Assignment 4 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 4 - Case Study Example If cooperation were present in the organization, relationships between employees and employers and among the employees would improve. Question #2 There are several problems facing Frank Questin as the Product Engineering Manager of the organization. First, he does not believe in himself with respect to his job. He constantly doubts his capacity to deal with complex situations despite being his very first time to hold a managerial position (Silverman 677). Second, he has managerial issues in that he does not complete most of his tasks on time. Additionally, his team management skills are lacking in spite of the fact that he has introduced teamwork in the organization. Third, the motivation of his employees is also deficient. This is because some of his employees are dissatisfied with their positions to the point that they would like to quit. Additionally, he receives and addresses many complaints in a day. Furthermore, at one time, he had some overdue performance appraisals. Question #3 Frank’s management style has certain pros and cons. The pros include that he facilitates and encourages teamwork and communication in the organization. ... Question#4 The major cause of conflicts among the major departments is the lack of a clear definition of roles and those responsible for these roles. This is the reason behind some employees being unavailable to help their peers in common challenges. Additionally, this has resulted in production of underperforming and faulty products. To resolve this issue, the manager must redefine all roles and ensure that all individuals are aware of their roles. This would improve the flow of work and thus reduce conflicts and complaints. Question #5 The organizational structure of Custom Chip has its pros and cons. The pros include that the employees are clearly aware of their immediate leaders. Additionally, the employees have a clear path through which they would get to a specific position when promoted. The cons include that although the employees know the immediate leader, they are not clear on a precise leader to whom they should turn for specific problems. Moreover, although the structure is clear, it does not fulfill its roles that include provision of clear work processes and roles for individual positions. Furthermore, the organization does not appear to have a specified culture that the employees follow. An organization’s culture defines the values and behaviors of employees while performing their duties. In addition, the structure lacks innovation and flexibility. Here, self-regulating teams have not been established. Such teams are flexible and have the opportunity to test their ideas so as to facilitate innovation. Question #6 To improve the current situation, Frank should take specific appropriate steps that include variation of leadership styles. First, he

Human Resource as Most Important Essay Example for Free

Human Resource as Most Important Essay The importance of human resource (HR) can be explained through the analogy of a motorcycle. A motorcycle can’t run on its own without the function of its many parts. It needs to be serviced regularly, the parts oiled and sometimes, talking to it, helps in running of your motorbike. Trust me (I myself, own a Vespa). Ignorance of its squeaky brake pads, almost thread less rear tyres could hamper the motorbike’s performance on the road or worst; the death of its rider! These same principles apply for a company. An organization cannot unction without its employees as they are essentially its driving force. Patty (2010: 15) described employees as the ones that make decisions, negotiate and execute plans. An organization exists to deliver value for people, either as a single person or whole fully as a team (Mayo, 2001). As stated by Lawler (2003: 17), some organization’s market worth is in its intangible assets, such as its reputation, brand and human capital, are extremely vulnerable to sudden death spirals. These intangible assets wouldn’t exist if not for good performing employees. A company offering bike towing services wouldn’t be reputable anymore if its mployees start to not achieve its target of 30 minutes arriving at scene upon despatched. Alternatively, a cosmetic shop selling facial products when their sales assistant themselves do not have good facial complexions. As Mayo (2001: 26) states, â€Å"everything depends on people; their capability, motivation, creativity, passion and leadership. People manage the tangible assets, and they also maintain and grow the intangible ones. † Humans possesses unique feelings and emotions and when they are correctly identified and managed with the correct strategy, an organization is able to seamlessly attain its target without much problems. As Kant (1781) mentions, â€Å"Treat people as ends unto themselves rather than as means to an end. † Armstrong (2009: 14) then elaborates, ‘productivity is directly related to job satisfaction and the output will be high if they like their co-workers and are given pleasant supervision. ’ Employees share their personal human capital with their company as they believe they will be getting something in return. As a result, an employee in an organization becomes both the stakeholder and shareholder (Mayo, 2001). Employees are merely lending their personal human capital to their company and may switch so if they are not being treated right. Meanwhile, other assets of an organization do not have an emotional element attached to them. This refers to state-of-the-art technology that manufactures excellent, ‘clean’ products for mass selling. Companies such as Apple, Sony and Philips are all well renowned for their IT products. Big touch screen tablet computers. Bigger ‘LED’ Television screen and the list go on. However, it is by the use of the human resource that we are able to come out with such ideas and thinking on how our future daily products are to be like. Machines can never be exact substitutes for humans. It is the action of our own mindless workers in those factories hat we can control the technology to be turned on or off for exact made-to-order production figures. Those same workers will be the one to diagnose and repair the machines once they break down. The same applies to the rest of the assets. The organization’s financials, materials, and methodology couldn’t be derived without the help of the human resource. It is only through people that these factors could be idealised and generated. Stewart (2005: 3) defined intellectual capital as: ‘Intellectual material –knowledge, information, intellectual property, experience – that can be put to use to create wealth. An organization may start with zero capital but with honest, experienced and resourceful employees, their company might still be successful in the end. As highlighted, no other asset is as important as human resource in any organization. An organization needs the directives of its own staff as nothing else will drive the company forward. Employee actions are the mirror image of their organization. A good responsible, reputable and polite bike technician will give customer the same impression of the company. Good impressions will drive up the company’s monthly sales target. A bad reputation will lowly dwindle down sales targets and force customer to look for other better workshops. However, most companies think of fast super fast and easy methods of cutting down costs in times of crisis by letting go of their employees. It would only be common sense to cut down on your own staff as you’re now dealing with technologies and machines for your business but we are wrong. This perspective is also being supported by various accounting principles. Mayo (2001: 4) states that ‘They are much more likely to see the company being driven by efficiency and by minimizing costs. ’ This is largely due to the fact that human resource costs re easier to monitor, while the intangible values that they generate is not. So, human resources alone will not entail in good endings. It has to be nurtured properly from the start by a good human resource management (HRM). Only with good HRM will the company be recruiting the best talent for the job. With the proper strategy and fit in line, these ‘people’s managers’ will be the change agents for their employees and only then will their approach be fruitful. As stated by Armstrong (2009: 15), ‘the overall purpose of human resource management is to ensure the organization is able to achieve success through people’. As you can see, human resources are the most important asset in the organization. They are the one that drive the organization forward in making a significant contribution to their company’s success. The rest of the assets stated above are in pale comparison to human resource. However, only with a good HRM will the organization prosper. Given the proper infrastructure, high investment and even huge manpower but without a proper HRM, there is no way that organization could run successfully. Thus, human resource is the most important factor in determining the success and failure of any organization.

Ephedra: Asking For Trouble? :: Botany

Ephedra: Asking For Trouble? A member of the phylum Gnetophyta, the Ephedra genus is a perennial, dioecious shrub that reaches 1 1/2 to 4 feet tall (7). There are multiple species of this genus that inhabit the desert regions in certain parts of the world. The three species E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina are found in Asia, particularly China and Mongolia. Ephedra distacha is from Europe. India and Pakistan are home to E. gerardiana. North American species consist of E. nevadensis (Mormon tea), E. viridis (desert tea), E. americana, and E. trifurca (7). It takes an average of four years for the shrub to achieve maturation (10) and is harvested in the fall (11). Ephedra has been used medicinally for hundreds, even thousands of years in the regions where it grows. For more than 5000 years, Ephedra's stems have been dried to cure multiple ailments in China. The first records of its use can be found in a Chinese compilation of herbs called Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (11), which dates back to the first century A.D. (5) E. sinica, called Tsaopen-Ma Huang (2), is the most common species used. Ma Huang refers to the stem and branch, whereas Ma Huanggen refers to the root and rhizome. Ma Huang was used primarily in the treatment of the common cold, asthma, hay fever, bronchitis, edema, arthritis, fever, hypotension, and urticaria (hives). Ma Huanggen's effect is believed to oppose that of the stem and branches. Its use was limited to the treatment of profuse night sweating" (7). Ma Huang was believed to relieve other ailments such as headaches, urinary tract infections, and venereal diseases (10). The Chinese prepared Ephedra different ways, such as extracts and compresses. However, the most common preparation of Ma Huang was as a tea. The stems were dried in the sun and either broken into pieces or crushed into a powder. It was then boiled in a mixture of honey and water. Sometimes it was boiled until only the residue remained, and then consumed (8). Tea appears to be the most common preparation of Ephedra as a medicine in India and North America as well. In India and Pakistan, the stems of E. geradinia were used to treat asthma (8). An ancient collection of Hindu sacred writings called the Rigved gives mention of a drink called soma. Soma was a juice made from Ephedra and was believed to promote longevity (6).

