Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Organizational Behavior Taking Motivation and Teamwork Into Perspective

Organizational Behavior Taking Motivation and Teamwork Into Perspective Free Online Research Papers TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Declaration 1 2. Acknowledgement 2 3. Summary 4 4. Introduction 5 5. Findings 7 5.1. Teamwork 7 5.1.1. Creative Innovation 8 5.1.2. Cultural aspects 10 5.2. Motivation 11 6. Discussion 14 6.1. Teamwork 14 6.2. Motivation 15 7. Conclusion 18 7.1. Teamwork 18 7.2. Motivation 18 8. References 20 9. Annexure 21 9.1. Starbucks Corporation: Case Study in Motivation and Teamwork 22 9.2. Diagram of Maslows Needes Pyramid†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦31 9.3. The Saint Paul Hotel 31 SUMMARY This report is made with the intention of displaying how motivation and teamwork are two pivotal factors ensuring success in hospitality. Literature finding coupled with case studies like that of Starbucks and Saint Pauls hotel will be used to illustrate the above statement. Using GAP analysis, the difference in theory and practical working of the company will be seen. INTRODUCTION The evolution of economies worldwide showcases the fact that the hospitality sector is expanding the fastest. Contrary to this, the quality of service and product in this sector is declining. The success of the hospitality sector depends on various aspects. These aspects remain constant under any given circumstances. The application of these factors in an efficient and accurate manner is what dictates the success of the establishment. Due to a rapid rise in globalisation in the recent past, competitiveness has increased tremendously. This is even more so, between companies marketing the same product or service, as in the case of the hospitality industry. Researchers have found that it costs for more to attract new customers than to retain current customers (Oliver, 1999; Rosenberg Czepiel, 1983) Motivation and teamwork are two of these integral factors. Here, there is a constant connection felt by the patrons and the employees. This forms a potential situation where the glass can be viewed as half full or half empty. Optimists believe that this medium of connection is what enables companies to initiate and hopefully sustain a steady relationship. The initiation can be created. It is the sustainment that poses the potential problems. The entire burden of this endeavour lies in the hands of the employees. Motivation of the employees is one of the key factors to ensure augmented success. Rensis Likert, one of the pi oneers in the field of motivation theory, and after which the Likert Scale is named, said The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals. The hospitality sector, as mentioned above, attains success based on various factors, like motivation. One of the other key factors that assist this attribute is teamwork. Any unit in the hospitality sector relies on their employees working in a single, cohesive unit. Hoegl Gemuenden (2001) observed that the definition of teamwork is a social system including more than three people in an organization or context. These members identify others as one member of the team and they have the same goal. Robbins (2001) stated that the factors influencing teamwork are relation of leadership, roles, principles, status, size, composition and the power of agglomerate. This is true in case of the hospitality industry as well. Being dependent primarily on the abilities and capabilities of its employees, teamwork forms an important aspect. FINDINGS TEAMWORK Different hospitality units focus on teamwork in different ways. None the less, the motive is the same, which is to improve results for better customer satisfaction and better revenue. Few organizations, however, are totally pleased with the results their team improvement efforts produce. If a team’s improvement efforts are not living up to the organization’s expectations, there are self-diagnosing check points that may illustrate why. Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams, must lay emphasis on the following. Competence Clear expectations Context Commitment Charter Control Collaboration Communication Creative innovation Cultural change Coordination Consequences In this report, focus will be given to the creative innovation and cultural aspects of teamwork. CREATIVE INNOVATION In today’s world, the level of competition cannot be faced with primitive methods. To give the guest something that is not being offered by another organization is the prime motive. This is not a responsibility that can be successfully carried out by any one individual. In the hospitality sector, every member of each organization may have creative input that may not be replicated. Since group processes have been said to be an important predictor of innovative performance (West and Anderson, 1996) and creativity (Amabile et al., 1996), there has been an expanding focus in research on elaborating factors within teams that facilitate team and innovative performance. A comprehensive model is offered by Hoegl and Gemuenden (2001) as well as Hoegl et al. (2004) who link the success of innovation projects to team performance and holistic success. For successful team performance communication, its frequency, degree of formalization, structure, and openness is important. Communication contributes to team performance (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001) as well as to the achievement of exceptional outcome (Sethi and Nicholson, 2001). Coordination, the synchronization and harmonization of individual tasks, is fostered by aligned goals with clear sub goals as well as defined roles which do not overlap each other (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001). Shared objectives and vision are linked to innovativeness (Anderson and West, 1996; Pearce and Ensley, 2004). Also, including all team members in the decision making process without having individuals on a team, who dominate discussions (balance of team member contributions), has been found to be links positively to innovation (Anderson and West, 1996; De Dreu and West, 2001; Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001; West and Anderson, 1996). Mutual support refers to intensive collaboration and cooperation between tea m members (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001). Collaboration is also one of the dimensions of Sethi and Nicholsons (2001) charged behaviour that is linked to innovation; trust and support is found one factor that enhances creativity (Amabile et al., 1996). Also, the finding that an equally high level of effort contributes to team work quality (Hoegl and Gemuenden, 2001) is in line with Pearce and Ensleys (2004) argumentation that social loafing is affecting innovation negatively. Feeling committed to the work of the group supports individual creativity (Amabile et al., 1996). Finally cohesion has been a topic of several studies around creativity and innovation (Craig and Kelly, 1999; Gully et al., 1995). It covers interpersonal attraction of team members, commitment to the teams task and team spirit. CULTURAL ASPECTS Within cultural concepts we concentrate on two different aspects. Hall and Hall (1990) identified three dimensions