Should Gay Marriage Be Legalized Research Paper

Should Gay Marriage Be Legalized - Research Paper Example Each person is entitled to the same thing as everyone else. Along those same lines, marriage, and the rights of homosexual couples should be regarded in the same way. The only thing that sets these people apart from others is their sexual orientation. If they were to be denied the same rights of heterosexual couples because of their sexual orientation, then, as Americans, we would be risking coming off as liars and being prejudice. Furthermore, our country embraces diversity, and by denying one group privileges that they should be entitled to, we are denying our country the chance to really shine as a diverse, open-minded country.Unfortunately, the debate for legalizing gay marriage goes much further than how we are viewed as a country, going against our own morals. As aforementioned, civil and equal rights play huge roles in approving of gay couples to become married. Homosexual couples are being denied what should rightfully be theirs (Lauricella, 2010). There really is no law, suc h as in the Constitution, that states that a homosexual couple cannot married. While states may have it in their constitutions to not recognize same-sex marriage, the United States, as a whole, has nothing to state the same. Therefore, the concept of legalizing gay marriage can be done on a state-by-state basis, as the country’s Constitution is already open for it. This is where the trouble comes in, however. Some states are open for gay marriage, but others are not. There are homosexual couples that can marry in one state, though others that may not be allowed to marry in another state.   The equality is there, just not spread out enough.Other issues that exist because of gay marriage debates are the rights that homosexual couples have, or do not have. There are some states that not only allow and recognize gay marriages but allow those couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. The few states that offer civil unions, however, do not recognize these rights for the ho mosexual couples.

Rowntree and Townsends Theories on Poverty

Rowntree and Townsends Theories on Poverty Introduction Sociologists disagree over what poverty actually is. In this essay I aim to discuss and criticise Seebohm Rowntrees theory from 1899 -1950 then I will discuss and criticise, Peter Townsend’s theory. The next section will be to discuss and criticise, Mack and Lansleys theory, and the ideas of Herbert Spencer (social Darwinism) There will then be a discussion of regressive and progressive taxation and an explanation of Marslands theory. Finally I will explain and criticise, John Wetergaard and Henrietta Resler’s arguement that there is a myth surrounding the welfare state. This myth is that the welfare state is progressive and redistributes from the rich to the poor. Poverty and Seebohm Rowntree In the time of Queen Elizabeth the first it was people’s duty to help alleviate poverty. They did this by feeding the poor and visiting the sick and trying to ensure that people were not destitute. After the Reformation things changed and laws were passed to regulate the amount that was spent on the poor. In 1601 the Elizabethan Poor Law was passed and made provision for â€Å"the setting of the poor on work†[1] The Poor Law also said that the poor were responsible for caring for each other. Overseers were appointed in every area to decide how much poor relief would be needed. In the amended Poor Law of 1834 overseers knew the circumstances of the poor in their are and those who were considered lazy would not get much help. These amendments to the Poor Law gave those in power a greater degree of control over the lives of the poor. In the 1860s, Joseph Rowntree, Seebohm Rowtree’s father conducted two studies into poverty.[2] This led Seebohm Rowntree to later conduct his own study which was published in 1901. He made an early distinction between primary and secondary poverty – a distinction which sociologists still use today. Primary poverty meant that a family did not have enough money coming in to cover the basic necessities of food, shelter and clothing. Secondary poverty was where families earned enough but spent their money on things other than the basic necessities. So some spending was regarded as alright while other spending was seen as wasting money, on drink for example. He believed that wages should be increased because then people would be well fed and healthy and would be an efficient workforce. He raised the wages of workers at his own company and said that businesses who refused to do this should be closed down as they were doing the country no favours. His second study which he car ried out in the 1930s was published as â€Å"Progress and Poverty in 1941.† He argued in this study that the main cause of poverty was unemployment, the conclusions of his report influenced the founding of the welfare state. Although Seebohm Rowntree did a lot to further the cause of the poor and to point out the causes of poverty. His remarks about primary and secondary poverty, while still influential today, were typical of those in power. That is to say they carried the message that the poor were irresponsible and needed to be told how to spend the money that they had earned. Peter Townsend – Poverty as a Social Problem Townsend (1979) has defined poverty in the following way: Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diets, participate in the activities and have the living conditions which are customary, or at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies to which they belong. Townsend(1979:31). Townsend’s work makes it quite clear that poverty is not just a lack of money but encompasses things other than strictly material needs. Those who are poor often live in poorer areas with badly performing schools and poor housing. This often results in ill health. Townsend said that there were two types of poverty, relative poverty and absolute poverty. Research undertaken for the Rowntree Foundation (Howarth et al,1999) found that in local authority housing more than two thirds of the heads of those households were not in paid work and since 1991 there has been an increase of 40% in the number of local authority areas with above average mortality rates. Absolute poverty is not really seen in the west. In underdeveloped countries people are often denied thenecessities e.g. food and shelter which maintain existence. Giddens (2001:311) argues that the idea of absolute poverty is grounded in ‘subsistence’. Anyone without sufficient food, shelter and clothing could be said to be living in absolute poverty. One of the ways in which absolute poverty is measured is by the poverty line which is based on the price of goods in a given society that humans need for survival. Those who cannot afford these goods live in poverty. Not everyone agrees with this and the idea of absolute poverty is highly contested because the use of a single criterion fails to take into account the differences between societies. Needs are not the same in all societies, or even in the same society, nutritional needs are different for people working in different jobs, a labourer for example may need more calories than a bank clerk. Drewnowski and Scott (1966)[3] argue that absolute poverty should also include a lack of cultural needs. This is often argued over because a fixed standard on such needs is bound to fail. These people are more interested in relative poverty. Relative poverty looks at peoples incomes and compares them to a national average. Relative poverty means that people are living in poverty when their life is compared to those of the average family this is because lack of income also means poorer housing. People who live in relative poverty usually live in deprived areas also. Since 1979 increased unemployment and a rise in benefit payments and earnings that are index linked to prices rather than wages, has resulted in a huge rise in the number of people living in relative poverty.[4] In a report inThe British Medical Journal (2000) the writer looked at absolute and relative child poverty in developed countries where some peoples incomes were more than fifty percent lower than the average. It also said that in the league table of relative child poverty one of the four bottom places was held by the UK. An article in the Daily Telegraph (27/08/02) says that the idea of relative poverty is a problem. The article suggests that instead of using household income as the regulator it might be better if statisticians calculated the prices of basic goods and services. Under the present system the rich were becoming richer and the poor were paying for it in increased taxes and a lack of services. Another approach to measuring relative poverty is through people’s perceptions of the necessities of life which is what Mack and Lansley did. Mack and Lansley The work of Mack and Lansley (1985, 1992) listed those things that were considered to be necessary to modern day life if a person was not living in poverty. They did two studies on relative poverty in the UK. Mack and Lansley carried out an opinion poll to find out what people thought were the necessities of modern day life. There were twenty six things that most people considered important these things included new clothes, heating, a bath and indoor toilet. Relative poverty was thus measured by the presence or absence of the things that had been listed. Mack and Lansley’s research found that the number of people living in poverty in the 1980s went up quite a bit, this poverty was defined by the lack of three or more of the basic necessities mentioned earlier. Between 1983 and 1990 when the two studies were undertaken the number of people who were living in poverty went up from 7.5 million to 11 million and the number of those living in severe poverty or who were lacking more than 7 of the items that were considered essential, went up from 2.6 to 3.5 million (Mack and Lansley, 1992). Poverty is also defined by how far people can afford to participate in social activities such as school trips. In recent years this has been called social exclusion. Social exclusion does not look at poverty just in terms of a lack of material things. It looks at the wider picture and this includes wheter people are able to participate in society. There are no clear ways of measuring poverty. Absolute and relative poverty are both complex and ways of measuring what it is to be poor, and not everyone agrees on them. Policy makers say what poverty is and then make laws for it but few of them experience what it is to be poor. A report published by the Rowntree foundation says that what the poor have to say needs to be taken into consideration in research on poverty. Taking into account the opinions of those who actually lived in poverty would provide useful information for existing organisations that might help shape policy making in the long term.[5] In all this there is a feeling that the poor are somehow to blame for the circumstances in which they find themselves. A point which Herbert Spencer writing in the nineteenth century would have agreed with. As far as Spencer was concerned people lived in poverty as a result of dissolute living. He had no sympathy at all for the poor and regarded many of them as criminals and drunks. He believed it was unnatural to help people who lived in poverty as a result of their own behaviour and irresponsibility. If people were too lazy to work then they should not be allowed to eat. He believed that the cause of poverty could be found by an examination of the moral character of an individual. The Poor Laws were wrong because they encouraged the poor to be lazy and to rely on somebody else’s hard work to provide them with the necessities of life. This allowed moral decline to spread through the population. The result would be that both society and the economy would suffer. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century thought was heavily influence by Darwins work â€Å" The Origins of the Species† and Spencer was no exception. He believed in Darwin’s idea of the survival of the fittest. Society could only evolve properly and morally if the honest and hard working members of society were allowed to keep the fruits of their labour. The week and lazy members of society should be condemned to live in poverty because that was what they deserved. Falling into poverty was a necessary evil in society because without poverty work would not exist. Although this may seem repugnant to a lot of people Spencer’s ideas are still rife in modern society. Peter Golding (1978) has said that media reporting of poverty in the nineteen seventies portrayed the poor as welfare scroungers living off the backs of others. The press portrayed people as having a comfortable existence living off social security at the expense of tax payers. The New Right The Conservative Government headed by Margaret Thatcher were voted into power in 1979. Political debates of the time were concerned with a free market economy versus the welfare state. The tory government brought in measures to roll back the welfare state and control spending. This was done through the introduction of marketing and business strategies into policy making. At the same time there was an intense process of privatization because it was thought that public ownership of companies, and the public sector worked against market forces. Introducing marketing principles into social care allowed the Governments to in theory improve services. It also enabled them to retain a greater degree of control. Giddens (2001) says that: †¦the momentum of Thatcherism in economic matters was maintained by the privatising of public companies†¦..(this)..is held to reintroduce healthy economic competition in place of unwieldy and ineffective public bureaucracies, reduce public expenditure and end political interference in managerial decisions (Giddens, 2001:434). The introduction of market forces into social care was considered the best method of Government spending because free markets were considered to be self organising (Olssen 2000).They thought this would increase productivity and improve care and be cost efficient. Government discourses, both Conservative and New Labour have revolved around the notion that the introduction of market mechanisms would result in a more equitable system benefiting all. However, Alcock (1994) says that the Conservative policies resulted in greater unemployment, a rise in the number of homeless people, and a general growth in social inequality. Marsland (1996) disagrees and says that in Britain poverty has been exaggerated. David Marsland Marsland says that the Rowntree foundation deliberately confuse poverty with inequality and that they exaggerate the amount of poverty in Britain. He says that who say poverty is increasing act out of their own self interest because the evidence is not examined impartially. He does not believe in relative poverty but says that in order to truly be poverty it has to be absolute and this is disappearing from Britain because of the increase in living standards that has come about through capitalism. He is also critical o universal welfare provision i.e. those benefits such as education which are available to everyone regardless of their income as he believes they create a dependency culture. Marsland (1989) believes that relying on the government to take care of the people results in an abdication of personal responsibility and welfare hand outs are just another reason for remaining unemployed. Jordan (1989) says that Marsland is wrong in what he says about universal welfare provision creating a dependency culture and that if such a culture exists it is targeted with means tested benefits that only the very poor get. Rather than poverty being the result of an over generous welfare system, Jordan says that it comes from one that is too mean. Westergaard and Resler (1976) argue that the welfare state does not make the distribution of wealth more equal. Poverty is not being eradicated. Any money or benefits that the working class receive will eventually be paid back in tax by themselves. They believe that the welfare state is simply another tool of capitalism and poverty exists because of that system which prevents poor people from obtaining the resources to stop being poor. In Westergaard’s view the policies of the eighties and nineties and the hold that market forces had over Britain meant that even the aim of redistributing wealth through the welfare state had been abandoned. Kincaid says that it is not just a matter of rich and poor it is the fact that some people are very rich while some are very poor. Poverty therefore is a result of the capitalist system. However, such theories do not really explain why some people become poor nor do they differentiate between poor working class and other members of that clas s. So we have plenty of theories but no real solutions. Conclusion This essay has looked at different theories of poverty. Seebohm Rowntree in the nineteenth century who wanted to improve the lives of the poor and believed that increased wages would change things. Herbert Spencer on the other hand believed the opposite. He thought it was wrong to help the poor and believed that if people were hard working and honest then they should keep all of the money they had earned. Some people were born to be richer than others, it was the survival of the fittest. Peter Townsend distinguished between absolute and relative poverty but relative poverty is not easy to define and is still being contested. Even Macky and Llansley’s work on relative poverty does not solve the problem. New Right approaches have contributed to the problems of poverty but Marxist criticisms do not provide answers as to who the poor really are or how they became that way. Clearly this is not an easy question. Howver, if we look back at the definitions of absolute poverty then we can say that this type of poverty does not really exist in Britain today. Bibliography Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Haralambos, M and Heald, R. 1985 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London, Bell and Hyman. Howarth,C. et al 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/poverty.html Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 1985. Poor Britain. London, George Allen and Unwin. Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 1992. Breadline Britain 1990s The Findings of the Television Series. London, London Weekend Television. Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 Poverty and Worklessness in Britain http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf O’Neale Roache, J. 2000. â€Å"One in Six Children Live in Relative Poverty.† BMJ 2000;320:1626 ( 17 June ). The Daily Telegraph 27th August 2002 Townsend, P. 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth, Penguin. Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Haralambos, M and Heald, R. 1985 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London, Bell and Hyman. Howarth,C. et al 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/poverty.html Mack, J. and Lansley,S. 1985. Poor Britain. London, George Allen and Unwin. Mack, J. and Lansley,S. 1992. Breadline Britain 1990s The Findings of the Television Series. London, London Weekend Television. Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 Poverty and Worklessness in Britain http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf Olssen, M. 2000 â€Å"Ethical liberalism, education and the New Right† Journal of Educational Policy Vol 15No. 5 2000 pps 481-508 O’Neale Roache, J. 2000. â€Å"One in Six Children Live in Relative Poverty.† BMJ 2000;320:1626 ( 17 June ). The Daily Telegraph 27th August 2002 Townsend, P. 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth, Penguin. Sociological Review 1 [1] http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/elizpl.html [2] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RErowntreeS.htm [3] Cited in Holborn and Langley 2002 [4] http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 [5] From input to influence: Participatory approaches to research and inquiry into poverty by Fran Bennett with Moraene Roberts, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Bosnia - Herzegovina Essay -- essays research papers fc

