called malaria that is prevalent in different areas around the world. Second, the idea of growing up in Russell’s story has the connotations of symbolism of innocence of the Mother’s obsession with her child to suppress important memory of growing up and

The Swimmer Essay Example for Free

The Swimmer Essay Within John Cheerver’s, The Swimmer we can learn a lot about life choices and priorities. Cheerver demonstrates the effect of social standing in the novel through the eyes of the main character Needy. Needy has let his social standing overpower him, which eventually leads him to a life without social activity. Cheerver effectively communicates his message to the reader by combining a wide variety of symbolism and excitement. Throughout the novel the author uses a plethora of examples to display his message and even incorporates his views within the theme of the novel. A respectable theme in The Swimmer is the inevitable passage of time. This theme is clearly established through the protagonist of the novel, Needy. In the beginning of the story the author provides the reader with a clear background of Needy’s life. The information about Needy’s life is crucial to the story because it helps the reader understand and connect with the character. Needy believes that he does not have to keep in touch with his friends because the life he leads. With his high social standing, Needy believes that he is inferior to others. Life continues to pass by as Needy lives his life on the outskirts. It isn’t until it’s too late that Needy becomes aware of his surroundings and realizes he has wasted much of his life. The damage he has caused in life cannot be undone due to his lack of care and concern for others. Not only is Needy’s social life irreplaceable at the end of the novel, but he has become dependent on alcohol. It appears that Needy has grown to become his own worst enemy in life. On the contrary, Cheerver helps develop his theme of the novel through the use of symbolism. Within, The Swimmer, symbolism is frequently used as a technique to tie together the story. For example, the author portrays symbolism within the text through the multiple swimming pools Needy encounters. Each swimming pool Needy comes across represents a different time period in his life and a different group of friends Needy has known. As Needy swims from pool to pool he comes across his haunting past. Not aware of his surroundings, he continues on from pool to pool. Swimming pools arent the only symbolic object within the text. Empty houses are also part of the symbolism that is used within the novel. Needy reaches his own backyard to find an empty house with locked doors. This abandoned house becomes a symbol for Needy’s lonely and unsociable life. When Needy is at the house he finally comes to reality with his life. He finally comes to the realization that he has pushed away everyone close in his life . He has no one to talk to and feels as though he is lonely in the world. Not only does Cheerver use symbolism in his story but he also incorporates imagery. The author uses seasons as a way to help readers understand the different stages in Needy’s life. The author uses the warmer months to represent happier moments in Needys life while the colder months portray the weary and unsettling moments in his life. Seasons come and go, and so do people in our life. Needy thought that his life was untouchable, but soon came down from his cloud and realized what he had done. The theme of the inevitable passage of time truly represents the novel. People can take this story and easily connect it to their own lives. Coming from Cheerver’s past, this novel appears to be a mockery of his life. By mocking his own life, the author wants his readers to open their eyes and realize that the only thing that constantly changes is time itself. With that being said, Cheerver wanted to be a mediator for those who have started to jump into pools, and to those who have yet to jump. He warns those who have not â€Å"stepped† into the pool to step back from the edge and take a good look at what’s around them. He hopes to inform readers to never take anything for granted because nothings lasts forever.