of culture though interviewing practitioners who are interacting with other cultures. In their communication model they suggest the following dimensions to differ between cultures: Various degrees of tabulating information via language. A different need for areal space. Dissimilarity in the applicability of time and working styles (monochronic/polychronic). Hofstede (1983) instead delivers less visible concepts than Hall and Hall. The cultural concept of Hofstede (1983) identified four cultural dimensions which refer to values as a guiding idea. Power distance, the acceptance of differences in hierarchical status. Uncertainty avoidance, an individuals motivation to keep away from uncertainties and changes. Individualism/collectivism, the importance of independence from ones company, and own activity. Masculinity/femininity, the importance of income, recognition and advancement as well as the degree of role allocation between men and women. Confucian dynamism or the long term orientation of a country was added to the concept (Hofstede and Hofstede, 2005). Throughout the term multi-cultural team it is seen that the considered teams have expansive cultural values and communication styles due to their affiliations to different nationalities and socialization in diverse cultural groundings. Through this approach, the fact that cultural values can differ within one country (Kirkman and Shapiro, 2005) and that only concentrating on a diverse national background ignores potential changes of personal behaviours which are culture related are take into account. MOTIVATION Motivation is a key factor that influences the daily operations of any hospitality unit. It is the key factor which influences an employee to go above and beyond the call of duty. The pioneering hospitality organizations in the world believe that in some way or the other, employee motivation plays an integral role in their success. â€Å"There is one key to profitability and stability during either a boom or bust economy: employee morale.† - Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines. There are various factors by which motivation can be attained. Many of these factors are based on models. Some of these models are:- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. -Dr. Abraham Maslow. ERG Theory of Motivation. –Clayton P. Alderfer. ARCS Model of Motivation. – John Keller. Motivational Theory. -Frederick Herzberg. In this report, Maslow’s theory will be used. This is done as they have some overlapping views, which will assist a simpler understanding. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. He called these needs deficiency needs. As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy, while preventing gratification makes us sick or act evilly. As a result, for adequate workplace motivation, it is important that leadership understands the exertive needs active for individual employee motivation. Maslows model indicates that basic, minor needs like safety and physiological requirements have to be satisfied in order to pursue higher-level motivators along the lines of self-fulfilment. Maslows Needs Pyramid or Maslows Needs Triangle, shows how after a need is satisfied it stops acting as a motivator and the next need one rank higher starts to motivate(Diagram present in Annexure). To summarise the above theory, a manager’s goal is to ensure that his employees have a reason to be motivated at all times. The needs that will motivate employees, changes with time. To recognise these needs is the job of the manager. Given below are the various needs of the employees. Physiological Motivation: Provide ample breaks for lunch and recuperation and pay salaries that allow workers to buy lifes essentials. Safety Needs: Provide a working environment which is safe, relative job security, and freedom from threats. Social Needs: Generate a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by reinforcing team dynamics. Esteem Motivators: Recognize achievements, assign important projects, and provide status to make employees feel valued and appreciated. Self-Actualization: Offer challenging and meaningful work assignments which enable innovation, creativity, and progress according to long-term goals. There are a few limitations present in Maslov’s theories. In some cultures, social needs are higher on the priority list than others. Maslows hierarchy fails to explain the starving artist scenario, in which the aesthetic neglects their physical needs to pursuit of aesthetic or spiritual goals. Additionally, little evidence suggests that people satisfy exclusively one motivating need at a time, other than situations where needs conflict. DISCUSSION TEAMWORK Starbucks is an internationally recognized hospitality chain. A case study based on this organization will be taken into consideration. This establishment is known for its ability to sustain its customers and have a relatively low turn-over rate. Here, team work is given monumental importance as they believe it to be the reason for their holistic success. The managers of the establishment refer to their peers and the people working under them as â€Å"partners†. By doing so, the corporate gap of title is bridged. The managers of the unit work aside the employees at the front line of service. This shows no discrimination in work, leading to self respecting employees who love their job. This is transmitted via the employees to the customers, creating satisfaction and loyalty. Simultaneously, it creates an open environment that contributes greatly to expression of innovative thinking. Starbucks has invested in creating a place where its employees can rest and enjoy. This also for ms a platform for creative inputs which are valued. As has been mentioned before, creativity of a person may never be replicated. The cultural barrier is present in every organization. How it is dealt with, is subject to change. Starbucks’ managers have authority to reschedule work timings of individuals. This is done in accordance with an employee’s personal or religious needs. Furthermore, emphasis is given to understanding an employee’s needs and problems. By following such exercises, the cultural barrier is overcome. At a particular shift, there are 6-8 employees working. As the unit of people working together is relatively small, people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds converse and know each other well. This again is another manner in which the cultural barrier is overcome at Starbucks. MOTIVATION The Saint Paul Hotel is a four star hotel located in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. This will be the case study for motivation that will be used. The hotel believes, like many others worldwide, that employee motivation is an important aspect attributing to the company’s success. The Saint Paul Hotel will provide training both for job skills and safety. Standards-based training occurs weekly in each department. Managers and employees will spend about 15 minutes to talk about their ideas. It is an opportunity to fine-tune or learn new skills. This training provides an opportunity for communication within the departments. For the employees to have their ideas heard and processed (if valuable) creates a sense of belonging and motivates them, as they have instilled