What is Math Anxiety and What Can Be Done About It Essay

Anxiety is commonly defined as a fear that causes immense amounts of stress. When thinking of anxiety one does not consider it associated with math. However, the idea of math anxiety exists. Unlike the commonly recognized anxiety, math anxiety is not psychological, it is emotional. Anyone that has math anxiety experiences stress or discomfort with math. Some may feel inadequate in their math abilities and therefore avoid math altogether. Others may try but still second guess their math work. Most people that have math anxiety tend to evade math situations. Effandi Zakaria et al. explain math anxiety through a case study titled Mathematics Anxiety and Achievement Among Secondary School Students. This case study was conducted in Malaysia†¦show more content†¦This implies that high anxiety causes low math scores (1831). Conclusively, teachers need to accept that math anxiety may reside in their students and therefore be proactive in their approach of teaching mathematics. As a math tutor and future teacher I am sure I will encounter many students with math anxiety. These students may give up easily, get frustrated or angry, avoid eye contact, or show a lack of confidence. In helping these students cope with math anxiety I will encourage them that they can do math and that we can work it out together. I will reassure them that although math may be difficult we can learn and grow from it. If students are having a hard time on a specific topic I will slow down the solving process and go step-by-step making sure the students understand each step and therefore understanding the whole process. Also I will give the students multiple problems dealing with the same math concept to make sure the students are understanding the topic and not just going along with the motions. Personally, I think math anxiety can be overcome or diminished to an extent just like any other fear. As long as people with math anxiety ask questions, practice, and keep a positive attitude I think that the fear can definitely be lessened. Although I am a Secondary Math Education major I have experienced math anxiety before. One of the most recent times I experienced math anxiety was when I took the Pre-service AcademicShow MoreRelatedGeneralized Anxiety Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1216 Words   |  5 PagesAnxiety, or commonly referred to as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is when a person has â€Å"excessive worry about a variety of topics† (Carrol 2014). When a person has generalized anxiety disorder, they process a fear in their mind on different types of issues that are occurring in their everyday life. This disorder can affect a person for a â€Å"period of at least six months† (Carroll 2014). Of the different types of generalized anxiety disorders that people face on a daily basis, mathematics anxietyRead More Massage Therapy Reduces Anxiety and Enhances EEG Patterns of Alertness and Math Computations1311 Words   |  6 Pagespeople in the world talk about how beneficial massage can be and that it makes you feel more relaxed. They say that if you receive massage, even just once a month, that it could help you in many different aspects of your life, such as helping depression, lessening anxiety, becoming more relaxed more often, and that it can help you become less stressed in your day to day life. In this research study, the researchers hypothesize that massage would have an effect on anxiety, depression, and alertnessRead MoreRole Of Academic Self Efficiency On The Relation Between Task Importance And Test Anxiety1552 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Article Assignment Test Anxiety Role of academic self-efficiency in moderating the relation between task importance and test anxiety. Citation in APA Format: Nie, Y., Lau, S., Liau, A. K. (2011). Role of academic self-efficiency in moderationg the relation between task importance and test anxiety. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(6), 736-741. Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to provide information about potential ways to reduce test anxiety; whether academic self-efficiencyRead MoreMathematics And Your Feelings Towards Mathematics963 Words   |  4 Pageson your beliefs about you’re mathematics skills. My skills in maths are very limited. Simple addition, subtraction, some multiplication, word problems and reading tables I believe I have a good idea about. Subjects such as mixed fractions, percentages, scientific notation’s etc I struggle with. Math is a subject I actually love doing and throwing myself into learning more, but at the same time my maths anxiety plays a key factor in my feeling and beliefs towards going beyond what I know. As citedRead MoreWhy Mathematics Is Important For Teaching Mathematics782 Words   |  4 Pagesreactions, commonly an anxiety reaction. Surprisingly, I am not speaking here only about students, but more importantly about the people who teach mathematics. As the study done by Alan B. Bates, Nancy I. Latham, and Jin-ah Kim indicated, many teachers have fears about teaching mathematics and how teachers’ fears influence students, their learning outcomes, and how mathematics has impacted them in their years of teaching. These finding are also relevant to how I felt about teaching math due to lack confidenceRead Morehow stereotype threat may cause poor performance in women Essay1509 Words   |  7 Pagespsychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one’s group applies.† (Steele, 1997, p 614). According to C.M. Steele and Aronson (1995), there are two types of stereotype threat a person can encounter. The first kind of stereotype threat a person can come across is when that person acknowledges that a negative stereotype exists about their social group and their capabilities. The second type of stereotype threat is when a person is moreRead MoreImportance Of Road Mapping For Students1587 Words   |  7 PagesParrish (2010), the heart of number talks is classroom conversations focused on making sense of mathematics (p. 203). This means one of the most powerful tools a math educator can use with struggling students, or curriculum lacki ng adequate rigor, is a well-researched number talk with groups of students. A well-developed number talk can be a standalone whole group discussion, but often, the teacher will integrate it into small group interventions with students who need acceleration, or remediationRead MoreReflection About My College Experience1004 Words   |  5 PagesMaria, I talk to her about many things such as my transition to college, my roommates, friends, classes and how my short term goal was to take the Mathematics Advisory Exam, MAE, and my long term goal being to get satisfactory grades. Knowing myself, I knew that I would not achieve all of my goals. During that second meeting I spoke with Maria and gave her an update about my college and dorming experience as well as how I did not reach all my goals, but I talked to her about my updated goals andRead MoreTaking a Look at Math Anxiety577 Words   |  2 PagesMath anxiety maybe unknown to many people and yet many more suffer from it. Math a nxiety is defined as the feeling of tension and anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations (Curtain-Phillips). Other studies suggest that math anxiety not only causes one to feel anxious in a mathematical situation but also causes a person to completely avoid a situation because of the ones insecuritiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Claude Steele s Influence On Minority Students1587 Words   |  7 Pagesself-affirmation theory and its role in self-regulation and the academic under-achievement of minority students and women. Steele explained the academic under achievement of minority students with stereotype threat which is when racial and gender stereotypes can affect minority and womens grades, test scores, and academic identity.(Lasnier, 2009).For many years’ stereotype threat has affected minority students learning making it hard to focus on school because of their env ironment putting stereotypes in their

Relationship Between The Child And The Parent - 1219 Words

Literature Review McDonald, Bowker, Rubin, Laursen, and Duchene (2010) stated that according to attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969), the relationship between the child and the parent originates from a behavioral system that is noticeable by the infant’s need for safety, security, and support from their caregiver. Parents function as both a secure place for their child to discover their surrounding world and safe place in which they can return to the comfort and safety when they experience fear or discomfort (Ainsworth et al., 1978). If parents are thoughtful and respond to their child’s needs, the child is more prone to develop feelings of security, social ability to explore their environment, need and want love and support, and develop social relationships that are positive (McDonald et al., 2010). Many researchers have learned that positive, warm, and supportive parental relationships develop positive, healthy, social and emotional growth for their children during childhood and adolescen ce (McDonald et al., 2010). More importantly, anxiety and depression during childhood and adolescence is correlated with the view that the relationship with parents has not been supportive and thoughtful (Nolan et al., 2003). It has been suggested that when parents demonstrate behaviors that are cold, aggressive and unsupportive, the child and adolescent feelings of security and self-image may suffer increasing weakness (McDonald et al., 2010). There is significant evidence that proposesShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between The Child And Parent952 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction In the two presented books, the main theme outlined in both texts is the theme of relationship between the child and parent. Chinua Achebe in his book, Marriage is a Private Affair developed this theme in the marriage perception outlining the conflict which occurred between a father and his son (Achebe 22). On the other hand, Alice Walker in her book, Everyday Use, developed a story of family who consist of a mother and her two daughters. One of her daughters proved to be rebelliousRead MoreRelationship Between The Child And Parent922 Words   |  4 PagesIn the two-presented books, the main theme outlined in both texts is the theme of relationship between the child and parent. Chinua Achebe in his book, Marriage is a Private Affair developed this theme in the marriage perception outlining the conflict that occurred between a father and his son (Achebe 22). On the other hand, Alice Walker in her book, Everyday Use, developed a story of family who consist of a mother and her two dau ghters. One of her daughters proved to be rebellious and went againstRead MoreRelationship Between A Parent And Child Relationship1710 Words   |  7 Pagesphotographers alike. Relationships between people vary from the everyday dynamics and the significance in which they value one another and each connection between those relationships makes a different impact on the one of someone else. There are many relationships people form throughout their lives, for instance the primary relationships at the start of their lives, between parent and child, and siblings, which start in the home. A relationship between a parent and child has a special unspokenRead MoreRelationship Between A Parent And Child1653 Words   |  7 Pagesit’s the love between a parent and child, a platonic friend, or a significant other. For many, a romantic relationship is the most important element in their lives. A good relationship can improve all characteristics of your life, such as strengthening health, mind and connections with others. The ability to have a healthy loving relationship is a lot of work, give and take, and comprising of one’s individual wants and needs. W hatever you put in, the more you can get back; relationships are investmentsRead MoreRelationship Between A Parent And Child968 Words   |  4 Pages Relationships are the way in which two or more people are connected. The relationships that we make in life are very easy to forge; however they are not so easy to maintain. A relationship between two people can have very different meanings. In some relationships such as two lovers, they can also be best friends because they share good communication. A relationship between a parent and child has a special bond because they share love, and affection for each other. However, there are times whenRead MoreRelationship Between A Parent And A Child1841 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction When imagining the relationship between a parent and a child, one usually envisions a caring mother or father cradling an infant in their arms, playing games with a toddler, or even teaching a school age child to read. These caring images are one of positivity and optimism. Indeed, familial relationships of this nature are rather typical for the typical supportive family, but what can happen when the family is not of typical form? When the picture takes on a dark undertone, say aRead MoreParent Child Relationship Between Juliet And Juliet Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesParent-Child Relationship in Romeo and Juliet Parent-Child relationships are among one of the most complicated ones but also some of the most rewarding. The structure of the Parent-Child relationship has changed significantly over time. Parents do not treat their children the same way they did during the late 1500s. William Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet illustrates how Parent-Child relationships were during this time and how complicated they could be. An excellent example of a complicatedRead MoreInvestigating The Relationship Between Parents On How They Deal With Child Rearing852 Words   |  4 PagesThe aim of this research paper is to investigate relationship between parents on how they deal with child-rearing as a couple wanting their child to become a well-rounded little person. Parents’ positive and negativism of excessive high standards tend to be negatively linked with indulgent parenting child rearing practices. â€Æ' Child Rearing in Infancy This research essay will focus on some of the thoughts and obstacles a parent might face in child rearing in infancy Parenting styles plays a pivotalRead MoreAttachment Theory : Relationship Between Parent Or Other Caregiver And The Child1408 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Susan Robbins (2011), attachment theory emphasizes the importance of the interaction between parent or other caregiver and the child. The child participates in the interaction, which results in emotional bonding. She argued that the basic principles of attachment theory state that a relationship exists between experience and being able to later bond with others, hence the importance of bonding. She also states that the behavior of the parent’s is complementary to attachment behaviorRead More The Relationship between a Parent and Their Child in Khaled Hosseini ´s The Kite Runner1094 Words   |  5 Pagesshowing his fatherly affection to Amir which causes bitterness within their father/son relationship. In this novel, we will explore how the relationship between a parent and a child is shown through their yearning o f affection and how it can affect how one would be in the future. Baba is the most important person to Amir because he is Amir’s role model and world. How Baba express his feelings of being a parent is shown through his interactions and speeches with Amir. In Baba’s eyes, he finds it hard

