Shareholders Rights

Requirements for Valid Action at a Shareholder Meeting * Read statute, bylaws and articles * 1. Authority for the meeting * 2. Proper notice (or waiver of notice) * 3. Quorum * 4. Required number of votes cast in favor 1. Authority for Meeting * The meeting must be authorized * Look to statute and bylaws for authorization * Annual meetings MBCA  §7. 01 * Special meetings MBCA  § 7. 02 * Court ordered meetings MBCA  § 7. 03 * Who may call a special shareholders meeting? 2. Proper Notice * See MBCA  § 7. 05; Del.  § 222 * a) Must the meeting notice state the purpose of the meeting? Annual meeting MBCA  § 7. 05(b) * Special meeting MBCA  § 7. 05(c) * NOTE: A number of provisions in the applicable corporation statute will contain special notice provisions. See, e. g. , MBCA  §10. 03(d) * b) Who is entitled to notice? * generally only shareholders entitled to vote MBCA  § 7. 05(a) * only shareholders on record date MBCA  § 7. 07; Del.  § 213 * Note: In some cases sha reholder who are not entitled to vote are entitled to notice. See, e. g. , MBCA  §Ã‚ § 10. 03(d) & 11. 04(d). * c) What about electronic notice? * See MBCA  § 1. 1(c); Del.  § 232 * d) Can notice be waived? * Notice (or a defect in a notice) may be waived expressly or by participation in the meeting. See MBCA  § 7. 06; Del.  § 229 * e) What notice is required in the case of an adjourned meeting? * See MBCA  § 7. 05(e) 3. Quorum Requirement * See MBCA  § 7. 25(a); Del.  § 216 * a) Can a greater or lesser quorum be authorized? * See MBCA  § 7. 27. The articles of incorporation may provide for a greater than majority quorum * See MBCA  § 7. 25 Official Comment 5 (lesser quorum) * Compare Del. 216, which also permits the bylaws to vary the quorum requirement * Why would a corporation permit a lower than majority quorum? * b) Can shareholder, by withdrawing from a meeting, break a quorum? * See MBCA  § 7. 25(b) (no) * Not all corporation statutes (e. g. , Del. ) add ress this issue * There is some case law contra to the position adopted by the MBCA 4. Required Number of Votes * Traditionally the required number of votes is a majority of those present in person or by proxy. See Del.  § 216 * The Revised Model Act takes a different approach. See MBCA  § 7. 5(c) * What is the difference between the Del. approach and the MBCA approach? * What about elections of directors? * The trend is to merely require a plurality of votes cast. See MBCA  § 7. 28(a) and Del.  § 216 * What is cumulative voting for directors? How does it compare with straight voting for directors? * See MBCA  § 7. 28(c); Del.  § 214 * What are the advantages of cumulative voting? * What are the possible disadvantages of cumulative voting? * Only a small minority of states require cumulative voting * Of those that permit cumulative voting, most (including the MBCA and Del. are â€Å"opt in† statutes * Why does the MBCA require notice before cumulative voting is pe rmitted? * How valuable is cumulative voting? * a) Can the amount of votes required for shareholder action be increased? * See MBCA  § 7. 27 and Del.  § 216 * Del. allows supermajority voting requirements to be placed either in the certificate or bylaws * b) Some types of shareholder action have special voting requirements * Some types of action require a majority of the votes entitled to be cast. See, e. g. , MBCA  § 10. 03(e) * Non-voting shareholders may have statutory right to vote on some things.See Del.  § 351 * IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE STATUTE What about meeting minutes? * Is a meeting valid without minutes? Supermajority Quorum or Voting Provisions * The ability to raise quorum and vote requirements provides a tool that may be used to protect minority shareholders * Use of this tool increases possibility of shareholder deadlock * Is deadlock necessarily bad? Determining Who is Entitled to Vote * How does a corporation determine who is entitled to vote (and to noti ce)? * See MBCA  § 7. 07 * What about beneficial owners? * See MBCA  § 1. 40(22) and Del. 219(c) * See also MBCA  § 7. 23. There is no equivalent Del. provision Proxy Appointments * Does a shareholder have to be present in order to vote? * See MBCA  § 7. 22 and Del.  § 212 * Why is a proxy appointment generally only valid for a limited period of time? * MBCA (11 months); Del. (3 years) * When is a proxy appointment revocable? * Generally this is a question of agency law * The MBCA has a detailed provision on revocability * A number of problems can arise from the use of proxies. One is that of conflicting proxies * Is an e-mail, telegraphic or facsimile proxy valid? See MBCA  § 7. 22(b); Del.  § 212(c) & (d) * While the typical corporation statute does not impose significant requirements as to the form of a proxy, the SEC proxy rules do impose requirements for publicly held corporations * See SEC Rule 14a-4, suppl. p. 1671 Conduct of the Meeting * The Revised Model Act now includes some rules governing the conduct of a shareholder meeting. * See MBCA  § 7. 08 * There is no comparable Del. provision * The bylaws of a Del. corporation may include provisions similar to the rules in the MBCA. Cf. sample bylaws, suppl. . 1117 Election Inspectors * The Revised Model Act and the Del. Act require some corporations to have election inspectors and set out the duties of such inspectors * See MBCA  § 7. 29. See also Del.  § 231 * In other corporations, the bylaws may provide for election inspectors Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting * Do you have to have a shareholder meeting? * Action may be taken by signed written consent without a meeting * See MBCA  § 7. 04 and Del.  § 228 * Notice may be required to nonvoting shareholders or, in Del. to non-consenting shareholders * Read the applicable statute! * Can the written consent procedure be used in publicly held corporations? * Why or why not? * Can a written consent be revoked? * See MBCA  § 7. 04(b) Welcome to the 21st Century To what extent may electronic forms of communication or participation be used? * Can notice be given electronically? MBCA  § 1. 41(c); Del.  § 232 * Can a person participate in a meeting without being there? Del.  § 211(a); MBCA  § 7. 09. * Can a meeting occur completely in cyberspace? Del.  § 211(a)

Medicine and law

Kong-lung, Consultant Forensic Pathologist (Kowloon) Forensic Pathology Service, Department of Health Introduction Obviously, this was to protect the public from quackery. Fees for the doctors were paid by the State. If unsatisfactory results followed a course of treatment that had departed from the orthodox, the doctor responsible would be liable to punishment, which could be very harsh. Similar legal restrictions on medical practice were also found in other early civilizations such as Babylon and India.It is now a firmly established belief that legal and ethical considerations are integral to medical practice in the planning for the care of the patient. With the advances in medical sciences and growing sophistication of the legal framework in modern society as well as increasing awareness of human rights and changing moral principles of the community at large, doctors and other healthcare workers alike are now frequently caught in difficult dilemmas in many aspects arising from dai ly practice.Examples are plenty such as the duty to respect informed onset, truth-telling, breach of confidentiality, disclosure of medical errors, rationing of scarce health resources, biomedical research, organ donation, etc. Besides, there is also growing anxiety both within the medical profession and in the community regarding increasing trends of complaints and lawsuits against doctors. From the bitter experience of many doctors who were engaged in complaint or lawsuits in the past, many of them had resulted from failing of their doctor-patient communication skill or inadequate ability to comprehend and resolve dilemmas in clinical settings.Throughout the history of mankind, medical legislation has continuously evolved to regulate the practice of medicine. The fundamental objective is to safeguard the standards of the medical profession and to protect the public against unskilled vendors of medicine who would be as injurious to the community as other criminals. The Justinian Co de of the Byzantine Empire in 529 AD is probably the earliest law code found to contain clauses to require educational standard and proof of competence of doctors by examinations.It also restricted the number of doctors in each town and penalties were imposed for alphabetic. By 12th century, there were well established medical legislations in Italy, namely the edict of Roger II of Sicily in 1140 and Frederick II in 1224, to prescribe organized medical teaching, set courses, examinations and qualifications. 3 Medical ethics has developed into a well based discipline which acts as a â€Å"bridge† between theoretical bioethics and the bedside. L The goal is â€Å"to improve the quality of patient care by identifying, analyzing, and attempting to resolve the ethical problems that arise in practice†. In addition to our moral obligations, doctors are also bound y laws and official regulations which form the legal framework regulating medical practice. It is now a universal c onsensus that legal and ethical considerations are inherent and inseparable parts of good medical practice across the whole spectrum. The disciplines of law and ethics in medical practice overlap in many areas and yet each has its unique parameters and distinct focus. In Hong Kong, laws on public health and medical practice, essentially an adoption of the English Acts, had been introduced from the early days.The monumental principles that apply generally to medicine or health care at large are: (a) respect of patient's autonomy; (b) the principle of malefaction, I. E. , the duty to avoid harm or injury to patients; (c) the principle of beneficence, I. E. , the duty to do good to your patients, relieve their pain and suffering and to save life if you can; and (d) the principle of justice and act fairly. Meaning of Law and Medical Ethics in a Nutshell The values that encompass the four fundamental principles in medical ethics are self-evident.They are considered to be doctor's prima f acie duties to the patients and society. It is necessary for a doctor to take all of them into account when they are applicable to the clinical case under consideration. Not infrequently, when two or more principles apply, they may be in conflict. For instance, the decision to operate on a case of acute appendicitis involves at least two competing prima facie duties on the part of the doctor. At one end, the doctor is obliged to provide the greatest benefit to the patient by performing an immediate appendectomy.At the other end, surgery and general anesthesia carry risks and the doctor is under the obligation to avoid causing harm to the patient. The solution adopted must base on a balance between the demands of the competing principles by determining which carries more weight in the particular case. In the case of appendicitis, a generally accepted rational calculus holds that the patient is in far greater risk of harm from a ruptured appendix if the doctor do not act, than from th e operation and anesthesia if the doctor proceed to surgery.In its simplest context, law can be defined as enforced rules devised by the State to govern the behavior of its members for the mutual benefits of all. Observance of the rules must be guaranteed by some kinds of sanction erected against the rule breakers. In addition to laws for the general public, doctors are bounded by certain specific rules stipulated in statutes as well as code of professional conduct laid down by the official regulating authority, namely the Medical Council, and administrative codes set by the institutions.Together, they form the legal framework regarding the practice of medicine, violation of which may lead to criminal or civil liability, or disciplinary actions. In addition to legal obligations, there are also expectations of society for the doctors and the goal of the profession eased on long established moral principles of self-evident value, which define the moral framework of medical practice. M edical ethics can be defined as a self-imposed code of conduct accepted voluntarily within the medical profession, the observance of which depends on one's conscience and moral values.Law and Medicine Law and medical ethics are both dynamic and are in a constant state of change with time due to changing circumstances and societal values. Thus, new legislation and court decisions give rise to changes of the law and new ethical issues emerge in response to challenges rated by new technology, law or other influence. There is also wide difference in law from country to country because of factors regarding religion, culture, traditions, political systems and social standards.Broadly speaking, medical matters come into interaction with law in four aspects: (a) legislation and administrative regulations affecting medical practice; (b) court Judgments on problematic or controversial ethical issues in medicine; (c) medical matters or personnel may become subjects of lawsuits when issues of m edical malpractice or alleged medical negligence arise; and (d) use of medical matters s evidence in courts for other criminal or civil proceedings such as cases of homicide, rape, wounding, workman's compensation, insurance claims and the like.Fundamental Principles in Medical Ethics Medical ethics is an applied ethics which involves examining specific controversial issues such as abortion, breach of confidentiality, end-of-life care, rationing of scarce medical resources. The objective is to try to identify the issue concerned, analyze it with reasoned ideas and arguments and arrive at a viable and morally acceptable resolution for it.In the realm of medical practice, it is official to hold rules or principles that are absolute in view of the many variables that exist in the context of clinical cases as well as new issues that arise as a result The Interaction of Law and Ethics in Medical Practice Despite their distinctive roles, law and medical ethics overlap in many areas. It is indeed difficult to dissociate the legal and ethical basis of the professional duties of doctors. For instance, both law and medical ethics address to issues of confidentiality, euthanasia, abortion, use of dangerous drugs, medical malpractice and the like. 4 Volvo. 8 NO. 6