Bosnia-Herzegovina is a country located in southeastern Europe. Bosnia- Herzegovina declared its independence in March of 1992. Usually, this country is referred to as Bosnia, but is officially named Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1918, Bosnia-Herzegovina became part of the kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which later became known as the country of Yugoslavia. In 1946, Yugoslavia became a federal state consisting of six republics, one of which was Bosnia-Herzegovina. Slavic people make up most of the counties population. The largest groups are the Bosnia Muslims, the Serbs, and the Croats. Much of the Serbian population opposed to Bosnia's independence and a civil war erupted in the Spring of 1992. Serbian forces soon occupied about two-thirds of the country. About one-fifth was soon held by Bosnian Croatians. The remainder of the country was held by Bosnian government troops, mainly Bosnian Muslims. From 1945, till 1990, communists held a monopoly on powers in all of Yugoslavia, including Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1990, non-communists gained a majority of seats in Bosnia's first multi-party election. Bosnia-Herzegovina's capitol city is Sarajevo, which can be found in the center of the country. Although many languages are spoke there, the main language is Serbo-Croatian. In a 1991 census, there was a reported 4,365,639 people living in the borders of Bosnia-Herzegovina which has an area of 19,741 square miles, and in 1995 there was an estimated 4,454,000 people in the country (Twenty-two people per square mile.) Sixty-six percent of those people live in rural areas, leaving only thirty-four percent living in urban areas. Bosnia- Herzegovina's money system is based on the Dinar. Their main agricultural exports are cattle, cherries, corn, grapes, hogs, peaches, pears, plums, potatoes, sheep, soybeans, tobacco, walnuts, and wheat. As a developing country, their industrial production is slightly limited, producing mainly electrical appliances and textiles. There is also a lot of mining of coal and iron ore which also contributes to the countries economy. Bosnia's government is headed by a seven member collective presidency. The presidency consists of two Croats, two Bosnian Muslims, two Serbs, and one individual who is not affiliated with a specific ethnic group. Voters elect members to a four year term. The members then elect a president who serves a one year... ...ims, Serbs, and Croats should fight for what the believe in, and the strongest will eventually prevail. Bibliography: 1. The Christian Science Monitor 11-16-94 Title: Opening the Docket: Trials of a War Tribunal 2. USA Today 12-5-94 Title: Serb Defiance has its Roots in Balkan History 3. USA Today 2-14-95 Title: UN Tribunal Accuses 21 Serbs of War Atrocities 4. USA Today 10-16-95 Title: Mass Graves Yield Horror in Bosnia 5. USA Today 10-11-95 Title: Clear Messages to Bosnian War Criminals...No Deal 6. Pittsburgh Post Gazette 10-8-95 Title: War Crime Trails may be Thwarted by Peace Bid 7. US News & World Report 4-10-95 Title: A Hunt for the Killers of Bosnia 8. Macleans 8-15-94 Title: Serbian Death Camp 9. War Criminals, War Victims by Random House Inc. 1971 10. World Book Encyclopedia Volume B & Y, 1990 11. US News & World Report 11-27-94 Title: Jumping the Gun in Bosnia 12. US News & World Report 9-18-95 Title: The US Risk in Bosnia 13. US News & World Report 11-6-95 Title: Keepers of the Peace 14. Merit Students Encyclopedia Volume 3. 1988 15. Newsweek 8-17-95 Title: Ethnic Cleansing 16. Pittsburgh Post Gazette 11-14-95 Title: Tribunal Changes: Bosnian Croats