Range Rover Sport vs. Jeep Cherokee Srt8 Free Essays

I absolutely love Jeep and Land Rovers. I like the SUV type vehicles that are built for luxury. I believe that a Range Rover Sport is better than a Jeep Cherokee SRT8. We will write a custom essay sample on Range Rover Sport vs. Jeep Cherokee Srt8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Both SUV’s are practical. They seat five for extraordinary fast car-pooling. They also have lots of cargo space for groceries, or anything else. The Cherokee SRT8 has a 6. 1-liter hemi. Jeep design motif was to stuff a huge engine into an unsuspecting vehicle. The engine makes 420 horsepower and 420 pounds-foot torques. The Cherokee is powerful enough to get from zero to sixty miles per hour in 4. seconds. The Jeep takes 136 ft. to stop from zero to sixty. The Range Rover Sport is a super 4. 2 liter Range Rover with a supercharge. The Sport can go from zero to sixty in 6. 82 seconds, just two seconds shy of the Cherokee. The supercharge in the engine makes 320 horsepower and 410 pound-foot torque. In the break test, the Range Rover stops from zero to sixty in just 117 ft. smoothly. The sport beats the Jeep in of roading. Range Rover Sport offers five different modes for of roading. The Range Rover Sport is a bit more expensive than the Jeep Cherokee SRT8. In my opinion, the Jeep is really good with its power and torque. The Ranger Rover Sport has a better ride than the SRT8. The ride is smoother and even better at off roading with five different off roading modes. I was fortunate enough to actually drive both SUV’s. I prefer the Range Rover Sport than the Cherokee SRT8. The Sport offers a ride like no other car or SUV I have driven. The ride is so smooth; it is like riding on air. How to cite Range Rover Sport vs. Jeep Cherokee Srt8, Papers

Accounting Financial Analysis of Cochlear Limited

Question: Discuss about theAccounting Financial Analysis of Cochlear Limited. Answer: Introduction Cochlear Limited is a biotechnology company serving globally and designing, producing, and delivering the Cochlear implant and the Baha bone conduction implant. Cochlear was founded in 1981 and took help from Australian Government. Cochlear produces three different products for different situations in medical (Skrivan and Drevinek 2016). First is a Nucleus system combining an dynamic stimulant accessory is implanted by surgery behind a persons ear. Hybrid is an electric hearing system with a combination of Cochlear embedded and an audio hearing device (Cochlear.com 2016). After critically analyzing the annual report of Cochlear Limited, the disclosure requirements are examined relating to Property, Plant and Equipment as per AASB 116 and the fair view of financial record and the qualitative features of helpful financial data according to the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting covering OB1-OB21 and QC1-QC39 are analyzed. Conceptual Structure for Financial Reporting Investors, creditors lenders are the users of the financial reporting. The information is relevant for the transaction of the debt or equity products to assess the management's resource handling capabilities. According to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Framework, market regulators may find it useful, but it cannot provide detail information to make any economic decision. However, objectives of financial regulation and general purpose financial planning may not be consistent. Therefore, the general purpose financial planning report is not for the regulators, as they are not considered as primary users. Future cash flow inflow and outflow ability of an entity influenced by the general economic events may be understood from the information about an entitys financial performance in a quarter (Macve 2015). To understand the total change in an entity's claims and economic resources, it is important to analyze the impact of the change on financial performance to shareho lders. [OB1-OB21] Users find qualitative characteristics of useful financial reporting very helpful while making decisions about an entity. Qualitative characteristics also apply to financial records. Financial data can be very helpful if it is verified, compared, and fairly represented. Authentic financial data can make a difference in the decision taken by the users. The confirmatory value and predictive value are internally related in the financial information. Understandability, comparability, timeliness, and verifiability are essential characteristics of financial reporting. Enhancement of qualitative characteristics is necessary. Cost exists in every part of financial information. The assessment of benefits and costs are done by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The International Accounting Standards Board has the authority to judge whether the reporting requirements are justified by the different entities or not (Aasb.gov.au 2016). [QC1-QC39] Requirements for PPE as per AASB The objective of the Accounting Standard AASB 116 is to recommend treatment of accounting for Property, Plant and Equipment so as financial statement user ascertains information about the investment and changes made by the company in Property, Plant and Equipment. Key problems in Property, Plant and Equipment accounting are the realization of assets, determining their carrying amounts, depreciation charges and loss by deterioration to be recognized (AASB 2015). The cost of owned Property, Plant and Equipment of Cochlear Limited is calculated as the price of the asset minus depreciation minus loss by damage (Hu, Percy and Yao 2015). The self-constructed asset value includes material cost and direct labor and any other cost which is related to asset maintenance for usage purpose. Cost related to replacement of a portion of Property, Plant and Equipment are funded in the transfer measure if its credible that monetary gain of the future will move to Cochlear Limited. All values are recog nizable in the income statement. Payments being made under performing sublets are charged on straight line method a term of lease. Minimum rent amount includes fixed rate increase. Reduction is applied because the fixed assets used for business have a cost and the property is useful only for few years. It is calculated as the value of property, plant and machinery minus the predicted surplus amount on the straight-line method over their estimated use. The estimated life of leasehold improvement is one to fifteen years and plant and equipment between three to fourteen years. Depreciation is mentioned in the income statement from the date of acquiring the asset and held ready for use. Depreciation is checked at every balance sheet date and adjustments are made. Table 1: Total Property, Plant and Equipment at Net Book Value On 30th June 2014, plant and equipment were damaged because the product value was reexamined. Out of the $14 million damage expense, $6.3 million was destroyed reversal that is utilized with the Cochlear implant. Cochlear added on the equipping amount to hedge unpredictable result. For the year ended 30th June 2015, no damage turnaround was recorded (Mayorga and Sidhu 2012). Fundamentals and Characteristics of PPE as per AASB 116 The value of Property, Plant and Equipment are identified as a credit if the future economic gain will move to the company and value of the item is measured accurately. From the annual report of Cochlear Limited it is found that the cost related to replacement of a portion of Property, Plant and Equipment are funded in the transfer measure if its credible that monetary gain of the future will move towards Cochlear Limited. All values are recognizable in the income statement (Yao, Percy and Hu 2015). A company evaluates the value of Property, Plant and Equipment when it is obtained. It is the value to obtain Property, Plant and Equipment and the expense charged to change or service a portion of it. From the annual report of Cochlear Limited, it is found that the value of owned assets includes material cost and direct labor cost and other charges which turned the asset into a useful condition mode for the purpose of using it (Valuation 2013). Objectives of Financial Reporting Relating to PPE The purpose of the accounting standard AASB 116 is to suggest treatment for Property, Plant and Equipment so that the financial statement end user can ascertain data regarding the contribution and changes made by the company in Property, Plant and Equipment. Key problems in Property, Plant and Equipment accounting are the realization of assets, determining their carrying amounts, depreciation charges and loss by deterioration to be recognized. On 30th June 2014, plant and equipment were damaged because the product value was reexamined. Out of the $14 million damage expense, $6.3 million was destroyed reversal that is utilized with the Cochlear implant. Cochlear increased the provision amount to hedge unpredictable result. For the year ended 30th June 2015, no damage reversal was recorded. The reduction amount is applied on the Property, Plant and Equipment on the straight-line method. The estimated life of leasehold improvement is between one to fifteen years and plant and equipment three to fourteen years (Laing and Perrin 2014). Conclusion By the objectives of the accounting standard AASB 116, Cochlear Limited is following the accounting standard objectives. For the financial year ended 30th June 2015, 88% of sales revenue was from Cochlear Nucleus products and 12% from Baha products. The launch of Nucleus sound processor in Financial Year 2014 led to an increase in the upgrade sales in Financial Year 2015 as customers are upgrading to new technology. Reference AASB, C.A.S., 2015. Investment Property. Aasb.gov.au. (2016). Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) - Home. [online] Available at: https://www.aasb.gov.au/ [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Cochlear.com. (2016). Cochlear Hearing Implants | Official Website | Cochlear International. [online] Available at: https://www.cochlear.com/ [Accessed 24 Sep. 2016]. Hu, F., Percy, M. and Yao, D., 2015. Asset revaluations and earnings management: Evidence from Australian companies. Corporate Ownership and Control, 13(1), pp.930-939. Laing, G.K. and Perrin, R.W., 2014. Deconstructing an accounting paradigm shift: AASB 116 non-current asset measurement models. International Journal of Critical Accounting, 6(5-6), pp.509-519. Macve, R., 2015. A Conceptual Framework for Financial Accounting and Reporting: Vision, Tool, Or Threat?. Routledge. Mayorga, D.M. and Sidhu, B.K., 2012. Corporate disclosures of the major sources of estimation uncertainties. Australian Accounting Review, 22(1), pp.25-39. Skrivan, J. and Drevinek, P., 2016. A case report of a cochlear implant infectionA reason to explant the device?. Cochlear Implants International, pp.1-4. Valuation, G., 2013. Advisory. East Midtown Rezoning District Improvement Bonus (DIB) Contribution Rate Market Study. Yao, D.F.T., Percy, M. and Hu, F., 2015. Fair value accounting for non-current assets and audit fees: evidence from Australian companies. Journal of Contemporary Accounting Economics, 11(1), pp.31-45.

Analyze the Lab Requirements Essays

Analyze the Lab Requirements Essays Analyze the Lab Requirements Essay Analyze the Lab Requirements Essay Objectives Following the lab you should be able to: Analyze the requirements that describe a simple application and use this information to design a set of classes that accurately reflect the requirements. Create a ML Class diagram. Create and document use cases to help analyze and design a simple application. 2. Prior to the laboratory Review the laboratory handout. Visit the links below: 1. Review the Unified Modeling Language (ML) Tutorial http:// pigsties. Keenness. Du/dauber/cassias/A/UML_tutorial/diagrams. HTML 2. Optional) Review A ML Introduction Tutorial Exaggerates. Co. UK/ TUMULI/index. HTML Take the lab pretest. 3. Topics Topic Analyzing system requirements Translating requirements into a system design Documenting the system design 4. Activities/Exercises 1 . Design a Student Registration System (class exercise). 2. Design a Resource Management System. Activity 1: Design a Student Registration System What ML? ML is primarily a graphical notation used to assist system analysis and express software design. The fundamental reason to use ML involves communication. ML allows a more precise specification of concepts than natural language, and it facilitates communication between domain experts, software architects, programmers, and testers. While ML as a whole is extensive, you can use Just parts of the language to effectively represent a simple design. For the purposes of this lab, we will apply use cases to help determine the system requirements, and then use two of the more commonly used ML diagrams, class diagrams and use cases diagrams, to express the design of our system. You have been asked to design a Student Registration System to replace the university legacy system. The system will allow students to register for courses and view grade reports. Each student has access to his or her course and grade information only and must be authenticated prior to viewing or updating the information. A course instructor will use the system to view the list of courses he or she is assigned for a given semester or has taught previously, view the list of students registered for the course(s) he or she is teaching, and record final grades for each student in the course(s). TA assignments will also be viewable through this system. Instructors must also be authenticated prior to viewing or updating any information. The Student Registration System will interface with a several other systems including a system that manages the course catalog and another system that supports financial aid and billing tasks. Follow the process documented below to design the Student Registration System. Analysis and Design Process 1 . Analyze the written requirements. A. Identify the nouns. Highlight or list the nouns your find in the requirements. B. Identify the verbs. Highlight or list the verbs you find in the requirements. 2. Draw he Class Diagram for the system. A. Draw the nouns as classes. B. Draw the verbs as associations/relationships between classes. C. Assign a multiplicity to each associations (I. E. , one-to-many, many-to-many, many-to-one) 3. Update the Class Diagram with class attributes. 4. Update the Class Diagram with class methods. 5. Analyze the written requirements. A. Identify the actors. List the humans or group(s) that interact with the system under design. Also list any systems that interact with the system under design. B. Identify the use cases. List the functionality or services provided. . Diagram the use cases. 7. Draw associations/relationships between use cases. 8. Document the use cases. For this exercise, document two use cases using the template provided on the worksheet. Activity 2: Design a Resource Management System System Requirements You have been asked to design a Resource Management System for a consulting firm. This system will be used to keep track of the time each employee spends working on a project. Assume an employee works on only one project at any given time. In the Resource Management System, each project is associated with one specific or more tasks. Each task requires a certain skill and is assigned to a specific resource. Each resource has one or more skills. Skills have multiple levels of expertise. An employee can be either a salaried employee or an hourly employee. Follow the process documented below to design the Resource Management System. Document your system design on your worksheet. 1. Analyze the written requirements. 5. Think About What challenges are associated with designing a software system? How do ML and a structured process help simplify system design? How might your design documentation be used by someone other than a programmer?