Project Management in Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Management in Healthcare - Essay Example How can you use Microsoft Excel to assist in project risk management? What other software can help project teams make better risk management decisions?   Microsoft Excel is the perfect software solution for analyzing project risks and financial threats. It offers manifold functionalities to businesses and organizations to devise real-time risk management decisions. It objectively and mathematically computes all financial data and statistics for future analysis. Moreover reliable and detailed matrices, plans and models can be chalked out for sharing and observation. With Microsoft Excel future cash flows can be obtained in present and projected figures can be calculated. Other tools like Aon’s eSolutions can be used to manage project risk management.  Summarize different tools and techniques project managers can use to help them manage project teams. What can they do to manage virtual teams?   Following techniques can be utilized by project managers for managing project t eams.Observation and conversation: Observation and conversation are the best tools to maintain work related relationship and gauge the behavior of project team members. It helps to expedite the progress towards fulfilling team objectives and also resolve interpersonal issues.  Project Performance Appraisals: The critical nature of the project, quality of performance and organizational policy define the level of project performance appraisals. Project team members are continuously managed, evaluated and supervised by their team leads.

Japan and China are clearly rivals for leadership in East Asia, Asia Essay

Japan and China are clearly rivals for leadership in East Asia, Asia and beyond. Briefly trace the relationship between the two - Essay Example The rivalry between these countries started since World War II and continues till today. The prime reason for this being one of the said nations always remained superior to the other.Before the 19th century china was the super power and with the restoration of Meji constitution Japan started gaining importance. However, China fought Japan by seeking economic assistance from Germany before World War II, but during World War II Japanese did many atrocities to Chinese population which strengthens the rivalry between the two. Internal and external politics of both countries The China being a republic nation possess its national military force known as People’s Liberation army which controls its sea, air and land territories in a unified manner.PLA was founded in 1927, and has more than 3 million members and is counted as the world’s powerful military force. Moreover, the Chinese republic is currently growing as the biggest manufacturer and exporter of goods and services in the current international market. The rapid growth of China in economical and social field has stunned the devolved as well as developing nations. The internal political scenario of China is very brittle and is struggling to survive the provocation of war as a communist regime. Evnthough, the economical status of the country is booming the republic is facing extreme provocation and threat to consider war with its competitor countries. About a decade ago the country called Japan was economically growing at such a rate that it out rated the growth of U.S.A and other advanced industrially civilized nations. However, its economic growth was also creating resentment abroad and this was resulting in economic disputes and demands to stop it’s free trade system. The country instead of focusing on military resources, concentrated highly on economic activates and grew largely as the world’s strong economic nation with living standards better than America. Unfortunately, currentl y Japan is suffering of recession and depicts a stagnant growth. As per,(Branigan,T,2010)â€Å"The most significant issue in recent domestic politics is the public’s growing dissatisfaction with LDP rule. The ruling LDP-Komeito coalition will probably remain in the minority in the Upper House at least through the next election in 2010†.Mean while the military system of the country is strong and is called the Japanese Self Defense Force and was formed after the occurrence of World War II. Relationship and power of both the countries The political and socio-economical scenario of both China and Japan has always been highly frictional. On many grounds, these countries constantly raised conflict and the relationship status of both the countries is at a very compromising and vulnerable state. The economical activities between the countries are at threat and Chinese government is accusing Japan of destroying the bilateral relationship among both countries. There is also wide spread notion that super power America also provoking these two countries to initialize a war. (Tadahi,Y.2008)writes that â€Å"The countries are locked in an increasingly tense row over Japan's detention of a Chinese captain after his trawler collided with a coastguard vessel near disputed islands. China's premier Wen Jiabao this week threatened further retaliation if the man was not release†

Akashi- Kaikyo bridge (Pearl bridge), Japan Research Paper

Akashi- Kaikyo bridge (Pearl bridge), Japan - Research Paper Example The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is known in Japan as the Pearl Bridge. Before the bridge became operational, the people had to mainly depend on ferry services to travel between the islands. The ferry travel was uncertain and rather dangerous as the area often experienced powerful winds, storms and typhoons, and horrible ferry mishaps did occur. Heeding to the public outrage that followed the sinking of two ferries in 1955, causing the death of 168 people - a majority of them children, the Japanese government undertook the construction of this bridge in 1988. Another reason for building the Akashi Kaikyo bridge, which was approved in the 1969 comprehensive Japan national development plan, was to promote local trade and assist the industrial development of the region. Together with another major suspension bridge namely, the Ohnaruto suspension bridge, completed in 1995 and connecting Shikoku Island with the southern end of Awaji Island, the economy of Awaji Island which is the sixth largest island in Japan, was expected to improve considerably. Although the construction of the bridge was prioritised following the ferry disaster in 1955 and feasibility studies began soon thereafter, the actual construction could only begin in 1988 as the process was a difficult one. The Akashi Strait is four kilometres wide and where bridge was proposed to be built, the sea was 110 metres deep, with tidal currents of 4.5 metres per second. The problems of bridge design related firstly to the severe weather conditions existing in the Akashi Strait, such as strong winds (wind speeds of 80 metres per second), and even typhoons.

Why it is necessary for HR practitioners to monitor the external macro Essay

Why it is necessary for HR practitioners to monitor the external macro environment - Essay Example The business environment is made up of many such factors that can affect the business in the shot and long term both. Therefore it is important to know and study about these factors and evaluate the changes and their impact on the organization. The external environment is made up of the all the forces present outside the organization that affects or has the ability to affect business’s ability to achieve its objectives. The external business environment is broadly categorized as the micro and macro external environment, the paper focuses on the external macro environment therefore we will discuss about that in detail. External Macro Environment: The external macro environment is made up of factors which are beyond the control of the organization. These include the PESTEL (political, economic, social, environmental and legal) factors. These factors are interlinked and cannot be distinct from each other easily. The effects these factors have on the businesses vary business to bu siness and from time to time. The effect of changes in the macro environment over the business is indirect, that is it affects the business through some changes. However the change in business doesn’t affect the environment in return. ... However the changes in the environment that affects the business occur constantly and they are difficult to predict. (BATES. 2005; KROON. 1995) When we speak about environment and its relationship with human resource management it refers to the combination of factors that influence the working and execution of the HR department. Any function of the organization, as mentioned earlier, cannot work in isolation and are interdependent on a lot of factors internally within the organization and outside the organization too, therefore for smooth operations and decision making it is essential to take into account of these factors which can influence HR polices, procedures and practices. The best framework to study the external macro environment, its components and how they affect the functioning of HR department is by the PESTEL analysis. I will further discuss the possible factors that lie in the PESTEL analysis and influences the HR function. Economic Factors: Economic environment is compo sed of many economic factors like populations, fluctuation in economic and trade cycle, national income, labour market conditions, interest rates and globalization of economy. This is the most important of all the factors prevailing in the environment that affects an organization the most including the HRM function. This could be made evident by the scenario for e.g. when company’s performance in well due to the boom in the trade cycle, it will attract more business and due to increase in business it may need to hire more labour from the market and it might face difficulty in hiring the required labour from the market. To serve the purpose the organization may be willing to pay extra compensations

Individual Report (IMC) tools on (Brecon Jazz Festival) Essay

Individual Report (IMC) tools on (Brecon Jazz Festival) - Essay Example The festival was held in 1984 for the first time. Usually the event is held in the first week of August. This year the event would be held on 11th of August. The main objective is the festival is to bring Jazz lovers from various parts of the world. But the significance of the program is actually more than just music, as such events help the nation of Wales to improve tourism and boost economy. It is believed that the difference between a successful event and a not so successful one lies in the essence of good marketing and communication plan. Experts believe that one of the best ways to market an event is through suing all the elements of the communication mix i.e. through integrated marketing communications or IMC. The study looks to focus on the analysis of various elements of the communications mix and the implications of various elements of the communication mix in order to market the event effectively to the target audience (Henry, 2008, p. 89). Literature Review Marketing mix is a set of elements that a company or as a matter of fact any organization can use to its advantage for the marketing purpose. Neil Borden first termed these elements as marketing mix. Later E. Jerome McCarthy reduced the twelve elements to for elements and termed those four elements as the four P’s of marketing. The four P’s of marketing would be product, price, place, promotion. The integrated marketing communication belongs to the 4th P- Promotion. Promotion means to convey the main attributes of the product to the customers. Promotion is mainly used by the marketers to generate demand among the audience. Mainly marketers use the promotional mix or the communication mix to promote a product. The various elements of the promotional mix are Advertisement, Sales Promotion, Public Relation, Personal Selling and Direct Marketing (Kotler, 2001, p. 25). As the business environment became competitive, the marketers felt a need for a more integrated approach towards the mar keting and communication process giving birth to integrated marketing and communications approach. IMC can be defined as an integrative approach to achieve efficiency through synergy. IMC approach involves the application of all communication elements that allows an organization to express itself with one voice and one look (Proctor, 2002, p.121). IMC is a customer centric marketing and communications approach which helps an organization to integrate all the elements of the promotional mix to position and promote a product or business in the market. The American Marketing Association has defined IMC as a concept that identifies the value of a detailed and comprehensive plan that evaluates the key strategic roles of various mediums and techniques of communication to maximize the impact of communication . (Czinzota, Ronkainen, Moffett, Marinova & Marinov, 2009, pp. 423-429). Across the globe there happens to be continuity in the de-regulation in market and emergence of customized segm entation customer tastes and preferences. Therefore IMC has not been an easy process as it had to deal with various internal and external changes such as the rise of the digital medium, consumer empowerment, fragmentation of media, increase in advertisement clutter, etc. Among this the rise of the