in them the fact that they are valuable. Given below is a list of benefits given to the employees with the intention of motivating its employees. Uniforms: provided and maintained on the premises. One meal a day in employee dining room at no cost. Health, dental and life insurance. Employees of the month/year Manager of the quarter/year. Paid time off program used for sick pay, day off, vacation. Departmental incentives for safety/revenue generation/expense savings. Higher pay than the other hotels: Salary increases will occur on a schedule for Union employees, or annually for non- union employees. The Saint Paul Hotel will reward longevity with a watch for five years and a diamond pin for ten years. That diamond pin then has a new jewel set in it at each subsequent five year interval. After twenty years with the Hotel, a pin would have a diamond, a ruby and a sapphire. The Saint Paul Hotel prefers to promote from within whenever possible. However, this can be frustrating because often employees assume they are entitled to promotion based on seniority. Sometimes attendance/performance issues preclude allowing transfers or promotions. Sometimes lack of required experience interferes. While the Saint Paul Hotel trains many individuals in their jobs, even if they have had no experience, certain jobs (sales, accounting, etc.) require a certain level of expertise that must be grown into, as opposed to handed over (Personnel Communication, October 25, 2001). As said by Maslov (1943), there are various needs, that when fulfilled, create a motivated spirit and environment to work in. Saint Paul’s hotel is providing their employees with various benefits and perks. It can be seen that basic psychological needs are being fulfilled. By doing so, the basic level of motivation is instilled. Safety needs, being the second level of Mallow’s Hierarchy of needs, is also being given, in the form of health, dental and life insurance. By doing so, it is visible that the hotel cares about its employees and their well being. Gina Soucheray, training and employee development manager at the Saint Paul Hotel, stated that â€Å"right now we continue to look at how to get better support in the transportation process. However, nowadays we would like every employee to take the bus. We are looking at providing a better support structure for people who have to 29 take the bus or people who have to drive. Moreover, we are looking for the opportunit y for childcare for both union and non-union employees. That’s two key things right now transportation and childcare. We have a lot of employees who have problems with a good childcare system and we have a candidate who has come down to fill out memo about not enough parking space what we should do, and who’s going to pay for parking† (Personnel Communication, October 25, 2001). This is the extent to which Saint Pauls hotel engages itself in employee satisfaction, which is grounds for motivation. CONCLUSION TEAMWORK Teamwork is a wide field of study. In this report, two aspects of teamwork have been dealt with. These aspects are creative innovation and cultural aspects. A GAP analysis has been shown by applying views of established authors, like Hoegl and Gemuenden, Hofstede and Kirkman and Shapiro, to a case study of Starbucks. The importances of the two aspects shown are explained in this report. It is shown how Starbucks, being a multi-national company, promotes creative innovation from its employees. It also focuses on overcoming cultural backgrounds of individuals. Two people hailing from different backgrounds are evident not to have everything in common. The aim is to understand the other individual’s culture and needs, and to compromise. By doing so, the employees and managers of Starbucks are able to work harmoniously. MOTIVATION Today, there is an irrefutable connection between employee satisfaction and financial performance. This is based on numerous studies that support the analogue. Therefore, companies have a rare opportunity to emolument competitive leverage and contrasting by domesticate their greatest asset which is their employees. Employees are the most critical point of differentiation for any company in today’s business environment. The correlations are evident. Satisfied employees transfer their joy to attain satisfied customers, who in turn build long-term relationships, and spend more money. This presents a finding for American corporations, most of which do not utilize their employee potential to the max. A major survey conducted by the Public Agenda Forum indicates that fewer than 25 percent of American workers are working to their full potential. And 75 percent said they could be significantly more effective in their jobs than they are. Plus, 60 percent believe they don’t work as hard as they did in the past. These are not the characteristics of satisfied, engaged and happy employees. With a closer analysis of the different models mentioned in this report, and practical implication of those guidelines, would open doors to financial growth and holistic betterment of the industry. REFERENCES 1. Hoegl, M Gemuenden, H G (2001) Teamwork Quality and the Success ofinnovative Projects: A Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence Organization science, Vol 12, No. 4, pp 435-449. 2. Nicholson, N (1998) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behaviour Blackwell, pp 215 3. Robbins, S P?2002?Organizational Behavior America: Prentice-Hall, pp 335 4. Assessing the Work Environment for Creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 39(5), 1154-1184. 5. Hoegl, Martin and Gemuenden, Hans Georg, 2001. Teamwork quality and the success of innovative projects Organization Science, 12(4), 435-449. 6. Hofstede, G., 1983. National Cultures in Four Dimensions. A Research-based Theory of Cultural Differences among Nations. International Studies of Management and Organization, 13(1-2), 46-74. 7. Kirkman, Bradley L. and Shapiro, Debra L., 2005, The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Multicultural Team Performance, vol. 18. Elsevier Ltd. 8. Sethi, Rajesh and Nicholson, Carolyn Y., 2001. Structural and Contextual Correlates of Charged Behavior in Product Development Teams. Journal of Product and Innovation Management, 18, 154-168 9. West, Michael A. and Anderson, Neil R., 1996. Innovation in Top Management Teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(6), 680-693. 10. Amabile, Teresa M., Conti, Regina, Coon, Heather, Lazenby, Jeffrey and Herron, Michael, 1996 11. Pearce, Craig and Ensley, Michael, 2004. A reciprocal and longitudinal investigation of the innovation process. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 259-278. 12. De Dreu, Carsten K. W. and West, Michael A., 2001. Minority dissent and team innovation: The importance of participation in decision making. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(6), 1191-1201. 13. Abraham Maslows book Motivation and Personality(1954), formally introduced the Hierarchy of Needs. Websites 1. http://orgsci.journal.informs.org/cgi/content/abstract/12/4/435 2. www.netmba.com 3. envisionsoftware.com/articles/Maslows_Needs_Hierarchy.html 4. envisionsoftware.com/articles/ERG_Theory.html 5. uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2002/2002petcharakp.pdf 6. employeebenefits.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?h=365;category_cs=14;link_cs=2 7. articlesbase.com/sales-articles/using-incentives-to-effectively-motivate-employees-1169188.html 8. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Motivate-Employees-Effectivelyid=1864705 9. businessballs.com/employeemotivation.htm Research Papers on Organizational Behavior Taking Motivation and Teamwork Into PerspectiveResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Friday, November 22, 2019