Workforce diversity management

Workforce diversity management Executive Summary Globalizing organizations encounter enormous challenges in the quest to manage the diversities of their work force. These diversities entail differences existing among people working in the organization with regard to parameters such as gender, race, community values, age, sexual affection, income levels, work experience, parental status, religious beliefs, ethnicity, religion, and physical abilities amongst others.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Workforce diversity management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apparently, this largely surfaces as the chief types of diversities that exist in the Google Company that serves as the case company in this paper. A review of current literature to show the importance of managing workforce diversity for today’s managers reveals that managing diversities of an organizations work force is a mandate that organizational managers cannot treat with minimal concern as it is of paramount importance, which include improvement of workforce productivity, improvement of workforce engagement and reducing instances staff absenteeism among others. In the analysis section, on the management strategies in place in Google company for managing workforce diversity, the papers finds workforce diversity management as resting on the need to avail networks, which are ideally open to all interested workforce members. Introduction In the present time, globalizing organizations avail immense benefits to the population in the regions where they establish in terms of promotion of HR policies that are innovative in nature. However, such a corporate encounters mega challenges in managing the workforce diversity in every region. For the purposes of discussions of this paper, the term diversity refer the myriads of differences existing among people working in an organization with regard to parameters such as gender, race, community values, age, sexual affection , income levels, work experience, parental status, religious beliefs, ethnicity, religion and physical abilities among others. As a repercussion and in the context of this paper, workforce diversity management encompasses â€Å"a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees† (Parvis 2003, p.37). Using Google as a case example of large nongovernmental organizations, the paper dedicates itself to review current literature to show the importance of managing workforce diversity for today’s managers.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It conducts an analysis of the types/kinds of workforce diversity that exist in the Google Company. It later sums up by analyzing the management strategies in place in the organization for managing workforce diversity. Importance of managing workforce As organizations diversify, th e approaches deployed to address workforce management issues are critical in influencing the performance of an organization in the competitive market place. Dessler (2004) reckons, â€Å"the importance of diversity management has been communicated by academics and professional alike, citing the many benefits of having a heterogeneous organization, as opposed to homogeneous organization† (p.43). A homogenous organization is a non-diversified organization while a heterogeneous is a diversified organization: it employs people of varying backgrounds in terms of race, age, physical abilities, and geographical regions among others. Cute management of workforce diversity has been acclaimed by many scholars as having the ability to improve workforce productivity, improvement of workforce engagement, foster staff absenteeism coupled with an increase of workforce turn over by about five folds (Dessler 2004, p.45). For the Google Company, workforce diversity management is critical in th e endeavor to increase the ability to address the various needs of more diverse Google customer base. Particularly, Google gains from the valid view points of its diverse workforce in effect that such a workforce provides increased problem solving capacities coupled with enhanced creativity levels- something that is critical for the success of the organization in the future unknown dynamic business environment. In this context, it is arguable that proper management of Google’s work force makes the organization gain immensely in the sense that the organization ends up establishing a central position in the competitive market.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Workforce diversity management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An increasing number of scholarly studies reveal that a direct correlation exists between employees, attendance, job performance, dedication and perception of being valuable resources of an or ganization. For instance, according to Pope â€Å"if management and team members fail to value women and minorities, company productivity will likely suffer as a consequence† (2004, p.63). This infers that mismanagement of workforce diversity translates to affecting an organization’s costs. In this context, organizations, which do not support diversity existing in their workplaces, are likely to plunge into expensive lawsuits and out of court settlements case largely contributed by poor management of various talent tools: for instance stereotypes propagation, discrimination and harassment among others. Additionally, such organizations are susceptible to costs linked to replacement of employees (Jayne Dipboye 2004, p.412). In case an organization is constituted by people of varying ethnicities coupled with higher proportions of women as compared to the general industry on average, an interrogative arise seeking audience on how reconciliation of differences among employ ees can be achieved without causing undue friction during every day interactions of the employees. In this context, managing workforce diversity becomes a crucial endeavor since otherwise the performance of an organization gets negatively impaired and hence its productivity and profitability (Pless Maak 2004, p.129: Alpert 1998, Para. 5). Development of plausible knowledge by today’s management professionals is indeed crucial since many of the issues encountered in the work environment prompting intolerance for the differences characterizing differing workers can only be solved by use of cute approaches of the work force diversity management. Most pressing stalemate issues pertaining to workforce diversity are more inclined on perspective of treatment of women (Ollapally Bhatnagar 2009, p.461). In this context, the concepts of workforce diversity management are vital for adoption by today’s organizational managers since race and gender constitute the major issues and the key drivers of approaches for managing diversity.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Where minority groups largely perceive themselves as being more oppressed or discriminated, it is apparent that they would consider taking steps that are unhealthy to the performance of an organization. This is perhaps widely probable based on the possession of intense awareness of the minority rights among such person coupled with the existence of stricter organizations codes of conducts and regulations predominantly formulated to govern behaviors within work places. This argument makes more sense especially by consideration of Pope (2004) argument that â€Å"it is in the interest of the management of any firm to sensitize their workforce towards race and gender issues and ensure that the workplace is free of discrimination against minority groups, as well as women† (p.64). From this dimension, managing workforce diversity has a chief contribution in aiding people working within Google Company to connect with one another in an attempt to further Google company goals, create changes within the corporate community, which are positive without negating promotion and strengthening the Google Company’s business partnerships. From a different dimension, Kersten (2000) argues, â€Å"the impetus for diversity programs begins with desirable social and political goals while strategic commitment needed to make it part of the company’s business strategy come only from the highest level of an organization† (p.236). Drawing from this argument it is conspicuous that management has a proactive role to play in ensuring that workforce diversity is managed to avoid conflicts of interest among the minority and majority groups of workers. An analysis of the types or kinds of workforce diversity that exist in Google Company The clients of Google Company are diverse in many aspects including gender, race or ethnicity, age, region and physical abilities among other differences. To address the needs of these diverse clients, Google Company indeed employs a diverse work force regionally, ethnically, based on gender and even on an age basis. In fact, according to Saxena et al (2012), Google Company â€Å"†¦represents 138, 000 queries every minute of every day in 90 different languages† (p.4). With this kind of immense capacity to handle internet traffic of queries every minute, it is plausible to argue out that Google is indeed the best world’s search engine. For Google then it implies that she has to employ an immense number of people coming from a variety of ethnic lines across the globe. The capacity to orient her diverse workforce to a common goal saw Google’s revenue escalate to 961.9 million dollars in 2003, a figure that has grown into multi-folds since then (Saxena et al 2012). This means that Google has acquired an immense competitive advantage in the operational environment in which it has managed to outdo companies like America on line (AOL), Amazon and eBay, which have been tightly competing with Go ogle Company for revenue. For Google Company, concepts of diversity do not lie on the traditional perception of what ideally constitutes the differences among the workers within organizations such differing religious and moral believes among others. Professional differences also accounts for the sphere of diversities at Google Company. However, this is not an immense challenge since the Google Company products take into accounts all the professional qualifications of her entire workforce. Precisely speaking Google Company (2012) endeavors â€Å"to spread the love of Science, technology, engineering and Math (STEM)† (Para.5). Technology and Science makes use of diverse professional abilities and technical knowhow. Therefore, just as Google Company’s employees are diverse in respect to differences such as gender, ethnic origins and age, professional diversity is equally relevance for inclusion in the realm of workforce diversity management approaches at Google. Company G oogle (2012) reckons, â€Å"Google is the home for countless communities of unique people. We offer hundreds of internal groups and clubs raging from runners at Google theatre lovers and game developers† (Para. 2). This evidences that Google perceives differing professional abilities of her employees as part of her workforce diversity at her disposal, which while well tapped and managed may lead to increased productivity and consequently to escalation of profitability of the organization. As argued before, diversity within any organization including Google Company is critical in terms of influencing an organization’s costs. The better its management, the better the organization becomes protected from unnecessary costs. This is a positive aspect of deployment of credible workforce diversity management. However, on a different dimension, embracing total consideration of every aspects of workforce diversity results to unnecessary costs and hence negative impact of workfor ce diversity management. As a way of example, it is quite crucial in some organizations for workers not to take partisan positions especially on matters involving making personal opinion or judgments of issues of national public interests that attracts heated debates as doing so may invoke violence among the target audience. Amid this prerequisite, in such a situation, integration of utmost concepts of workforce diversity means that the managers also consider diversities in such opinions. Giving room for people for instance working in media organization; considering the massive influence they have on the masses, to express their diversities opinions, may give loopholes for thriving of stereotyped society largely fueled by the promotion of unlimited workforce diversity within media houses. An analysis of the management strategies in place in the organization for managing workforce diversity Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google Company, is one of the companies classified as b eing most successful on start up right from it growth from a research being a project to a search engine that has revolution the world. Google is guided by the organizational slogan: ‘never judge a search engine by its interface. What this slogan means is that amid the simplicity of its interface, intrinsically within it, there rests the most sophisticated technological infrastructures of the world. Diverse people across the globe run and develop these infrastructures. The value of this diversity is indeed highly appreciated by the company’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, who posits, â€Å"at Google, we do not just accept differences-we thrive on it. We celebrate it. And we support it, for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community† (Saxena et al 2012, p.13). The diversity referred in here is the workforce differences in term of gender, religious beliefs subscriptions, cultural beliefs and ethic differences among the Google workers coupled with other differ ences that define particular segregated groups of Google workers from the wider total work force. Google deploys numerous strategies to cope with the workforce diversities. Google (2012) informs, â€Å"Google offer hundreds of internal groups and clubs raging from runners at Google theatre lovers and game developers† (Para. 2). Many of these Groups and clubs are principally developed to facilitate and support ardently the Google’s diversity initiatives both within Google Company and within her communities. In this end, the key management strategies at Google to enhance workforce management rest on the establishments of workers diversity management approaches inspired by network organizations. Moore (1999) reckon that people who â€Å"are different from each other in terms of their gender, physical ability, socioeconomic background and so on, are more likely to have at least some stereotypes about each other, and it is these stereotypical attitudes and view that many d iversity training programs aim to address† (p. 208). Consistent with this light, at Google the main strategy for managing workforce diversity rest on the need to avail networks which are ideally open to all interested workforce members. Through the networks, employees take part in activities such as professional development, mentoring, community service and even education outreach among other activities that the company deems essential in fostering tolerance of differences existing among her workforce. This strategy is widely conforming to Anand (2004) insight that â€Å"effectively integrating diversity requires education, training and communication† (p.307). Communication across the networks is enhanced by the fact that while such networks are available across the world, the members normally comes together during annual general summit on leadership. Arguably holding such a summit goes far in breaching the regional differences among Google Company workers as the member s are given subtle platforms to express their concerns ardently. Communication across all the global networks in Google Company is in fact essential since as Parvis (2003) argues, â€Å"communication plays an important role in the diverse workforce environment† (p.37). Without communication is impossible for articulation of the various differences existing among organizational workers with the business missions and goals. The various networks groups that Google deploys to spread the concerns of the need to promote workforce diversities are formed on the basis of diversifies such as gender, race and or professionalism diversities among others. With reference to Google (2012), such networks include- Asian Google Network (AGN), which was formed in 2007 essentially to â€Å"support employee retention and career advancement, educate Google employees concerning Asian American culture and perform community outreach† (Para. 3). Others include GWE (Google Women Engineers), BGN (Black Googler Network) HGN (Hispanic Googler Network), AAGN (Asian American Google Network), Google Capability Council and GAIN (Google American Indian Network). The focus of these networks in promoting workforce diversities is perhaps brought out more conspicuously by consideration of the concerns of each of the network. For instance, according to Google (2012), BGN (Black Googler Network is indebted to â€Å"attract, recruit, retain and develop Black talent at Google† (Para. 10). Since when it was established, BGN has actively supported diversity at Google and within the communities in which Google conducts her business. Conclusion The paper has argued that the workforce within an organization is diverse in many respects. The term diversity has been used to refer to myriads of differences existing among people working in an organization with regard to parameters such as gender, race, community values, age, sexual affection, income levels, work experience, parental status, religious beliefs, ethnicity, religion and physical abilities among others. In the example case of a large organization that is privately owned, the paper has used Google Company in the analysis section of the kinds or types of workforce diversities in it: gender and ethnicity. Google Company management strategies to deal with workforce diversities consequently have been confirmed as being established to address and promote the tolerance of the differences in the Google workforce inspired by these two types of diversities. Recommendations The paper recommends that organizations deserves to understand the benefits of adopting multicultural environment that is tolerant to workforce diversities. By doing this, organizations would gain immensely in form increase in the productivity of the diverse workforce and hence boosting the profitability of the organization in question. In this end, the paper proposes that ‘buy-in’ of the entire organization is one of the plausible way s of ensuring the existence of a multicultural organization. This calls for all management staff, right from top to down, to understand the relevance of workforce diversity from moral perspectives and business perspectives. The paper goes on to recommend that in order to achieve this, the organizations essentially deserve to alter their values to orient them to commitment for promotion of workforce diversity within the work environment as evidenced by the case for Google Company. References Alpert, T 1998, Gaining Competitive Advantage: The Case for Diversity. Web. Anand, R 2004, ‘Make diversity part of the business plan’, Restaurants Institutions, vol. 114 no. 22, pp. 307-311. Dessler, G 2004, Management principles and practices for tomorrow’s leaders, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. Google 2012, Diversity in Our Workforce, https://diversity.google/. Jayne, A Dipboye, L 2004, ‘Leveraging Diversity to Improve Business Performance: Research Findings Re commendations For Organizations’, Human Resource Management, vol. 43 no. 4, pp. 409-424. Kersten, A 2000, ‘Diversity management dialogue, dialectics and diversion’, Journal of organizational change management, vol. 13 no. 3, pp. 235-48. Moore, S 1999, ‘Understanding and managing diversity among groups at work: key issues for organizational training and development’, Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 2 no. 3, pp. 208-217. Ollapally, A Bhatnagar, J 2009, ‘The Holistic Approach to Diversity Management: HR Implications’, The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 44 no. 3, pp. 454-472. Parvis, L 2003, ‘Diversity and effective leadership in multicultural workplaces’, Journal of Environmental Health, vol. 65 no. 4, pp. 37-38. Pless, M Maak, T 2004, ‘Building an Inclusive Diversity Culture: Principles, Process, and Practice’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 54 no. 2, pp.129-147. Pope, A 2004, †˜Diversity is the key in strategic planning’, American Water Works Association Journal, vol. 96 no. 7, pp. 63-64. Saxena, et al 2012, Case Study on Google. https://scribd.com/presentation/19583272/Google-Case-Study.