The pcs model in understanding internalised gender oppression

The pcs model in understanding internalised gender oppression In order to find out how helpful the PCS Model is in relation to internalised gender oppression, I must first gain insight and try to understand the structure of Neil Thompsons theoretical model. The PCS Model refers to the need to recognise that discrimination operates at three separate but interrelated levels, the personal, cultural and structural which interact with one another. The PCS Model attempts to explain how and why discrimination occurs and therefore leads to internalised oppression. The links between discrimination and oppression can be seen throughout such things as the economy, the differential distribution of financial resources and the allocation of societys rewards is a key factor underpinning global poverty and social deprivation. Other social reasons include the extent to which an individual is integrated into society and receives the benefits of its opportunities; this usually depends on their social status in terms of social divisions such as class, ethnicity an d gender. Political access to power is not evenly distributed throughout society and once again relates to social divisions, the variable component when it comes to social organisation. These existing inequalities are maintained through processes of discrimination that allocate an individuals life chances and power resources in such a way as in to reinforce existing power relations. The personal level of the PCS Model refers to the way that an individuals thought, emotion and the resulting actions can have a significant impact on inequality and oppression. Discrimination on a personal level is often referred to as prejudice. This involves an individual forming a judgement and refusing to consider or change their judgement, whilst ignoring any considerable evidence that would contradict and undermine it. Often such judgments are based on a perceived stereotype of a particular individuals social status such as class, ethnicity and gender. However, explanations of internalised gender oppression on personal level need to be understood in its broader context as it ignores any other contributing factors such as culture and the surrounding environment. The personal level only considers the individuals significant role towards gender oppression, which can often be refused if they feel as though it was unintentional rather than understanding how their attitudes has helpe d it become internalised. The personal level also fails to recognise the affects of discrimination on the individual, as the differences of impact can fluctuate, whilst others may correspond. However, the cultural level recognises that an individuals beliefs, values and actions are simply social patterns that are shared across particular groups. Culture refers to the ways of life of the members of a society, or of groups within a society. It includes how they dress, their marriage customs and family life, their patterns of work, religious ceremonies and leisure pursuits (Giddens, 1993). Language can be seen as an integral part of cultural behaviour as it reflects the cultural norms, assumptions and patterns whilst contributing to its distribution through the generations. This combination of language and culture can show the way for individuals to take things for granted which Berger and Luckmann (1967) refer to as, the taken-for-grantedness of every day life. Both lead to thoughts and actions that individuals feel they do not need any additional confirmation about other than its simple existence, therefore it becomes routine often without the individuals awareness. The in dividual is capable of engaging in doubt about their existence, but feels obliged to suspend such doubt as they routinely exist in everyday life. This can lead to an individuals psychological integration in order to pursue their everyday activities without questioning their motivation, thus preventing an overload of information. On the other hand an individual may have the tendency to see their existence confined to one culture as they accept a set of social norms and values failing to recognise significant cultural differences based on an individuals perceived judgement that one culture is more superior than another. The cultural level of Neil Thompsons PCS Model is important in helping understand internalise gender oppression as culture is, in itself, a site of discrimination. (Thompson, 1998). For example, just as racism is the belief of one culture having superiority over another, sexism is the belief of one gender having superiority over another. The resulting oppression is sim ply therefore a socially constructed and supported mistreatment of a gender. The cultural level recognises the significance of difference and diversity rather than failing to go beyond an individuals own perspective. Thus, for men to appreciate the significance of sexism and to contribute to anti-sexism, they must begin to see what the world looks like through womens eyes. (Thompson, 1998). Therefore, living life from a masculine perspective and ignoring to understand another can lead to a narrow view and experience of internalised gender oppression. However, the individual actions on a cultural level have limitations as it is underpinned by the overall structure. The structural level considers the influences of various social, political and economic factors as they are constantly interacting. The political factors include the unequal distribution of power between individuals and groups leading to economic differences such as wealth and poverty increasing social divisions. In theory the cultural patterns of internalised gender oppression are a result of men maintaining social order and positions of power through structured inequalities involving a process in which individuals or groups with particular attributes are better able than those who lack or are denied these attributes to control or shape rights and opportunities for their own ends (Thompson, 1995). This allows advantaged groups to profit from greater opportunities and resulting privileges that are available within society. Anthony Giddens (1991) recognised that are four institutional dimensions of modernity including capitalism, for its control over the system of production and indus trialism fro the application of power through production. Thirdly, Giddens identifies coordinated administrative power focused through the monitoring of surveillance and fourthly, its military power each playing a pivotal role in modernity. The PCS Model also considers capitalism to be involved in the exploitation of an individual or group by another for economic control relating to other forms of exploitation and internalised gender oppression. The consequent administrative power is distributed those groups who have a substantial role within society such as social work as they have the power to influence the more vulnerable members of society. Discrimination is simply a matter of identifying differences, and can be positive or negative Thompson (1998), however negative discrimination involves not only identifying differences but also making a negative attribution consequently attaching a negative or detrimental label or connotation to the individual or group concerned. This means individuals or groups are being discriminated against following clear social patterns in terms of class, race, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation etc. When such negative discrimination occurs, the resulting experience is often one of oppression which can be defined as Inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals or groups, hardship and injustice brought about by the dominance of one group over another, the negative and demeaning exercise of power. Oppression often involves disregarding the rights of an individual or group and is thus a denial of citizenship. (Thompson, 1997). Discrimination is a major contributory factor in relation t o oppression. That is, a fundamental source of oppression is the set of processes by which certain social groups are discriminated against and thereby disadvantaged. However the oppression associated with sexism is not simply a result of prejudice bigoted males as discrimination far more intricate having its foundations within the social sciences amongst other contributing factors such as those economical and political. Oppression is sustained through ideology and the power of propaganda. If an individual is unaware of this subtle ideology they will find themselves reinforcing existing power relations whilst maintaining inherent inequalities. The ideas, beliefs and assumptions to support the dominant position of men have been developed through such patriarchal ideology, which is preserved as a dominant social force. A countervailing ideology would attempt to oppose and challenge this, such as feminism, as it is in direct opposition to the dominance of patriarchy. Sexism is evident in relation to biology, as assumptions are made towards the biological role and nurturing characteristics of a woman. Grabb (1993) argues that inequality is maintained by among other things, a mechanism of ideological control. It entails the control of ideas, knowledge, information and similar resources in the establishment of structured inequality between groups or individuals. Equality is a political term much like democracy and freedom to promote a particular groups own values or interests. Therefore it is an ideological concept involving the power of ideas being used to reinforce and legitimise existing power relations. Ethically challenging discrimination is therefore a question of morality and thus values as Banton (1994) argues, The best protections against discrimination are those in the hearts of people who believe discrimination is wrong. Contemporary western societies are characterised by inequality. For social workers, this provides a fundamental challenge with regards to the decisions that are made and the actions that are taken. These can make a significant impact on the progression towards a greater degree of equality or the reinforcing of existing inequalities. Social work often involves the execution of power, frequently with somewhat powerless people. Therefore the employment of a social worker can play a significant role within in the service itself and can inevitably change the users experience of the discrimination and oppression arising from inequalities. Social workers have a important role in promoting equality, rather than simply reinforcing the inequalities that already exist in society. Traditional approaches have a tendency to pay little attention to issues of inequality, discrimination or oppression consequently leaving service users feeling alienated. Psychologically this can be subdivided into three aspects of behaviour cognitive, affective and conative which simply refer to an individuals thoughts, feelings and consequent actions. Cognitive thought patterns can be seen to vary accordingly to social divisions. For example, there are significant differences in the use of language across genders and ethnic groups with the speech patterns of dominant groups being seen as superior or more prestigious. Affective and emotional responses are also rooted in social divisions. For example, responses to loss can be seen to vary between men and women (Thompson, 1995). Conative and behavioural norms follow distinct patterns in terms of class, race gender, age etc. In each three types there tend to be clear social expectations as to how members of a particular group or social category should think, feel and act with strong sanctions against those who fail or refuse to comply with these expectations. Conclusion Inequality is an inevitable part of society, therefore any attempt to overcome inequality can be argued to be destined for failure. While an element of inequality may well prove to be unavoidable, this does not mean that substantial progress can not be made in terms of reducing inequality and alleviating the feeling of oppression. However it is not only a matter of reducing inequality, it is about making sure that it does not increase. The PCS Model takes into account the three main social sciences including psychology, sociology and philosophy. Psychology is represented by the personal level focusing on the individual mind. Sociology on a cultural level in terms of the affect a specific environment can have on the social patterns that exist. Finally Philosophy is represented in the structural level as it commands things to be seen and understood on a much broader scale. Neil Thompsons PCS Model helps to explain how and why discrimination occurs and thereby leads to oppression. It identifies many links between discrimination and oppression and the key factors underpinning poverty and social deprivation. The personal level of the PCS Model refers to the way that an individuals thought, emotion and the resulting actions can have a significant impact on inequality and oppression and whilst recognising the different forms discrimination can take, such as prejudice. However, this involves an individual forming a judgeme nt and ignoring any considerable evidence that would contradict or undermine it whilst the cultural level understands the role of language with regards to cultural behaviour as it reflects the cultural norms. Neil Thompson recognised that the levels of the PCS Model are in constant interaction between each other with the structural level considering the influences of various social, political and economic factors. In theory the overall structure underpins cultural patterns of internalised gender oppression as they are a direct result of men maintaining social order and positions of power through structured inequalities. This is derived from capitalism and industrialism, for its control over the system of production and the application of power through production. The PCS Model also considers capitalism to be involved in the exploitation of an individual or group by another for economic control relating to other forms of exploitation and internalised gender oppression. Neil Thompsons PCS Model recognises the significance of difference and diversity whilst going beyond an individuals own perspective. Therefore, living life from a masculine perspective and ignoring to understand another can lead to a narrow view and experience of internalised gender oppression. However, the individual actions on a cultural level have limitations as it is underpinned by the overall structure. In theory, everyone has a tendency to be narrow minded with their views as they can only judge situations based on their own individual perception. An individuals emotional characteristics with regards to their feeling of internalised gender oppression can rarely be understood but can never be truly relative unless they themselves feel the pressure of internalised oppression. For example, a man can never truly understand what it would be like for a female growing up in a developing urban area.