Imaginary Invalid :: essays research papers

Imaginary Invalid Moliere’s â€Å"The Imaginary Invalid† is a play about a hypochondriac who is so obsessed with his health and money that he ends up neglecting his family’s needs to better his own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moliere sets up the exposition of the play in Act I by the apothecary bills Argon is reading aloud. After Toinette, the maid, then enters the scene she sarcastically makes a comment about all of the bills lying on the table. Toinette lets the audience know that Argon is a hypochondriac by rebutting everything he says about his doctors and illnesses with sarcastic comments. For instance, when Argon says, â€Å"You leave my insides alone.† She comes back with, â€Å"I wish you would. You’d be a different man.† She also lets the audience know by saying, â€Å"Why, if it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t even know you were ill,† speaking of the apothecary. The main conflict of the play is Argon’s unwillingness to accept that he is not ill and he is, in fact, a very healthy man. This â€Å"illness† leads to the selfishness that he shows his family, especially his daughter Angelica. Later in Act I his â€Å"illnessesâ⠂¬  prove to have relevance to the conflict when she speaks of Cleante, the man she loves. Cleante is not a doctor; therefore, Argon will not give his blessings for Angelica to marry him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conflict of the play was that Argon would not give his blessings for the marriage of his daughter, Angelica, and the man she loves, Cleante. The main characters involved in the conflict besides Angelica and Cleante is Argon, the problem, Toinette and Argon’s brother, Beralde, which resolve the conflict in the end. Argon is involved, as stated earlier, because he will not give his blessings on the marriage. Toinette and Beralde were involved in the resolution to the conflict because they cared about Angelica and her happiness. I believe that Beralde was more involved in the resolution because he felt that his brother was going far with his hypochondria, but still cared for Angelica’s happiness. Argon seemed to over-step the line when he tried to ruin the lives of his daughter just for his mental well being. The steps taken to see that Angelica does not have to marry a man that she simply does not want to marry lead up to the climax of the play. Ar gon finally realizes who cares about him and who doesn’t when he overhears his wife, Beline, speaking of his death and then Angelica.

Nucor Steel Case Study

There are many competitive forces that are affecting Nucor Corporation. Some of the primary ones are the market size, number of rivals, and pace of technological change. The market size is shrinking because of the increase in competing international steel companies. The number of rivals in America is declining due to higher labor costs than in foreign countries. There is a very fast pace of technology in the steel industry and it seems that the company, that obtains the newest technology, flourishes. This is due to the difficulty in lower costs of steel production. Better technology is one of the only ways to decrease costs because labor is pretty much at a set cost and all that is left is the cost of iron and making the steel. If a company can get its hands on a new technology that allows it to under price its competitors then it has a big advantage in the steel industry. Nucor’s main rivals in the steel industry are AK Steel Holding Corporation, Mittal Steel Company, and U. S. Steel. The five forces for the steel industry are the buyers, substitutes, suppliers, threat of new entrants, and rivals. The buyers have a fairly strong power on the steel producers. This is because of the low switching cost between competitors. Unless a contract is signed between a steel company and its buyer, there is little cost to the buyer if it wants to switch to a different steel company. There are not very many substitutes for steel, as steel is a commodity, so the substitute power is weak. Steel is a one of a kind item in that it is very strong and very versatile in its use. It is used in buildings, automobiles, bridges, garage door openers, and many other everyday objects. Suppliers also have a weak power in the steel industry. The suppliers are supplying iron to steel companies. Iron is very common and many companies sell it. Also, steel companies frequently integrate backwards and provide their own iron to their steel mills. The threat of new entrants is very weak due to high entry barriers and the current struggling competitors. The rival power is moderate to strong because there are a fair number of steelmaking companies. Also steel dumping occurs, but I will be talking about that later. According to this analysis, Nucor is in a three star industry, so it seems to have an okay chance at surviving. It is not the best industry to be in, but Nucor still has been able to flourish due to its organizational philosophy and technological innovation. 