MANAGERIAL TRAITS AND SKILLS Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MANAGERIAL TRAITS AND SKILLS - Case Study Example The basic assumption in the trait theory is that certain characteristic that have been utilised over time by leaders to be effective can be identified, and such traits underline the behaviors of leaders, making them effective. Evidence from several studies have identified a master list of such traits and positively correlated them to effective leadership. The trait theory suffers from drawbacks in that such traits are not universally found in all leaders, and leaders that have possess some of the traits in the master list were not effective. Furthermore, the trait theory does not support variance seen in leadership based on the dynamics of characteristics, activities and goals of the followers (Van Wart, 2011). In spite of these drawbacks it is my opinion that trait theories do provide significant insight into leadership or the personal nature of leadership. From the trait theory it is possible to understand that leadership involves having vision, contagious enthusiasm, self-confiden ce, ability to enable others, and making things happen. It is the conjunction of these characteristics along with other factors that contributes to leadership. It is the people skills and not the position held that make for leadership.

Wellness Tourism - Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wellness Tourism - Australia - Essay Example Some of wellness tourists are focused on health recreation, some of them are more focused on their appearance and others want to restore harmony and spiritual balance. Thus, tourism sectors are well-developed and Australian government creates perfect opportunities for turning tourism into an international strong competitive industry. Further on, it is relevant to underline that Australian government works hardly at international development of tourism in their country. The area of tourism is rather young and wellness tourism providers require essential investments from government. A major part of wellness tourism areas is developing in regional communities. The major preference of Australian wellness tourism is providing wellness services at lower price than in the United States and some parts of Asia. In order to define a popularity of wellness tourism in Australia, it is relevant to discuss a background on which this are is being developed. Wellness tourism: definition In spite of the fact, that wellness tourism is very popular in Australia, there are still ambiguities in its definition. Wellness and medical tourism are usually perceived as one common area. Moreover, even more complexities occur when wellness tourism is named as health tourism (Douglas, 2001; Hall, 2003) health care or holistic tourism (Smith, 2003). Different concepts can be named by these, at the first glance, interchangeable terms. In such a way, some researchers refer to a general ‘health tourism’ and don’t pay any special attention to variety of demand and supply in this sphere. It is relevant to make a distinction between wellness and health tourism on the basis of differentiation between ‘cure’ or ‘illness’ concepts and the ‘wellness’ (Voigt, 2008). Consequently, wellness tourism may be considered to be a sub-type of health tourism. Thus, some researchers claim that health tourists clearly differentiate between their orientatio n to illness or wellness. Tourists focused on illness treatment are more concerned about medical treatment and tourists who are interested in health and well-being pay much attention to wellness. In other words, wellness tourists think that they are healthy and health tourists want to be healthier after their ‘healthy’ vacation. As far as we can see, the boundary between health and wellness tourism is rather vague. Health tourists are focused on medical treatment and not on tourism, while wellness tourists are more considered about tourism and entertainment. Where concept ‘wellness tourism’ does come from? What, actually, does concept ‘wellness’ mean? In accordance with Voigt (2008) concept ‘wellness’ lacks scientific background. Voigt (2008) defines six basic principles of wellness definition. From the first perspective, wellness is a health of positive nature; this approach is more concern the issue ‘how to remain healthyâ €™ and not ‘how to get treatment against a certain illness or disease’ (Voigt, 2008). The second perspective considers wellness as ‘a multi-dimensional, holistic construct’, where ‘health’ integrates health mind, body and spirit. From the third perspective, wellness is an internal balance and harmony of any individual. The fourth paradigm of wellness implies ‘triggering of human potential’ (Voigt, 2008). The fifth perspective underlines that wellness is rather subjective concept and depends only on individual’s perceptions. Finally, the sixth perspective considers wellness as a goal to reach selfactualisation. Australian wellness tourism has successfully combined all these six principles and in such a way, it satisfies the needs of different wellness tourists. Australian welln

You Are What You Eat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

You Are What You Eat - Essay Example It is no longer dominated by small, carefully-run family farms producing some wheat, corn, dairy and perhaps eggs and poultry fed and being raised in a free-running farm area., but rather, it is dominated and run by huge multinational food processing companies whose aim is to make more profit and compete for a global position in terms of the best companies. These companies forget that they are dealing with nourishment products for the health of millions of Americans and therefore be more cautious and humane in the food they produce and even how they produce and package it.In their greediness to expand their business, these food companies engage in lying behaviors and techniques since they are aware that majority of the people are ignorant when buying food from supermarkets and others have no clue of the nutritional content and simply trust the company or the product in the supermarket. The lies are therefore numerous and they often start here during production and even transportation and preservation. If you look at a tomato, you may think of a green ripened vegetable that is going to nourish your body and you may feel pretty optimistic purchasing this item to eat or sharing it with your family. In actuality, that is more like a concept of a tomato. By this I mean this tomato may have been picked days earlier in another country by migrant farmers- before it was ripe. Then ripped by ethylene gas, shipped off in a semi-truck soaked with more toxic chemicals and now sits under fluorescent lights.