Theories of Motivation: Analysis of Maslow and McClelland

Theories of Motivation: Analysis of Maslow and McClelland â€Å"Why are there multiple theories of ‘motivation in organizational behaviour? Discuss this question by including a critical evaluation of two theories of motivation.† The purpose for writing this essay is to describe different motivational theories by concentrating on how managers motivate employees in an industry with a high level of turnover and low levels of motivation. This essay will mainly evaluate Maslows hierarchy of needs theory and McClellands Needs of Achievement theory and it will include other theories to support the argument.   Many organisations face difficulties when trying to motivate their staff to complete a given task. If the employees are motivated the company is likely to be successful and achieve set goals. To be able to understand motivation and the way it works, first we have to understand human nature itself. In some cases this could be a straightforward process however in others it could be very complex. There has to be an effective management and leadership to guide employees through the motivation stages. Many companies believe that pay is the prime motivator, however nowadays people may want to exceed acknowledgment, participation and heightened sense of worth at the workplace. This is where empowerment plays a very important part in a companys progression as it is supported by R.French. â€Å"Empowerment is the process by which managers delegate power to employees to motivate greater responsibility in balancing the achievement of both personal and organisational goals†. (French, R., Rayner, 2008, page page 184) By empowering employees this will make the staff more satisfied, productive and motivated throughout their working hours. Throughout the years many theorists have tried to explain what motivation is by designing theories describing how managers should stimulate their staff. The two approaches to motivation are Content and Progress theories and they were published in 1950s. Content theories explain the specific factors that may stimulate people within the organisation by analysing the individuals needs and trying to assume what can motivate their behaviour. On the other hand a Process theory highlights the thought process by examining how and why individuals decide one action over another at the organisation.   This theory mainly focuses on the persons beliefs and how certain performances will lead to rewards such as pay raise and promotion. While both content and progress theories are central in helping us to understand motivation this essay will focus on the content approach in particular the classic motivational theory of Maslows hierarchy and David McClelland needs for achievement.   Abraham Maslow created the Hierarchy of needs theory in 1940-50s and to this day its still popular with managers. He developed the hierarchy to understand human motivation, management training, and personal development by creating five distinct levels. Maslow designed two main strategies lower order needs and higher order needs. Lower order needs includes Physiological needs (these are the most basic human needs such as food, and water etc) moving one level up is safety needs (which would be need for security, protection and stability). After an individual has exceeded the lower order needs mentioned above, he or she moves on to higher order needs which are Social needs (need for love, affection, relationship with another person), Esteem needs (respect, self esteem, need of esteem from others etc) and after achieving the previous 4 levels the person progresses to the desired level Self actualisation will motivate both employees and employers. (French R, 2009, page160) However with every motivation theory there has always been disadvantages. Maslow himself has been critical about the theory he created and in a statement he said:â€Å"My motivation theory was published 20 years ago and in all that time nobody repeated it, or tested, or really analyzed it or criticised it. They just used it, swallowed it whole with only the minor modification† (Wilson, F.M 2004, page 146) In approaching this problem Maslows work has faced a great deal of criticism to whether or not the concepts are different depending on culture. In countries such as Japan and Greece lower order needs such as security motivates employees to work harder more than self actualisation. (R. Rayner, 2009, page 162). Unfortunately those countries have lower employment opportunities; therefore residents mainly focus on security needs rather than self actualisation. Whereas some managerial companies disregard the lower order needs and go directly to higher order needs such self esteem and self actualisation. â€Å"Hall and Nougaim have found that as managers advanced, safety needs became less important while higher order needs were more important but this could be explained by a process of career change and advancement†. Wilson, F.M (2004, page 147) The above two statements suggest that people do not follow the traditional process of the hierarchy. Maslow believes that individuals are motivated by unmet needs which are in a hierarchical order; people have to keep moving up the hierarchy in order to succeed, this method has not been followed due to cultural difference and managerial configuration. Touching onto Alderfers ERG theory he argues that Maslows theory is not flexible and as a result of this people may become frustrated as they are not able to move to the next stage. Alderfer has minimized Maslows 5 stages into 3 levels: existence needs, relatedness needs and growth needs.   This theory is more flexible as people can downgrade a level if they cant achieve the higher stage. After having evaluated Maslows hierarchy theory, this essay will now focus on McClelland need for achievement theory. Peoples needs keep changing as well as their career occupations. Some seek the need for achievement as a way of motivating themselves at the workplace. Over the years this observable fact has fascinated David McClelland. After spending 20 years studying at Harvard University McClelland and his associates tried to identify the urge to achieve. They began a long research using Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) as an evaluation of individual needs of different people. This is a technique that asks people to develop a spontaneous story for each photo. David McClelland used the feedback from people and collected data and facts on motivation. After a series of tests using the TATs technique, David McClelland was able to identify three needs, which he believes are important in understanding human motivation and behaviour. These are; the need for achievement (nAch), need for affiliation (nAff) and need for power (nPower). Need for achievement is concentrating on those individuals who seek to excel and therefore tend to avoid low and high risks situations. They have a desire to achieve something superior and get to the bottom of problems as well as completing difficult tasks. They need regular feedback from managers in order to view their progress of their achievement. On the other hand need for affiliation is about creating harmonious connections with other individuals. This group of people may perform well in customer service and consumer interactions situations. Last of David McClelland needs is need for power, this assemblage of people are mainly focused on taking control over others, manage their behaviour or be in charge. Like Maslows Hierarchy theory, David McClellands acquired needs theory has its disadvantages and criticism from other theorists. Erikson proposes that ‘The need to achieve is a behaviour that is only acquired and developed during early childhood therefore if its not mastered at an early stage it cannot be achieved in adult life. French, R. Rayner C, Rees. G, Rumbles.S, Organisational Behaviour, 2009 However on the other hand McClelland argues that the need to achieve is behaviour and it can be done through training in adulthood Ref: R, French, Organisational Behaviour, 2009, page 164 McClelland has already put into practice training in countries such as Kakinda and India and taught people to think, talk and act as high achievers. Other critics have disagree with the influencing attributes of entrepreneurs are dominant. High needs of achievement individuals are continuously competing with standards of excellence. Further, they are involved with tasks of moderate difficulty. ‘The argument that need for achievement is the dominant motive disposition for entrepreneurs may be in conflict then with other research (Langan- Fox and Roth 1995) Wilson, F.M (2004). Organisational behaviour and work. Oxford University press, page146 (Lowry 1982:63) TAT test was also criticised by organisations due to the length of the examination and the complexity in conducting it. Taking an overlook at the most well know motivational theories, I have been overwhelmed by the demand and expectations each author expects from the individuals. Theorists such as Maslow believe that individuals are motivated by unmet needs which are in a hierarchical order; people have to keep moving up the hierarchy in order to succeed.   Whereas Herzberg states that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on the same range. He believes motivation can cause satisfaction or no satisfaction, as well as hygiene factors can cause dissatisfaction when absent and no dissatisfaction when present. McClellands need for achievement takes it future as he underlies Maslows Hierarch theory self-actualization. However McGregors Theory Y equals much of Maslows self-actualization level of motivation. His theory focuses on self-direction, self-control, and maturity control motivation. Reward systems are an important factor when managers want to motive their staff.   I believe that fulfilling extrinsic aims is a very common method used to motivate individuals at their work place. Managers can not follow just one of the above theories as each individual has different ways in which they are motivated. I believe that motivation cannot be forced onto an employee; it has to come within them. If a certain person does not enjoy their work environment it will be impossible for them to be motivated. Over the years theorists have tried to create a theory to accommodate the needs both employers and employees, therefore at the present time we have a huge variety of motivational theories to choose from. Having closely looked at Maslows hierarchy of needs theory and McClellands acquired needs theory ,I have come to a conclusion that both theories demonstrate peoples motivation needs, however this a complex process because most individuals are not aware of their motives, their needs and expectations keep chancing.   Each of the above theories has its advantages as well as disadvantages; its up to the individual to choose which one of them works best.