Intro to Marketing Essay

It is important that McDonalds Corporation makes sure that any of their widely attractive and competitive marketing activities are produced within the constraints of the law. Consumer protection involves defending consumers by giving them a way to get reparations for damage cause because of faulty products. Therefore, McDonalds should keep up with changes in the law and landmark rulings to make sure any marketing in which they are developing won’t be illegal. Sales of Goods Act 1979 This act requires traders to sell goods whether that is written, verbal or graphical descriptions, they should be correctly and accurately described as well as being a satisfactory quality. This means that the condition of the product should include how long it lasts and being fit for purpose is key. This directly affects marketing activity as it means that any marketing should describe the product as accurately and truthful information. the product must be able to be used for purpose and if not, the customer is entitled to a full refund or exchange as a result of their concerns. If it is stated, it has to be guaranteed and false information given when advertising can be illegal. For example, McDonalds is one of the biggest fast food industries known globally. The products that they sell cannot be falsely advertised stating they are very healthy as by law, the amount of calories, fat, carbohydrates and sugar are all ingredients must be state on the packaging. It must be shown to potential customers exactly what products they sell and the quality must meet the standards as they are advertised. If not, this could lead to fines and imprisonment. Also, if a customer has a dispute of a member of McDonalds about the calories of a burger, the customer would then be informed exactly how many calories are in a burger as they are stated on every bit of packaging for exactly what is in the burger. Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 This act entitles all customers to fair treatment and honesty from businesses they deal with. This relatively recent piece of legislation should not have affected most businesses, but was targeted at organisations that do not always treat their customers well. Under this act, businesses cannot use aggressive sale tactics, or use dishonest promotional campaigns such as false advertising. For example, if McDonalds advertised their burgers on sale and they weren’t, this would result in mislead customers and giving false impressions to their target audiences which could possibly affect their reputation. EBay is a good example of this act. If an item is bought from a seller that is not as described or to an unsatisfactory quality, the buyer in entitled to a refund. If the seller fights their corner and claims that the buyer’s comments are untrue, the buyer can then open a case in the resolution centre in order to resolve this problem. Under the buyer protection policy, eBay has the right to fight the corner of the buyer so that the right solution is made. Consumer Credit Acts 1974 and 2006 This act protects consumer’s rights when they buy goods on credit or companies lending money to consumers. Traders who offend this law must have an OFT (Office of Fair Trading) licence and any complaints that arise with the customer regarding the organisation is dealt with by the FOS (Financial Ombudsman Service). For example, if you buy an Apple Mac computer, when this good has been paid for using a form of credit whether it be a credit card or credit agreement arranged by the trader, you may have an equal liability claim against the credit firm providing the contracted amount is over  £100 but no more than  £30,000. Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 Distance selling is any form of selling where there is no face to face communications between the customer and seller. the regulations require the business to provide clear information so customers can make more informed decisions regarding their purchases. An example of this regulation would be EBay. The business will give the consumer information such as goods they are selling, clear description, condition, location, payment options, delivery arrangements and returns policy. Data Protection Act 1998 This act means that any information stored by marketers must only be used for the stated purpose, must be accurately up to date and obtained fairly as well as lawfully. The act focuses on all businesses holding any confidential customer information on a database. As well as this, it should be no longer kept more than it is needed for a processed in line with your rights. It must be kept up to date as if someone passes away, you should not call asking for them. Also, if your information is protected from unauthorised use, it cannot be passed on to other companies without permission. The information which is stored is available for your inspection and correction upon request. It should also be protected from transfer to an area outside of the EEA (European Economic Area) unless adequate. McDonalds only gather personal information when voluntary submitted on their website to give feedback and they have online prize promotions. Sometimes, they change their private policies but only if a pressure group acts against them which is brought to the organisations attention. Trade Descriptions Act 1968 The act was introduced in order to protect consumers when purchasing products and services. It stipulates numerous different regulations that traders must adhere when carrying out their marketing activities. Sellers therefore must not mislead customers in any way as well as making descriptive yet accurate. This act not only refers to written descriptions but includes discussions, interactive exchanges and written documents. For example, within this act the trader must not indicate that a price is lower than it actually is as this is giving customers false information and misguiding them. McDonalds could not advertise that the price of a meal is  £3.00 is it is more than that because people will get the wrong idea and be displeased by the service and description of their products being false. Code of Advertising Practise and Advertising Standards Authority Marketing activities for a organisation are policed by the independent ASA. It is an industry body rather than a legal framework, and it promotes and maintains the UK code of advertising, sales promotion and direct marketing. The rules are to keep within the legal framework, protect customers from misleading claims, create an even footing for advertising. Principals for this include regulations such as the advertising a business produces should be in lines with the following rules: should be legal, decent, honest, truthful and have a sense of responsibility. Their advertising should not also be misleading or offensive. For example, McDonalds should not create slogans or include graphical advertising methods offending certain animal welfare groups or vegetarians as this is disregarded and taken seriously as well as being odious which they could potential lose customers because of. Ethical consideration A pressure group is an organised group that seeks to influence government policy or to protect a particular cause of interest. They don’t fight elections but may promote specific issues and may have more political objectives to aim for whilst enduring their campaign. they are undergone quietly on issues which most citizens wouldn’t full understand or recognise. For example, policies such as a medical association wanting to persuade the government to close down tobacco companies would affect their business and would also result in many convenience stores that would sell cigarettes. For example, in May 2011, more than 500 health professionals signed a petition to ask the makers of happy meals to stop marketing junk food to children so this had an impact on McDonalds in order to fulfil the needs to protesters so now healthier options such as fruit bags and fruit juices were introduced as a substitute to these ‘junk’ foods. Another example includes the animal rights pressure group; PETA launched a global campaign again McDonalds regarding animal rights issues and have created a billboard campaign disregarding McDonald’s non guilty claims which tried to make the fast-food giants listen to their views against animal welfare and rights. Consumerism is the organised efforts by individuals, groups and governments to help protect consumers from policies and practises that infringe the rights of consumers to fair business practises. It identifies the rights for consumers to be safe, to be informed, to choose and be heard. The Office of Fair Trading plays an active role in implement consumer legislation and to take action against traders who are seen as ‘unfair’. The packaging is an example of this as McDonalds used to use boxes that weren’t biodegradable but now they are being more environmentally friendly by using plastic boxes that won’t wear away and the resource is cheaper and will last longer. Advertising is mean to attract customers in but sometimes comments made can be acted upon and made subjective if the viewers don’t like what they see or hear. The language chosen for advertising needs to be accessible to the audience and put in a way that everyone can understand to widen the market of the product or service. The Advertising Standards Authority have acknowledged and acted upon the key areas which are when adverts refer to sex, involve strong language, religions and belief are fought against and also offensive grounds such as prejudgement or racism. In McDonalds case, critical issues that arose as a result of their advertising were there was claims that the organisation ‘exploits children’ with its advertising; the company was blamed for misleading children by using attractive advertisement as the use of fun character Ronald McDonald to encourage young people and attracting them to kid’s meals. Bibliography John Bevan, H. C.-S. (2010). BTEC Level 3 National Business, Book 1. Harlow, Essex, GBR : Pearson Education. http://www.tradedescriptionsact.co.uk/content/trade-descriptions-act-1968-28. html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2443603.stm http://www.asa.org.uk/ http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/46508929/P2-Limitations-and-Constraints http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/474136.stm http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576329610340358394.html

Pressures students face Essay

Imagine sitting in a classroom full of college students. They are from all walks of life. What could possibly be going on in the heads of those students? For instance could it be about the girl or boy that they have a crush on? Maybe they are wondering what they will do after school today? No, most of these students are working jobs to pay bills and tuition for the college they are attending. Also trying to maintain a good grade average which has to be a C or higher. These are some of the pressures that most college students have to face in this time of their lives. First, the pressures to perform academically are one of the primary causes of stress for all students. Most colleges recommend that students maintain a 2. 0 GPA and a C average or better in order to keep the finical aide they received and to pass their semesters. First, coursework can be very demanding. For instance students who want to do their best and excel in school will want to make the top grades and struggle to get into graduate schools places a lot of pressure on them. If a student falls below a C average they will not pass the semester that they are taking and will lose what finical aide that was acquired for them to attend college. So keeping good grades is the main pressure they have to face besides having to pay to go to college. In addition to paying for college is another pressure that a college student has to face every year Students have to make sure there are enough funds for books, classes, supplies, and if so rooms. Many students face financial stresses. Students have to find enough money to pay for their tuition as well as getting enough funds to cover living expenses and traveling expenses back and forth while attending college. Furthermore students that have sufficient funds to pay for college still have to worry about repaying the loans that they have gotten before even graduating from college and joining the work force. Finally, being a full time student and working a full time job can be overwhelming for college students. Taking full time classes and juggling a job puts a lot of pressure on students and leaves little time for them to study and attend classes. Friedrich Nietzsche once quoted That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Meaning that if students can juggle jobs and college that will only make them stronger and better at what they do. Therefore, college students face pressures by trying to work, making sure they maintain good grades and having enough tuition to pay for the college. Students have to face so many pressures going to college this is only a few of them. Being a full time student and working is not an easy job but people who want to get anywhere in their lives have to better their education so they can get better job opportunities. Many students with a lot of pressures just want to give up and quit at times. But as Winston Churchill once quoted Never, never, never give up. They just need to keep trying and no matter what once they graduate and have degree in their hands it will be well worth the pressures they had to endure during college.