5 Strategies That Will Help You Build Strong Workplace Skills

5 Strategies That Will Help You Build Strong Workplace Skills As we look at a brand new year, you might have the classic resolutions lined up: eat better, sleep better, be better. If your revamped goals also include being better at your job (or stepping up your game so you can nab a new job), there’s a great way to make progress without changing everything at once: build your workplace skills. This can mean bolstering skills you already have, or seeking out new ones. Saying â€Å"go forth and build skills† is one thing, but how to actually do that? Let’s look at some strategies for how to start your growth process.1. Be realistic.If you decide you want to brush up your Spanish language skills, don’t expect to be fluent in six months’ time (no matter what that app tells you). Make sure you’re setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Bound). Make sure your skill-building goals have concrete steps that can be achieved in the time and brainspace you have available.For exampl e, if you’ve been saying you’ll take that management seminar when you have a magical period of free time that never materializes, chances are you’re not going to do it this time around, either. Make sure you have the time and space in your life to work on these skills before you dive in.2. Focus on quality over quantity.Making a little progress on 10 skills is nice, but wouldn’t you rather make tons of progress on 2 skills? Pick a few areas where you can really dig in and put in the work, with the time you have available.3. Focus on process over end result.Let’s say your current plan (realistically) looks like this:1. Improve communication skills.2. Yada yada yada.3. †¦Promotion!That’s a system that isn’t going to work. It’s great to envision where you want to end up (that’s a key part of any goal setting exercise), but you can’t let the details in the middle get muddled while you focus on the end. Make sure you know exactly how you’re going to get to that endpoint by creating specific steps and touchpoints along the way. Where do you want to be in two months with this? Six months? A year?4. Pick skills that will be useful.Don’t learn Swahili because hey, why not learn Swahili? Learn Swahili because your company just opened an office in Tanzania, or because your boss’s boss is fluent, and you’d love to drop some key phrases at next year’s office holiday party. Focus on skills that will be useful to you in the short term, and that are specific to your career path. For example, if the next level at your job involves presentations, work on your public speaking skills. If data analysis is an emerging trend in your field, seek out online lessons for some ninja tricks to improve your Excel game.5. Know your existing strengths.Yes, the whole point of this exercise is to learn new things. But it will be very difficult to learn these new things if you’re going too far outside your comfort zone, and want to give up because your new skill is hard. It could very well be that you’re just not learning the skill in a way that makes sense to you. Make sure that you understand how you learn best. If it’s by watching other people do things, take online tutorials. If you process information by hearing it, seek out lectures. If you would rather read about it, head to the library. If you try to align your skill-building with your best learning style, you increase your chances of success.So what skills will you be building in the new year? We’d love to hear about your progress!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Business Strategies of Google Inc and Its Effects on the Business Essay - 2

The Business Strategies of Google Inc and Its Effects on the Business and the Industry - Essay Example This paper illustrates that a research study conducted by Morgan Stanley pegs the total number of internet users at about 1.8 billion as of the year 2009. The number is expected to grow by about 13 percent annually on a year on year basis. The report also states that approximately 18.8 thousand minutes was spent on internet browsing by ‘netizens’ across the world. Geographically China followed by USA and India have the largest number of active internet users with the numbers growing geometrically over the years. The analysis of the strategic framework of an organization can be done by using the framework of the Generic model proposed by Michael Porter. The model states that a firm can pursue four strategies that include overall cost leadership, focus, differentiation, and differentiation focus strategies. Depending on the business and the market environment a firm can either chose one strategy or a combination of these strategies. Overall cost leadership strategy involve s a strategic framework in which a business organization lowers its cost of operations and uses the cost benefits to sell products at lower prices than their competitors. Business organizations using a differentiation strategy provide a unique product or service offering that is unmatched by the competitors in the industry segment. Firms using such a strategy normally charge a premium for their uniqueness in the product or service offering and generate their core competence based on their innovations. Focus strategy involves targeting a very core and niche consumer segment and providing services that tend to cater to the very specific needs of the customers.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Critical Power Grid Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Critical Power Grid Security - Essay Example More than 140 million customers in America rely upon the 3 linked sectors of over 3,200 utilities of electric distribution, ten thousand plus, generating units as well as tens of thousands of transmission miles which make up the power grid of the United States of America (LISA, 2013). With 500,000 people in average by United States Power Grid outages every day, it is quite safe to describe the power grid as reaching its capacity as well as weakening with age and infrastructure that is declining as the key culprit (Massoud & John, 2008). The experts are becoming worried for a good reason. The US outages costs running to billions of dollars, the unpredictability as well as the unease for the infrastructure and the absence of physical security, has been leading to uncertainty amongst users of power especially in large scale, for instance data centers, institutions, manufacturing firms. Most power users as a result are being forced to become more innovative and come up with alternative s ources of power (LISA, 2013). Within the past one year alone, there has been instances documented, for instance, Superstorm Sandy, within which weaknesses of the electric power grid got to be exposed or within which officials like those within Texas had to step in so as to avert a possible blackout. With regard to this, a number of industries were forced to shut down or limit operations leading to huge problems from customers as well as the public. The greatest power consumers are among the very first to feel a waning grid pressure. In case of an absence of connectivity to generator failures as well as everything in between, this aging power infrastructure is intimidating to hurt businesses as well as individuals in more than one way. The original pathways of the electric power grid similar to those of the highway system were put in place during early the 20th century. In addition, most utility companies still have structures which have run for about 50 to 70 years. It is so