Fools Rush In and My Big Fat Greek Wedding Essay -- Movies Movie Film

Fools Rush In and My Big Fat Greek Wedding Every movie that is written has a certain attitude to it. Some of these are intended to be laughed at and others are meant to be heartfelt. Though each movie is written with its own voice, so to speak, many have similar plots or themes. The two movies Fools Rush In and My Big Fat Greek Wedding are two of these movies that have similarities in the themes, but not necessarily in the plots. Both of these romantic comedies have strong religious backgrounds on the woman’s side of the family and differences in culture. The main theme between these two movies is the quest for happiness and all the troubles that must be overcome to achieve it. In the movie Fools Rush In Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry meet at a night club and have a one night stand. As a result of their fling Isabel (Salma Hayek) becomes pregnant. Isabel was raised in a very Catholic home and if you are pregnant it is disrespectful to God not to be married. Alex (Matthew Perry) decides that it is fate that has brought them together and so he decides they need to rush off and get married. Their families are not informed of their spur-of-the-moment decision and when they find out Isabel’s father becomes irate. Alex decides not to inform his family of the decision because in his family you marry into the same culture and the difference would be shocking to his parents. After realizing they have married for all the wrong reasons they decide to split up and go their separate ways. Isabel goes to live in Mexico and Alex goes to New York. After many signs they both decide they cannot live life without one another. In the end both of them are happy w ith their decisions and live a happy life with their family’s approv... ...y Big Fat Greek Wedding Ian was given the ultimatum convert or leave. In the end he converts and realizes it is the best decision ever because it allowed Toula to give herself to him completely and with the approval of her family. These two movies deal with many similar themes, even though the plots differ some. The difference in religions and culture make the movies more realistic and home-based. The main theme of searching for a real love is what makes the movies so romantic, even though they are both classified as romantic comedies. Whether these two movies make one laugh of cry they are two very similar movies. If one of these movies seems to grab one’s attention, more than likely the other will too. So, if it is crying or laughing one can not go wrong with these two movies; they both give a little bit of laughter and they can both cause a few tears.

Race :: essays papers

Race When I was a little girl, my best friend's dad was a neurologist. He tricked us with color and number tests and other brainteasers. I was fascinated by how my brain reacted to the games, and ever since, I have wanted to study the brain. Later, as a high school sophomore, I still focused on being a doctor, and that year I was deemed worthy of an internship at a local hospital. So, the following summer, I gave up late mornings and relaxing by the pool to get up early and help doctors at the hospital. I had originally applied for a neurological internship, which the program did not offer, so I was shuffled into working with doctors in the maternity ward and the nursery. Nevertheless, by the end of the first week, I was feeding babies, checking vitals, changing diapers, and rolling them in carriages to their mothers and fathers. Each moment I spent helping the doctors with the newborns, I wondered if I should be an o.b./gyn doctor instead of a neurologist. One morning a few weeks after I began the internship, the doctors told me a mother was to deliver a baby, and she had given permission for me to view the delivery. For awhile the mother tried to deliver, but she was tense; the doctors kept telling her to relax and stay calm for the baby. The tense mother continued trying to deliver, and with the doctor's encouraging words and the heat of the small, boxy room, I became conscious of what I was about to witness and wondered if I could handle it all. Before I could change my mind, a small, smooth head slowly emerged. I discovered what I had expected - I could not take it. Tears filled my eyes along with the healthy newborn baby's. What I had seen, some never see -- including the father who had decided he should stay in the much calmer hallway. As the beautiful baby was carried around from doctor to doctor to be examined and then to the mother's arms, I realized that I did not want to be an o.b./gyn doctor. Residents had warned me that this job must be a passion or one would burn out from stress and constant fatigue, which I definitely felt after watching the birth of a baby. As my internship continued, I helped doctors in the neo-natal care unit.