Vietnams Declaration of Independence Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vietnams Declaration of Independence - Case Study Example April 27, Captain Patti requested Ho Chi Minh to allow the OSS team work with the Annamites with the intention of gathering intelligence on the Japanese. Ho agreed to the Captain’s request and set up a camp in the jungle that would later be Viet Minh’s headquarters. It is worth noting that all requests made to Ho by the United States, he agreed to. In his DoI speech, Chi Minh used the second paragraph of America’s 1776 Declaration of Independence to assert his point. He states that Vietnam’s wish to be a sovereign nation is in agreement with the principles of humanity and equality. He further states that all Vietnamese, like any other sovereign citizens, have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. According to Ho, this statement means that all men, irrespective of any differences, have a are all born equal at birth and that freedom cannot be taken away, meaning the rights at from birth are inalienable. In emphasizing these principles, Ho st ates that the same principles were used by the United States in the 1776 Declaration of Independence. Ho goes on to point out that the same principles were the foundation of the 1791 Declaration of the French Revolution on the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The French declaration mainly states that all men are born free, have equal rights, and must at all times be free with equal rights. If these principles were reasserted in the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of French Revolution, then they should be applied to Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence as well.

Macbeth Diary Entries Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Diary Entries Essay I am weary and suspective of Macbeth as he questions much of my movement with Fleance that afternoon. I really feel something amiss. Maybe it is just Macbeths insecurity for all i know. It is late and Fleance is waiting for me in the woods. I must go now. Macbeth and I just had just came back from a battle. A great one indeed. We had came ashore and were proceeding back to Forres when we came upon this desserted and gloomy heath where we were most shcoked to be greeted by three witches that had long beards strecthing from their ragged cloaks. I was uncertain what gender they were, but i knew something was wrong. At first sight, the three creatures greeted Macbeth Thane of Glamis. They then started chanting prophesis that concerned Macbeth and me. The first witch chanted,All hail,Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Glamis followed by the next All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Cawdor and the last of which chanted All hail, Macbeth ,that shalt be king hereafter! Hail they chanted three times together and continued prophesising. Lesser then Macbeth, and greater. the first witch chanted. Continued the second Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings ,though thou be none So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo. Chanted the last of witch. I was overwhelmed by suspision when i heard those prophesies whilst Macbeth was, I should say rather engrosed and interested in their prophesies. Macbeth wanted them to stay but in a blink of an eye, they suddenly disappeared into thin air. Macbeth was furious. Stay you imperfect speaker s, tell me moreMacbeth Was truely interested in these creatures prophesy, but i just got a bad feeling about this. Dear Diary, The news my cousin brought filled me with an unimaginable grief. My family, brought to the graves by such feeble means, so defenceless and alone while I was off in England arguing with Malcolm about my loyalty, which how dare he question it! Only a monster would kill innocent children and women, there was no reason for it! How can they live with themselves? As I write I am miles away from Fife for how could I stay when that atrocity happened in the place where I would have rested? I can never forgive myself for what happened that day, that fateful day which has brought me nothing but pain. I lay in my bed last night feeling alone and confused. My thoughts were in flux; I had ranged between crushing, overwhelming depression, during which I had shed countless tears onto my blankets, and anger so volatile I got up to put on my armour and immediately head to Fife (thrice), in hopes of catching the perpetrator only to remember my family, take off my armour, and lay back down. My wife would not have liked me to be dwelling on avenging their deaths but it is the only thing my mind has been set on. I have thought of killing myself, taking away the pain but I cannot do that! What would people think? I have no heir to my title or wealth, they would think I killed my family myself! Then I think of that assassin and him off gallivanting killing more innocent people and breaking other peoples hearts and I know hes got to be finished. If I ever find out who has killed my loved ones, I will be the death of them or they be the death of me. Macduff I am writing this entry, sitting at a desk in Scone. I have recently witnessed my dear friend Macbeth crowned King of Scotland. I am still in shock after the strange happenings of the past few days, so I am not yet overcome with neither joy nor grief. I should be happy for Macbeth, yet I feel that something inside me will not allow me to be so. These events, I fear, have not happened by chance, but that something evil, something supernatural is at work. Macbeth and I felt immense pride, on that fateful day as we rode, victorious, over the moor. We had just defeated the ghastly Norwegians, though by uncivilized means. Macbeth rightly said So foul; and fair a day I have not seen. Not far into our journey, we came upon three weird sisters. They all hailed Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king hereafter. True, he was Thane of Glamis, but we were puzzled, to say the least, about the other two statements. As I was intrigued, I questioned them about my future. In reply, they told me that my sons would me kings, and that I would be Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. This confuses me greatly, for had they not just said that Macbeth would be king? Of course, I chose not to believe these instruments of darkness. Amazingly, minutes after the sisters had vanished, Macbeth was announced Thane of Cawdor. We were both quite taken aback, for the beings had foretold that very thing. I think our minds both raced towards the third prediction, All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! I believe that Macbeth began to think about how to make the third prophecy a reality. We spoke no more about it. Surprisingly, Malcolm was named Duncans successor, though Macbeth was firm favourite in my mind, at least.

National Office Machines Case Essay Example for Free

National Office Machines Case Essay 1. What factors contributed to Euro Disney’s poor performance during its first year of operation? What factors contributed to Hong Kong Disney’s poor performance during its first year?  The factors that led to Euro Disney’s poor performance were the lack of understanding of the French culture, mistaken assumptions, and ethnocentrism by the American management. Since the prices of the hotels and entrances were different and much higher in Europe, the park attendance was low. It was actually cheaper for European families to travel to Disney World in Orlando, FL than to EuroDisney. Eisner was a little arrogant when he assumed people from all over Europe would come to Paris, when there are many different cultures in Europe, each one expecting adaptation. It isn’t like the U.S. where the culture is much the same throughout. Each country has its own culture. The guest expectations weren’t up to par, and the customer service wasn’t as expected. There was a ban on alcohol when the French are the biggest wine drinking country and the poor and underestimated arrangement of breakfast didn’t settle well with the French. It failed in Hong Kong because its service standpoint was below standards. The cultural factors also added to the failure of the theme park they did not adapt to the Chinese culture. They have improved however culture isn’t everything the rides weren’t the quality that guests expected it to be. 2. To what degree do you consider that these two factors were (a) foreseeable and (b) controllable by EuroDisney, Hong Kong Disney, or the parent company, Disney? In terms of the foreseeable factors, they should have taken into consideration cross cultural differences, the Gulf War of 1991, 1980’s European recession, high interest rates and devaluation of several currencies, World Fair in Seville and the Olympics in Barcelona, and the ban on alcohol consumption. Controllable factors were mistaken assumptions, initial pricing, design and marketing policies, early advertising that was more expensive, poor and underestimated arrangement of breakfast, and arrogance of Disney’s management. 3. What role does ethnocentrism play in the story of EuroDisney’s launch? Ethnocentrism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own culture, and all other cultures are measured in relation to it. This happened when the Disney management did not try and understand the French expectations or wishes, and went ahead and implemented the Disney Park as per their wishes. The French, of course did not accept this since they never wanted the Americanized entertainment. Disney management had the resources available to get a marketing opinion from European sources that would have saved them from failure. However, since they were profitable with the other Disney parks, the management did not see as this park being any different. If only they had consulted with European marketers, they could have avoided pricing mistakes, food and drink mistakes, and entertainment mistakes. 4. How do you assess the cross-cultural marketing skills of Disney? In the beginning Disney’s cross-cultural marketing skills were far below par. Simply put, they did not do their homework, but when failure crept up they realized their mistakes. Now they have hired European management, who has a better idea of what they are doing. They not only changed their marketing and pricing strategies, but they also changed the food and drink as well. Therefore, in the end, Disney’s cross-cultural skills have improved significantly. 5. Why did success in Tokyo predispose Disney management to be too optimistic in their expectations of success in France? Discuss. In Japan Disney park was a huge success due to the fact that the Japanese had a sentimental attachment to American cartoon characters. The Japanese tourists enjoyed themselves at the park because they could automatically relate to these characters. This resulted in a profit not only in the first year, but in the second year as well. There were 14 million people that visited Tokyo Disney Park the second year and 3/4th of them were repeat customers. With these high figures and profits, Disney management had high hopes while constructing the park in Paris. They didn’t feel the need to do any research since the Japanese adapted so well to the American customs and Disney management figured the French would be no different. However, this was completely the opposite of what happened. The French did not accept the American customers and a failure resulted in Paris. 6. Why do you think the experience in France didn’t help Disney avoid some of the problems in Hong Kong? First are the cultural differences. In Hong Kong, they only considered Chinese style in the park design. Also, they still overpriced the park. They didn’t take into consideration the actual price level of the country and blindly set prices high so that visitors could not afford, and moved on to other amusement parks. Last is the marketing. Disney management did not market its entertainment concept. Like France, Hong Kong has their own cartoon image and was not familiar with Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. 7. Now that Hong Kong Disney is up and running, will the Shanghai development benefit from the Hong Kong experience? Disney management will know exceptionally well that doing research is the first step. Familiarize the customer base with the characters first and foremost so that way when you â€Å"open the gates† it is a warm, relaxing feeling seeing familiar faces. They should also make sure and set prices at a fair level. Look into the income level of the population and make an educated decision. 8. Now that Disney has begun work on the new Hong Kong and Shanghai locations, where and when should it go next? Assume you are a consultant hired to give Disney advice on the issue of where and when to go next. Pick three locations and select the one you think will be the best new locations and select the one you think will be the best new location for Disneyland X, and discuss. India, Australia, and Brazil are three locations that I would advise Disney to consider next. I think the best location would be India. India is coming up as next big market is almost every field due to strong presence of customer base and more disposable income. American culture is already so popular in India. Hollywood became so popular that India created its own Bollywood. India also has the second largest population in the world, so financially Disney would excel with that customer base. Again Disney would have to be careful with the food choices and pricing. Australia would also be a great choice for obvious reasons. There location from other countries would be ideal since it would not cannibalize other locations’ attendance. Also, since they are an English speaking country there would not be a language barrier. Australia is such a compact nation that no matter where you placed the Disney park people would be able to easily access it. The third country I think would be ideal is Brazil. It is a powerful and emerging nature, and although they have a strong culture, with a lot of research could be very prosperous. They also have a very large population that would financially be beneficial to Disney. It would also be a good location to service Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. 9. Given your choice of locale X for the newest Disneyland, what are the operational implications of the history of EuroDisney and Disney Hong Kong for the new park? After the failed attempt at Disney Paris, Disney should have a lot of experience now in opening theme parks. I think with extensive research and a culturally intelligent management, Disney will excel in Disney India. This time the management will do their homework and find out the cultural differences, customs, traditions, food, drink, etc. Since there is a language barrier, they will also have a team of leaders who are fluent in the language to help the American team.