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A Defense of Abortion Essay Example for Free

A Defense of Abortion Essay Thomson argues that in some though not all cases, women have a right to abortion due to property rights in regards to their body, and the undue burden against these rights that would be placed on women if they are to be made responsible for any and all pregnancies. Thomson uses a variety of sometimes strange analogies to make her point that even if we give in to the argument that a fetus is a person, and thus has a right to life, this right to life does not necessarily ensure a right to sustain that life by using another person’s property, in this case the mother’s body, against her will. Thomson first asks us to consider the following case. You wake up and find yourself in a hospital bed hooked up to a famous violinist. It is then explained to you that you’ve been kidnapped by the Society of Music Lovers because you happen to be the only person whose blood type is compatible with the violinist’s, who is suffering from a kidney disease, and will die unless you remain plugged into him for nine months. Keeping in mind that both you and the violinist are innocent parties, and that both you and the violinist will walk out of the hospital alive and unharmed when the nine months are up, are you morally obligated to remain connected to the violinist, who in the case of pregnancy would be the fetus? First we must consider the given analogy and its relativity to the primary scenario, being the morality of abortion. There are no other cases quite like pregnancy, where one’s ability to sustain life is directly dependent on the use of another’s body. This is why Thomson must create the violinist analogy. There are surely many similarities between the case of the violinist and the case of the fetus. As stated before, both parties, the fetus/violinist and the mother/donor are innocent. The cause of their connection is based on the actions of a third party, in this case the Society of Music Lovers. The fact that the donor was kidnapped presents a distinguishing factor, allowing the analogy to be applied in cases such as pregnancy because of rape, where it is clear that the mother did not consent in any way to becoming pregnant. There are also dissimilarities. The kidnapping itself has not traumatized the donor, while in the case of a young girl being raped and becoming pregnant, the rape itself is very traumatic. However, Thomson discounts this by saying that if those who oppose abortion based on the grounds that a person’s right to life is more important than a mother’s property right to her body, make an exception in the case of rape, they are saying that those who come into existence because of rape have less of a right to life than others, which sounds somehow wrong. Furthermore, many who oppose abortion on this ground do not make an exception for rape. Thus, the primary question remains, is it morally permissible to disconnect yourself from a person, even if doing so will kill them? Thomson then takes the violinist scenario a step further, asking us to imagine that it turns out that supporting the violinist is putting additional strain on you, and if you continue to remain plugged into him, you will die. Some would say that it is still impermissible, because unplugging yourself would be directly killing the innocent violinist which is murder, and always wrong. Thomson vehemently denies that you are obligated to sacrifice your own life in order to save the violinist, saying that in this case â€Å"if anything in the world is true, it is that you do not commit murder, you do not do what is impermissible, if you reach around to your back and unplug yourself from that violinist to save your life. † (Vaughn, 175) Many of Thomson’s other analogies deal with the concept of a woman’s property rights to her body making a case for abortion being permissible. She gives the analogy of a young boy being given a box of chocolates, and eating them before his envious brother. Of course the boy ought to share his chocolates with his brother, as most of us would agree. However, Thomson claims that if he doesn’t, he is simply being selfish and greedy, but not unjust. He is not unjust in denying his brother the chocolates simply because they were given to him, and thus are his property. If the box had been given to both of the brothers, it would be a different story. Distinguishing between what one ought to do and what one is morally obligated to do ties back to the violinist analogy. Even if the violinist only required use of your body for one hour, while you ought to allow him to use your body, as it requires little effort on your part, you are not unjust if you refuse. You are perhaps callous and selfish, yes, but not unjust. As Thomson states â€Å"Except in such cases as the unborn person has a right to demand it-and we were leaving open the possibility that there may be such cases-nobody is morally required to make large sacrifices, of health, of all other interests and concerns, of all other duties and commitments, for nine years, or even for nine months, in order to keep another person alive. (Vaughn, 181) The criticism I would make of this argument is that she does not specify in which cases the unborn person has a right to demand use of a mother’s body, only that they can occur. She does clearly state however, that having a right to life does not inherently give one the right to be given the use of or allowed continued use of another’s body, even if one needs it for life itself. (Vaughn, 178) Some who oppose abortion argue that because pregnancy is preventable, if one happens to become pregnant they must take responsibility, which gives the fetus special rights that a stranger, such as the violinist would not have. Thomson points out that this theory only gives a fetus a right to a mother’s body if the pregnancy resulted in a voluntary act, leaving out instances of rape. She uses the people-seed analogy to further discuss the implications of holding women responsible for all pregnancies. She asks us to imagine people as seeds, innocently drifting around the world, sometimes even into your home, getting stuck to furniture and carpets. To prevent this from happening to you, you put the best screens on your windows you can buy. As we all know, sometimes screens are defective, and a seed finds its way in and takes root, despite your preventative measures. Does that seed have a right to use your house to