A Personal Practical Theory

Trends in education have grown through the years, technology advances as well as principles and theories were developed for education to cope with the changing world.There have been criticisms about the teachers’ apparent lack of understanding of what is really happening in their own territories, and that classroom researchers fail to impart the findings and results of their studies and therefore building gaps between them and the teachers.â€Å"Teachers have been represented as theory builders who continually construct, elaborate, test and refine their own practical theory.† (Busher (1998) as cited in Mangubhai 4) This must be the reason, among other reasons why teachers are encouraged to document their personal experiences in forms of practical theories to be able to share these personally proven and tested principles and thus influence the system of education.Practical theory, as defined by Sanders and McCutcheon (1986) are the conceptual structures and visions that provide teachers with reasons for acting as they do, and for choosing the teaching activities and curriculum materials they choose in order to be effective. They are the principles or propositions that undergird and guide teachers’ appreciations, decisions and actions. (pp. 54-55 as cited in Ritchie p. 2)These practical theories are most commonly tacit, and must be documented. Batten et.al. (1993) explains that it â€Å"demystifies the teaching process† (as cited in Ritchie p.4) and was supported by Cooper and McIntyre (1996) claim that â€Å"successful teaching does not depend on the application of recipes, but rather a kind of flexible responsiveness to students and other circumstances.† (as cited in Ritchie p.4)Sources of my readings are in agreements that indeed, the actual experience in teaching makes a good resource for benchmarking of better techniques and styles and more effective teaching methods, if only these are documented.This paper is my response t o this need and my contribution to the education community. Is a detailed documentation of the personal practical theory developed in the course of my teaching Public Speaking in English language. The paper, which is presented in a first person storyline, is in two (2) parts.Part A – presents my teaching profile and analysis of literature as background to the discussion on my personal practical theory. This part also includes a structural framework of the theory.Part B –   presents an evaluation or assessment of the theory, its strengths, areas of concern and possible areas for improvement.Part A. Components and StructureMy Teaching ProfileMe as a TeacherI grew up with the dream of becoming a teacher, convinced that it is the most noble and relevant profession that will fulfil. So I amply prepared myself and completed a masters degree in Education specializing in Teaching English as a Second Language. I then worked as full-time teacher in one of the local colleges in our community, teaching Public Speaking to eight graders.In the duration of my five years working experience as an English Communication Arts teacher, I was given different subject assignments, mostly in oral communication. I taught Speech and Phonetics, Drama, Oral Expression and Public Speaking. I was also assigned moderator of the different student theatre organizations and speech clubs and was frequently asked to train contestants in oratorical and extemporaneous speech contests.My interest and enthusiasm was sustained and I have grown to love my career more and more through the years. Armed with my youth, dynamism and innovative ideas, complemented with training opportunities to develop my teaching capabilities, I was able to efficiently and effectively deliver results.

Macbeth: Differences Between the Play and Movie

The play MacBeth, by William Shakespeare, which we read and the movie, by Rupert Goold’s, which we watch has several diffrences but all put out the same message. The main diffrences in between the play and the movie is the portrayal and functions of the witches, the changes of the setting and some key scenes, and the diffrences of the functions of the main characters and also the minor characters. The portrayal and function of the witches in the original play of MacBeth and the movie have several diffrences. In the play the witches are discribed as ugly things with beards and are outcasts of society that wear black robes. But in the movie the witches are very creepy. They have a more modern day horror film look. The witches are no showed as witches but as nurses with masks and black framed glasses. Not only are they shown as nurses (witches) but they are kitchen staff, serving women and cleaning maids too. Also throughout the movie the witches are roaming around in the background of pretty much every scene. It gives a feeling that they are there constantly to ensure the MacBeth and his wife, Lady MacBeth, fulfill their tasks that needed to be done. There are several diffrences between the play and the movie but the main diffrence is the setting of the two. In the movie by Rupert Goold the setting of the ‘’play’’ is in the 1900’s when World War II was taking place. MacBeth and all the other characters are in a Nazi-based area. Where as in the play originally created by William Shakespeare, it is taken place in the olden days, way long ago where it is taken place in a castle with kings and such. Another great diffrence inbetween the two are the weapons used. In the riginal play the main weapons are swords and sheilds and daggers and so on, where as in Goold’s movie the weapons are semi-automatic machine guns, bombs and more new-age weapons. A major scene diffrence in the movie from the play is when the 3 murderers go out to kill Banquo and his son. Instead of Banquo and his son on a horse strolling, they are in a train cabin. In the play the three murderers are Caithness, Angus and MacBeth where as in the play thew three murderers are Caithness, Angus and Lennox instead of MacBeth.