Skills Required to be an Effective Manager

Skills Required to be an Effective Manager Management skills express the belief that economic change can be made into the most powerful engine for human betterment and social justice (Drucker, 2007). A perfect manager is an asset for a company. A good manager should have the knowledge about functionality, processes and standard operating procedures of an organization. It is said that leaders are born leaders; some of us have that charisma by birth whereas there are some that needed to learn their way towards it. In this document we will discuss which skills should be there in a good manager? Which are the qualities being a manager we should have in order to ensure a smooth sailing at work? Lets discuss further what makes a good manager. To be an effective manager one should have leadership skills. There are many ways in which a person can tackle different situations through various leadership roles. A good leader should be a good guide as well. He should be able to guide his team to perform well. He should not dominate all the time. A good manager should also have a visionary sight for the assistances of the organisation. He should plan the future steps for the development of the company. One of the most noteworthy skills of a good manager is effective management of time. A leader should be able to plan the schedule and be able to equally divide the time between tasks. Such a person can be an asset for the organisation. A good manager should encourage the team to perform well to achieve the organisational goals effectively. He should encourage innovative ideas. If some of the members of the team are not performing well, he should tackle the situation with professionalism and should decide accordingly. Even in a disaster circumstances, a person with good managerial and leadership skills should be able to execute well. He should be mentally strong to handle any kind of situations. He should also be responsible enough to retain a good and friendly environment. A manager should be profound towards others in the workplace. A happy atmosphere would only lead to more productivity and profitability for the orgnisation. With these skills, a person can definitely strive to be a good manager and thus be an asset for any organization! Analysis of the Skills Skills are the abilities or talents that are required to perform a job functions (Truesdell, 1998 ). As we know that the recipe to become a good manager contains lots of ingredient and spices. Here in this document we will analyse one personal and one professional skill of a good manager. Some of the skills in human beings are God gifted and some we develop by learning and practice. Personal Skills Personal skill is an ability to understand and manage self, management of change, learning to learn, personal responsibility, aesthetic responsiveness and wellness. If a person cannot manage himself/herself as human being, so how can he/she manage anything else? When the children have a strong foundation of personal skills, they manage themselves and cooperate with others (Ellison, 2001 ). In this document I will analyse communication Skill as my personal skill, which is helping me a lot in my personal life and as well as in professional life. Communication Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly. Its also about receiving information that others are sending to you. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. In fact, communication is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication. This awareness needs to be married with reflection on our experiences and adjustment where necessary in our style of communication (Ellis, 2009). The author is very fond of travelling and making new friends. Infect while one is travelling and communicating with people from different places and culture, it really helps to know others . By doing this we are making new friends, increasing our personal relationship and as well as enjoying the diversity of the cultures. For me earthquake in Pakistan in the year 2005 was a lession learnt. I was living in Islamabad the capital of Pakistan. When the earthquake shook the earth, the scenes were very horrible. I went to the local office of Red Cross and told them that I want to volunteer myself to go and serve the earthquake effecties. Because of my strong communication skills I had many friends and I also took them to the Red Cross to serve as volunteers. Many of my friends are still working for the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Thus I used my personal communication skill to help my own nation and to help my own people. By communicating better we can quickly and easily resolve the minor and bigger issues of our personal life. In addition by better communication we can help other in time and can be beneficial for our friends and companions. Professional Skill Most professional skills are outlined and regulated by the professional association of that particular field e.g. Engineers have their own professional associations that deal with specific skill requirements at each level of development. Professional skills differ from profession to profession but there are some basic professional skill which goes on with all the professions. Lets analyse one of the general professional skill. The development of professional skills, requires practice, experience, role mentorship and evaluative feedback (Kasar E., 2000) Presentation It is important to work hard and finish or complete your work on time or before time. But more important is to present that work to others. If one is working hard but he/she is not presenting himself/herself in a presentable manner, then he/she cannot excel in his/her career. I would like to share my experience of coming to UK. When I landed at the airport I was accompanied by the lots of Asian students. Most of them were very much afraid and were looking confused. Because they were looking confused, the entry clearance officer was putting more questions to them. Because of their appearance and bad presentation many of them were on hold at the airport. On the other hand I was composed and confident; I went to the visa officer, greeted him and gave him my documents and passport with a smile. Because of my better presentation and confidence the entry clearance officer granted me the entry without putting a single question. Actually, a great presentation is a combination of three elements: content, design and delivery (Rotondo Rotondo, 2001) Personal/Professional Skill Contributing In Organizational Strategy Skills play a vital role in an organizational setup. One can develop his career by employing and demonstrating personal and professional skills effectively. In the modern age skills play a vital role to develop your career. If you demonstrate good personal/professional skills with right attitude and direction, you will defiantly be rewarded. Personal skills shows that how well managed you are and when you come to work you can organize your work as you have managed yourself. As far as professional skills are concern they can be developed by training and practice. Normally the environment itself teaches you a lot to build up your institutional memory. It is better to understand what kind of professional skills are required for you to perform you duties and one should try to learn and practice those skills. Task2 SWOT Analysis of Personal Skills A SWOT analysis asks us to list all our perceived strengths and weaknesses in terms of skills attributes, interest, attitudes, likes and dislikes. At the same time we are asked to highlight any potential opportunities and threats that we may have to face (Thomas, 2007). Strengths Communication Skills Punctuality Weaknesses Dont like repetitions Unorganised Opportunities Personal Relationships Learn to manage self Threats Stress Key Findings from the SWOT Analysis As I mentioned good communication as my strength in the SWOT analysis, So by employing my strength of good communication skills I am able to clear many tests and interview. I have had built up personal relationship for my personal and organizational benefits. My other strengths like punctuality support my communication skill additionally to make a good impression on others. By communicating better I always have an opportunity to involve and attach with other easily, by doing that basically I am expanding the circle of my friends. As far as my weakness is concern, I dont like repetitions. I only understand the practical and logical things. I dont like repetitive tasks and this is the biggest reason of my casual lifestyle. SWOT Analysis of Professional Skills The SWOT analysis which includes the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats investigates internal and external as well as positive and negative factors of a corporation (Bohm, 2009). Strengths Leadership Presentation Quick decision maker Team player Weaknesses Bad in record keeping Bad in financial management Opportunities Can apply for management jobs after DMS Learn to manage documentation and self Threats Carelessness Overconfidence Key Findings from the SWOT Analysis As per SWOT analysis of my professional skills I am very good at presentation, leadership, decision making and teambuilding skills. Infect these are my core strengths throughout my career. I was working as a Network administrator in Pakistan and was designing, planning, implementing and maintaining the networking projects. Apart from technical issues I was managing and leading my team well. I always had this problem of mismanaging documentation and as well as the financial matters. Indeed it is really important for a manager to learn and improve to keep proper documentation and to keep the financial matter up to date and in proper order. Analysis of Personal/Professional Skills by Using Fishbone Diagram This is pictorial aid to some form of thinking formed and made popular by a renowned management guru by the name of Ishikawa. A typical base format of fishbone diagram is shown in the figure 1. Personal Skill Confusion or over concentration Losing interest 11th hour decisions Lack of attention Bad time Management Not having thing in writing Carelessness Casual lifestyle Too Many things to do Figure 1, Fishbone Diagram of personal skill In the diagram in figure1 a problem has been discussed. The author has a problem of bad time management. I have discussed different reasons and causes of bad time management which are self-explanatory. The most crucial is my casual lifestyle which I need to change immediately otherwise it will start shadowing on my professional career as well. Professional Skill Area of work is IT and Telecommunications Organisational politics Not been trained Non cooperative staff members Bad in managing finance or budgeting Insufficient time to concentrate No trainings or workshops at organisational level Unavailability of funds Too Many things to do Figure 2, Fishbone Diagram of professional skill As far as professional skills are concern I have had many problems in managing finance or budgeting. The major reason for that was that my profession is IT and Telecommunications. Due to this reason the management was not training me to handle financial matters. But according to me indeed it is a need of the time that I should learn finance and budgeting. When we talk about IT/Telecom project planning and designing, we cannot ignore the fact that there will be money involve and we need to budget accordingly. Learning Styles Theories of learning have evolved over the last century as a result of numerous experiments conducted, often with animals. Different school of psychological thinking has made their various contributions to the pool of knowledge. No single theory has obtained complete agreement among psychologists about the details of learning process, but many accept the basic premise that the learning occurs whenever one adopts new or modifies existing behaviour patterns in a way that has some influence on future performance and attitude (Sims, 1995). To gain a better understanding of yourself as a learner, you need to evaluate the way you prefer to learn or process information. By doing so, you will be able to develop strategies which will enhance your learning potential. Everybody has a preferred learning style. Knowing and understanding our learning style helps us to learn more effectively. There are many ways to find out that what youre learning style is. I have used the model of Honey and Mumford to identify my learning style. According to them people have four different kind of learning styles the Activist, the Pragmatist, the Reflector and the Theorist. After filling in the diagnostic tests I came to know that I am falling under the category of the Activists. According to the model I have used it describes me as and enthusiast who will try anything, enjoy a challenge and working with others, preferring to be the centre of attention. Weaknesses of and Activist are longer term implementation and perhaps not putting in enough thought before they get started. Analysis of my learning style (The Activist) As mentioned above that after applying the learning style model on myself I came to know that my learning style is activist. Being an activist I have some strengths and weaknesses. Strengths More on practical side Innovative and responsive Just need a little push to start Always on my toes to try something different Always try to push myself to give 100% Punctuality Always good and attentive at start Weaknesses Hates theories and just talking Cannot concentrate for a long time Dont like repetitions or repetitive tasks Not able to finish things well Most of the time in hurry Impact of learning style on personal development As we have discussed above some of the strengths and weaknesses of my learning style. My learning style has had a big role in my personal development and as well as professional development. It is because of my learning style that I had chosen IT/ Telecommunication as my profession. As an activist I like to do practical things and IT/Telecommunication is the branch of electronics where we do things practically. We plan, design and implement networks. Apart from practicality there have been an innovation involved in my profession, I always try to do different or I try things differently. So my learning style has helped me a lot to develop my personality and profession. Task3 SMART Goal Analysis SMART is an acronym that can help us to effectively set our goals. It stands for Specific , measureable, attainable, reasonable and time oriented. Just as following a compass keeps us from getting lost, adhering to these five precepts enable us to stay on the path that will ultimately lead to our success. Setting goals the SMART way is not just limited to financial success but can help you to achieve success in all areas of life, including educational, spiritual and physical goals (Berges, 2007). Personal Goals by Using SMART Goals Specific I have plans to be migrated to Canada by 2013. Measurable I have applied for Canadian immigration and I am in the queue since 2007. Achievable As I meet the criteria set by the Canadian government. I have two Masters degrees and on top of it I have plans to do MBA from UK, in these circumstances I believe that it is very much possible to achieve this goal. Realistic Indeed it is realistic to move to Canada because it has the charm and opportunities in the sector of IT and Telecommunications as compare to Pakistan. Time oriented It takes not more than 70 months to complete the whole process according to the old regulations. Specific I want to get hold of post study work permit by December 2011 . Measurable After completing MBA I can apply for post study work permit. Achievable As I am in UK and doing well in my studies, so it seems very much achievable Realistic It is realistic to get some hand on experience and improve my learning by getting work permit. Time oriented I will complete my MBA by December 2011, so I will be eligible to apply for post study work permit. Professional Goals by Using SMART Goals Specific I have planned to finish off my MBA before December 2011 from a good British University. Measurable I am already in UK and doing well in DMS course. Achievable It is achievable because I have arranged the entire fee for MBA in advance. Realistic As I will finish my first term of DMS by January 2011, so I am on the right track towards MBA. Time oriented It will take almost 6 months to complete MBA after DMS. Specific Want to get a managerial position in the sector of IT/Telecoms by the end of 2011. Measurable I have experience of technical end that has expanded over 9 years. Now I am doing DMS to learn management skills to become a manager. Achievable It is achievable if I keep myself of track and complete my studies on time. Realistic I have completed first term of DMS, so realistically I am on the right track to achieve my goal. Time oriented By the end of December 2011 Personal Development Plan In recent year role of personal development has become central to the success of those that have made the decisive jump from doing ok to major noticeable and measurable professional and personal success (Nutley, 2008). Learning and development need How does this support your professional and personal goals Actions to be taken including resources needed to achieve them Date for achievement/review Getting post study work permit It will enhance and enrich my theoretical learning by getting some working experience from UK. I need to get MBA degree to apply for post study work permit. December 2011/ I will review my PDP by June 2011. To learn and improve management skills by doing MBA I will qualify to apply for managerial jobs As my first step toward MBA, I am half way through my DMS and it will be completed mid next year. Than I have plans to do top-up MBA. I want to get MBA by December 2011. I will review my PDP by June 2011. Reflective Analysis of Attained Goals In this section we will have a reflective analysis of the goals that I have attained in past in my professional career as well as personal goals. Let me share analysis of attaining my personal goal. I had an urge to come to UK for higher studies but due to financial constraints it was not possible for me to come to UK and study here. I set a goal four years back that I have to go to UK to get an international qualification. What have I learnt from my experience? In the pursuit of my personal goal, I have learnt that nothing is impossible. If you plan realistically, you can achieve your goals easily. What went well? The best part was that the right things were happening to me at the right time. I got a good job at the right time, that job lasted for more than four years and that was the platform from where I set my goals and started planning things for myself. What could have gone better? The only thing that could have gone better was the environment. I this very moment most of the countries are going through or recovering from recession. If the environment could have progressive there was a chance for us being an international student to get some hands on experience as well on what we have learnt. How can I put into practise what I have learnt? The best way to put my leaning into practice is to plan realistically in future, considering my present situation. When it comes to set goals, at times what we do is, we set our goals very unrealistic or unachievable. So when one is setting goals for himself of herself, he or she should be aware of his or her present situation. In my professional career I had a very good experience of working for Red cross. While working there I got promotions at regular intervals. I would like to share my past professional working experience. What have I learnt from my experience? My key learnings from my experience of working with Red Cross are that it is important to work hard but the key thing is to show your work to get promoted within the organisation. What went well? The best part was that I was very much sound technically so it was very much easy for me to find my place and very easily I established myself and my repute in the organisation. What could have gone better? I should have learnt how to deal with organisational politics. I was not part of the politics and that was the reason many of the lobbies were against me. While working in and organisational structure one must learn how to deal with the politics within the organisation. Another thing is that I could have projected my work more, because I was doing the hard work all the time and my bosses were taking the credit on my behalf. Task 5 Evaluation of Activities in this learning programme In this specific learning programme, we have learnt about the personal management, in other words before getting in the professional career one must learn how to manage self. During this learning programme of twelve week we have learnt different personal and professional skills and we have had the chance to practice those skills in the classroom and while doing the group work. Specifically this learning programme has provided us the base to learn the management skills at professional level. The learning programme was evenly structured both for experience and inexperience students, which was the best part of the learning programme. The key skill which we have learnt in this programme were Report writing Presentation Time management Leaning styles SWOT analysis Smart goals Stress management Now let us evaluate these entire key learning one by one Report Writing Report writing is a key skill when it comes to the professional working environment. If we talk about the professional working environment, we have to write reports regarding our daily, weekly, monthly or yearly report. Report writing is also vital when it comes to career growth, a person who can show his work well has a better chance to get promoted, because ultimately it is the report which is going to the management which shows your performance. Key learning In this learning programme we have learnt about, how to write a report, what is the proper format of a report, what should be the language, what should be the style , what should be the formatting, how to start and end the report. Constraints As most of the students are from Asian origin and English is not their native language, due to that they were having communication problems. Because of this the teacher had to maintain a slow pace during the course and that really affected the practical work. Recommendations As far as theory is the concern the course was really good but somehow we are still short of practice. We understand the limitation of time but the essence of this course is learning by doing. So the sessions should have been more practical. Presentation Presentation is also very important skill to learn, especially in this modern age, if one dont know how to present himself, he cannot make progress in his professional career. Key Learning In this activity we have learnt; how to make presentations, what should be the contents, what should be the layout, presentation should be specific, how to present with style and confidence. Constraints Most of the students were not confident or they were feeling shy to come and present their work. They were given many chances to apply this skill. Recommendations It should be compulsory for the student for this learning programme to present in front of the class. Time Management Managing time and being punctual is the need of the time. It is one of the biggest cause to have a bad appraisal by your boss. It is one of the key skill of a good manager. A good manager should be able to manage his own time and also he needs to assign tasks at the right time to his team members. Key Learning We have been briefed about the importance of time management and after that an exercise was given to assess that how we manage our time and how it should be managed. Constraints We have only covered one side of the picture; we should have discussed the impact of bad time management on ones career. I would have been better if it could have explained by some audio visual support. Recommendations It is recommended to include audio visual aid in this specific learning activity to clear the concepts effectively. Learning styles It was the first ever experience for most of us to learn our learning style. It really helps if one knows about his learning style. By this way we can learn quick and also effectively. Key Learning This activity was very unique. In this activity we have leant that what is our learning style and how we can learn in a better way. Constraints Most of the students were confused while doing the exercise, because it was too long and complex. Recommendations It would be better if we put this activity in the start of the course, so that students should be aware of their learning style since beginning. Rest of the learning activities were also quite helpful for us to learn more about self-management and management at work place. Doing SWOT analysis on personal and professional skills was very helpful to figure out the strength and weakness. In SMART analysis we learnt how to set goals and how to achieve them. The element of stress was also discussed during the course and a session was given on how to manage stress personally and at work place. We can conclude that this whole set of activities was very much helpful to enhance and improve out daily life and management skills. It was also a learning experience to learn from the experience of the other classmates.