develop into a person? It is true that it could have been prevented from taking root if you lived your life in a house without furniture or carpeting, but this seems ridiculous. By the same token you could say that women who are raped have a responsibility to the fetus because rape could be prevented by never leaving home without a reliable army, or never leaving home at all. This is far too high of a burden to put on individuals. When evaluating these analogies and the argument Thomson uses them to make, certain questions arise. For example, if I am not morally obligated to give my property to someone who depends on it for survival, is it morally permissible to let someone starve to death because I refuse to share my food that I bought earlier from the grocery store? Given her analogies, such as the instance of the boy who refuses to share his chocolate, it would seem that Thomson would say that it is permissible to let someone die of starvation. After all, you are not morally obligated to share what is rightly yours. She would say you are selfish and greedy, like the little boy, but not unjust or immoral. However, letting an innocent person starve to death, when doing something as little as giving them some of our food, does not sit well with the average person. This is where Thomson’s concept of the Good Samaritan vs. the minimally decent Samaritan comes into play. In the biblical story, the Good Samaritan saw a man dying in the road, abandoned by others who passed. He cleaned the dying man’s wounds and took him to an inn, paying for his stay. He went out of his way to help someone in need, at some cost to himself. Thomson illustrates the other extreme by using the case of Kitty Genovese, who was murdered while thirty-eight people stood by and did nothing to help. In this case the Good Samaritan would have rushed to her aid, putting his own life on the line in order to save a stranger’s. While Thomson seems to say that this is too much to ask of people, and they are not morally required to risk their own life to save another’s, she does say that the Minimally Decent Samaritan would have at least called the police. Because no one even called the police, they are not even minimally decent Samaritans, and their actions are monstrous. While the Good Samaritan gives aid they are not obligated to give, the Minimally Decent Samaritan fulfills their minimal obligations. Just as watching a person be murdered and doing absolutely nothing to help is falling below the standard of minimally decent Samaritan, I would have to believe that watching a person starve and doing nothing to help is also monstrous. After all, using Thomson’s analogies we could say that the people who watched Kitty Genovese get murdered ought to have used their cell phones to call the police at the very least, but being that their cell phones are their property, they can use them as they wish, and are not morally obligated to use them to save a life, even if the cost it would bring to them seems extremely insignificant. Thomson seems to distinguish between situations such as letting someone starve to death because you refuse to share your food, or letting someone be murdered because you refuse to use your phone, and aborting a fetus. She claims that many laws prohibiting abortion compel women to be Good Samaritans (Vaughn, 181) as opposed to minimally decent. This claim suggests that she believes that harboring a fetus is an act of a Good Samaritan, not a minimally decent one. Furthermore, by calling the people who watched Kitty Genovese die â€Å"monstrous† it suggests that she does in fact believe that watching a person die and doing nothing to help is immoral. By these tokens, it seems that she would in fact view letting another starve as immoral, suggesting that her argument of property rights is inconsistent. Thomson somewhat accounts for these inconsistencies in her closing argument, simply by conceding that the analogies she uses are not fool proof or meant to be applied to all cases. She states â€Å"while I do not argue that abortion is not impermissible, I do not argue that it is always permissible. There may well be cases in which carrying the child to term requires only minimally decent Samaritanism of the mother, and this is a standard we must not fall below. † (Vaughn 182) For example, she believes it would be immoral for a woman to abort her child late in the pregnancy because she had a vacation planned. By asserting that her analogies and arguments are not meant to make an absolute case for or against abortion, they do in fact only help her to prove her somewhat tentative point that women do have a right to abortion, in some though not all cases, because of property rights and the undue burden against these rights that would be placed on women if forced to carry all pregnancies to term.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Nutrition Essay -- Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Table of Contents Nutrition Therapy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 Nutrition Consult  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 Meal planning  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 Body Weight Considerations  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 Psychosocial support.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 Calorie Intake  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 Nutrient Composition of the Diet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 Fat Intake  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5 Carbohydrate Intake  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 Sucrose  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 Fructose  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 Vitamins and Minerals  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7 Alcohol Intake  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7 References  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8 Nutrition Therapy The most fundamental component of the diabetes treatment plan for all patients with type II diabetes is medical nutrition therapy. Specific goals of nutrition therapy in type II diabetes are to:[1] Achieve and maintain as near-normal blood glucose levels as possible by balancing food intake with physical activity, supplemented by oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin (endogenous or exogenous) as needed Normalize blood pressure Normalize serum lipid levels Help patients attain and maintain a reasonable body weight (defined as the weight an individual and health-care provider acknowledge as possible to achieve and maintain on a short- and long-term basis) Promote overall health through optimal nutrition and lifestyle behaviors. Because no single dietary approach is appropriate for all patients, given the heterogeneous nature of type II diabetes, meal plans and diet modifications should be individualized to meet a patient's unique needs and lifestyle. Accordingly, any nutrition intervention should be based on a thorough assessment of a patient's typical food intake and eating habits and should include an evaluation of current nutritional status. Some patients with mild-to-moderate diabetes can be effectively treated with an appropriate balance of diet modification and exercise as the sole therapeutic intervention, particularly if their fasting blood glucose level is < 200 mg/dL. The majority of patients, however, will require pharmacologic intervention in addition to diet and exercise prescriptions. It is important to note that ... ...ng insulin or sulfonylureas are susceptible to hypoglycemia if alcohol is consumed on an empty stomach. Therefore, these individuals should make sure to take any desired alcohol with a meal. Patients with diabetes and coexisting medical problems such as pancreatitis, dyslipidemis, or neuropathy may need to reduce or abstain from alcohol intake. References American Diabetes Association. Medical Management of Non-insulin-dependent (Type II) Diabetes, 3rd ed. Alexandria, Va: American Diabetes Association; 1994:22-39. American Diabetes Association. Diabetes 1996 Vital Statistics. Alexandria, Va: American Diabetes Association; 1996. Davidson MB. Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis and Treatment, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 1991:35-93. Henry RR. Protein content of the diabetic diet. Diabetes Care. 1994;17:1502-1513. Mudaliar SR, Henry RR. Role of glycemic control and protein restriction in clinical management of diabetic kidney disease. Endocr Pract. 1996;2:220-226. American Diabetes Association. Clinical practice recommendations 1995. Position statement: nutrition recommendations and principles for people with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 1995;18(suppl 1):16-19.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Biology Class Xi Chapter Essay

The description of living organisms including human beings began much later in human history. Societies which indulged in anthropocentric view of biology could register limited progress in biological knowledge. Systematic and monumental description of life forms brought in, out of necessity, detailed systems of identification, nomenclature and classification. The biggest spin off of such studies was the recognition of the sharing of similarities among living organisms both horizontally and vertically. That all present day living organisms are related to each other and also to all organisms that ever lived on this earth, was a revelation which humbled man and led to cultural movements for conservation of biodiversity. In the following chapters of this unit, you will get a description, including classification, of animals and plants from a taxonomist’s perspective. Born on 5 July 1904, in Kempten, Germany, the Harvard University evolutionary biologist who has been called ‘The Darwin of the 20th century’, was one of the 100 greatest scientists of all time. Mayr joined Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 1953 and retired in 1975, assuming the title Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology Emeritus. Throughout his nearly 80-year career, his research spanned ornithology, taxonomy, zoogeography, evolution, systematics, and the history and philosophy of biology. He almost single-handedly made the origin of species diversity the central question of evolutionary biology that it is today. He also pioneered the currently accepted definition of a biological species.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Summary: The Native Son

The Native Son is a novel by Richard Wright, which is set in southern part of Chicago in the 1930’s. The novel, which was divided into three books, Fear, Flight, and Fate, is basically a story of 22-year old Bigger Thomas, an African-American, and his struggles living an impoverished life of crime The scene opens with Bigger being awakened by the screams of his sister, Vera and mother. He saw that the cause of the commotion was a big rat. He and his brother, Buddy, drove the rodent into a corner, but the rat retaliates and wounds Bigger. Ultimately, Bigger kills the rat with a heavy iron skilled Bigger's wanted to become an aviator but is instead given a job for a white millionaire-philanthropist named Henry Dalton. During this time, his mother warns him to forget his criminal habits, lest he end up in prison and also tells him to go out and get a job if he â€Å"had any manhood in him.† Although he sincerely cares about his family, Bigger knows that he will never have a big time job that will enable him to support his family Despite his mother’s warning, Bigger meets his gang and they hatch a plan to rob Blum's Deli. However, he is actually afraid to commit robbery and he tells this to his friend Gus, who in turn calls Bigger’s bluff. This angered Bigger and he attempted to stab his would-be friend but gets up being kicked out of the gang. He then prepares for the interview with Mr. Dalton. Although Bigger doesn’t really want to take the job, he is amazed by the massive wealth of his potential employer so he decides to proceed. However, he fails to answer clearly at the interview and frightened by some of the house’s furniture as well as Mr. Dalton’s blind wife, his maid Peggy and daughter Mary. Bigger remembers seeing Mary in a newsreel which showed that she was Communist sympathizer along with her boyfriend, Jan Elrone, who is a communist herself.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Simon Bolivar and the Battle of Boyaca

Simon Bolivar and the Battle of Boyaca On August 7, 1819, Simà ³n Bolà ­var engaged Spanish General Josà © Marà ­a Barreiro in battle near the Boyaca River in present-day Colombia. The Spanish force was spread out and divided, and Bolà ­var was able to kill or capture almost all of the enemy combatants. It was the decisive battle for the liberation of New Granada (now Colombia). Bolivar and the Independence Stalemate in Venezuela In early 1819, Venezuela was at war: Spanish and Patriot generals and warlords were fighting each other all over the region. New Granada was a different story: there was an uneasy peace, as the populace was ruled with an iron fist by Spanish Viceroy Juan Josà © de Smano from Bogota. Simon Bolivar, greatest of the rebel generals, was in Venezuela, dueling with Spanish General Pablo Morillo, but he knew that if he could just get to New Granada, Bogota was practically undefended. Bolivar Crosses the Andes Venezuela and Colombia are divided by a high arm of the Andes Mountains: parts of it are practically impassible. From May to July of 1819, however, Bolivar led his army over the pass of Pramo de Pisba. At 13,000 feet (4,000 meters), the pass was extremely treacherous: deadly winds chilled the bones, snow and ice made footing difficult, and ravines claimed pack animals and men to falls. Bolivar lost a third of his army in the crossing, but made it to the western side of the Andes in early July, 1819: the Spanish at first had no idea he was there. Battle of Vargas Swamp Bolivar quickly regrouped and recruited more soldiers from the eager population of New Granada. His men engaged the forces of young Spanish general Josà © Marà ­a Barreiro at the battle of Vargas Swamp on July 25: it ended in a draw, but showed the Spanish that Bolà ­var had arrived in force and was headed for Bogota. Bolivar moved quickly to the town of Tunja, finding supplies and weapons meant for Barreiro. Royalist Forces at the Battle of Boyaca Barreiro was a skilled general who had a trained, veteran army. Many of the soldiers, however, had