2) The driving forces behind the steel industry are industry growth rate, globalization, technological change and manufacturing process innovation, exit of major firms, and frequent change in cost. The steel industry is falling. There is a declining demand for steel and many companies have already gone bankrupt or are on the verge of going bankrupt. Some of these companies are Bethlehem Steel and Ling-Temco-Vought. The steel industry is very difficult to compete in because more steel is being produced than there is demand for it. Globalization is also a problem for the steel industry in America. Due to globalization it is getting easier for competing companies to send their products to other countries. This causes a problem for companies like Nucor because America has strict labor laws. In other countries labor is exploited and workers are paid very little, while in America, companies must pay their workers a minimum wage. One good thing that America does do is provide tariffs on incoming steel products to help American companies better compete with the international companies. Some countries are subsidiaries to the steel companies in their countries. This means that the governments have a vested interest in the company and want it to succeed. The companies can then sell products, like steel, at a much lower price due to the incoming funding form the government. China has been accused of this and America has taken action to alert the World Trade Organization to settle the matter, but this is only one step to â€Å"leveling the playing field† with China. The technologies for making steel are constantly changing and this allows for more efficient and therefore cheaper steel products. It seems that the companies, who obtain these technologies, obtain a significant head start in the industry. Like I said before, many companies are going bankrupt and are leaving the exiting the industry. Since steel is a commodity it leads to very volatile prices and can change quite frequently due to demand. By looking at Exhibit 1, you can see how the average price per ton decreased form $425 per ton in 2000 to $354 per ton in 2001. This exhibit shows how many tons of steel Nucor sold during certain years from 1970 to 2006. It is interesting to see that Nucor’s net income was fairly low during the years of 2000-2002, but increased to $1,121. 5 million. This is because of Nucor’s many acquisitions during the low period. Just a few years later in 2004, the price of steel was back up to $595 per ton. These driving forces very easily impact the steel industry’s competitive structure in a bad way. These driving forces make it very difficult for steel companies to compete in this industry. 3)The prospects for future profitability of the U. S. steel makers are very unattractive. Unless America can successfully combat China’s enormously, inexpensive, production ability, I do not see any American steel company surviving. China just has too big of a production ability and has the workforce to do it cheaply. Nucor will have to expand in this industry in the United States to survive. If the WTO negotiations with China go well then American steel companies may have a chance in the steel industry. If they do, then America can increase tariffs on incoming steel products and give American steel companies a chance to survive. Future profitability looks grim for American steel companies because of what I described before. China has been accused of subsidizing its steel companies, therefore funding them to make it possible to â€Å"dump steel† which is the process of selling steel at prices below the cost of making it. China would do this because then it would eventually under price foreign competitors and run them out of business. This, supposedly, happened back in 2000-2001 and devastated the steel industry in America, causing many companies to go bankrupt or be bought by other companies. Nucor was lucky enough to have survived this fall out and acquired many steel plants at low prices. The steel industry did bounce back in 2005-2006 and this allowed Nucor to grow quite rapidly due to its previous acquisitions. If America can again survive the big Chinese power, then Nucor will succeed, but right now it looks bleak for the American steel industry. 4)Nucor has adopted a low-cost strategy based on four parts. These parts are acquisitions, technological innovation, plant innovation, and joint ventures. The acquisition part of the Nucor strategy is that it has acquired many different steel companies in 2000-2001, when the steel industry in America was suffering. Because of the low time in the steel industry, Nucor could purchase steel companies at lower prices than normal. This helped its low-cost strategy substantially because it allowed Nucor to grow yet still remain a low-cost steel producer. Exhibit 2 shows Nucor’s financials, and very accurately illustrates the hit Nucor took during the low period of 2000-2003. This was a perfect time for Nucor to buy other steel companies, as this was one of the only ways for it to grow. Nucor invested heavily in new technologies. Investing in new technologies is very important for steel companies to do, as it is very easy to reduce costs if the company has a foothold on