How to Edit Quotes in an Essay

How to Edit Quotes in an Essay How to Edit Quotes in an Essay Quoting sources is vital when writing an essay. But what if the quote doesn’t fit the surrounding text? Or what if it’s too long? The good news is you can change a quote if you need to. But you also need to highlight your edits clearly in the text. Check out our guide below, then, to find out how to edit quotes in academic writing. Omitting Text from Quotations with Ellipses If a quote is too long, it may interrupt the flow of your writing. For instance: Smith (2007, p. 24) describes blancmange as â€Å"a sweet dessert that is generally made with milk or cream and sugar, although I also once had one that contained none of these ingredients, that has been thickened with gelatin, corn starch or Irish moss.† The middle part of this quote isn’t necessary for describing blancmange, so we might want to leave it out. To do this, we would use an ellipsis to show where we had cut something from the original source: Smith (2007, p. 24) describes blancmange as â€Å"a sweet dessert that is generally made with milk or cream and sugar†¦that has been thickened with gelatin, corn starch or Irish moss.† We now have the text we wanted to quote, but we haven’t had to include the middle bit. This makes it clearer and more succinct. Keep in mind, too, that you can write an ellipsis in several ways, including: In square brackets [†¦] Spaced (. . .) or unspaced (†¦) With a space before and after the ellipsis or without spaces As such, always check your style guide for advice on how to write ellipses. If you do not have a style guide, simply apply one type of ellipsis consistently. Changing or Adding Words in Quotations You can edit quotes by changing or adding words in order to: Integrate quoted text into your own writing Clarify the meaning of something Correct an error in the original text If you do any of these, use square brackets to show where you have changed the original text. For example, imagine we found the following in a book: Blancmange is delicious. The first time I ate it, I was in love. We might then want to quote the second sentence. But without the first sentence, it wouldn’t be clear what the â€Å"it† refers to. As such, we could edit the second sentence so that it works by itself: Smith (2007, p. 31) says, â€Å"The first time I ate [blancmange], I was in love.† It is now clear what Smith is saying without having to include the first sentence, but the reader can also see where we have changed the quote. Marking Errors in Quotations Finally, what if you don’t want to change an error in a quote? Or what if it contains something that looks like an error, such as an old-fashioned spelling? In cases like these, you can use the Latin term â€Å"sic† to show that you’ve kept something non-standard from the original text. This is short for sic erat scriptum, which translates to â€Å"thus was it written.† Usually, to use â€Å"sic† like this, you would place it in square brackets: His writings were riddled with errors due to his addiction, which he described as â€Å"a terrible but delishus [sic] shame† (Smith 2017, p. 2). The reader will then know that the spelling â€Å"delishus† comes from the quoted text, so it is not a transcription error. Unless you have a good reason for preserving an error, though, it is usually better to fix it and put the correction in square brackets instead. Summary: How to Edit Quotes in an Essay If you need to edit quotes in your writing, keep the following in mind: Use an ellipsis to indicate omissions in the text. Check your style guide for how to format ellipses (e.g., in brackets or not, spaced or unspaced). Mark additions or changes by placing the edited text in square brackets. Use the term â€Å"[Sic]† to show that you’ve duplicated an error from a source. This will ensure the reader doesn’t think you’ve made a mistake yourself. Different style guides may vary on these rules, so make sure to check yours if you have one. And don’t forget to have your work proofread.

Today a Boy, Tommorow a Man

Today a Boy, Tommorow a Man Free Online Research Papers People are often the products of their environment. A wealthy person has more of a chance to do the more pleasurable things in life than a person who is struggling to find food does. A person who is brought up in a household where no one drinks is less likely to become an alcoholic than one who is brought up in the home of alcoholics. A person’s environment can play a role even in simple things, like whether or not that person is allowed to grow up and mature. In The Man Who Was Almost a Man, Richard Wright depicts two sides to the main character in the story. He shows Dave as both a man in some ways, and a boy in others. Dave is as much a man as his environment allows him to be. Dave is in many ways a man. The first thing that should at least make Dave nearing manhood is his age. â€Å"Ahm seventeen. Almost a man. (Wright 1228) he says to himself as he strolls home after a hard day at work. A male nearing the age of 21 which is the age at which society calls a person a man, should be able to make mature decisions. Dave does make some mature decisions. He goes to work every day and does a good job. He tells his father Research Papers on Today a Boy, Tommorow a ManThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationStandardized TestingBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XCapital PunishmentHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionTrailblazing by Eric AndersonGenetic EngineeringMind TravelPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

Definition and Examples of Linguistic Competence

Definition and Examples of Linguistic Competence The term linguistic competence refers to the unconscious knowledge of grammar that allows a speaker to use and understand a language. Also known as grammatical competence or I-language.  Contrast with linguistic performance. As used by Noam Chomsky and other linguists, linguistic competence is not an evaluative term. Rather, it refers to the innate linguistic knowledge that allows a person to match sounds and meanings. In  Aspects of the Theory of Syntax  (1965), Chomsky wrote, We thus make a fundamental distinction between competence  (the speaker-hearers knowledge of his language) and performance  (the actual use of language in concrete situations). Examples and Observations Linguistic competence constitutes knowledge of language, but that knowledge is tacit, implicit. This means that people do not have conscious access to the principles and rules that govern the combination of sounds, words, and sentences; however, they do recognize when those rules and principles have been violated. . . . For example, when a person judges that the sentence John said that Jane helped himself is ungrammatical, it is because the person has tacit knowledge of the grammatical principle that reflexive pronouns must refer to an NP in the same clause. (Eva M. Fernandez and Helen Smith Cairns, Fundamentals of Psycholinguistics. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011) Linguistic Competence and Linguistic Performance In [Noam] Chomskys theory, our linguistic competence is our unconscious knowledge of languages and is similar in some ways to [Ferdinand de] Saussures concept of langue, the organizing principles of a language. What we actually produce as utterances is similar to Saussures parole, and is called linguistic performance. The difference between linguistic competence and linguistic performance can be illustrated by slips of the tongue, such as noble tons of soil for noble sons of toil. Uttering such a slip doesnt mean that we dont know English but rather that weve simply made a mistake because we were tired, distracted, or whatever. Such errors also arent evidence that you are (assuming you are a native speaker) a poor English speaker or that you dont know English as well as someone else does. It means that linguistic performance is different from linguistic competence. When we say that someone is a better speaker than someone else (Martin Luther King, Jr., for example, was a terrific ora tor, much better than you might be), these judgements tell us about performance, not competence. Native speakers of a language, whether they are famous public speakers or not, dont know the language any better than any other speaker in terms of linguistic competence. (Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Linguistics for Everyone. Wadsworth, 2010) Two language users may have the same program for carrying out specific tasks of production and recognition, but differ in their ability to apply it because of exogenous differences (such as short-term memory capacity). The two are accordingly equally language-competent but not necessarily equally adept at making use of their competence. The linguistic competence of a human being should accordingly be identified with that individuals internalized program for production and recognition. While many linguists would identify the study of this program with the study of performance rather than competence, it should be clear that this identification is mistaken since we have deliberately abstracted away from any consideration of what happens when a language user actually attempts to put the program to use. A major goal of the psychology of language is to construct a viable hypothesis as to the structure of this program . . .. (Michael B. Kac, Grammars and Grammaticality. John Benjamins, 1992)

Whole Foods Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Whole Foods Market - Essay Example Not only did they satisfy the people in Texas they went well above and beyond. â€Å"Wow! What a ride. Back in 1980, we started out with one small store in Austin, Texas. Today, we’re the world’s leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 310 stores in North America and the United Kingdom. What a long, strange trip it’s been. We still honor our original ideals, and we think that has a lot to do with our success.† (About Whole Foods) It is very important to shed light upon the price of certain items sold in Whole Foods, the price is usually higher than the same grocery products sold in other stores, this is something which could be affecting the profits of Whole Foods. However, it is unclear as to why the price is higher than other grocery stores. There could be a number of reasons for this but at the end of the day what matters is profit and the quality of the products sold in the store. As far as the quality is concerned Whole Foods has always be en providing their customers with the very best products so quality is certainly not an issue but price is something which they need to work on only then can they increase their profits. Reducing the price does not mean it will hamper their growth, they can always find new ways or special offers which could fetch them even more profits, everything comes down to innovation. Thinking out of the box has become really important and one good pricing strategy can fetch a lot of profit to Whole Foods. Whole Foods does not promote the discount card scheme and this is really strange, it is strange because the customers who keep visiting the store do not get rewarded and they should be rewarded only then will they feel like coming over and over again. Discount cards will also bring Whole Foods new customers and finding new customers is really important for any business. This is the first change which Whole Foods must introduce; discount cards are the need of the hour. The economic conditions in the recent past have been anything but ideal considering the same Whole Foods must introduce discount cards and this change is ought to bring more clients which would imply more profit for the organization. Whole Foods can become even more popular by sponsoring events, sponsoring local events would be ideal just to make a start but in the long run the store can also sponsor sporting events so that it becomes even more popular. This is another very good way of attracting more clients. The Premier League is a classic example, Barclays in the UK started sponsoring the Premier League in England and it is now known as the Barclays Premier League and it is watched by Billions of people across the globe. Such sponsorship deals may be expensive for an organization but can prove very beneficial in the long run. Whole Foods should also look at similar opportunities so as to make their mark. Organic food is something in which Whole Foods specialize and they need to work on building a brand identity. The first thing which should come to minds of people when they think of organic food should be Whole Foods, this is not an easy job but it can be accomplished and there are several organizations who have accomplished the same and there is no reason as to why Whole Foods cannot achieve the same in the field of organic food. Aggressive promotion is another idea which could work well for Whole Foods, social networking websites have become incredibly popular, big organizations have their own Facebook pages and Whole Foods should also create a Fan page and keep it updated so that the people can know of the recent changes and the recent products being sold by Whole Foods. Twitter is another medium with the help of

Reading Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Reading Summary - Essay Example Consequently, culture has emerged as important issue in international business and contemporary business dynamics as the workforce increasingly comprise of people coming from diverse background of culture, race and nationality. Thus, understanding of cross-cultural values becomes hugely critical elements of contemporary businesses. The article ‘Making it Overseas’ shows why the expatriate managers tend to fail in their overseas. The authors believe that lack of cultural understanding adversely impacts expatriate managers’ performance as they tend to apply traditional way of working which may not conform to the value system of the host nations. They need to be prepared to adapt and incorporate cultural values of other nations when working overseas for gaining the trust of the people and translating the needs of local populace into strong business goals. The authors emphasize that expatriate managers need to be better aware of intellectual capital and build it through understanding of cross-cultural understanding. Moreover, they must make efforts to build socio-psychological capital by being flexible in their approach and thinking so that they can connect emotionally with their partners and colleagues from diverse