The Importance of Healthy Eating

The importance of healthy eating and the knowledge that I am not eating properly has impacted the way I look at food, but it has not yet translated into my daily food intake. Because I prefer grains and dairy products, I tend to snack and base my meals on these foods and have not yet added the necessary fruits and vegetables into my diet. According to the basics of the food pyramid (2007), I should be getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Because I do not like the texture or taste of these food products, I have not yet increased my intake. Even though I know that increasing these items in my diet will help improve not only my overall dietary requirements, but also improve my nutrient consumption, I have not been able to force myself to eat things that I do not like. Instead, I have chosen to begin taking a multi-vitamin supplement to make certain that I am meeting my nutritional needs. One of the other drawbacks I had noticed in my diet was that I did not consume enough lean mean and beans on a regular basis. I am willing to eat more lean beef and chicken and have improved this some, my protein intakes are still lower than they should be on most days.   Using the pyramid tracker online (2007), I have discovered that my enjoyment of carbohydrates is leading to my exceeding the recommended calorie intake for me and have not been meeting my nutritional needs. One of the things I was surprised by was that I was not getting sufficient fiber. I discovered this was because I was eating white breads and crackers and carbohydrates made from processed grains instead of whole grains. I have been able to rectify this somewhat by simply changing to whole wheat crackers and bread. I have also added peanut butter to my crackers as a mid-morning snack and added another glass of milk with my crackers to make certain that I am meeting my dietary dairy needs. Because of this class, I am more aware of my food choices and have made a conscious effort to include more of the fruits into my diet. I had hoped at the beginning of the class that I would be able to modify my eating schedule and add fruits as a form of breakfast. I have not yet been able to do this. I am considering purchasing fruit juice to keep as a drink; Even if I only drink a few ounces of juice, this would be an improvement in that I don’t eat breakfast at all currently and I consume too few fruits. As I do not like vegetables in general, I am also considering the possibility of juices like V8 which are fortified with vegetables. Though I dislike this flavor as well, it avoids the texture issue I have with eating vegetables and it means I can reach my recommended daily allowance of vegetables without having to actually eat them. Furthermore, I have decided to keep baby carrots as a snack and attempt to eat them instead of crackers at some snack times in an effort to increase my vegetable consumption. I have also tried sliced apples with peanut butter as a snack to increase both my fruit consumption and my protein consumption. I have not particularly enjoyed these snack changes and have found that I fall easily back into my old eating patterns. Because I prefer grains and dairy, I have found that my fat and cholesterol intake are not terribly high, but neither is my nutrition (Tracker, 2007). Switching to whole grains has improved my fiber intake and because many grains are fortified, I am making inroads toward meeting my nutritional needs. I am currently doing so via taking a multi-vitamin, but because of this class, I am aware that it is much healthier to get my vitamins through food instead of pills. As such, I am trying to modify my diet to eat more iron-rich foods including red meat and vegetables, but I find that eating vegetables is very difficult. I have managed to force myself to begin eating smaller meals more frequently as a way to manage hunger and blood sugar levels, preventing binge eating and over-eating. I am hoping that these modifications to my diet will help to improve my overall energy levels and health. I have also been trying to get more exercise on the weekends as a means of improving my overall health and controlling weight gain. Based on my analysis of my diet and activity levels at the beginning of the class, it is clear that I have been gaining weight regularly because I take in almost 700 calories per day more than is recommended for me. Furthermore,   my lifestyle is more sedentary than even I realized and that contributes to both my lack of energy and my weight gain. Through the week I get some exercise via work, including a lot of walking, but on the weekends when I am largely devoted to my studies, my time is spent mostly working on a computer and studying. Neither of those activities use significant amounts of calories and help me to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Recently, to combat this I have begun taking a break every three to four hours from studying or other leisure activities on the weekend and going for a short walk. The 15 minutes walk helps reenergize me and clear my mind for the next bout of studying. I am also hoping that as I continue to do this I will be able to significantly increase my energy levels so that I do not feel so drained when I come in from work at night. I sued to enjoying working out with weights and believe that I could enjoy this again if I could simply motivate myself to go. Usually, by the time I am finished with a day’s work, I am more interested in relaxing than worrying about my health and fitness level. As I am not a morning person, the idea of getting to the gym before work in the morning is out of the question. Instead, I have decided to try to add a relaxing stroll either on my lunch hour or after dinner in the evenings as a way of increasing my overall fitness. I believe that improving my base fitness levels will lead to more energy and more desire to continue to increase my level of activity. As it stands now, I rarely get anything more than light activity and then only in short bursts. I believe that based on the things we have learned, if I increase each of those activities each day, I will soon be to the point where I can add moderate activity at least a few days a week. The most important things I have learned from this class is an eyes-open evaluation of my life. While I have not chosen yet to modify my lifestyle to what it needs to be, I am aware now of my failings and what steps will need to be taken to improve my lifestyle. I realize that my low energy levels are caused by my eating schedule and poor nutrition and that by improving what and when I eat, I can give myself more energy and be more active. I realize that every time I choose inaction over action I allow my body to become less fit and that fitness contributes to energy levels. I have found the resources, via the food pyramid and pyramid tracker on line to keep daily records and evaluate my progress. In short, this class has given me the tools necessary to live a healthy life and now I simply need to motivate myself to do it. List of References http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1342, USDA Food & Nutrition Information Center, June 17, 2007. www.myfoodpyramid.gov, June 17, 2007. www.mypyrmaidtracker.gov , June 17, 2007.