a new technology. Nucor focused on the introduction of disruptive technologies to give it an advantage in the market as compared to its competitors in terms of product quality, cost per ton, and market share. One example of this is the Castrip process. This new process produced flat-rolled, carbon, and stainless steels in very thin gauges. It allowed Nucor to produce steel in fewer steps, and helped produce savings in its operating expenses, therefore increasing Nucor’s net income. The Castrip process needed lower-quality scrap steel, which decreased costs of the scrap steel, and required 90% less energy. Also this new process cut green house gases by 80%. Nucor also increased its capital investments on the newest machinery to provide more efficient steel plants. By providing its workforce with the best possible technology, Nucor was able to max out production yet still retain a safe working environment. The implementation of hard working plant managers, produced hardworking managers that are aggressive enough to implement methods to improve product quality while keeping costs low. Nucor’s last strategic part was its joint ventures. By investing in joint ventures, Nucor was able to grow internationally with out the full capital risk. Some examples of this were its joint ventures in Brazil, Australia, and Trinidad. The joint venture in Brazil was between Companhia Vale do Rio Doce and Nucor. The goal was to produce an environmentally friendly pig iron plant that used eucalyptus trees as fuel. The use of eucalyptus trees as fuel removed 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for every one ton of pig iron produced. Another joint venture was three other companies in Australia. This plant used a new technology process called HIsmelt. This new process converted iron ore to pig iron at a lower cost and higher quality than previously known pig iron producing technologies. The Trinidad plant was acquired in 2007 and was originally in Louisiana. The plant was moved to Trinidad because of the constant supply of natural gas as fuel therefore lowering costs. This plant reduced scrap metal dependence by as much as 25%. It also allowed for a higher quality production of sheet steel. Nucor’s four-part strategy has lead to a competitive sustainable advantage as seen in exhibit 2 between the years of 2004-2006 when its net income soared to more than $1,757. 7 million. Nucor used a cost-based advantage to achieve its competitive sustainable advantage. )Nucor employed an organization philosophy consisting of decentralization, individually operated plants, a three layer structure, good compensation practices for its employees, and good employee relations. Nucor’s decentralized structure allowed for its employees to make quick decisions that did not have to go through all of the bureaucratic steps like that in a centralized company. A decentralized co mpany relied on higher quality employees that could analyze a situation and react quickly and successfully. The individually operated plants were akin to the decentralized company. Each plant was individually responsible for its profits. The three layers consisted of the executives at the headquarters located in South Carolina, the general managers that ran the plants and talked to the executives, and the hourly employees that did most of the labor at the plants. The general managers ran the plants individually form each other and were expected to reach, at least, a 25% return on its total assets. If a general manager failed this, the executives would interfere and had no hesitation in replacing an unsuccessful general manager. The individual plants allowed for team like competitions between plants to see who could be the best performer. Nucor was nonunion, but provided salaries based on competing plants’ salaries in the area. Nucor offered a generous compensation bonus to good work that differed for each worker. Hourly workers received bonuses if they produced more than the standard number of tons. Department managers earned annual bonuses depending on percentage of net income to dollars of assets. Nucor also had great employee relations. Nucor offered 401k plans by matching up to 25% of employees’ contributions. Medical and dental plans were very common for Nucor employees. There was also a tuition reimbursement of up to $2,750 for any employee. For the children of employees, Nucor would provide a scholarship up to $2,750, which would encourage employees to stay until their went to college. As seen here, Nucor treated its employees very well to reduce employee turnover and attract the best employees. Nucor required a high human capital if it were going to use a decentralized structure. The high quality employees that Nucor attracted helped Nucor execute its low-cost strategy, and led to superior results. )Nucor’s leadership, great strategy, and execution were what led to why Nucor was so successful in the steel industry. The great leader that Nucor relied upon was Kenneth Iverson, who changed Nucor from a nuclear energy company into a steel company. As seen in the last question, the decentralized structure helped Nucor react t