Queer community service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Queer community service - Essay Example Suicide can be regarded as the top reason of death for the youths amid the age of 15-24. According to a statement given by Phoenix Schneider, the program director of The Trevor Project, â€Å"Suicide, especially among high-risk populations such as LGBTQ youth, is a public health crisis. But we are headed in the right direction to prevent this epidemic from spreading by saving lives, building supportive communities and advocating for a more accepting national culture† (PR Newswire Association LLC, â€Å"The Trevor Project Honoured by the American Association of Suicidology†). Once, I came across a friend, who was associated as a volunteer of The Trevor Project. Learning about The Trevor project, I got interested to know more about the organisation and started searching about it in social media. Likewise, I came across the social networking platform of The Trevor Project named as Trevor Space which is an online based community for social networking for the LGBTQ individuals. Subsequently, it was observed that the youth of the country having suicidal tendencies create their own profile and try to connect with the people having the same problem. Moreover, it was observed that Trevor Space ensured that the information provided by them is suitable and friendly for the youth along with being completely factual. Then, I came across The Trevor Project school workshop wherein I got more interested to learn about the program of this workshop. Subsequently, I found out that the school workshop provided a program for Lifeguard Workshop which used organised and age s uitable programme to solve the problems related to identity of gender, language barrier, sexuality and what resulted in the negative thought of younger people. From the observations, I learnt that the curriculum taught the youth to determine the reason for suicidal tendency and depression along with

Human Error in Aviation Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Error in Aviation - Annotated Bibliography Example The source is a journal, which means it is peer-reviewed and thus credible. In addition, the study is based on analysis of post-accident data, and not assumptions, which makes it reliable and credible. Moreover, the chances of biases associated with personal view of the authors are limited since the results are based on actual data. In addition, the study is relevant in the study of the influence of human error on aviation accidents. Regarding authors’ credentials, Douglas is an associate professor who has undertaken several researches on human factors and flight safety. On the other hand, Dr. Scott Shappel is a Department Chair of Human Factors and Systems. Furthermore, Shappel is an author of several publications and has participated in various researches related to human factors and aviation. Therefore, given their backgrounds on human factors in aviation accidents, the information presented in this article is credible and reliable. This article is helpful in my research because it analyzes the main ideas of human errors that contribute to aircraft accidents. The information from this source helps in the description, classification, and understanding of the concept of human errors. It also relates to the rest of my chosen bibliography in its main ideas and focus. The study analyzes error classification methods that explain the causes of human error. The author analyzes the errors made by reviewing error assumptions and proposing alternative solutions. The purpose of classifying human errors is to help people concerned with Human factors in aviation apply practical explanations to their accounts of human errors. The author argues that the major reasons behind his classification of errors are to identify a simple error principle that goes beyond superficial errors. The author’s main points revolve around the deeper understanding of classification of errors and the ways in which analysts

Diversity Audit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity Audit - Research Paper Example This unit examines a newly created organization and the effects of application of diversity audit on its operations. Creating an Organization A thriving organization ought to be effectual and well-organized in its operations. An effectual organization should be unique and should take into deliberation its staff and clients needs. A good example of a business organization is the bread baking industry. The organization takes into deliberation of its client’s satisfaction, as a result, serves both its interests and the community’s interests (Collins, Denis, 153). Company’s Background and History on One Page The bread baking organization has been in operation for the last two years. The company has organization chart, which governs the daily running of behavior inside the organization. The chart is prearranged according to the flow of authority within the company. The person at the top of the company is the boss followed by the assistant boss. Third in the position a re the departmental managers, and lastly are the employees. The company was started because of the high demand that was prevalent in society (Collins, 231). The manager He or she is the individual who supervise the day by day running of the organization. He makes all the judgments pertaining to the daily running of the organization. ... Their roles include coordinating the activities within the company to yield the maximum profits. Workers They are individuals the company employs to aid in the production process. They possess unique skills because of working in a range of departments with dissimilar task to perform. The company has engaged a total of two hundred employees. Conducting a Diversity Audit on the Organization The company’s objective is to satisfy the clients need while maximizing the company’s profits. The organization’s objectives are achievable only when the company’s aspects are reviewed to examine the effective ones from the non-effective ones, as a consequence there is a need to carry a diversity audit on the company. Evaluation and Recommendations for the Organization In Terms Of the Diversity Audit The diversity facilitates evaluation of the company’s merits and demerits. It assesses the company’s procedures, strategies and administration to determine area s where to review to lead to a positive change in the company. The evaluation of the company’s workers is that they are not properly aggravated; as a result, they do not give the company their bests. Secondly the policies of the business do not cater for the employees entire requirements. The promotion criterion in the strategies does not consider the firms employees, since there are no set criteria in the firm for promoting the employees. Lastly, the diversity audits conducted on the management showed the management was not contended with their basic wages, as a result, there did not effectively supervise the firm’s daily operations. After the diversity audit, there are a variety of proposals implemented to make

Is Clausewitz's unfinished work On War still worth reading and Essay

Is Clausewitz's unfinished work On War still worth reading and studying in the 21st century - Essay Example Military generals and war diplomats of modern period continue to depend on Clausewitz for better war strategies. This paper takes a brief look at his famous book, On War, translated by J.J.Graham. Clausewitz, could not complete his book during his lifetime. Whatever is left behind by him in the form of On War has been sufficient for the future war scholars and military officers to understand war as a subject of study. The fact that the book was written before the modern war- weapons were invented, and that the book is interesting even in this nuclear age itself speak volumes about the greatness of the work. The book is not altogether without criticism or negative qualities, but its acceptance as a source for the war specialists is stronger than its negative aspects. It is being taught in the military schools and many debates and critical analyses based on the book have continued to take place. On War is divided into eight sections, with each section having several chapters. A wide ranging topics related to war are defined and discussed by the writer with apt examples from history. It is very difficult to give here the exact content of the book in the condensed form due to the enormity of the various aspects of war dealt by Clausewitz. At the same time, any discussion of a topic like war demands that all its aspects are taken into consideration. Hence, the attempt here is to embrace as many facts given by the author as possible. Book I, chapter 1, gives clear a definition of war. According to Clausewitz, â€Å" war is nothing but a duel on an extensive scale†(Clausewitz, 1873). He says that it is an act of violence. This is a clear confession. He stresses that in war there is no sprit of benevolence or any kind of moderation . After rejecting such absurd views, he goes on to highlight that, even in a civilized society, passionate hatred of each other is the basic instinct for waging war. It is not an

Diversity Audit Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity Audit - Research Paper Example This unit examines a newly created organization and the effects of application of diversity audit on its operations. Creating an Organization A thriving organization ought to be effectual and well-organized in its operations. An effectual organization should be unique and should take into deliberation its staff and clients needs. A good example of a business organization is the bread baking industry. The organization takes into deliberation of its client’s satisfaction, as a result, serves both its interests and the community’s interests (Collins, Denis, 153). Company’s Background and History on One Page The bread baking organization has been in operation for the last two years. The company has organization chart, which governs the daily running of behavior inside the organization. The chart is prearranged according to the flow of authority within the company. The person at the top of the company is the boss followed by the assistant boss. Third in the position a re the departmental managers, and lastly are the employees. The company was started because of the high demand that was prevalent in society (Collins, 231). The manager He or she is the individual who supervise the day by day running of the organization. He makes all the judgments pertaining to the daily running of the organization. ... Their roles include coordinating the activities within the company to yield the maximum profits. Workers They are individuals the company employs to aid in the production process. They possess unique skills because of working in a range of departments with dissimilar task to perform. The company has engaged a total of two hundred employees. Conducting a Diversity Audit on the Organization The company’s objective is to satisfy the clients need while maximizing the company’s profits. The organization’s objectives are achievable only when the company’s aspects are reviewed to examine the effective ones from the non-effective ones, as a consequence there is a need to carry a diversity audit on the company. Evaluation and Recommendations for the Organization In Terms Of the Diversity Audit The diversity facilitates evaluation of the company’s merits and demerits. It assesses the company’s procedures, strategies and administration to determine area s where to review to lead to a positive change in the company. The evaluation of the company’s workers is that they are not properly aggravated; as a result, they do not give the company their bests. Secondly the policies of the business do not cater for the employees entire requirements. The promotion criterion in the strategies does not consider the firms employees, since there are no set criteria in the firm for promoting the employees. Lastly, the diversity audits conducted on the management showed the management was not contended with their basic wages, as a result, there did not effectively supervise the firm’s daily operations. After the diversity audit, there are a variety of proposals implemented to make

Exploring Business, v. 2.0 book Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exploring Business, v. 2.0 book - Article Example Trade is also measured through the concepts of trade surplus and trade deficit (134). There are tremendous opportunities for a business entity to enter the global markets, such as licensing agreements, contract manufacturing and outsourcing, alliances and joint ventures, FDIs and subsidiaries (140). This provides the business to grow extensively and create a market share on the international market. However, companies must be cautious and carefully consider the global business environment which would be vital for the success of the globalization plan. Companies should be sensitive on factors such as cultural environment, language, sociability, and intercultural communication (152). Trade controls will also play a critical role in engaging in globalization. Tariffs and quotas are present in every country which protects its vital and developing local industries (167). The reduction of trade barriers, such free trade agreements, also helps strengthen the regional trading market by bolstering the import and export between the member countries (171). International business is truly a lucrative field to develop a career, and preparing for such would require early strategic planning (179). Choosing an undergraduate degree specializing of a core business concept would be a strong foundation to prosper in an international business career. Studying international politics, economics, and culture, covering the concepts discussed above, will provide indispensible tools in doing international trades and business. Lastly, is developing the know-how of communicating in foreign languages (179). Being able to communicate with clients in their mother-tongue would definitely increase the changes of successful business