moralhf Huckleberry Finn Essays †Moral :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Huckleberry Finn – Moral The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain tell the story of how a young boy learns how to overcome the idea that colored folks are less equal then white folk. Regardless of the positive lessons portrayed throughout this book, it has been miss represented even from the very day that it was published. In fact, it has been said that this "book has been controversial since it was published it 1885" in a Los Angeles Times article written by Henry Weinstein in 1998. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classical story which was written for enjoyment and future education. This book was not written to encourage any derogatory slurs to any ethnic groups. Even though Jim, the colored friend of Huckleberry Finn, felt that every white person though of color people as less equal, his friendship with Huck should be an inspiration to everyone to overcome differences. America has become a country that has given every one of its citizens an awesome privilege to be equal. Along w ith this privilege to be equal, America citizens have the opportunity to learn and become educated. The schools that provide this education should had the right to teach people how this country has evolved into a great nation. This right should include an ability to examine both the good and the bad and it should include a proper response to both. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn provides an excellence chance for teachers to explain to young people how America has now treats everyone equal. Many times in the friendship of Huck and Jim, Jim's idea that all white people treat colored people as less equal then white people show up. Jim, who is a run-a-way slave, was always trying to avoid any contact with white people of town. One specific example of how Jim thought about white people was when he stumbled across a dead man on the river in a house. Jim did not what to tell anyone, not even Huck. He thought that if anyone found out they would blame him for murdering the fellow. Jim was always in hiding. He thought that if a white person saw him, he would be sent back to his owner and punished.

Pollution and Environment Essay - Man Must Dominate Nature and the Envi

Man Must Dominate Nature and the Environment      Ã‚   How shall we deal with the environment? is an ethical question much discussed, but rarely answered with any well-thought-out justifications. Rather, individuals attempting to answer it have often made claims stating that certain things are "obvious." In this paper, I intend to analyze one of these ethical principles which is considered to be inherently obvious. For every culture has regarded certain things as "obvious" and needing no further explanation -- and every culture differs vastly on what it considers to be an "obvious truth." Thus, it seems that these "truths" are not, in themselves, "obvious." Rather, they require further scrutiny to determine their validity. Hence, in this paper I analyze a common environmental claim: "Everything natural has inherent value, and we should respect its right to exist." This paper is not meant to be a complete examination of environmental ethics; that would be beyond its scope. This question, however, lies at the heart of environmenta l ethics, and is certainly worth exploring.    Must we go through life refusing to do harm to any other natural entity, "living in harmony" with it, or "respecting its rights?" Or, if it is not true that we must, is it true that we should? In "Environmental Ethics," Barbara MacKinnon explains that ecocentrists believe "that we ought ... to regard nature with admiration and respect, because of their view that nature and natural beings have intrinsic value." (MacKinnon 327) MacKinnon also states that "ethical questions ... become matters of determining what is in the best interests of these life forms or what furthers or contributes to, or is a satisfactory fit with, some ecosystem." (MacKinnon 326)... ...n as the dominant species on the planet; moreover, it provides another explanation of why the proper concern of humankind is humankind, rather than an ecosystem or "life as a whole." If we are to remain a strong, healthy species, capable of employing the power of becoming everything that we can become, we must continue to see humanity as our own proper study.    Works Cited: MacKinnon, Barbara. "Environmental Ethics" in Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, Second Edition. Ed Barbara MacKinnon. Albany: Belmont, 1998. Morris, Desmond. The Naked Ape. New York: Dell, 1967. Nietzsche, Friederich. Beyond Good and Evil. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Vintage, 1966. Nietzsche, Friederich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra in The Portable Nietzsche. Ed. and Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Viking, 1954. Voltaire. Candide. New York: Dover, 1991.   