Blood Bananas

Abstract: Chiquita Brands International and its leaders learned a very hard lesson about paying off terrorist groups to protect their employees. Over the past 25 years, no place has been more perilous for companies than Colombia, a country that is finally beginning to emerge from the effects its Colombian banana subsidiaries had made protection payments to terrorist groups from 1997 through 2004. The Justice Department began an investigation, focusing on the role and conduct of Chiquita and some of its officers in this criminal activity. Subsequently, Chiquita entered into a plea agreement that gave them the dubious distinction of being the first major U. S. company ever convicted of dealing with terrorists, and resulted in a fine of US$25 million and other penalties. To make matters worse, the industry was facing pressure from increasing retailer purchasing power, major changes in consumer tastes and preferences, and Europe’s imposition of an â€Å"onerous tariff† on companies that sourced bananas from Latin America. With this in mind, Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita’s CEO since 2004, reflected on how the company had arrived at this point, and what had been done to correct the course so far. He faced major challenges to the company’s competitive position in this dynamic industry. What would it take to position the company on a more positive competitive trajectory? Would this even be possible in this industry and in the business climate Chiquita faced? Teaching: The case provides a vehicle for analyzing strategic, contextual, and ethical challenges underlying Chiquita’s presence in Colombia, a primary global source for bananas. The case highlights the trade-offs that Chiquita made while paying protection money to ensure business continuity and employee protection. Historic information tracks the evolution of the company from its early focus on owning plantations; growing, importing, and distributing bananas; sourcing, marketing, and distribution, to â€Å"downstream† value-chain activities that were more profitable, less nature-dependent, and less risky. The case emphasizes Chiquita’s focus on risk avoidance, cost control, and globalization; the factors that contributed to the payment of protection money; and Chiquita’s failure to respond quickly and appropriately. The case discusses decisions made as Chiquita grew from a small firm to become an industry giant; innovation, and continuous improvement as drivers of industry consolidation; and how Chiquita responded to terrorist threats and the consequences of the response. Detailed information in the case helps the reader understand potential globalization challenges and those inherent in managing external threats and high visibility crises. The case fits well into MBA courses in industry and competitive strategy, general management, operations management, business ethics, or crisis management. Concepts from the case include emerging market risk that globalizing companies may encounter; implications of administrative heritage for organizational structure and communication flows; fundamental challenges of global coordination and control; and strategic communication role of the leader in a crisis. These concepts are applicable in multiple other industries. Blood Bananas: Chiquita in Colombia by  Mary B. Teagarden,  Andreas Schotter Source:  Thunderbird School of Global Management 16  pages. Publication date:  Nov 11, 2010. Prod. #:  TB0245-PDF-ENG Chiquita Brands International and its leaders learned a very hard lesson about paying off terrorist groups to protect their employees. Over the past 25 years, no place has been more perilous for companies than Colombia, a country that is finally beginning to emerge from the effects of civil war and narco-terrorism. In 2004, Chiquita voluntarily revealed to the U. S. Justice Department that one of its Colombian banana subsidiaries had made protection payments to terrorist groups from 1997 through 2004. The Justice Department began an investigation, focusing on the role and conduct of Chiquita and some of its officers in this criminal activity. Subsequently, Chiquita entered into a plea agreement that gave them the dubious distinction of being the first major U. S. company ever convicted of dealing with terrorists, and resulted in a fine of US$25 million and other penalties. To make matters worse, the industry was facing pressure from increasing retailer purchasing power, major changes in consumer tastes and preferences, and Europe's imposition of an â€Å"onerous tariff† on companies that sourced bananas from Latin America. With this in mind, Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita's CEO since 2004, reflected on how the company had arrived at this point, and what had been done to correct the course so far. He faced major challenges to the company's competitive position in this dynamic industry. What would it take to position the company on a more positive competitive trajectory? Would this even be possible in this industry and in the business climate Chiquita faced? Learning Objective The case provides a vehicle for analyzing strategic, contextual, and ethical challenges underlying Chiquita's presence in Colombia, a primary global source for bananas. The case highlights the trade-offs that Chiquita made while paying protection money to ensure business continuity and employee protection. Historic information tracks the evolution of the company from its early focus on owning plantations; growing, importing, and distributing bananas; sourcing, marketing, and distribution, to â€Å"downstream† value-chain activities that were more profitable, less nature-dependent, and less risky. The case emphasizes Chiquita's focus on risk avoidance, cost control, and globalization; the factors that contributed to the payment of protection money; and Chiquita's failure to respond quickly and appropriately. The case discusses decisions made as Chiquita grew from a small firm to become an industry giant; innovation, and continuous improvement as drivers of industry consolidation; and how Chiquita responded to terrorist threats and the consequences of the response. Detailed information in the case helps the reader understand potential globalization challenges and those inherent in managing external threats and high visibility crises. The case fits well into MBA courses in industry and competitive strategy, general management, operations management, business ethics, or crisis management. Concepts from the case include emerging market risk that globalizing companies may encounter; implications of administrative heritage for organizational structure and communication flows; fundamental challenges of global coordination and control; and strategic communication role of the leader in a crisis. These concepts are applicable in multiple other industries. ++++ Blood Banana Case Study they will find another job or another way of earning their living, the cycle of life doesn’t stop when you become unemployed ! and if you asked them would they prefer losing their jobs temporary or losing their lives forever? Am pretty sure they won’t chose the second alternative. The company already thought about its worker’s lives as their primary concern and didn’t take the second choice, so the least thing is t o think about their existence and to do what’s in their best interest. Last but not least, the fruit company if decided to leave will encounter huge costs of    abandon their current business and starting all over again in another place, but paying one time huge cost is more effective than paying annually amount of money to the AUC for God knows when ! plus they will have their current profits and they can sell their company in Colombia and gain extra money that will enable them to start again somewhere else. hey are a well-developed corporation, if they did a good strategy with a well written plan they will manage to start up over and maybe even better ! In conclusion, Chiquita was in a bad situation, and as a normal corporation whose aim is to make profits they need to consider what’s in their best interest and that is to execute the country. Costs will occur no matter what option they choose, but some were less harmful and less costly than others, it’s like what they say† the best of the worst† all the alternatives were ba d but abandon the country is the best between them. Blood banana Chiquita Inc. was one of the largest and growing    fruit company in America who faced a dramatic problem in the 90’s with the AUC, a Colombian paramilitary organization that promoted violence act and considered to be terrorist, what happened was they inquired the fruit company to pay them specific amount of money monthly that was required for their security services as they    claimed! The situation was straightforward, either Chiquita pays for the terrorist†¦ Blood Bananas Background Chiquita Brands International is one of the world’s largest banana producers that were founded in 1899. Founded as United Fruit Company, Chiquita has grown to be one of the top three companies in the banana business with a combined control of 60% market share. Chiquita had annual revenues of $4. 