Factors That Restrict Success Within Youth Sport

Factors That Restrict Success Within Youth Sport Part 1 With reference to the theory undertaken in this module, evaluate the key factors that restrict success within youth sport. Theory that has already been undertaken in this module includes details of the factors that restrict success in Youth Sport. Factors that have been researched prior to this piece of work are Participation Rates, Support Structures, Maturation Rates, Talent Identification and School Sport Competition. Follows, will be a detailed report underpinning three of these factors and it will stress why they each restrict success in Youth Sport. Youth is another common title for a young person or young people (Konopka, G., 1973). People have different views on how they would define sport, people suggest that sport is an activity governed by rules or customs and often engaged competitively whilst others suggest differently. Sporting people have different attitudes when it comes to playing sport. Sportsmanship is an attitude that strives for fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, ethical behaviour and integrity, and grace in victory or defeat (Fish and Magee 2003). Sports are most of ten played just for fun or for the simple fact that people need exercise to stay in good physical condition. Although they do not always succeed, sports participants are expected to display good sportsmanship, standards of conduct such as being respectful of opponents and officials. The three factors that will be that will be detailed are Relative Age Effects, Talent Identification and Significant Others. These seem to be the most contrasting factors that restrict success therefore there will be outcome of an understanding from different views and aspects of the sporting world for youths. Depending on the dates of a childs birth, they will be in either one season or the other to determine what school year they will be entering. For sports players, physical appearance is an agenda when it comes to selecting players off an appearance basis and measuring biological maturity is a way of finding best players; (Vaegans et al 2005). Youths that are involved in sport must be adequately prepared for a life in sport Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) provides a model that they can work from. Phase 1 FUNdamentals (FUN) Objective TO LEARN FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS Content Overall development, focusing on the ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed) to underpin the generic skills used in many sports: Running, jumping and throwing. Frequency Perform physical activity 5-6 times per week. Phase2 Learning to Train (L2T) Objective TO LEARN FUNDAMENTALS SPORTS SKILLS Content Concentration on the range of FUNdamental sports skills, such as throwing, catching, jumping and running. Introduction to readiness: being mentally and physically prepared. Basic FUNdamental tactics, e.g. if fielding, net/wall, invasion games can be introduced. Cognitive and emotional developments are central Skills are practised in challenging formats Frequency As above. If there is a favoured sport, it is suggested that at least 50% of the time is allocated to other sports/activities that develop a range of skills. Phase3 Training to Train (T2T) Objective TO BUILD FITNESS SPECIFIC SPORTS SKILLS Content This phase ideally occurs post-puberty and attention switches to: Fitness Training Detailed mental preparation A focus on sport-specific skill development, including perceptual skills (reading the game/tactical understanding). Decision making Detailed and extensive evaluation Frequency For the aspiring performer, sport specific practice will now be 6-9 times per week. Phase 4 Training to Compete (T2C) Objective TO REFINE SKILLS FOR A SPECIFIC EVENT OR POSITION Content Event and position specific training Physical conditioning Technical and tactical preparation Advanced mental practice All of the above come together and are developed under competition conditions. Frequency Training could be up to 12 timesper week. Phase5 Training to Win (T2W) Objective TO MAXIMISE PERFORMANCE IN COMPETITION Content Development and refinement of the aspects above, but with more use in competition modelling and more attention to rest periods and prevention of injury due to heavier load. Frequency Training could be up to 15 times per week Phase6 Retainment For athletes/players retiring from competitive sport, many sports are developing Masters Programmes. An additional phase retainment- keeps the players/athletes involved in physical activity. Experiences gained as competitors can be invaluable, should they move into administration, coaching or officiating. A move to another sport, perhaps at a more recreational level, may better suit some. There are consequences that the sports person could be faced with as well as the advantages and disadvantages. According to research it has been found that approximately 70% of successful hockey and football players had a relative age advantage because they were born in the first-half of the defined age-group for their respective sports. By comparison, only 30% of these top-level players were born in the last 6 months of the respective â€Å"sport year†. One consequence that has been found is an increased drop-out rate for those youthful hockey players that had been disadvantaged by age in the past (Barnsley Thompson 1988), suggesting that given the choice, younger children will seek to leave or avoid an activity in which their competitive position is hampered by their relative age. Interestingly and predictably, the relative age effect has also been found in other competitive sports such as baseball (Thompson et al 1991). Steven Gerrard was affected as a youth when it came to playing football and furthering his career. Follows is a prime example of how he overcome his relative age effect. Steven Gerrard, one of Englands most talented footballers, was born in May 1980 and was also a late developer. He describes in his autobiography his huge disappointment at not getting into the FA school at Lilleshall and subsequently not playing for England under-16s. Michael Owen, born some six months earlier in December and more physically developed made both squads easily. Steve Gerrard wrote in his autobiography: â€Å"The one nagging doubt in the back of my mind was that my rivals were bigger: I was really small and facing some tall, strong units in my position. â€Å" Steven resented his rejection but had coaches and mentors at Liverpool who knew he needed more time. Significant others can be described as the people who are around the sports performer. There are 4 sectors; Technical, Peers, Family and Supporters. These are also the key interpersonal support factors that affect a young persons participation and progress in sport. The technical others are the people who see the person as a sports performer. They could be their coach, teacher, club official, sport sciencetist or medical health sciencetist. Peers are made up of people such as friends, classmates and team mates. Family is made up of parents, grandparents and siblings. Finally, supporters are people such as fans and neighbours. All 4 sectors have some form of impact on the sports player whether it is a big one or a small one. Parents are major part for the youths life. It is the parent that has brought the child up and it is their duty, by nature, to mould the child into a young promising adolescent. Parents have empathy for their children, perceived sharing their childrens on court em otions. They are perceived to possess knowledge and expertise of the sport so they feel entitled to comment. They also have a continuum of reactions throughout their childs sport, good and bad. In-game negative comments are usually about 10%. (Holt et al 2008). Significant others can have a negative impact on the sports performer. These effects could include dropping out of sport all together. This could be caused by pressuring parents, lack of peers during adolescence and sibling rivalries. The parents could be either really demanding of the child and either expect too much of them in their sport or could be too strict towards them. Eccles and Harold (1991) proposed the parents expectations influence the child decision to engage in sport and activities including the intensity of effort expended and their childs actual performance level. Next is an extract which is a study examining parental influence on childrens participation in sport, giving an idea why the parents could restrict success in Youth Sport. X. Yang et al (1997) states ‘The purpose of this study was to examine parental influences on childrens participation in sport and their later physical activity. The population for the study consisted of a random sample of 1881 9- to 15-year-old boys and girls who were exposed to the extensive research program called Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns in 1980. They and their parents have been followed up for twelve years at three-year intervals by means of a short questionnaire concerning physical activity and other factors. The results indicated that the fathers physical activity in 1980 was related to their childrens habitual physical activity in the same year, and gave in boys and girls a significant prediction of PAI values twelve years later when the starting point was the age of 9, and also among boys from 15 years of age to 27. During the three years follow-up period, the extent of participation in sport was higher in families with active parents than in families with pas sive parents and single parents. The relationship of physical activity and sports participation with fathers socioeconomic status and education was not strong as with fathers physical activity. Talent Identification is a where a talent is found in a person. In this case it is when a talent is found in a Youth. There are different processes in which talent identification can be used in order to find potential sports persons. Scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scouts organization. Many scouts are former coaches or retired players, while others have made a career just of being scouts. Skilled scouts who help to determine which players will fit in well with an organization can be the major difference between success and failure for the team with regard to wins and losses. Talent can not only be identified by an official spectator, it can be identified by standard spectators e.g. team mates, coach, teachers. It can also be identified by parents and grandparents. If the non-official spectators were to recog nise a talent within a Youth playing Sport then they could hold the boost that the player needs in order to further themselves in their chosen sport. If the non-official spectator fails to let on to the sports person then it could restrict them from being successful in sport. UK Sport holds a number of talent identification programmes for youths and generally people aged 17-25. These are ‘Pitch 2 Podium, ‘Sporting Giants and ‘Girls4Gold. UK Sport (2008) and the English Institute of Sport (EIS)began asearch for highly competitive sportswomen with the potential to become Olympic champions in cycling and other targeted Olympic sports (bob skeleton, canoeing, modern pentathlon, rowing and sailing). Girls4Gold is the single most extensive female sporting talent recruitment drive ever undertaken in Great Britain. Girls4Gold can only take a number of people onto their programme, same with any other programme. Following the tremendous success of Team GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Girls4Gold team received over 1300 applications and cant take on anymore applicants until the next opening. This could be a restriction in itself because this programme could be missing out on extreme sports people including male participants. This is only available for females and therefore could hold a feature which a sporting male might need for success but doesnt have on offer anywhere else on their sporting grounds. After summarising the three factors discussed in this essay, it is clear that they all hold possible restrictions for success in Youth Sport. Relative age effects take a greater approach to the physical side of the sports people body, as the older the sports person is, the more mature and developed their body is and the younger the person is the less developed they are. This could be a restriction when it comes to team games more than it could be a restriction to playing sport individually. This means that the player could have more chances of becoming successful in an individual sport rather than a team sport. The restriction depends on what the players sport is and which ‘school year the player is born into. Significant others can be a restriction in itself depending on who the ‘significant others are around the sports player. Provided that there are the right people, technically as well as emotional and mentally, the then player could be stable and could be successful. However, if those people arent in place to give the young sports person the interpersonal support they need then they could be self reluctant to take up opportunities in order to be successful. Talent identification is the main key to success in sport. If the payer is not recognised then the player is not faced with the opportunity to make their sport official or even turn it into a career for themselves. With this it could be argued that the sports person should not take chances and wait to be noticed and that they should help themselves be acknowledged by talent identifier. This is when they could apply for programmes such as ‘Girls4Gold. This is when it could be ‘make or break for the sports player, as sometimes they are not always faced with people on the search for talent.