Analysis of the short story Essay

`This essay will discuss certain reaction to the story ‘Examination day’, as well as reviewing the lifestyle and world Dickie lives in. The Jordan family are not rich but they are part of the working class society. The accommodation is quite small, they’re ‘little apartment’ is described in line 21: ‘The boy †¦ wandered to that part of the living room which had been ‘his’ from infancy. ’ This shows that things have not changed in terms of housing since he was young and probably their wealth has not increased as much as they would have liked. In the ‘little apartment’ Mrs Jordan mentioned ‘the Exam’ which was why the tension was quite high in the room. ‘The Exam’ is the ‘Government intelligence test they give to children at the age of twelve. ’ This examination was to make sure that there is no-one clever enough to overrule the current government. This test shows an example of what a dictator ruled government is like. This government is a totalitarian government in terms of not wanting to lose power or authority of any sort. These citizens are stuck in an unwanted dictatorship. The examination room was just as restricted as the lives they lead. The room was very dim which represents amount of information they know about the world and their current government. Also in Dickie’s eyes the room doesn’t look very inviting or welcoming even if it was an examination room. Although Dickie could not really see the ‘gray-tunicked attendant’ he knew that this was a very serious matter. The dimness of the room also shows the secretiveness of the government and how much they want their citizens to know. On the day of Dickie’s examination his parents’ were very anxious to see whether or not their son was allowed to come home or not; there were ‘†¦ not speaking, not even speculating. ’ They were so apprehensive that when the phone rang they both tried to reach for it. This shows that they had a feeling that things were not going to work out perfectly for them. When Mr Jordan answered the phone to the ‘Government Educational Service’ he was told that his son’s ‘†¦intelligence quotient has exceeded the Government regulation. ’ This information was a shock to Mr Jordan that even his wife had read the expression of disappointment on his face. The government had announced that Dickie was going to die because he had breached the ‘intelligence quotient’. This shows that the government are too scared to let the clever people live their own lives or even work for them at their young age. This shows that the dictator is not as strong as he portrays himself to be. This shows that he is insecure and that if anyone clever was around he would probably crumble from having lack of authority. I think that the Jordan family live in a completely totalitarian world where they have no freedom to do what they like when they feel like it; unless they are in their own home. Their dictator is too worried about anyone overruling him; he feels the need to get rid all of the clever citizens to be secure in his position. This shows that this dictator is too unsecure to be head of the government. He needs to step aside and let someone else do the job properly.

Is Journalistic Objectivity Really Possible in British Society?