Analysing The Virtue Of Patience Philosophy Essay

Analysing The Virtue Of Patience Philosophy Essay In today s fast paced world, where things happen with click of a button, we are growing inpatient. Gone are the days when people were patient enough to wait for days for the computer to produce the results, today we expect things to happen at speed of thought. We want success, money, happiness instantly without waiting, but alas! Ask any successful person and you will know the virtue of patience. Ancient wisdom like Bhagwat Gita has recognized importance of patience through quotes like Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self. If we examine our self as a part of nature we will realize that even nature creates change very slowly and is extremely patient. Ralph Waldo Emerson perhaps said it best in one simple line:Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience and that patience can improve life and bring it closer to perfection if you understand nature and work with it patiently. Nature exhibits patience in various forms. For example: considering the growth of seeds into trees- when we plant a seed and water it, it slowly turns into a flower and then into a fruit. The seed had to be planted, watered, and then be given time to grow into what it is meant to be. Without prior efforts and in absence of planting or watering or the nurturing the seed would not have sprung above the surface. It could not develop into its current form without all that patience, time and efforts. In order to be able to achieve success or any goals we set we have to practice patience. Patience is different from waiting. instead we have to do the work first, lay the foundation, plant the seed, make sure the soil is right prepare get ready and then wait for all the elements to come into place before making the right decision that will drive us to greater success. Conceptual Framework Definition: word web defines patience as Good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence . Other sources like Webster define patience as patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast. From the above definitions we can deduce that patience is a state of persevering in case things take time or get delayed without negatively reacting or becoming sad or feeling provocated, or exhibiting patience when faced with difficulties which take a long time. Scope: This study focuses on importance of patience on individual and group behavior and performance. Importance of patience will be studied in two dimensions, first is the patience of waiting for a certain time period to end. This is perhaps what we normally mean when we use the term patience. Second, it is keeping one s mind free of distractions. It is perhaps only important when one is trying using one s mind on an important task that does not compel one s emotions. Methodology: Individuals will be interviewed independently to access the implication of the patience in day to day life and performance professional life. Implications of patience on group performance would be projected based on the study and observations in general. Five people will be separately interviewed with diverse profiles across age and profession. They include 3 students, one housewife and a bank officer. The reason for choosing people with different profile is to find out whether patience is a quality consistent across profession or does it vary across gender or work environment. Review of Literature: Patience: A Little Book of Inner Strength (Eknath Easwaran): the excerpts of the book giving its epitome are now quoted below- Patience is the ornament of the brave, Easwaran s wise grandmother used to say. In relationships, patience is the mark of love. An experienced spiritual teacher who combines humor with practicality, Easwaran gives powerful insights and sometimes surprising advice for developing patience at home and at work. Stories offer quiet interludes throughout this little book. Anecdotes about animals, sports stars, and happy family outings make these short, varied readings as entertaining as they are instructive. Gentle reminiscences of India, tales from Easwaran s Hindu heritage, and inspiration from Gandhi and the world s saints lift our spirits and give us courage. Just keep trying, Easwaran says, and you ll find there s no end to your patience no end to the wisdom, love, and compassion in your heart. Economist Magazine http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9898270: This article elaborates- Studies conducted to correlate subtle human traits such as patience and fairness with that to closest evolutionary relatives of human, apes such as chimpanzee. The article mentions that the essence of patience is the ability to delay the gratification of an appetite in favor of a greater ultimate reward. Past tests of the degree to which animals other than people can delay their gratification have focused on birds and monkeys. Both groups can delay gratification if a bigger reward is on offer, but only for a few seconds. Human, All Too Human: in this paper, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued that -Being able to wait is so hard that the greatest poets did not disdain to make the inability to wait the theme of their poetry. He notes that Passion will not wait, and gives the example of cases of duels, in which the advising friends have to determine whether the parties involved might be able to wait a while longer. If they cannot, then a duel is reasonable [because]to wait would be to continue suffering the horrible torture of offended honor. Patience and Religion: Source: Wikipedia.org: Patience is one of most important virtue as recognized by most of the important religions. o Judaism: Patience and fortitude are prominent themes in Judaism. The Talmud extols patience as an important personal trait. o Christianity: In the Christian religion, patience is considered as a very valuable virtue that it propagates people to imbibe. Increasing patience is viewed as the work of the Holy Ghost in the Christianity. This holy God who has accepted the gift of salvation. Patience is also regarded as one of the seven virtues in Christianity which are- -alongside chastity, -temperance, -charity, -diligence, -kindness, and -humility o Islam: Patience in Islam is one of the best and most valuable virtues of life. Through patience, a Muslim believes that an individual can grow closer to Allah and thus attain true peace. o Eastern Religion: In Buddhism, patience (Skt.: kshanti; Pali: khanti) is one of the perfections that a bodhisattva trains in and practices to realize perfect enlightenment also known as Bodhi. Patience is also praised in Hinduism, particularly in the Bhagavad Gita. In both Hinduism and Buddhism there is a particular emphasis on meditation which leads to patience, and an effective and well-organized thought. Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective: This book is written by Dalai Lama. In this book he has attempted to address the issue of anger. He argues that the issue of anger can be remedied through patience. He has suggested some meditation practices even for novice people. The book seems to be hard to follow if one is not much familiar with Buddhist scripture. Empirical Study and Generalization: Data Collection method employed: Interview. To study the implication of patience on individuals, I carried interview of individuals with different social and professional background. The interview consisted set of 10 questions and the answers were first recorded and then analysed to take cues and then finding the similarities and dissimilarities across the answers of the interviewees. The 10 questions used for this study are given below- Q1. Do you get fidgety if things that you want do not happen or take a lot of time to happen? Q2. Why do you behave the way you do? Q3. Are you patient in every situation alike or does your behavior depends on some factors? Q4. Do you think being patient helps? Q5. Whenever you are patient is it because you feel it will help make things right i.e. had you known that situation is surely going to worsen and you can t help in a situation will you still try to be patient? Q6. Did you develop patience over the course of your life because of certain incidents/ experiences or have you always been patient Q7. How do you react if someone is being impatient or restless in front of you? Q8. What is your impact on others when they behave impatiently, do you find success in convincing them about not being impatient? Q9. Do you take any efforts to be more patient (like meditating, yoga etc?) Q10. When are you normally more impatient? When anticipating good things or when you feel bad things may happen Findings of study and Generalization Interviewee A: This person appears to be impatient; she understands the importance of patience and is ready to help others if they are impatient. She lacks the motivation to be patient but would like to earn techniques like yoga to get self control. She would need to learn meditation, self motivation to act patient in good and bad situation. Interviewee B: This person appears more patient than the others. He has developed his patience over the course of life. He is firm believer in god and has learned to accept which are beyond control. He values personal relationships over materialism and hence whatever impatience he experiences is only confined to personal matters which are close to his heart. Interviewee C: She practices yoga to gain self control. She has developed patience after shouldering the responsibility of younger siblings. She appears to accept good thing and do not show over enthusiasm. She needs to learn to help other impatient people. She knows her level of patience and has clear goals and targets. Interviewee D: She being housewife has more care about family. She has accepted her role as homemaker and believes in letting others take the decision; this acceptance has made her more patient in non family matters. Interviewee E: She gets impatient if her activities make trouble to others. She has followed mentor approach for encouragement. She shows acceptance for the things beyond control and tries to be aloof from them. Generalizations- Above analysis shows that people show various degree of patience. Their profession, experience, age and family has considerable impact on how they learn to accept the thing and get along with the problems. There is awareness about the techniques to develop patience in all the age groups but people normally don t follow them as they don t get time or are unable to manage their time for it. Personal problems have more impact on the level of patience and this trait appears to be common among respondents. Similarly Bad incidents have more impact on patience than good .Mostly there is a willingness to help others in case of trouble. I also deduced that normally patience is a trait that can be acquired and developed over the course of time. People find motivation to become patience on seeing the negative repercussions of being impatient that they experienced in their past or saw people experience in their past. They also find motivation by looking at the positive effects that patience as a virtue brings along. It was also seen that patient people are better at convincing others or making them feel calmer as compared to impatient people. Lastly a surprising finding was that people normally behave patiently because they feel it will help them achieve their immediate goals and not because it is a part of their intricate nature. i.e the desire to be patient is more driven by its perceived benefits than by the fact that it is a established virtue. Implication of Group Work: Patience is one of the one of the most important virtue to possess. Patience can have positive impact on individual and hence group performance. Being haste to get results hampers the ability of an individual to consider all the possible option for solution of a problem. It often leads to suboptimum choice and hence failure. Being patient does not means more time, but it s an emotional state wherein individual is not concerned about the quick output at cost of quality or effectiveness. Patience is the ability to perceive hard enough till desired output is obtained. All the major scientific breakthroughs had lot of hard work and patience behind it. Patience plays major role in negotiations, which demands a win-win situation for the negotiating parties. Individuals need to develop patience by assessing their current level of patience. One needs to set the goals and work hard enough to achieve them. Impatient people are often o Dissatisfied o Withdraw prematurely in jobs, relationships etc o Feel overwhelmed by the goals and lose motivation When one grows patient stress is reduced and one enjoys the process of accomplishments without getting overwhelmed by the time. It makes individual to relax and develop healthy lifestyle and achieve effectively. Individuals when work in group, the leader need to be patient and motivate the others to be patient in achieving group objectives. Impatient leader cause hasty actions by group which often is destructive and may cause delay or disorientation from group objectives. Patience is thus one of the most valuable qualities to possess for betterment of an individual and society. Contribution to OB Patience leads to a stable mind which is better at concentrating, and hence indirectly patience is related to a positive work performance. Its impact on job performance and hence satisfaction makes it a very important topic of study from the point of view of organizational behaviour. From this study, I have established that even impatient people perceive the value of being patient and that patience can be inculcated by various means like meditating, practicing yoga or by following positive reinforcement for people who are already patient. This study is a contribution to OB as it forms a base which can be further built upon by conducting further research on effectiveness of the techniques to establish patience and how to maximize the gains or benefits that one derives out of being patient in a organization. Conclusion: Time is subjective. When one is one is enjoying the time flies. In suffering time seems forever and leads to impatience and grief. Patience makes one to learn acceptance and overcome the grief. Being patient can have positive results in ones professional, personal and spiritual life. Patience can be learnt through religious techniques such as meditation. Patience is in nature, look around in nature and observe how life takes form. And hence why should we be unnatural by following impatience when we can instead be patient and experience all the benefits associated with it.

Historical, Sociological, and Philosophical Elements of Heart of Darkne

Historical, Sociological, and Philosophical Elements of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An awareness of the historical, sociological, and philosophical climate prevalent during the time in which Heart of Darkness was written plays a key role in understanding the significance of Conrad's complex work. Joseph Conrad began work on Heart of Darkness in 1898 and completed it the following year in 1899. During this time the impressionist movement was in full swing, European colonization was at its peak, racial tensions were rapidly increasing, and man was confronted with the fall of the traditional view that held man as the eminent ruler the world. Each of these issues significantly influenced Joseph Conrad's writing of the novel as well as its collective meaning for all mankind.    A look at Conrad's writing style will allow us to infer his possible intent upon writing Heart of Darkness and therefore how the reader should approach it. Conrad's writing style is centered upon the literary sense of impressionism. Literary impressionism is characterized by the use of details and mental associations to evoke subjective and sensory impressions rather than the re-creation of objective reality ("impressionism"). Conrad is trying to communicate to the readers in a way that transcends the written word. The intent here is not to abstract orderly ideas about experience, rather they try to re-create and communicate the rich complexities of experience itself, with all its darkness, messiness, and ambiguity intact (Dintenfass). Some critics have argued that Conrad presents so much detail and chaos in his works that it becomes too much for him to analyze. Conrad responded to this attack in a letter directed toward critic Richard Curle:    .. ...enfass, Mark. "Heart of Darkness: A Lawrence University Freshman Studies Lecture." 14 Mar. 1996. *http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~csicseri/dintenfass.htm* (2 Feb. 2000). Guerard, Albert J. Conrad the Novelist. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard U. Press, 1958. Hayes, Dorsha. "Heart of Darkness: An Aspect of the Shadow," Spring (1956): 43-47.. Hillman, James. "Notes on White Supremacy: Essaying an Archetypal Account of Historical Events," Spring (1986): 29-57. Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York: Page, 1966. McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol & Gey, 1992. Mellard, James. "Myth and Archetype in Heart of Darkness," Tennessee Studies in Literature 13 (1968): 1-15. Yatzeck: Marlow's Lie - http://cwis.lawrence.edu/www 4. french in Africa - www.sas.upenn edu/ AF._Studies