The Third Parent :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Third Parent Once there was a princess who was born with three parents- a lovely mother, a wonderful father, and a third who was neither. The princess lived with her mother and father in a humble but charming little castle near the sea. The third parent lived inside the princess's head. The princess did not realize the existence of this parent for quite some time. It had hidden itself deep in her psyche, biding its time, waiting for precisely the right moment. It fed on her secret fears and weaknesses and grew strong on them. It watched her true parents stealthily through the princess's innocent eyes, waiting for them to look away for just one moment. They seemed unlikely to do so, as the princess was greatly cherished and well cared-for. In the princess's ninth year, however, the moment arrived. It was not the true parents' fault. They were only human. Still, it was rather unfortunate. The princess was, by nature, a blithe little soul. She loved to sing and dance and play in the courtyard with her younger brother and the royal pets. When not at play in the sun, she was equally happy retiring to her sunny yellow bedroom, where the curtains were laughing daisies and baby animals romped on the walls. There she would rest with a stack of books given her by the Old King, her father's father, and read contentedly for hours. One day the young king and queen had to face a sad matter, and for just one moment their attention was turned from their daughter. The princess came into her room one day to find her mother weeping. When told the reason why, the princess wanted to weep too, but could not. In that moment when her deepest fear had been realized, the Third Parent reached its full strength. "No crying," it said to her. "And no talking." It shooed the queen out of the little yellow room and, using the princess's own hands, locked the door behind her. There the princess remained as a prisoner to the Third Parent. The animals on the wall ceased their romping. The daisies no longer laughed. The sun disappeared from the window and the air grew heavy and still. Numbly, the princess crossed the darkened room to gaze into her mirror. She felt so cold and strange, she had to see if her appearance had altered.

King for a Day :: Rick Reilly Sports Illustrated Athletics Essays

King for a Day Rick Reilly, within his weekly Sports Illustrated column, â€Å"The Life of Reilly† sheds an interesting light onto the LeBron James controversy. LeBron James is considered, possibly, the greatest high school basketball player ever and will, in most scouts’ opinion, will be the first player selected in the 2003 N.B.A. draft. However, after a chain of events involving a gift of $845 worth of free basketball jerseys, James was ruled ineligible for two of his team’s high school games. Reilly explains the benefit another player receives from James’ error. Junior Brandon Weems has the chance to step in the shoes no one can fill and play in front of full crowds expecting to see LeBron. This paper will discuss briefly Reilly’s background as well as whom he has intended to read his piece. Furthermore, it will also discuss the rhetorical appeals Reilly has used and the argument structure that is taking place. Reilly has been a Sports Illustrated writer for seventeen years and has won the award for National Sportswriter of the Year seven times. His career has taken him places such as the golf course with President Bill Clinton, into the cockpit of an F-14 fighter plane, to the daunting task of being present at the Swimsuit Edition photo shoot. Reilly, who started in 1979 with the Boulder (CO) Daily Camera, always tends to put a witty and amusing spin on stories that may seem bland at first glance. It has been said that he has an uncanny knowledge of all sports mixed with the â€Å"timing of Jay Leno and the wit of Johnny Carson† (si.com). The intended audience for the piece, â€Å"King for a Day†, is an intelligent crowd that has somewhat of an interest in sports in general, not necessarily basketball. Any current or former high school athlete can relate to the situation that Weems is in. He is a replacement who just wants to have fun when he gets the chance. Anyone who appreciates the story of an underdog who succeeds will value this article. Reilly’s purpose is to show that there are two sides to ever story.

Case Study Papa John’s International, Inc. Twenty-First Century Growth Challenges Essay

1) What is your assessment of Papa John’s differentiation strategy? On what bases does the company differentiate? There are a number of bases on which Papa John’s differentiates itself, many of which are interrelated. First and foremost is Papa John’s offering of a higher-quality pizza, which not only allows them to differentiate on the basis of a product feature (i.e. the high quality ingredients used in the pizza), but, even more importantly, on the basis of reputation. While most other pizza chains have their sights set on more of a cost-leader/low-price strategy, and make an less genuine statement of quality, Papa John’s entire organizational culture is focused squarely upon the pursuit of â€Å"better ingredients, better pizza†. This commitment has in turn endeared it to customer base, and has resulted in a long string of high customer satisfaction ratings. Papa John’s early adoption of online and mobile ordering technologies allowed it to differentiate itself on the bases of both timing of introduction and distribution channels. Papa John’s was in fact the very first pizza chain to offer both internet- and text-based ordering, and it was able to generate tremendous revenues as a first-mover in these then-untapped channels. Being that Papa John’s is a part of the larger fast food industry, and consumers seek out fast food in large part on the basis of its convenience, the value of such a distribution system obviously lies in how easily accessible it made Papa John’s products. 2) Is Papa John’s strategy sustainable? What is your assessment based on a VRIO analysis? Obviously the most sustainable base of Papa John’s differentiation strategy is its reputation as a producer of high-quality pizzas. Such has been earned through years of commitment to the goal of producing a â€Å"perfect pizza†, which is an outgrowth of a strong organizational culture and well-communicated vision. The relationship between Papa John’s and its dedicated customer base is socially complex, and these customers could not be taken away overnight by a rival who suddenly began using better ingredients. However, the underpinning of this reputation – the product feature of high quality ingredients – is not nearly as sustainable, as it is not too costly for Papa John’s rivals of comparable size to ultimately imitate. In fact, Domino’s and Pizza Hut have demonstrated a shift towards  higher-quality ingredients in recent years, and so this point of differentiation is no longer as rare as it once was. However, it will take many mo re years of making pizzas of similarly high quality for either to actually cement the same reputation as Papa John’s, and reputation does remain a very sustainable base of differentiation. However, it is worth considering at which price point the value of this reputation begins to diminish, given the nature of the product category itself. Papa John’s is, after all, a fast food pizza chain, and price does play a significant role in the fast food market. Obviously, part of the value of having a differentiated product is the ability to command premium prices for it, and to easily pass increased costs on to a customer base which is relatively price-insensitive. However, the question here is what price ceiling exists on fast food pizza, regardless of its quality. Papa John’s may have a reputation for the highest-quality fast food pizza, and loyal customers may be willing to pay more for this high-quality fast food pizza than a lower-quality fast food pizza, but the price disparity between the two is unlikely to be anywhere near as great as that between, say, a car made by Rolls Royce and one made by Hyundai. Papa John’s may be able to charge a premium, but it must still exist within what is an essentially narrow price range acceptable for fast food. Should Papa John’s prices exceed this reasonable range – perhaps in the event that they cannot continue staving off ingredient cost volatility as well as they have to this point – then even their most loyal customers will turn to other brands or substitute foods of higher quality which warrant a higher price. The essential point is that price still does play a significant role in Papa John’s reputation – sure they make high-quality pizza, and sure it costs a little more than Domino’s, but that price premium is commensurate with its greater quality, and it strikes the right balance between affordability and quality. However, the value this reputation provides in allowing for higher prices – while it does exist, and thus leads one to conclude that reputation is a source of sustained competitive advantage – does indeed have its constraints. It creates value, but only until reaching a price ceiling which is lower for this product category than for premium products in most other product categories. Regarding Papa John’s other, interrelated bases of  differentiation – timing of introduction and distribution channels – it is evident that these were merely temporary sources of competitive advantage along a base which has given way to compe titive parity. Every other pizza chain (and pretty much every restaurant, chain or independent) now offers online and/or mobile ordering, and thus Papa John’s offering of increased convenience is no longer rare. Furthermore, Papa John’s has not been the first to market with any further similar innovations in the years to follow, and its base of differentiation as a pioneer of clever innovations is in many ways currently dormant. This is perhaps owed to a shift in organizational focus away being the first-to-market with novel propositions as Papa John’s looks increasingly to extending the business they have already perfected to foreign markets. 3) What do you recommend Papa John’s do to achieve its growth goals? Papa John’s has encountered challenges in its attempt to balance its focus on producing a higher-quality pizza with expanding its product mix enough to keep up with competitors who offer broader product mixes. Papa John’s does not want to stretch its focus and resources too thin, and consequently dilute the quality of its pizza by shifting attention away from it. However, many of Papa John’s competitors, namely market leaders Domino’s and Pizza Hut, have broadened their product mixes to include items such as pasta dishes, and Papa John’s has in turn been pressured into adopting similar additions to their menu. Because all of these pizza chains have begun matching each other with regard to product mixes, adding menu items is acting more as a base of competitive parity than competitive advantage. However, in expanding its product mix through co-branding strategies, Papa John’s can forge a far more sustainable base of differentiation. Papa John’s has already partnered with Nestle in adding additional dessert items, and such is a strategy they should continue to pursue aggressively, not merely with Nestle but with many other companies. Obviously Papa John’s can free up its resources and attention in partnering with another company to develop and produce menu items for it, and it can focus more on maintaining its high level of pizza quality. More importantly, if Papa John’s could enter into exclusive deals with these other brands and companies, and in turn be the  only one in the industry to offer products by a given brand of high repute (and even possibly a product made exclusively by that brand for Papa John’s), then its competitors will have much more trouble attempting to match the combined brand equity of Papa John’s and its partn ers. In terms of more of a corporate-level strategy, Papa John’s should consider integrating backward into the production of its high quality ingredients. Obviously it has already done this to some extent with BIBP Commodities, Inc. in combatting cheese price volatility, but they should consider going a step further in actually producing cheese and other ingredients themselves. They would be much better poised to insure a steady stream of consistently-priced ingredients in handling production themselves to some extent, and they would also be able to directly maintain the quality of its ingredients. It has already been stated that the product feature of high-quality ingredients is not very sustainable, and that other pizza chains are already moving to match the quality of Papa John’s ingredients. However, should Papa John’s lock in a supply of high quality ingredients at affordable prices whilst others are still encountering significant price volatility, then it will be more costly for Papa John’s competitors to imitate its pizza quality. Additionally, Papa John’s could act as supplier of ingredients to other restaurants (excepting of course its competitors), just as it originally expanded into the printing industry to produce its own print advertisements, but now also provides printing services to other companies. Expanding into the production of ingredients it already uses so heavily and, by nature of its expertise in producing high-quality pizzas, of which it already as a strong understanding makes greater sense than creating a Hispanic restaurant as is suggested in the text, being this such is a specific category of food with which Papa John’s has no prior experience. In entering a restaurant category so dissimilar, Papa John’s will have to spread its attention thin – far thinner than in expanding its product mix – and, in turn, will likely be distracted from its heretofore steadfast pursuit of â€Å"better pizza†, setting in motion an eventual loss of its hardfought reputation. As stated, Papa John’s reputation is its strongest point of differentiation, and, regardless of whatever move it makes next, it must maintain its high level of brand equity.