Introduction to Journalism End of Module Assessment Module leader Prof. Frank MacMahon Student: Fabio Scarpello Student number: 10182824 Report title: Is Journalistic objectivity really possible in British society. | |Notes: Words 2,275 | |Pages nine | |(â€Å" †¦ â€Å")= Reference to article in bibliography |Introduction Objectivity is the standard to which every journalist should aspire. In this report I analyse the coverage of the European Union (EU) summit in Nice held between the 7th and the 11th December 2000. My aim is to underline whether â€Å"objectivity† has been achieved. I will focus on The Guardian and The Telegraph, (both replaced by their Sunday newspapers on the 10th) and, to a lesser extent, on The Sun. My scrutiny will start the 8th and continue for five days. The report will look at: – Coverage – Prominence – Use of pictures – EditorialTo gain an independent view of the issues discussed, I relied on the BBC, (â€Å"E U Guidelines†), and kept its indication as my benchmark. Accordingly they are: – Charter of Rights (54 rights for every EU citizen) – Drop of National Vetoes, replaced by Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) for most decisions (Blair pledged to maintain six called â€Å"red lines† on tax, social security, immigration, treaty amendments, EU budget and border control) – Re-weighting of the Council of Minister vote. Due to its importance and controversy, I included the Rapid Reaction Force (RRF)Friday 8th Broadsheets give ample coverage to the Summit, with equal prominence. Front-page articles are similar. Headlines are coherent in condemning Chirac while the contents concentrate on the different aspirations for the RRF between France (who advocate operational independence from NATO) and Great Britain (who wants closer co-ordination with NATO). Comments from Government and opposition appear in both. The similitude ends with reports of the pre-summit disturb ances. Different is the approach to the Charter.The Telegraph’s tone is critical, comments however are balanced with Byrne (Irish EU commissioner) who highlights weakness in its draft, and Fontaine (EU Parliament president) who wants it incorporated in European law. The Guardian sees it as a triumph for Britain and voices its optimism with Vaz (European minister) who plays down Tories worries of a European Constitution. The importance of maintaining national vetoes is the main point of the Telegraph’s last article, while The Guardian ends with the gains of widening the EU eastwards.Editorials reflect the broadsheets different political stance. The Guardian advocates the UK’s advantages in dropping its veto on immigration, while The Telegraph reports on the intention of the Anti-EU party to attack labour at next general election. The Sun coverage is also comprehensive. The tone is more direct (â€Å"Blair war on Chirac†), but still covers the RRF (comments from Blair and two conservative ministers), riots and Charter with comment from Jaspin (French PM) who advocates its legal status. The political line is clear in the commentary and in the editorial.Kavanagh (political commentator) sarcastically highlights the division within the EU leaders. The editorial tone gets almost menacing: it begins with â€Å"Tony on Trial† and it ends with â€Å"He dares not return home if he gives up any of them† (â€Å"red lines†) Saturday 9th Coverage and prominence are again similar with both broadsheets dealing with the RRF in depth. Comments from Cook, Cohen (US defence secretary) and Smith (shadow defence secretary) appear in both. The Telegraph strengths its critics with Pearle (US former politician) who says â€Å"this is a catastrophe for NATO† (â€Å"Euro force still†¦. †) .The Guardian, in its defence, uses Chirac and Solana (MEP) who states, †It is not a threat to NATO, we are not trying to make a n EU army† (â€Å"Chirac gives way†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Vetoes are mentioned in both and it is interesting the different use of the same picture. In The Guardian it reads, â€Å"veto cloning† (page 7) in The Telegraph only â€Å"veto† (page 11). The latter could be seen as a warning to Blair against dropping vetoes, whilst it is a protest against human cloning. The Sun coverage is poor with a single article. Scepticism against the RRF is expressed by Kavanagh not convinced of Cook reassurance of its real co-operation with NATO.Sunday 10th Both Sunday newspapers (Observer and Sunday Telegraph) comprehensively cover the summit with front-page articles and inside page focuses; however the Observer wins the quantity battle. The Telegraph front-page headline sets the trend: â€Å"Blair isolated in EU as Nice turns nasty†. Within the article the RRF is not mentioned while the vetoes, Charter and the re-weighting are analysed. Blair isolation is judged a consequence of his attempt to keep the â€Å"red lines†. There is also space for the Government intention to give up 17 vetoes in order to streamline the EU decision-making process.Still in the Telegraph, for the first time, is mentioned a clause in The Charter (article 7) deemed as â€Å"further embarrassment to Blair† (â€Å"Blair threatens to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) which gives the EU the power to investigate, censor and recommend a change in the law, to countries considered in breach of fundamental rights. The Charter is further criticised in a separate article for its moral and religious values. Several high rank ecclesiastics define it as â€Å"Godless† and â€Å"a way to make easier for homosexual couples to adopt children† (â€Å"Catholic Bishops say†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ).The problems arisen by the EU re-weighting are seen as a blessing to Blair who, thank to them, hides his difficulties. The Observer front-page headline â€Å"British police for Euro army† counterba lances the Telegraph, giving ample coverage to the RRF. The accent shifts, presenting it as a police force rather than an army. The â€Å"red lines† feature with a difference angle as well: Sweden is seen as backing Blair on tax and social security, and the PM voices, for the first time, his intention to drop national veto on immigration. Charter and the re-weighting are covered in a re-cap article on page 5. The focuses are different in angle and size.The Sunday Telegraph devotes a page, covering every issue in a chronological order of discussion (RRF, Charter, veto, re-weighting). Blair isolation is emphasised, and his interpretation of the summit, is ridiculed â€Å"Mr Blair can give an interpretation to the British people. That does not mean that the rest of us have to believe it† (Here is a Nice mess†). In this case it is attributed to a diplomat and refers to the Charter, but, according to The Telegraph, it could be applied to every issue. RRF and Charter a re presented as carrying a hidden agenda, which will lead to a EU army and a constitution.Blair handling is considered weak and partially saved by general chaos. Symptomatic is the closing sentence: â€Å"It was an unhappy summit for Mr Blair†¦ but he was not alone at Nice there were no winners†. The Observer focus owes its title, †Europe- the elephant test† to Hague:â€Å"If it look like an elephant and sounds like an elephant then, it is an elephant you re dealing with†. It relies on pro-European academics to highlight a new vision of superstate, shaped by globalisation. â€Å"European identity is already being shaped by a globalisation of culture as a shared sense of European values ».This cultural aspect seems to be The Observer starting point. Its reasoning builds on with the ineluctability of the process â€Å"we live in a world where layers of governance overlap† says Hobsbawm, while Prodi (EU Commission president) stresses â€Å"It i s the only way our nations can express themselves in a globalised world†. There is not a conclusive definition of superstate; it vaguely states that it is a new entity, different to anything seen before. The report lacks comments from anti-European academics. The editorials do not leave space to misinterpretation.The Sunday Telegraph titles it â€Å"alone again† and labels the Government European politics as naive. The Observer instead gives voice to Palmer (Director of European Policy Centre) who advocates a closer European integration (â€Å"Europe not amused†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Monday 11th The main daily issue is the re-weighting. Prominence is equal but the Guardian gives more coverage. The tone remains the same with the Telegraph portraying the difficulties of reaching a decision, while The Guardian applauds Blair for its success. The respective headlines mirror the core of the articles. â€Å"EU leaders scrambles to fix a deal† prints the Telegraph on its fron t page.It concentrates on the squabble and difficulty of the re-weighting procedure using quotes from state’s PM. Words as chaos and crises are repeated. Worth noticing, in the same article the concession to Blair for holding to the â€Å"red lines†, even if the PM is reported saying that due to Tory pressure â€Å"he had no space for manoeuvre†. Inside page articles keep the same tone and issue. A failed appeal to EU leaders by Blair for help in Sierra Leon, makes in print in the Telegraph, while is omitted in The Guardian (â€Å"Blair troops†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). â€Å"Blair holds on to key vetoes† is The Guardian headline.In this article the recurrent words are victory and triumph. The report uses a much mellower tone in describing the difficulty encountered. The Guardian coverage, in its entirety is more comprehensive with information on EU Parliament seat relocation and on the planning of the Inter-Governmental Conference of 2004; neither reported in The Telegraph. Both editorials criticise the summit but for opposite reasons. The Guardian claims that a superstate is very far. Nice is judged a failure due to politicians, including Blair, too concerns with their domestic interest (â€Å"Naughty Nice†).The Telegraph says that Nice has failed in its main objective (enlargement) and labels it as a â€Å"federalising treaty that has taken giant strides towards closer integration† (â€Å"The reality of Nice†). The Telegraph editorial line is mirrored in the â€Å"letter to the editor†: Mr Garrod preoccupation that a future European superstate would suffer the fate of Yugoslavia and Soviet Union gets published. The Sun coverage is good but fails in prominence (pages 8 and 9). The leading article (â€Å"Fiasco in France†) deals with the difficulties of the re-weighting, blaming Chirac.An increase in the number of EU commissioners and MEP are reported (overlooked in the broadsheet). A separate article credi ts Blair for holding on to vetoes. Plaudits to the PM are also mentioned in the editorial, even if it is considered only a won battle in a long war. EU difficulties are the core issue in the commentary (â€Å"40 years of Euro†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) in which the lack of popular consent for integration is seen as the main reason of failure. Tuesday 12TH Prominence and coverage is similar with the braoasheet now using the summit as an election’s tool. The Telegraph’s headline â€Å"Blair sold us short in Nice† denounces an unsatisfactory outcome.In it Hague reinforce his point of â€Å"major steps towards a EU susperstate† and pledges not to ratify the treaty, if elected. The possibility of a referendum to decide on it is also mentioned in a further article (â€Å"Tories would put†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) where comments from Conservatives are only partially balanced by a sentence from Kennedy (LD). QMV and re-weighting are well covered on page 4. Mentioned also are â€Å"e nhanced co-operation† (possibility for members who want further integration to go ahead) and â€Å"demographic bar† (second majority required for decision making in EU council of ministers based on percentage of EU’s population).Worth noticing that this percentage is reported at 62% by the three newspapers and 74. 6 by the bbcnews. com Charter and RRF are neglected. The Guardian titles â€Å"Tories left floundering by EU deal† and looks at the election in buoyant mood. The summit is seen as a Blair victory in a further article (â€Å"Blair balancing act †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) in which the use of a picture gives the PM and his aids an almost heroic look. Interesting is the assumption by Blair that it is the Conservatives who are politically isolated in Europe.Re-weighting and â€Å"red lines† are analysed with predominantly pro-European comments. Blair vision of â€Å"inter-governmental† Europe (decision making held by a core of nations and not the EU institution) is deemed closer (mentioned also in The Telegraph). The Telegraph’s commentary is even handed (â€Å"Blair battle tale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Worries of a closer EU integration are balanced with approval of Blair handling of â€Å"red lines† and RRF. The Guardian instead goes as far as to regrets Blair for not daring more (â€Å"Nice enough†) The Sun uses a picture to effectively illustrate the summit ‘s marathon (page 2).It criticise Blair presumed guilty of having agreed to a treaty, which gives â€Å"more bureaucracy, secrecy and dodgier decision making† (â€Å"What Blair has†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The editorial credits itself as the PM guiding light through the summit, and claims that only its pressure has prevented Blair to agree to further pro-European movements. The summit’s decisions are covered in an easy to read our losses and gain section. Conclusion Impartiality in the UK is demanded of Radio and TV broadcasts. It is enshrined in their codes of conduct and enforced by their respective controlling bodies.Due impartiality and prominence have to be achieved as a legal requirement (Public Broadcast Act, 1990). There is not such a requirement for newspapers. The National Union Of Journalist solicits journalist â€Å"to strive that the information disseminated is fair and accurate† (NUJ code of conduct 29/06/1994), but does not mention any duty to political independence. Furthermore the Press Complaint Commission states that newspapers are free to be partisan (PCC Code of Conduct December 1999) On this basis, it is without surprise that the conclusion of this report is that â€Å"objectivity† in the newspapers analysed has not been achieved.Editorials are clear in their political stance, with articles only seldom contradicting it. Reports are given different spins and angle, which result in biased information. Comments from political figure get different prominence depending on the paper orientat ion. Worth mentioning is that journalistic objectivity has been further damaged since publishing has been incorporated in a globalised financial world. The system derived from this development is based on oligopoly and cross ownership, which are two more stumbling block for editorial independence. This scenario leaves little space to ethical, idealistic code of conducts.In supporting my conclusion I would use R. Fowler comments that news is not a natural phenomenon but a product of an industry, and therefore shaped by bureaucratic, economic structures, government and political organisations (Mac Nair B. , 1999, 36). Bibliography The Guardian Friday 8th December 2000 †¢ Black I. , M. White and R. Norton Taylor â€Å"Chirac widens split on defence† (Page 1) †¢ Henley J. , â€Å"Police injured as street riots greets leaders† (Page 6) †¢ Black I. , â€Å"East grows tired of waiting game† (Page 7) †¢ Comment section â€Å"Fortress Europe† à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Wodlacott M. , â€Å"France versus the mighty Americans†The Telegraph Friday 8th December 2000 †¢ Jones G. , A. Evans-Pritchard â€Å"Chirac angers Blair by backing EU army† (Pages 1 and 2) †¢ Evans-Pritchard A. â€Å"Don’t mess with our tax veto, Blair tells EU allies† (Page 4) †¢ Jones G. A. Evans-Pritchard â€Å"Irish Commissioner says basic rights charter is badly drafted† (Page 4) †¢ La Guarda A. â€Å"Tear gas and riots greet Europe leaders† (Page 5) The Sun Friday 8th December 2000 †¢ Kavanagh T. †Blair has to turn nasty at Nice talks† (Page 1) †¢ Kavanagh T. â€Å"Blair war on Chirac† (Pages 8 and 9) †¢ The Sun says section â€Å"Tory on trial† (Page 8)The Guardian Saturday 9th December 2000 †¢ White M. , I. Black â€Å"Blair feels heat over EU vetoes† (Pages 1 and 2) †¢ Cole P. â€Å"Tale of two Britain and two summits† (Page 6) †¢ Black I. â€Å"Chirac gives way in row with Blair over NATO† (Page 7) The Telegraph Saturday 9th December 2000 †¢ Evans-Pritchard A. , G. Jones â€Å"Blair deserted by EU allies in veto struggle† (Page 1) †¢ La Guardia A. â€Å"Euro force still cause of division† (Page 11) The Sun Saturday 9th December 2000 †¢ Kavanagh T. , P. Gilfeather â€Å"Chirac rips up the rule book† (Page 2) †¢ Kavanagh T. â€Å"Sounding the retreat Y† (Page 2)The Observer Sunday 10th December 2000 †¢ Ahmes K. , D. Staunton â€Å"British police for Euro army† (Pages 1 and 2) †¢ Ahmed K. , D. Staunton â€Å"How it turned nasty at Nice† (Page 5) †¢ Palmer J. â€Å"Europe not amused by this French farce† (Page 5) †¢ Beumont P. , D. Staunton and A. Osborn â€Å"Europe – the elephant test† (Pages 16 and 17) †¢ Comment section â€Å"Europe will never be a superstate† (Page 28) The Sunday Telegraph 10 th December 2000 †¢ Murphy J. , J. Coman â€Å"Blair isolated in EU as Nice turns nasty† (Pages 1 and 4) †¢ Petre J. â€Å"Catholic bishops say EU charter ignores God† (Page 4) †¢ Murphy J. , J.Coman â€Å"Here is a Nice mess† (Page 20) †¢ Comment section â€Å"Alone again† †¢ Murphy J. , J. Coman â€Å"Blair threatens to wreck treaty over tax policies† (Page 4) The Guardian Monday 11th December 2000 †¢ Black I. , M. White â€Å"Blair holds on to UK’s key vetoes† (Page 1) †¢ Black I. â€Å"Europe’s big four pull rank on minnows† (Page 4) †¢ Black I. â€Å"Focus turns to power split† (Page 4) †¢ Comment section â€Å"Naughty at Nice† †¢ Hope C. â€Å"Jeaux sans frontiers† (G2 Section Pages 8 and 9) The Telegraph Monday 11th December 2000 †¢ Evans-Pritchard A. , G. Jones â€Å"EU leaders scramble to fix a deal† (Page 1) †¢ Jones J. A. E vans-Pritchard â€Å"A marathon with jostling all the way† (Page 4) †¢ Evans-Pritchard A. , â€Å"Vote grab by the Big Five leaves smaller states outgunned and outraged† (Page 4) †¢ Mc Smith A. â€Å"Blair troops appeal fails† (Page 4) †¢ Comment section â€Å"The reality of Nice† (Page 19) †¢ Letter to the Editor â€Å"Swift victory on Euro army may be Pyrrhic† (Page 19) The Sun Monday 11th December 2000 †¢ Kavanagh T. â€Å"Fiasco in France† (Pages 8 and 9) †¢ Kavanalagh T. â€Å" 40 years of Euro waffle†¦ now reality sets in† (Pages 8 and 9) The Guardian Tuesday12th December 2000 †¢ White M. , I.Black â€Å"Tories left floundering by EU deal† (Pages 1 and 2) †¢ Black I. â€Å"How big powers won big benefits† (Page 6) †¢ Henley J. â€Å"Europe points finger at Chirac† (Pages 6) †¢ White M. â€Å"Blair balancing act tips election scales† (Page 7) †¢ Young H. â€Å"Everyone was a winner at the battle of Nice† (Page 24) †¢ Comment section â€Å"Nice enough† The Telegraph Tuesday 12th December 2000 †¢ Jones G. â€Å"Blair sold us short at Nice says Hague† (Page 1) †¢ Jones G. â€Å"Blair’s battle tales hide truth of victory† (Page 4) †¢ Evans-Pritchard A. â€Å"Germany becomes first among equals† (Page 4) †¢ Helm T. H. Quetterville â€Å"Schroder hailed for back door coup† (Page 4) †¢ Kallenbach M. â€Å"Tories would put new treaty to a referendum† (Page 14) The Sun Tuesday 12th December 2000 †¢ Kavanagh T. â€Å"What Blair has really given us† (Page 2) †¢ The Sun say section â€Å"Blair owes us† (Page 8) †¢ Kavanagh T. â€Å"French farce† (Page 8) †¢ htpp://www. bbcnews. com â€Å"EU Guidelines† (07 December 2000) †¢ htpp://www. bbcnews. com â€Å"EU Summit at a glance† (12 December 2000) †¢ htpp://www. bbcnews. com â€Å"EU Analysis† (11 December 2000) Background Reading †¢ Curren J. , J. Seaton (1991) Power without responsibility.The press and broadcasting in Britain. London, Routledge †¢ Mc Nair B. , (1999) News and Journalism in the UK. New York, Routledge †¢ Wilson J. , (1996) Understanding Journalism. London, Routledge †¢ Stevenson N. , (1999) The transformation of the Media. Globalisation, morality and ethics. New York, Pearson Education Ltd. †¢ Branston G. , R. Stafford, (1991) The Media Student’s Book London, Routledge Material supplied by TVU †¢ Hilton A. , (1996) Report Writing London, Kogan Page Ltd †¢ UK Press Complaint Commission Code of Practise. †¢ ITC Guidelines. †¢ BBC Editorial’s Values. †¢ NUJ Code of Conduct