been conscripted from New Granada and doubtless there were some whose sympathies were with the rebels. Barreiro moved to intercept Bolivar before he could reach Bogota. In the vanguard, he had some 850 men in the elite Numancia battalion and 160 skilled cavalry known as dragoons. In the main body of the army, he had about 1,800 soldiers and three cannons. The Battle of Boyaca Begins On August 7, Barreiro was moving his army, trying to get into position to keep Bolivar out of Bogota long enough for reinforcements to arrive. By the afternoon, the vanguard had gone ahead and crossed the river at a bridge. There they rested, waiting for the main army to catch up. Bolà ­var, who was much closer than Barreiro suspected, struck. He ordered General Francisco de Paula Santander to keep the elite vanguard forces occupied while he hammered away at the main force. A Stunning Victory It worked out even better than Bolivar had planned. Santander kept the Numancia Battalion and Dragoons pinned down, while Bolivar and General Anzotegui attacked the shocked, spread-out main Spanish army. Bolà ­var quickly surrounded the Spanish host. Surrounded and cut off from the best soldiers in his army, Barreiro quickly surrendered. All told, the royalists lost more than 200 killed and 1,600 captured. The patriot forces lost 13 killed and about 50 wounded. It was a total victory for Bolà ­var. On to Bogot With Barreiro’s army crushed, Bolà ­var quickly made for the city of Santa fà © de Bogot, where Viceroy Juan Josà © de Smano was the ranking Spanish official in Northern South America. The Spanish and royalists in the capital panicked and fled in the night, carrying all they could and leaving their homes and in some cases family members behind. Viceroy Smano himself was a cruel man who feared the retribution of the patriots, so he, too quickly departed, dressed as a peasant. Newly-converted â€Å"patriots† looted the homes of their former neighbors until Bolà ­var took the city unopposed on August 10, 1819, and restored order. Legacy of the Battle of Boyaca The Battle of Boyac and capture of Bogot resulted in a stunning checkmate for Bolà ­var against his enemies. In fact, the Viceroy had left in such haste that he even left money in the treasury. Back in Venezuela, the ranking royalist officer was General Pablo Morillo. When he learned of the battle and the fall of Bogot, he knew the royalist cause was lost. Bolà ­var, with the funds from the royal treasury, thousands of possible recruits in New Granada and undeniable momentum, would soon sweep back into Venezuela and crush any royalists still there. Morillo wrote to the King, desperately begging for more troops. 20,000 soldiers were recruited and were to be sent, but events in Spain prevented the force from ever departing. Instead, King Ferdinand sent Morillo a letter authorizing him to negotiate with the rebels, offering them some minor concessions in a new, more liberal constitution. Morillo knew the rebels had the upper hand and would never agree, but tried anyway. Bolà ­var, sensing the royalist desperation, agreed to a temporary armistice but pressed the attack. Less than two years later, the royalists would once again be defeated by Bolà ­var, this time at the Battle of Carabobo. This battle marked the last gasp of organized Spanish resistance in northern South America. The Battle of Boyac has gone down in history as one of the greatest of Bolà ­vars many triumphs. The stunning, complete victory broke the stalemate and gave Bolà ­var an advantage he never lost.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Compound Conjugations of the French Verb Être

The Compound Conjugations of the French Verb Être The very irregular French verb  Ãƒ ªtre (to be)  is among the most frequently used and, therefore, most valuable verbs in the French language. You will find some form of it on every printed page, in every lesson and on the tip of every tongue. The  simple tenses  form the basis of most communication in everyday French, not only used by themselves as the equivalent of to be, but also as auxiliary verbs for the compound forms of many French verbs. The verb  Ãƒ ªtre also has its own compound tenses, which are likewise commonly used in spoken and written French. Both the irregular simple tenses and the irregular compound tenses of this verb also appear in many of the most common idiomatic expressions in the French language. Below are all of the compound tenses in which the  verb  Ãƒ ªtre appears. Compound Conjugations of the Irregular French Verb Être Pass compos Pluperfect Past subjunctive j ai t avais t aie t tu as t avais t aies t il a t avait t ait t nous avons t avions t ayons t vous avez t aviez t ayez t ils ont t avaient t aient t Future perfect Conditional perfect Pluperfect subjunctive j aurai t aurais t eusse t tu auras t aurais t eusses t il aura t aurait t et t nous aurons t aurions t eussions t vous aurez t auriez t eussiez t ils auront t auraient t eussent t Past anterior Conditional perfect, 2nd form j eus t eusse t tu eus t eusses t il eut t et t nous emes t eussions t vous etes t eussiez t ils eurent t eussent t Past imperative Past infinitive Perfect participle (tu) aie t avoir t ayant t (nous) ayons t - - (vous) ayez t - -

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Principles of Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Principles of Management - Research Paper Example The employees stand to obtain a better insight into the functioning of the company, due to this initiative. Furthermore, employees obtain a better understanding of the lacunae in the performance of the company, which in turn could motivate them to seek methods for bettering the situation (Dossenbach 16). Subsequent to the evaluation of corporate performance, the employee’s achievement in realizing individual goals can be scrutinized. This task should be so conducted that the employees are made to review their individual objectives and achievements. At this juncture, the employees should be encouraged to provide suggestions for improving their deficient areas. As such, suggestions for change that emanate from the employee, will be adopted voluntarily, in addition to engendering a sense of well – being and accomplishment (Dossenbach 16). It is essential to realize that human resources management is critically dependent on the motivation of employees. The individual and collective motivation levels of employees have an overbearing and direct influence on the persistence, level and direction of their efforts. This circumstance finds substantial evidence in the fact that the best performers in the corporate sector enjoy a workforce that is highly motivated (Gilley, Gilley and Quatro 129). In fact, the functions of human resources management are based on a thorough comprehension of the theory of employee motivation. As such, any motivational theory is founded on a fundamental understanding of the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on the motivation levels of employees (Gilley, Gilley and Quatro 129). Extrinsic rewards are basically motivational stimuli that are provided to employees as inducements for indulging in certain activities. Such rewards constitute valued consequences for completing a task in an exemplary manner. On the other hand, intrinsic