Rethinking of Filipino Values Essay

Enriquez was critical of this approach to the study of Filipino values. He encouraged Filipino scholars to take a second look at these values using a Filipino orientation. Social scientists such as Lagmay, Salazar, and Bonifacio took up the challenge in their own research. Let us examine three of these ‘‘Filipino values’’ from the exogenous and indigenous perspectives. 54 Rogelia Pe-Pua and Elizabeth Protacio-Marcelino ? Blackwell Publishers Ltd with the Asian Association of Social Psychology and the Japanese Group Dynamics Association 2000Bahala Na. The Filipino cultural value of bahala na has no exact English translation. Bostrom (1968) was the first psychologist to analyze this value by comparing it with American fatalism. This is obviously a pervasive interpretation that when Thomas Andres published the Dictionary of Filipino Culture and Values, he still defines bahala na as ‘‘the Filipino attitude that makes him accept sufferings and problems, leaving everything to God. ‘Bahala na ang Diyos (God will take care of us)’ . . . This attitude is a fatalistic resignation or withdrawal from an engagement or crisis or a shirking from personal responsibility’’ (Andres, 1994, p. 12). The Sikolohiyang Pilipino perspective interprets bahala na differently. Lagmay (1977) explained that bahala na is not ‘‘fatalism’’ but ‘‘determination and risk-taking’’. When Filipinos utter the expression ‘‘Bahala na! ’’ they are not leaving their fate to God and remaining passive. Rather, they are telling themselves that they are ready to face the difficult situation before them, and will do their best to achieve their objectives. The expression is a way of pumping courage into their system so that they do not buckle down. In fact, even before they have said ‘‘Bahala na! ’’ They have probably done their best to prepare for the forthcoming situation. Hiya. Sibley (1965), an American scholar, translated hiya as ‘‘shame’’. Another American, Lynch (1961) saw hiya as ‘‘the uncomfortable feeling that accompanies awareness of being in a socially unacceptable position, or performing a socially unacceptable action. ’’ For example, when an employee is scolded in front of other people. To add to the negativity of this interpretation of hiya, Andres (1994) described hiya as ‘‘an ingredient in why Filipinos overspend during fiestas in order to please their visitors, even to the extent of going into debt’’.

Organizational Level Outputs

Organizational Level Outputs Outputs Diagnosis Executive Summary The Purpose for this summary is to provide you with the findings of my analysis on Skype’s organizational outputs covering the Organizational, Group and the Individual level. Skype is a new Microsoft Division, which provides low cost fee calls to landlines and mobile phone not registered within Skype, using the Peer to Peer technology and its latest version (5. 10. 0. 15) which has the capability to support nearly any computer operating system including mobile device with the ability to connect to the internet, giving the user the ability to make free Skype-to-Skype calls, Video, Instant Messaging. Skype’s customers can be broken down into three main groups: Freemium service users, Low cost users, and the Business category, currently with over 40 million concurrent users online, (Malik, O. 9 May 2012).With over 800 employees which consist of: Product Development, Sales and Marketing, Site Operations, Custo mer Support, with most of the development team at its headquarters in Luxemburg and 44% of the overall employees situated in Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia additionally Microsoft announce in mid April 2012 their intention to add 400 new employees which will spread across five major cities starting with London, and Stockholm along with Palo Alto Prague and Tallinn.David Nadler’s and Michael Tushman’s congruence Model, explains that organizations are made up of groups and individuals each, responsible for his/her own for outputs in support the overall organization’s strategy, (Nadler,D. A. & Tushman, M. L. 1980). Thus, this model will be useful in my evaluation of how Skype’s outputs at each level interact with each other, while providing you with my determination of the level of congruence among the same. Organizational Level Outputs Skype’s provides low cost fee calls to landlines and mobile phone not registered within Skype, using the Peer to Peer tec hnology and its latest ersion (5. 10. 0. 115) which has the capability to support nearly any computer operating system including mobile device with the ability to connect to the internet, giving the user the ability to make free Skype-to-Skype calls, Video, Instant Messaging world-wide, which includes individual and business groups, additionally, Skype sells its own products which include: Microphones, headsets, WiFi Phones to name a few. While Skype’s Mission remains unchanged, and maintains it goal to continue to increase the number of users, revenue and profitability and includes four Objectives: 1.Continue to grow the connected and paying user base. 2. Increase the usage of the free and paid products and to extend the relationship between Skype and its users. 3. Develop new monetization models, to include advertizing. 4. Broaden user base to include more business users. Meeting the Goals The figure shows how Skype is meeting the intended goals through the number of indivi dual users as well as business entities which vary from small to medium and the way it has been reaching new customers via the embedded application in appliances such as television sets and other mobile devices.Thus at first glance it appears Skype is meeting the intended goals by reaching the two groups globally. Group Level outputs Skype’s organizational structure is much defined as it differentiates each department: Product Development has consistently stayed up to date with technology and in some cases ahead of the competition since the introduction of video calling, which gained high penetration on handheld devices including personal computers and other electronic devices, while continuing to develop products for business customers.Allowing for Sales and marketing to diversify revenue through subscriptions premium accounts including advertising, which through the first six months in 2010 Skype earned $13. 1 million on $406. 2 million of sales representing 25% year over y ear revenue growth. (Frommer, D. Aug 2010). Site Operations, this team performs routine functions and solutions, these are the employees who ensure people have the roadmap in how Skype operates, as well as planning future operations working along with the development teams handling system interruptions.Kaili Kleemer Skype’s Site Operations Manager includes in the interview her desire to take Skype to the next level which is to move from away from manual software and hardware deployment. â€Å"We don't want to be the people who push a button manually and restart the server to fix problems. Instead, we have been moving everything we can to automated systems more closely integrated with the applications our product engineering teams develop. We've been pushing for a move towards Development Operations (DevOps) and working more closely with those teams at the application level. (Skype, June 2012). Customer Support, is Skype’s weakest link yet, reports of dissatisfied cust omers that extend as far back as 2005 and as current as of 17 Aug, 2012. Figure2. Shows Skype’s ranking at 535 out of 553 companies that have a Customer Service Scoreboard. com rating, which depicts Skype’s customer service as terrible, while the list of dissatisfaction goes on and on, by now you would have thought Skype could dedicate real people to provide this service and not the automated response, which is better than no response at all.Key Individual Functions Individual Skills and Knowledge vary from position and departments for example, software engineering who is assigned to the development department is charged with managing and leading a team of software engineers of greater than six people, improving and developing team processes and engineering practices while working closely with product mangers which drive and implement product strategy. Thus the desired output is explicitly upfront in the job description.Individual performance is sort of unique, specifi cally for those who are geographically dislocated from the supervisors and is set on goals and reachable outcomes agreed upon by the subordinate and supervisor. (Gonzalez, R; Koizumi,D; Kusiak, K. May 2011). Outputs Congruence Overall the congruence between the three levels, based on my analysis is low and that is because only two of the levels have some form of interaction, at the organizational level and the group level.While the individual level doesn’t seem to have as much interaction as it should, Naddler’s concept of congruence requires consistency or fit between each pair of organizational inputs. (Nadler,D. A. & Tushman, M. L. 1980). Therefore to produce an output that meets the overall organizational strategy all groups must fit. In the case of Skype in which the customer service dissatisfaction indicates the individual group is not consistent with the others, in fact there is no clear definition as to who or what department handles such customer grievances.On the other hand when one looks at the individual functions, the job description does fit into Skype’s goals and objectives. However, it appears, when it gets to the actual execution, it is not followed through. Conclusion the Congruence model provides a way for organization to establish processes which allow departments to show that when working as a unit they results can be effective and provides the organization a better way to manage all groups or departments without leaving one behind, as in my opinion is the case with Skype.Reference Caukin, J. (June, 2012). Day in the Life of a Skype Operations Manager. Accessed, 7 Aug, 2012. From: http://blogs. skype. com/en/2012/06/day_in_the_life_of_a_skype_sit. html CustomerServiceScoreboard. (Aug, 2012). Skype Customer Service. Accessed 18 Aug, 2012. From: http://www. customerservicescoreboard. com/Skype Frommer, D (Aug 2010). Chart of the Day: Skype is a real, Live Growth Company. Accessed 9 Aug, 2012. From: http://www. businessin sider. om/chart-of-the-day-skype-is-a-real-live-growth-company-2010-8 Gonzalez, R; Koizumi,D; Kusiak, K. (May 2011). eHRM and its Outcomes: A Study of Relational e-HRM in Multinational Companies. Retrieved 18 Aug 2012. From: http://www. scribd. com/doc/76891246/60/E-performance-Appraisal Malik, O (9 May 2012) Skype’s present is secure, its future is not. Retrieved (16 July 2012) from: http://gigaom. com/2012/05/29/skypes-present-is-secure-its-future-is-not/? utm_source%3Dsocial%26utm_medium%3Dtwitter%26utm_campaign%3Dgigaom Nadler, D. A.