Computer Supportive Cooperative Work Essay

Research Question How can businesses in the United Arab Emirates make use of computer-supported-cooperative work (CSCW) in order to enhance productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets? In this regard, this research study will look at various businesses in the UAE and assess their level of using computer technology in their business operations. In addition to this, the study will identify factors and variables that affect the level of using computer technology in businesses in the UAE. Likewise, it will also assess the features and benefits of using CSCW as it applies to businesses in the UAE. Through this parallel analysis, a better understanding of how CSCW may be implemented in the business environment in the UAE will be explored. Introduction to Dissertation The economy of the United Arab Emirates is a wonder. From being too dependent on oil, it managed to diversify its economic performance through the revenues from oil and gas. Beginning 2005, it was able to overcome its budget deficit and replace it with a surplus. The industries being developed in the country includes the telecommunications and banking, even the stock markets of the UAE are developing and growing. Given these growth of these industries, it is very important to ensure that the growth is sustainable and that these industries should be able to compete both in the domestic and international markets. This is because of the increasing globalization of the economies of the world. Ensuring competitiveness, better productivity and efficiency mandates the need to use all available resources. The information technology revolution and the ever increasing popularity of the Internet are revolutionizing the way that businesses are being run all over the world. Given this scenario, the businesses in the UAE can no longer ignore the fact that they have to compete using every technological means available. The framework of computer supported cooperative work will help them achieve this level of competitiveness, productivity and efficiency in the market. Brief Literature Review The United Arab Emirates is in a very good position in the Arab world today. It is showing the great potential for growth. However, it has been noted that the Arab world is not maximizing the use of computers and internet technology. This trend has a negative impact in the sustainability of business undertakings and in the overall economic growth. Given the widespread use of computers and information technology all over the world, businesses in the UAE have a tendency to lag behind their competitors who are using these technologies. The overriding intention for using computers and information technology, hence, is twofold. For one, computers and the Internet help enhance the overall communication scheme of any company—coordination, and the provision of directives are easily accomplished. On the other hand, computers and the Internet also help businesses gain important information that will help in the overall improvement of the business. Using computers also empower the employees of any given company and enhances the level of output and coordination that they have with their colleagues (Hayes & Walsham, 2000). Timely and accurate communications will lead to greater efficiency of business operations. In turn, greater efficiency will lead to better productivity. It must be noted, however, that improving productivity should still be coupled with other business processes, which may or may not be aided by the use of computer supported cooperative work. When productivity is enhanced, then profits will go up, enabling the company to save and divert these savings to the accumulation of capital or increasing their base of operations. This can then be used as the spring board for UAE companies to boost their competitiveness, and quite possibly, embark on a strategy to extend their operations to other countries in the Gulf region and in the world. In implementing CSCW in the UAE, however, both the technical and non-technical aspects should be considered. Under the technical aspect, the software for CSCW should be chosen carefully. It should be flexible, and easily adaptable to the particular contexts of the people using it (Dittrich & Lindeberg, 2003). In the context of the UAE, such software should take into account the language of the people working there. It should also demonstrate cultural sensitivity wherever possible. In addition to the technical aspect, the non-technical aspect of implementation of CSCW should also be undertaken. Issues of training, organization culture, leadership and matching suitable employees to their areas of expertise in the framework of CSCW should be considered. In this regard, Ackerman (2000) took note of the social-technical divide that pervades CSCW frameworks. As such, the norms for the interactions between people should not be taken over completely by the norms of human-computer interactions. In a society such as the UAE, this is of particular importance in putting CSCW to work in the business settings. Although this proposal has presented a brief literature review, the final study will follow the following outline. First, the literature review will delved with the recent revolutions in the area of information and communication technologies and the driving forces behind this revolution. In addition to that, the impact of this revolution to the economy will be explored. Varian, Shapiro, and Farell’s (2004) The Economics of Information Technology is a good starting point on the forces driving this revolution as well as the effects of this revolution in businesses around the world. From a macro perspective, this literature will then focus on the performance of the UAE in terms of integrating telecommunications in the society, especially in business settings and operations. Ayish (2005), conducted a study of 20 organizations in the UAE and their usage of internet in propagating information within the organization and to the world. In addition to this, the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2006, published by the United Nations (2006) will help the researcher understand the overall situation of the prospect of growth in the way that UAE citizens and organizations use computers and information technologies. The literature review will also look at the various research methods and approaches used in analyzing the use of computers in various organizations in the country. Data Collection and Data Analysis This study will make extensive use of the case study as a research method. This research method will delve deeply into the strategies being used by companies in the UAE to ensure productivity and efficiency. Special attention would be given to the computers, information technology systems and the internet that they are utilizing. The product and services of these companies will also be analyzed in relation to the market where they are serving. Corollary to this, the immediate economic environment and competitiveness of these companies will be analyzed through content analysis and by going through secondary data. As such, the needs of these companies will be identified and analyzed alongside the trends in the market. Moreover, their needs for the use of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). The benefits of using the CSCW will also be analyzed. These will then be applied to the setting of the various companies under consideration with the interest of arriving at a framework that integrates the use of CSCW in the overall business operations in such a way that the productivity and efficiency of the business firm is enhanced. In other words, the variables that this study will look at and measure are: (1) the level of reliance of companies on computer and other related technologies; (2) the effectiveness of the communication and coordination processes that the organization uses to deliver products and services; (3) the responsiveness of the employees of the organization in using CSCW; (4) the impact of external trends and situations in the organization’s drive to achieve its targets; and (5) the suitability of CSCW for the use of business organizations in the UAE. The study will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to achieve a greater level of reliability and validity. According to Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004), the mixed-method kind of research draws upon the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative analysis, which enables the researcher to draw upon several methodologies in measuring the variables of the study. The results of this study will be collated, compared, and analyzed. These data will be presented through various visual presentations such as tables, graphs and charts for easy reference. This will make comparisons and analyses easier and will make plainer the relationships between the variables and factors that shall have been identified by this study. The relationships between variables shall be highlighted. Presentation of Analysis and Outcome of Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The result of the methods employed will be presented in an easy to understand manner, and in tables or matrices where possible. Such an analysis will help highlight the relationships between the variables identified in the study. These variables will then be used to formulate a set of guidelines that will help business organizations implement CSCW in their organization. Through this set of guidelines, they will be able to make the transition and implementation as smooth as possible and they will be able to avoid the pitfalls in conducting such an endeavor. Significance of this Study The expected outcome of this study is a set of guidelines or framework for the integration of CSCW in the operations of business firms with the intent of enhancing their productivity and efficiency. Such a framework would be very helpful for firms that are operating locally in the UAE, as well as for those that conduct operations abroad. It would also set the foundation for future work exploring this same issue. Through the framework that will be established by this study, the global competitiveness of companies in the UAE will be enhanced. Moreover, those who are not already reaping the benefits that computer support cooperative work offers can begin to explore it and not long after, they will be able to use it. Seen from a wider perspective, the use of CSCW in the business organizations in the UAE will help make businesses more viable in this kind of situation. Structure of the Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The different parts of this study, together with their brief descriptions may be found in the section below. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Introduction will contain basic information about the subject matter, about the research questions and topic under investigation, as well as the environmental context in which the study may be situated. The Literature Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Literature review presents the findings of articles and books written on the subject. Through this, the major points, observations and debates in the research topic will be explored, thereby making the researcher familiar with the research topic. Research Design   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is in this section that the methodology, the research tools will be outlined so that the researcher will have a definitive guide as to the way that he will get the important data for the analysis of the research topic and question. Summary of Results   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on the research design, the kinds of data that will be collected and the summary and salient points of the summary should be presented in graphical format such as tables and graphs. Analysis and Recommendation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on the results generated, the data will be analyzed and the trends and relationships between variables will be established. Lastly, an action point or call to action may be instituted in this last part of the paper. Reference Ackerman, M. S. (2000). The Intellectual Challenge of CSCW: The Gap Between Social Requirements and Technical Feasibility. Human-Computer Interaction, 15 (2-3), 179-203. Ayish, M. (2005). Virtual Public Relations in the United Arab Emirates: A Case Study of 20 UAE Organizations’ Use of the Internet. Public Relations Review, 31 (3), 381-388. Dittrich, Y. & Lindeberg, O. (2003). Designing for Changing Work and Business Practices. In Patel, N. V. (Ed). Adaptive Evolutionary Information Systems, (pp. 152-157). Hershey, PA, IGI Global. Hayes, N. & Walsham, G. (2000). Competing Interpretations of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work in Organizational Contexts, Organization, 7 (1), 49-67. Johnson, R. B. & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come. Educational Researcher, 33 (7), 14-26. United Nations (2006). World Economic Situation and Prospects 2006. Retrieved 20 September 2007 from http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wesp2006files/wesp2006.pdf. Varian, H. R., Shapiro, C. & Farell, J. V. (2004). The Economics of Information Technology: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.