Atlanta Race Riot

Taylor Schultz History 1100 Dr. Howard November 15, 2010 Influences of the Atlanta Race Riot â€Å"A city lay in travail, God our Lord, and from her loins sprang twin Murder and Black Hate. Red was the midnight; clang, crack and cry of death and fury filled the air and trembled underneath the stars when church spires pointed silently to Thee. And all this was to sate the greed of greedy men who hide behind the veil of vengeance† (Primary Source 20, line 20). The Atlanta Race Riot occurred in 1906 in Atlanta, Georgia. Many innocent African Americans were murdered by hostile mobs of white men.Racism and hatred towards African Americans had been around long before the Atlanta Race Riot, but previously built tensions of jealousy, hostilities, abuse of blacks and whites eventually lead to this event. Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Dubois, and many other African American and white leaders tried to gain respect from whites for the black community and earn equality, but the majority o f whites were not willing to cooperate. The main influences of the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 were poor whites and the â€Å"sexual assaults† they accused blacks of, politics, and media releases.After slavery had ended, and African Americans were free, whites still felt that they held a power over the blacks. So, when African Americans were becoming more successful, by owning their own pharmacies, grocery stores, and businesses the poor and middle class whites were not thrilled. These white classes were angry, because blacks were accomplishing more and making better wages then they were. The poor whites were so furious that they started creating mobs against all African Americans accusing them of wrong doings that many had no part in. The men composing the mobs, which created the disorder were principally of the hoodlum class† (Primary Source 13, page 7). Anytime a white man even heard of an African American touching a white woman, mobs would immediately form and attack, often killing a black man who looked remotely close to what the victim described him as. In 1906, the Savannah Morning News reported â€Å"there were four attempted assaults on white women by negroes in and around Atlanta today, and these and the publication of them in extras led to the gathering of the mob which killed ten or fifteen Negroes in the city tonight† (Primary Source 11, page 1).African Americans were not given the chance to go to court for any of the trials and were killed without proper identification by the court. It was getting to the point where blacks could not even walk outside their homes at night without being hunted by the white mobs; â€Å"attack spread rapidly and within a few moments the appearance of a Negro was the signal for a riot. The Negroes scattered from the streets, going to their homes by back alleys, or flocked to Decatur Street, the home of the tougher element† (Primary Source 12, page 2).All of these lynchings and outburst of rage from the poor whites over â€Å"sexual assaults† from black men towards white women were not fair towards the blacks. It was a way of whites getting back at blacks because of their own personal issues of jealousy, hostility, and personal self-assurance that they were better. After a long fight to gain freedom, African Americans wanted political equality. Many black philosophers and educators had their own views on how political equality should be met. Booker T. Washington was a black man who had been born into slavery and had gained his independence.He was a highly successful man who attended an Agricultural Institute. He founded the Tuskegee Institute, providing technical education for African Americans. Washington believed that blacks needed to work hard to show whites that they had value, so that eventually whites would realize this and accept black equality. â€Å"Washington was willing to accept social, residential, commercial, and educational subordination†(Seco ndary Source 1, page 46). On the other hand, W. E. B. Dubois was another successful black man whose views differed from Booker T.Washington. Dubois grew up in a largely white community, earned a PhD at Harvard, and believed that equality should be pushed for and gained as soon as possible. African Americans sided with both views from Washington and Dubois and had faith and believed that no matter which strategy worked it would eventually lead them to gaining equality. But, most elite whites wanted no part of it. Once white elites had heard speeches from both these leaders and knew what a good majority of blacks wanted, they came up with scandals to get African American’s votes.Many Democratic and Republican parties promised African Americans that if they gave their vote to them, they would stop lynching and crime rates would go down. â€Å"The party in which gave them the ballot had really no means of protecting them in the enjoyment of it† (Primary Source 8, page. 291 ). Laws like the Klu Klux Klan Act and The Compromise of 1850 were put in place during voting times to stop prejudice and violence, but once votes were gained, acts were dropped, giving none of the protection to African Americans that they had been promised. The whites, on their side, rather helped this plan by the savage means to which they resorted on those States in which the Negros were in majority, to overturn or prevent Negro rule† (Primary Source 8, page. 291). The Media attention that was brought up during the times of the Atlanta race Riot became a large influence on the whites and their bias opinions towards blacks. For the most part, the media sided with the whites, and encouraged the white people to start uproars with their black neighbors.The media loved all the press that they were able to release at this time in 1906, because they knew it would get a lot of attention, and people would believe everything they were posting. When the Riots were at their highest, Ma yor Woodward wrote, â€Å"I am thankful for all the papers that did not join in the business of getting out extras Saturday night. Many of the reports that were published were not only fuel to the fire, but entirely false† (Primary Source 5, page. 1).This statement shows that the media approved violence and did not mind the killing of innocent people, because it gave them something to broadcast about. When these mobs saw that they were getting press from the media, they started to consider themselves famous â€Å"protectors of the people†. â€Å"Flaring headlines in the special editions of the afternoon papers wrought the populace to a high pitch of excitement† (Primary source 13, page 2). Even though the media had no proof of reporting rapes or crimes that black men had done they would still write about them.Eventually, it got to the point where African Americans were getting fed up, and even announcing to places like the New York World saying, â€Å"There has been no carnival rapes in and around Atlanta. There has been a frightful carnival of newspaper lies† (Secondary Source 2, page 153). The white mobs already had so many racist views on blacks without the media leaking in, so when the media did decide to write alleged reports accusing the blacks falsely, it swept up the intensity and encouraged whites to be more violent then they ad ever been before. The Atlanta Race Riot caused many unnecessary deaths, and lead to more hostilities between blacks and whites then there had ever been. Although many events caused the Race Riot, the main ones were: the bad judgments poor whites held against blacks, and their horrendous approaches at getting back at them, the disagreement on political views from whites and blacks, and the media that influenced and encouraged whites to rebel against blacks and cause violence instead of trying for equality.Leaders and protectors stood by and watched deaths occur, and nobody tried to make any changes u ntil after the Riot took place. If whites and blacks had come together and taken away prejudice views and hatred towards each other, they could have accomplished more things and many innocent people could have lived.

Computer Analysis Lab 2 Essay

Computer Analysis Lab 2 Essay Computer Analysis Lab 2 Essay Janel Paffie TB143 Unit 2 1. Computer Analysis Hard Drive Capacity RAM Processor Speed Special Features Price HP Pavilion Desktop AMD A8 Series 2000GB 8GB 2.0Ghz Built-in Wireless network $499.99 Dell Inspiron Desktop-Intel Core i3 1000GB 8GB 3.6Ghz Built-in Wireless network; Bluetooth; HDMI output $479.99 HP-15.6† Touch-Screen Laptop Intel Core i3 750GB 6GB 1.9Ghz Touchscreen; HDMI output $399.99 Toshiba-Satellite 15.6† Laptop Intel Celeron 500GB 4GB 2.58Ghz Bluetooth; HDMI output $229.99 2. Profession and Computers Movie Maker: This profession requires a computer capable of handling a memory-busting workload. Fast, sufficient memory, and the latest graphics and audio cards are necessary to support the real-time media work. In order to run software needed at a reasonable level, make sure to have a large enough hard drive (over 160GB), plenty of RAM (more than 4GB), and a quality sound card. Professional Gamer: Desktops are the best bet for gaming. Fast processors and video cards consume tons of power and produce tons of heat, which is handled better by a desktop. A quad-core processor is recommended due to the rise of modern games making use of additional cores. For smooth graphics and a more immersive experience you will want a fast video card. The processor and video card are of equal importance. Majority of games will run on 4GB of RAM, but 8GB is recommended. To help with load times, a solid-state drive with over 200GB of storage is advised. Digital

Inspirational Quotes About Uniqueness

Inspirational Quotes About Uniqueness Since childhood, we have heard that each of us is unique. Yet, in the humdrum of life, as we walk along with millions of others on the eternal quest for success, what really makes us stand out? Can you put your finger on your unique feature? Here are some uniqueness quotes. Perhaps these uniqueness quotes will help you in your quest to find your zing. Michael SchenkerI believe that every person has uniqueness something that nobody else has. Robert H. SchullerAs we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others. Eric HofferIt is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities and talents. Hilary DuffMom always tells me to celebrate everyones uniqueness. I like the way that sounds. James BroughtonTrusting your individual uniqueness challenges you to lay yourself open. Dr. SeussToday you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. Henri MatisseIt has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else. Walt DisneyThe more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. Eileen CaddyA human being is a single being. Unique and unrepeatable. Coco ChanelIn order to be irreplaceable one must always be different. William JamesHe who refuses t o embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed. D.M. DellingerYou are unrepeatable. There is a magic about you that is all your own. Jane GentryDare to be remarkable. John MasonYou were born to be an original. Don’t die a copy. Vicky WallYou are the colors you choose.

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

Strategic Management Theories - Essay Example Strategic management theorists have over the years developed various tools to help managers in formulating strategies for organisational success. These include the SWOT analysis, Ansoffs matrix, PESTLE, and Porters five forces among others. These tools assess the threats and opportunities as well as the strengths and weaknesses for the firm and enable it to capitalise on them. The Porters five forces and the generic strategies have been widely used by companies to assess the attractiveness of the industry and their competitive position hence are able to formulate strategies to gain competitive advantage in the industry. The five forces include: competitor rivalry, threat of close substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, and threat of new entrants. The five forces will be used in this paper to assess the competitive position of the UK fire service and the strategies employed by the company. Rivalry in the industry is more apparent where are there are exi sting businesses and threat of entry and exit is high. Firms compete on price, new products, technology, advertisements and on customer service. According to Porter (1998) rivalry results from slow growth within the industry, high fixed costs, lack of differentiation, diverse competitors, and equally balance companies among others. Intense rivalry has a great impact on price and profitability of the firm especially if there are close substitute products in the industry. The UK fire service is a parastatal which operates under separate legislation and administrative arrangements of devolved governments of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) is funded and governed by the fire authority. There are various fire brigades in each country under local authorities but in North Ireland, there is only one statutory corporation funded by department of health, social services and public safety (UK Fire Service, 2012). As such, there are no strong com petitors in the fire industry since most services are offered for free by the government. However, there are competitors such as DDA fire ltd which is the largest private fire service in UK offering specialist fire and safety, high profile health and safety consultancy and sales services to private sector (DDA, 2012). Some of the FRS in UK include: fire fire and rescue services in Scotland, Strathclyde with 111 fire stations strategically placed in Scotland, NIFRS in N.Ireland with 68 stations and the London FRS under the fire authority. There is no intense rivalry in the industry hence it is attractive for investment. Another force as portrayed by porter is the bargaining power of suppliers in the industry which has an effect on prices and quality of products. According to Porter (1998) a high bargaining power is achieved when there are few companies or suppliers in the industry. It also occurs when there are no close substitutes such that even if the suppliers offered high prices, the industry would still take it since there is no option. If the product is essential in the industry, the suppliers may also have power over it. The suppliers can also threaten to integrate forward hence becoming a threat to the industry. However, De Wit and Meyer (2010) argue that forming the right strategy can alter the power of

Annotated bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Annotated Bibliography Example Special representation needed the presentation of specific goal domain, and complex styles of drawing existed at the commencement of the problems than at later times. Findings from this study are essential as they show how artists can traverse between 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional imagined works necessitating the representation of various spatial coordinates systems, strategic application of drawing styles to help in inferring 3 dimensions dynamic actions. The researchers demonstrate how artists with some form of disability can employ semiotic modalities and various activity goals to infer motion and space. These results are essential to research on tools and knowledge needed to infer motion and space from visual displays, and have implications for artists with disabilities. This paper presents the technological solutions obtainable for enhancing the accessibility of learning materials for individuals with incapacities. The research importantly highlights the design features that computer-based assessments have that can help disabled children. The researchers posit that today’s technologies like assistive devices have emerging strategies that make learning more flexible even for disabled students. Additionally, the research describes developments in the ambient intelligence field that may be essential in educational environments. The research findings are important as they elucidate how individuals with a disability in motor skills can benefit through technological advancements. The findings imply that technologies provide tools that can lead to increased learning capabilities for children without fine motor capabilities. Further, this research implies that children without fine motor capabilities can still venture into graphic design given that they receive sufficient training and essential technological tools. Singh and his colleague explore the percent of children with intellectual

National Security Strategy Bill Clinton vs. George Bush Essay

National Security Strategy Bill Clinton vs. George Bush - Essay Example In contrast, President Bush provides the policy of national power maximization and international cooperation against terrorism as a major threat of contemporary world order and peace. His national policy reflects the events and the threats America now faces (terrorism). In general, Bush's policy is more radical in comparison with American foreign policy tradition. In contrast to Clinton, Bush supports pre-emptive military action against hostile states and terrorist groups seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction. As well as Clinton, Bush calls for engagement, but in the way of cooperation especially marked that the USA "will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary" (2002) to defend national interests and security. The major difference is that Bush reject the single-minded approach, adopted by Clinton, of multilateralism for its own sake. The similarity of both strategies is that they calls for spreading democracy and human rights in other countries, but Bush underlined that this is especially important for Muslim countries today. Both of them are aimed to protect American nation creating strong foreign security policy, but Clinton and Bush employ different doctrines to support their foreign policies. Also, the similarity is that Clinton and Bush view U.S.