7 billion and operating plants worldwide with its main business coming out of Colombia. In this case study, it tells the story of the Chiquita business and how they faced many problems in the past years. The main problem in this study is how Chiquita paid the AUC terrorist group a combined $1. million from 1997 to 2004 and then told the United States Justice Department about their dealings. After the criminal investigation and plea agreement, the new CEO was faced with the decisions of a new direction for the company. Through this analysis I will help Fernando Aguirre come up with a feasible plan for Chiquita Brands International so that it can continue to be a dominant busi ness. Issues The key issue at hand with Chiquita Brands International is that after all of their problems, they had to face the decision with how the company would be position themselves positively.The company’s image had been shot and brand image is a very important concept for businesses to have to be able to survive in today’s business world. The CEO, Fernando Aguirre, did not know how to bring the company to a reputable standard and leave the past behind. The company now needs to learn how to move forward with their company to change the perceptions of their audience and still be a leading banana producer worldwide. Another key issue that Fernando must deal with is the reality of the issue that past, was Chiquita’s past executive team guilty or not guilty of the crime that they plead for.In order for the company to move forward, they would have to take a stance on the issue and clearly state whether they intentionally or forcefully made the payments to the A UC. Strategic Analysis There are a couple of things the company should look at to reroute the stance of their company in a positive direction. With these concepts, the company should be able to form a new plan that will help the CEO know what to do in the decisions he makes for the future of the company. These concepts will be listed below. †¢Mission and vision statement †¢Competitive strategy †¢Corporate strategy †¢Implementation of new policies and management Internal and performance analysis †¢Concise strategic decisions Mission and Vision Statement The company should look into its mission and vision statement so that its audience can know that the company is changing in a positive way. A mission and vision statement’s purpose is to define the company’s purpose, objectives, and value to the audience. It is important for the company to now implement CSR Responsibility, environmental sustainability, and SMART goals. With the implementation of these tactics, Chiquita’s audience will see that they are changing and know that they can earn the company’s trust again.Each goal that the company defines in their new statements should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. With SMART goals, Chiquita will be able to easily move forward from their negative image to a more acceptable one. Competitive Strategy Because of their fallen reputation, Chiquita must now look at its stance compared to its competitors to see how they are now going to position themselves. Now that companies have seen them fall, they most certainly have taken advantage of some of Chiquita’s audience who has turned away from the brand.The best thing for Chiquita to do is to look at their models and determine whether they should focus on a Resource Based Model or an I/O Model. I believe Chiquita should focus on the I/O Model so that they can look at their external environment and gain a sustainable competitive advanta ge again. The I/O Model will shape the company and use the five forces to identify the attractiveness of the industry it’s currently in so that it can seek out an advantageous position to take again while reshaping its image. Corporate StrategyChiquita must look at their corporate strategy to analyze their global strategy and multi-business firms. Since Chiquita is a worldwide company, they must look at their globalization drivers. The globalization drivers are listed below. †¢Market driver †¢Cost driver †¢Technology driver †¢Government driver †¢Competition driver. Their main focus would be their market driver and their government driver. In the market drivers, Chiquita will need to analyze its customer needs, global customers and market channels in order to reroute their company’s image.In the government drivers, Chiquita will need to analyze its common marketing regulations, unrestrictive trade and investment policies and compatible technical standards so that their audience will know its stance on the past situations and see that they are doing whatever needed possible to be a reputable company again. Chiquita also has to look at their multi-business firms in its corporate strategy. They must manage their individual businesses to formulate a new business strategy and monitor and control their business performance with the new strategy.They can incorporate portfolio planning models to evaluate their business performance and formulate business strategies to allocate resources properly. With the new analyzing of these concepts, Chiquita will have better coordination, control, and profitability for the firm. Implementation of new policies and management Chiquita must implement new policies for the company as well as a strong management team. The new policies can be formulated in their new business strategy as well as can be incorporated in their new mission and vision statement.They also should implement a new management t eam that is sound and strong with following the new rules and regulations that will be put in place. Chiquita must accept its mistakes and move forward with a new team so that it can make the right decisions for the better of the company. Internal and performance analysis Through this strategic analysis, Chiquita must analyze its internal and performance. The best thing to look at through the internal analysis is the VRIN analysis framework.Even though the company should rely on the I/O Model, they should also look at their resources and capabilities because this is what will give the company its competitive advantage and set it aside from its competitors. Through the VRIN analysis, Chiquita will be able to continually analyze whether it’s producing valuable, rare, inimitable, and nonsubstitutable goods. This will also help give the company a sustainable competitive advantage. The company should also analyze its performance through financial assessment and real actions. Throu gh this, Chiquita will asses a better standing in the marketplace.A better performance will create a stronger stance for the company. Concise strategic decisions With the implementation of the concepts stated above, Chiquita should be able to be a more positive and reputable company. It should be easy for Fernando to implement these strategies and come up with concise decision. Concise strategic decisions will help the company have a stronger background to rely on and make their implementations work strategically. Arguments and Recommendations Above was listed how Fernando should implement various strategies and plans for the company.I will now recommend various decisions for the company in its past dealings with the AUC and how it should move forward from those decisions. I believe the root causes for Chiquita’s actions in Colombia that ultimately let to their conviction was their top management team decision-making biases and their values and ethics. Chiquita’s top m anagement team wasn’t making decisions in unison and you could tell this by the various executives either quitting or retiring. The guilt from the different stances each executive took made them eventually leave the company because they had dug themselves as well as the company into the ground.I also believe the cause for Chiquita to get convicted was their values and ethics. I believe this because in the case, Chiquita tried to change their core values in 1999 to better the company. If they believed in strong values and ethics from the start, they would have never had to revamp their core values. Chiquita should’ve taken charge from the start with their decision making styles and their values and ethics so that they would have never placed themselves in the position to pay the AUC which in turn led to their conviction.With a sound team with sound goals, Chiquita will always prosper internally. I believe Chiquita and its managers did have a choice in the AUC payments. Yes Chiquita was doing business in an unstable political environment but they should have taken a stance and fought for what they thought was right. The actions the manager partook in were not ethical principles and I believe they were looking out more so for themselves than the company as a whole. I believe Chiquita could have came up with a strategy that would have made both the company profitable and satisfy its stakeholders without paying the AUC.If Chiquita felt like it didn’t have a choice, they should have involved the law enforcements well before they started the payments. If they would have done this, they would have never had to worry about the safety of its company or the terrorist groups in Colombia. Other companies that should be worried about Chiquita’s experience are companies that were involved in similar circumstances as Chiquita. In the case, it stated that Chiquita was the first company to get convicted for paying terrorist groups.If similar companie s were doing the same, they should cease the payments and learn from Chiquita’s mistakes because it stated that the law was cracking down and getting harder on this crime. Companies that are doing business in lesser developed economies should keep the employees’ safety at heart but at the same time do business in ethical ways. The factors of the political and economic environment should also be in concern when doing business in these lesser developed economies so that they will make sound business decisions.This story changes my perspective about doing business abroad because it shows me that just because you have a competitive advantage and resources to make millions doesn’t mean you have a safe environment to run your business in. It helps me understand that there is more to business than making money and that you have to have all of your business standards and strategies in place to successfully operate a company abroad. The current CEO can implement the stra tegies I listed above in my strategic analysis to restore Chiquita’s reputation and ensure future competitiveness.With the implementation of these strategies, Fernando can lead the company in the right direction and provide a stronger stance for the company. The main thing for the company to do is to revamp its mission and vision statement because this is the most important start for the company. After that, it will help formulate the company’s competitive and corporate strategies that it must restructure. In these they will implement new policies and analyze their internal performance for the company. In the end, Chiquita should come up with concise strategic decision so that it can make the right plan for its company.