Nowadays, Food Has Become Easier to Prepare Essay Example for Free

Nowadays, Food Has Become Easier to Prepare Essay Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes, from a period when he hunted for his food to the present era when man is dependent on preprocessed foods. During this period not only has man changed his mode of eating but his whole lifestyle as well. In pursuit of more in this competitive world, man no longer has time as he once had. He is caught in a race against the clock. A person who finishes more in lesser time is considered more efficient. This pressure to do more in less time has affected his eating habits as well and, as a result, man no longer has time to cook food. Early mans only objective was to seek food to sustain him and his family. Nowadays finding food has taken a back seat to other priorities, such as career and education. Food is no longer of that importance. This is not an encouraging trend. People are too dependent on preprocessed or precooked food, which no longer has the freshness it once had. Such foods loose their mineral and vitamin content and are not as healthy as fresh food. That is why the number of diseases is also rising. People have also shifted to high calorie content food like French fries, pizzas, and ice cream, etc., which is causing obesity, fatigue, etc. As man is becoming busy and too involved in his busy schedule, he has no time even to take care of his own personal needs. Furthermore, cooking is an art which is dying out. People once enjoyed cooking . It was a means of eliminating stress and tension. People were once able to relax during this time and reflect on their lives. People may tend to argue that by using precooked and preprocessed food they are efficiently using time and can use this precious time saved for other purposes. But is it really worth it? This is a question whose answer can invite much speculation about whether by saving this little time we are inviting lots of other problems, which could easily be avoided. It is actually making our lives not simpler but more complicated. We have lost many of the simpler things in our lives, like the simple acts of selecting our evening meal, preparing it, and enjoying it with our loved ones, and we are worse off for it.

A Case Study Of Uninor

A Case Study Of Uninor As the centre of economic activity shifts towards east, Multinational corporations are increasingly adopting the inorganic route to growth in these markets. Mergers Acquisitions, Joint ventures and strategic alliances are becoming the vehicle for establishing presence in markets like India, China and South Africa. Fascinating as they may seem, Mergers Acquisitions and Joint Ventures have also been the most complex transactions involving financial, business and cultural issues. Through this project, we intend to understand the motives which drive such transactions. Also, we intend to understand the parameters which are crucial to make any JV work. We have chosen to study the fiercely competitive Indian Telecom market for our study as it has seen numerous International players entering the lucrative market through Joint Ventures. Our company for the study is Uninor, which is also one of the fastest growing new entrants in the sector. What makes the case of Uninor more interesting is the unique combination of Indias second largest real estate company, Unitech Ltd and Norway-based Telenor, the 6th largest mobile communications group in the world. The top management is drawn from Telenors global telecom specialists as well as Indians who have local expertise in developing telecom services in India. In this context, the cultural dimension to decision making in Uninor assumes enormous importance. Through the course of this study, we shall first look at mergers and acquisitions as a means to expand for companies. The key drivers, the specific motives as well as the examples related to situations which may mandate an MA transaction instead of growing organically. In the next section, we shall look at the Indian telecom industry and its future potential for growth, major trends and the government regulations which have defined the industry and catalyzed Joint Ventures among foreign and Indian firms. Then, we shall move over to the analysis of India according to Porters Diamond model and the cultural synchrony between India and Norway according to Hofstedes cultural dimensions. These analyses shall enable us to evaluate the paradigms of this Joint Venture. Subsequently, we shall analyze key components of Uninors Strategy in India and also its performance in the past year. We shall also look at its future growth strategy and the hurdles to achieving its targets. We shall conclude our study by looking at the transformative effect of strategic alliances and the Uninor case in India. Introduction The phrase mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. An acquisition is also known as a takeover or buyout, in which one company buys the other (target company). When two companies come together and form a new company altogether, it is known as merger. On the contrary, an acquisition can be friendly or hostile depending on the size of the players involved. Acquisition usually refers to the takeover of a smaller firm by a larger firm. However, one can notice sometimes an acquisition of a larger company by a smaller one. This phenomenon is known as a reverse takeover. The acquisition process is very complex with many dimensions influencing its outcome. There are many reasons why a company seeks acquisition. One is that some vital resource may be otherwise difficult to obtain for the firm, especially if the resource is necessary to adapt and function successfully within the local environment. The following list, not an exhaustive one, gives few motives for company seeking International expansion. Geographic and Industrial Diversification Accelerating Growth Industry Consolidation Utilization of Lower Raw Material and Labor Costs Leveraging Intangible Assets Minimizing Tax Liabilities Avoiding Entry Barriers Fluctuating Exchange Rates Following Customers For instance, an existing company may have personnel that the investor cannot easily hire at a good price on its own. By buying an existing company, the buyer gets not only labor and management but also the organizational structure of the target company. In addition, a company can also gain the good will and brand identification the local company has which is important for marketing mass consumer products, especially in a new market. One can also find financial considerations in few cases. For example, if a company depends substantially on local financing rather than on the transfer of capital may find it easier to gain access to local capital through an acquisition. Local suppliers find it relatively easy and are more comfortable interacting with an already existing company rather than a foreign enterprise. In few cases, companies find acquisitions as a means to reduce costs and risks compared to setting up a fully owned subsidiary. A company may be able to buy facilities, particularly those which are performing poor for less than the cost of new construction. This saves a lot of money to the company. If an investor has a fear that a market does not justify added capacity, the risk of depressed prices and lower unit sales per producer occurs if it adds one more producer to the market is avoided by acquisition. A company may choose to build if No desired company is available for acquisition Acquisition will lead to carry over problems Acquisition is harder to finance Strategic Alliances Alliances can be described based on their objectives and where they fit in a firms value chain. In terms of objectives, one can assume that scale alliances aim at providing efficiency through risk pooling i.e. pooling of similar assets so that individual partners can carry out business activities in which they already have good experience. On the other hand, link alliances make use of complementary resources to expand into new business areas. Each organization entering into a cross-border alliance has its own objectives for operating internationally. Further some alliances take place between partner entities functioning on a different level of value chain, known as vertical alliance, and sometimes on the same level of value chain known as horizontal alliance. On a broader scale, the objectives for cross-border mergers can be divided into the following three categories which were refined earlier. Sales expansion Resource acquisition Risk minimization The following section describes in detail the influence of each of these objectives on the decision of a merger. General Motives: To Spread and reduce costs: To manufacture or sell in foreign countries, any company must incur certain fixed costs. If the volume of business is small, it is cheaper for the company to outsource the work to a specialist rather than handle it internally. The outsourcing agent can spread the costs to more than one company and thus reap the benefits of economies of scale. If the business increases, then the company can rethink its plan of outsourcing and produce everything internally. The company handling the production or sales can lower its average costs by covering its fixed costs more fully. On the other hand, the outsourcing company does not have to incur the fixed costs that otherwise be charged to a small amount of production volume thus overburdening the customers in turn. To Specialize in Competencies: Each company has a unique combination of competencies. It is better for a company to concentrate on those activities that best fits its competencies and improve its performance and leaving out the other activities in which the core competency of the firm does not lie. This concentration can be horizontal as well as vertical. To Avoid or Counter Competition: It is not common to notice few markets that are not large enough to hold many competitors. ITC, for example, observed this phenomenon and pre-empted the competition to emerge as a big player in the Indian industry. Any potential threat should be nipped in the bud itself. Sometimes companies also combine resources to fight a market leader and share the profits jointly. For example, Coca-Cola and Danones joint effort to challenge PepsiCo and Nestle can be viewed as one such strategic move. To secure Vertical and Horizontal Links: It is clear that there are numerous potential cost savings and supply assurances in case of a vertical integration. However, sometimes companies lack the competency or the resources necessary to manage the complete value and supply chain. In these instances it is common to notice a merger. For example, LUKOIL has abundant oil reserves but as it lacked final distribution skills, in addition to making acquisitions abroad, it also made arrangements in countries that ensure a good market for its petroleum. Horizontal links provide finished products and components. For such kind of finished products, economies of scope can be achieved in distribution by having a full line of products to sell thus increasing the sales per fixed cost of a visit to potential customer. To Gain Knowledge: In the present competitive world innovating new ideas to develop products and deliver them is necessary to gain an edge over the rival. Many companies go for a merger to learn about a partners technology, operating methods so their own competencies will broaden and deepen, making them more competitive in the future. We can consider the example of Chinese government that allows foreign companies to tap the Chinese market in exchange for their transfer of technology. Specific Motives To gain Location-specific Assets: The following factors create barriers for companies that want to operate abroad. Cultural Political Competitive Economic differences Going for a merger or an acquisition equips the company to handle these differences and thus providing profitability. For example, Walmart first tried to enter Japanese market but withdrew its operations only to return with a Japanese partner, Seiyu, which is more familiar with local tastes and rules for opening new stores. To Overcome Governmental Constraints: Few nations require compulsory presence of a domestic player as a partner in the operations of a foreign company while few dont. In this case a merger is more favorable. The legal factors which constraint may be Direct prohibitions against certain operating firms Indirect prohibitions (regulations affecting profitability) Mergers and Acquisitions that take place across countries allow for greater spreading of assets among the partner nations. To Diversify Geographically: Operations in many countries (diversification geographically) can smoothen the companys sales and earnings as the business cycles occur at different times within different countries. Though this might not be the actual reason for diversification this does play a minor role in decision making. Mainly, if a product conditions favor a diversification rather than a concentration strategy, due to product life cycle etc, then there exists a strong reason for establishing foreign presence by collaborative arrangements, mergers. The higher the risk managers perceive in a foreign market, the greater their desire to form collaborative arrangements in that market. Problems with Mergers and other alliances Having discussed in detail the reasons why a company goes for a cross-border merger, it also makes sense to highlight the difficulties that arise while collaborating with another company. Each of the above factors is very important while considering a decision to acquire or merge with another company. The stake involved, the management attention, cultural differences, contribution to the merger etc play a key role in its success. Telecom industry in India Introduction Telecommunications industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India and also one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world. Telecom Industry is evaluated with the following parameters: Number of subscribers: According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of telephone subscriber base in the country reached 653.92 million as on May 31, 2010 Growth rate: An increase of 2.49 per cent from 638.05 million in April 2010.   Teledensity (Telephones per 100 people): Overall teledensity in India has reached 55.38 Some major investments The attractiveness of the telecom market has resulted in high investments from across the world which was the reason for entry of numerous foreign players and introduction of new services. Recent bidding for 3G network spectrum allocation was one of the most followed biddings due to the high stakes involved for some of the best players in telecom industry. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the telecommunications sector which includes radio paging, mobile services and basic telephone services attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$ 2,554 million during 2009-10. The cumulative flow of FDI in the sector during April 2000 and March 2010 is US$ 8,930.61 million. The Merger and Acquisition deals in telecom industry were worth US$ 22.73 billion during April-June 2010, which represented 67.19 per cent of the total valuation of the deals across all the sectors during the period analyzed.   Some of the recent Mergers and Acquisitions include: Reliance Communication Ltd that merged GTL infrastructure Ltd, its telecom tower business, for US$ 11 billion Other major MA deals included acquiring of Kuwait-based Zain telecoms African business for US$ 10.7 billion by BhartiAirtel   Acquisition of Infotel broadband for US$ 1032.26 million by Reliance Industries Norway-based telecom operator Telenor has bought a further 7 per cent in Unitech Wireless for a little over US$ 431.3 million. Telenor now has 67.25 per cent hold of the company New trends- The Gamechangers 3G services Public sector companies namely BSNL and MTNL have already launched their 3G services across India in all 22 circles. The other companies (All of them were private entities) took part in a 3G auction process that was held to give 3G licenses in all the 22 circles. The bidding started after numerous political interventions stopped it for almost 2 years. The process started with a lot of media attention mainly due to the delay in the process and the amount of investments that were expected, especially for all India license. The process was completed using an e-bidding process that was held simultaneously with broadband wireless auctions for a period of 34 days. The auction prices went beyond expectations. A pan-India bid for third generation spectrum stood at US$ 3.6 billion. However no operator could bid and obtain the pan India license. The Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communication bagged the highest number of 13 circles at a cost of US$ 1.9 billion, followed by BhartiAirtel in 12, Idea in 11 and Vodafone and the Tatas in nine circles each, according to the Department of Telecommunications. Rural telephony One concern that remains in the telecom industry is the penetration to rural India that has not been up to the expected levels till now. Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh opined, Although the growth in the last few years has been truly impressive and our tariffs are among the lowest in the world, vast stretches of our rural population have little or no telecom penetration. Rural tele-density is still in single digits. I had heard of plans for a Phone in Every Village some twenty years ago. We have not yet reached that goal. This is why we have emphasized telecom connectivity in our Bharat Nirman programme. TRAI suggested the following in 2008-09 report: It has been observed that despite several attempts over the last ten years, telecom infrastructure in rural areas is lagging behind the expected levels. There has been a phenomenal spurt in the growth of tele-density in the country with the evolution of new wireless technologies, but the gap between the urban and rural teledensity has been increasing. As can be seen in the figure the growth of telecom in rural India has been lagging and hence the government and TRAI are giving stricter guidelines to telecom companies about the rural penetration. Hence telecom penetration would play a vital role in telecom operators strategy for the coming years. Mergers and Acquisitions in Telecom in India As already discussed there are many reasons for a company to pursue the path of Mergers and Acquisitions. In telecom industry in India some of the reasons why companies take up M A are: General motives To spread and reduce costs To specialize in competencies To gain knowledge Specific motives To gain location-specific assets To overcome governmental constraints To diversify geographically One reason that stands out the most in these set of factors is the governmental constraints. The governmental constraints in telecom industry are laid out through Department of Telecom and they are monitored by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The constraints on foreign investment in India are as follows: FDI upto 100% in Telecom manufacturing ISPs without gateways Infrastructure provider (IP) I Call Centres IT enabled services FDI upto 74% in ISPs with gateways IP II Radio Paging FDI upto 49% in other telecom services Cellular Basic NLD and other services Expected strategy path in Telecom sector in India Following graph shows the Price sensitivity of the market versus the cost leadership that a company should achieve: India Price Sensitivity Cost leadership Differentiation Any company that wants to enter the Indian market should look at attaining cost leadership as the market is highly price sensitive. Cost leadership can be achieved through economies of scale if the partnering firm is an existing telecom player with established network resources. Motives for going Global for any company Uninors motives for going Global Spreading costs Achieving specialization Avoiding competition in domestic market Securing Vertical and Horizontal links Gaining technical expertise Increase revenue to sustain growth Tapping new markets due to saturation of domestic market Diversifying geographically i.e. International presence Hofstede cultural dimension differences between India and Norway Country PDI IDV MAS UAI India 77 48 56 40 Norway 31 69 8 50 PDI Power Distance Index IDV Individualism MAS Masculinity UAI Uncertainty Avoidance Index Source: Greet Hofstede Scores -ITIM International Hofstedes cultural Dimension INDIA NORWAY Power Distance Very High. In India the level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as well as the leaders Low. The inequality in power distribution in Norway is very less Individualism Moderately high. Collectivism is expected to the levels of family ties to a very large extent and has no political sense Very High. The relationships between individuals are weak limited to his/her immediate family Masculinity High. More preference is given to the materialistic gains in India Low. In Norway feminine values such as quality of life are given more preference Uncertainty Avoidance Low. Opinions are subjected to change. More oriented towards the acceptance of uncertainty Moderately High. People in Norway are less likely to accept uncertainty According to the survey conducted by Hofstede among IBM employees India has power distance index as the where as in Norway Individualism is ranked higher than the other cultural dimensions. From the above figure it is clearly evident that there are significant cultural differences between India and Norway. The western management theories and practices that are successful in Norway may not work well in India. Indians hold different cultural core values than their western counter parts. The Indian culture is hierarchical where the cultural norms have changed the way of thinking which affects various management operations, which Norwegian firms may find it difficult to understand. There is a huge difference between Indian and Norwegian work culture. In India a little authority is given to the middle management or lower management in decision making, in general top management beholds the full authority to make decisions. Whereas in Norway decision making process in a conflict situation involving individuals of different levels of seniority. The management style in India is less aggressive in comparison with Norwegian style. Indians prefer male values such as competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition and the accumulation of wealth and materialistic possessions whereas in Norway people prefer female values such as relationships and quality of life. In Norway people are more oriented to develop and display their individual personalities and to choose their own affiliations than in India. Porters Diamond Model for India Demand: India consists of a population of 1.14 billion, 17.31% of the worlds population. It has around 300 million population of highly consumable middle class status. India is ranked second in the world in terms of having the largest telecommunication network, after china with more than 653 million subscribers. The telecom market in India has been growing by 20 to 40 percent every year since past 3 years. And is expected to grow with a CAGR of 11% in the coming next 10 years. The Indian telecom market is estimated to be $8 billion in 2010. 83% of market share comprises of basic service providers and only 17% value added service providers. Emerging technologies like 3G and penetration of internet in telecom sector are going to be growth drivers in the Indian telecom industry because of increase in demand for latest technologies. Supporting Industries: The Indian telecom industry has vast range of state of the art telecom equipment manufacturers. The production of telecom equipment is valued at $12.3billion in 2010. Indian imports of telecom equipment accounted for 21% of US equipment production in 2009. Further Indian mobile companies strengthened their market position by launching various handsets. Indian mobile phone brands consists of 14% markets share. Telecommunication equipment major Nokia Siemens is planning source components worth $28.5 billion from India in 2010-11. In 2009 it sourced components worth $20 billion. Indian telecom equipment production is estimated grow at a CAGR of 17.1% to reach $25 billion by 2014. India is fast emerging as a hub for global telecom Manufacturing and the production and exports of telecom equipment in the country have been on a steady rise. Leading global players have made significant investments in setting up manufacturing and RD facilities in India, with many more being planned. Resource Endowment India is a knowledge pool with cheap labor. Indian telecom industry has skilled labor available at low cost. With abundant skills availability, there are large swathes of lower tier vendors who can still compete on costs. Industry Structure and Firm Strategy Indian telecom industry is the worlds cheapest service provider. Indian telecom market has viewed a tremendous average growth rate of 40% for the last 3 years. It has become very competitive recently with advent of global players after the government made a policy change allowing FDI up to 74% in telecom industry. Major players are rapidly increasing their market share by continuously improving their network coverage, technology, customer relations by offering their services at significantly lower prices. New entrants like Virgin mobile, Aircel etc. are trying to position themselves as low cost value added service providers focusing on emerging technologies. Telenor is the worlds 7th largest telecommunications service provider and it aims to be a leading global mobile operator by leveraging on its international experience and technological expertise. It wants to achieve its goal by focusing on three regions Consolidation of its position in the voice market through global expansions, acquisitions, mergers and JVs/partnerships Mobile to Mobile communications and financial services Telecom/media/IT convergence, primarily through third-party applications and services UNINOR- The Genesis Unitech Wireless won a wireless services licence for all 22 Indian telecom circles in2008. In early 2009, Unitech Group and Telenor agreed on a majority take-over by Telenor of Unitechs wireless business. Telenor acquired a 33%, 49% and 60% stake in the company in March, May and November 2009, respectively. In September, the mobile operation changed its name to Uninor. On October 19 2009, the Cabinet Committee (CCEA) announced approved Telenors acquisition of up to 74% in Unitech Wireless. UNINOR Presence Uninor launched its service in India in December in 8 telecom circles. It turned out to be the speediest telecom roll-out in India. Within 5 months, it entered five more circles including the metros of Mumbai and Kolkata. Uninor has its headquarters at Gurgaon and 11 regional headquarters in the following cities: Kolkata Kolkata, West Bengal Orissa Circle Delhi / Noida (NCR) Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand Rajasthan Circle Patna Bihar Jharkhand Circle Mumbai Mumbai, Maharashtra Gujarat Lucknow Guwahati Chandigarh Indore Ahmedabad Chennai Chennai, Tamil Nadu Bangalore Karnataka Circle Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh Circle Kochi- Kerala Circle Uninors Strategic Alliances Uninor has outsourced its major operational functions to established players with proven expertise. The operational model is based on low-cost operations with a gradual network-build up, infrastructure sharing, comparatively cheap GSM equipment sourced from international markets, and IT-outsourcing. Uninor has entered into network and base station service agreements with partners with expertise in given areas like- Wireless-TT Info Service Limited for Tower sharing agreements Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei Technologies India, Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson Telecommunications for network and radio equipment. Wipro Technologies for integrated IT services. UNINORs Strategy in India Uninor based its growth model in the fiercely competitive Indian market by providing value to the customers through a new tariff, called Dynamic Pricing. Dynamic Pricing is an innovative pricing strategy that Uninor has pioneered in which the customer is charged different charges depending on the location and the network to which the call is made. Going by the maximum discount offered by the company, a one-minute call could cost as low as 24 paise compared to 60 paise charged by other operators. UNINOR- Performance in India In the month of June, Uninor topped the list of new mobile operators by adding maximum connections to the tune of 1.01 million. The new mobile service providers together accounted for 1.65 million which was 13.5% of the total mobile subscriber additions during this period. Source: Share Khan Brokerage report on Telecom sector, 16th July 2010 Uninor had added just 2.1m active subscribers i.e. just 50% of the reported 4.3m as of Mar-10. The company defines active subscribers as those that used network during last 30 days. Even on active subscribers, ARPU at ~Rs 86 suggests low usage especially given that mobile revenues could have a higher contribution from activation fee during the launch period. The tariff cuts aimed at increasing the user might be a reason for the low ARPU. The new mobile operators including Etisalat DB, Loop , Uninor, Videocon, and STel added just 1.7 million new users in June 2010. Uninor added 10 lakh subscribers during this period. It is around 15 per cent of 12.29 million new subscriber base added during this duration by the industry. As a result, barring Uninor, none of the other players has managed to get even 1% market share of the 456-million subscriber GSM mobile market. According to the TRAI licence conditions, new operators are required to complete roll out in all the circles within three years and that deadline is fast approaching. CAPEX Guidance Lowered by TELENOR Telenor cut back its India capex guidance by 25% i.e. Rs5.5bn for FY10. Uninor reasoned this to a combination of lack of spectrum, the stringent security clearance process for equipments and the need to adjust roll-out speed for distributors. Uninor may find it tough to retain traffic beyond 1-2 quarters given the low level of tariffs already. Uninor has rolled out 18,000 cell sites (which was around 13,300 at end-Dec 2009). Uninor is currently operating in 13 circles with subscriber base of 43 lakhs (which was 1.2 million at December end 2009). Conclusion Through the course of the study, we assessed the reasons which make MA and other means of inorganic growth, the preferred route to enter a market for international corporations. We tried to list down the motives and the vision behind such cross border transactions. We realized that a diverse range of parameters drive MAs globally. They can range from getting around government regulations to gaining a first mover advantage in a growing market. As more global corporations try to establish their foothold over the emerging markets, we witness interesting new trends. Their entry into emerging markets is increasingly by partnering with the local companies. This is perhaps also catalyzed by government regulations which stipulate maximum FDI limits for multinational corporations from abroad. We also looked at factors which contribute to the decision to enter/not enter a particular market for a corporation including the competitive advantage to the corporation and the cultural synergies between the parent market of the company and the new prospective market. We chose the extremely dynamic telecom sector for our analysis as it has seen numerous international players enter through the JV route. We analysed the dynamics of the telecom sector and the fallout of the recent 3G spectrum allocations on the sector. Uninor is the case we took for analyzing the actual details of an existing JV. We chose Uninor as its unique in the way that unitech wireless had no pri