problems quickly due to the ability of employees to take t he authority to solving problems. To be a great company, you need all three. This was evident in the case of Nucor because it was turned around and became a very successful company in a very different and difficult industry than where it started. )The SWOT analysis of Nucor is as follows. The strengths of Nucor are its strong market position, historically based position, increased production capacity, and strong technological focus. Nucor had a strong market position that allowed it to flourish in the steel industry. The strong market position is shown by its ability to stay out of the red during hard times. This is seen in exhibit 1. Nucor continued to have a positive net income, even during the low period between 2000 and 2002, as seen in exhibit 1. Nucor’s historically based position has given it a long-standing presence that is known to most steel consumers. This has helped Nucor because it tells the consumers that Nucor has been able to provide quality steel year after year. As seen in exhibit 1, Nucor has increasingly produced steel starting at 207,000 tons in 1970 to 22,118,000 tons in 2006. This growth is enormous and not once did Nucor’s steel sales fall below its previous year. Nucor’s strong technological focus has allowed it to become a power in the steel industry. It used electric arc furnaces when they were a new technology and encouraged further innovation into the steel production methods. Some weaknesses of Nucor are that it is mainly located in America and that the steel industry is already very developed. The fact that Nucor is mainly in America limits its growth. Nucor cannot compete with international companies so it is best to stay in America, but that continues to limit its growth because Nucor can only sell so much steel in the United States. The steel industry is very developed due to the early demand for the high amounts of steel back when the steel industry started. Now demand has lessened and the developed companies are fighting to stay alive. Nucor’s opportunities are joint ventures and new technologies. Nucor has taken advantage of some of its joint ventures in Brazil and Australia. This is good because is allows for an expanded production line and further integration backwards. New technologies are a good way for Nucor to grow as it can decrease its costs and therefore increase its net income. This is a necessity for Nucor due to its â€Å"prison-like† existence in America. The threats on Nucor are foreign competitors and decreasing demand. Foreign competitors are growing in the developing nations like India and China. These nations are very large and China already produces one third of the steel in the world. Decreasing is also a problem, which is caused by the increasing amount of suppliers. Nucor’s distinct competencies are its highly successful strategy and high quality human, technology, and leadership capital. 8)My assessment of Nucor’s stock is that it has done the best out of its American competitors as shown in exhibit 3. Exhibit 3 is a comparison of the stocks of Mittal Steel (MT), U. S. Steel (X), AK Holding Steel Company (AKS), and of course Nucor Corporation (NUE). As shown, exhibit 3 shows these four stocks from 1999 to 2009. Mittal Steel did surpass Nucor during the years of 2007 and 2008, but currently Nucor is the highest. This is good because it shows the reaction to the recession, and it shows that Nucor bounced back the best. I personally would not purchase any steel stock because I believe that the growing steel industries in China and India will over power the American steel companies. However, if I had to invest in a steel company, it would in fact be Nucor. 9)Nucor needs to address the growing steel industry in Asia. Daniel DiMicco needs to do something to ensure that Nucor survives. I would recommend further investment in new steel technologies, and if it comes to it, Nucor may have to change industries again, like it did back in 1970. DiMicco may want to make sure that he is not â€Å"keeping all of Nucor’s eggs in one basket† by staying in the steel industry. Moving into the energy industry may be a smart move as there is a definite need for alternative energy. Nucor’s current, increasing net income could help invest in alternative energies that would help Nucor become sustainable. 10)The biggest recent event is the possibility of China potentially steel dumping, which would under price Nucor substantially. This would lead to the downfall of Nucor. Another current event is the new technology of producing â€Å"Green Steel† (http://news. n. msn. com/business/article. aspx? cp-documentid=1090378). This is a new technology that takes waste plastic and converts it into steel. Since plastic is mainly carbon, it is possible to produce steel from the waste plastic. This would solve the problem of what to do with the plastic that is no longer used and help produce cheap steel that also lowers emissions. Lower temperature is needed in this new process therefore reducing the energy needed. This new technology converts waste into very much needed, and useful steel. Nucor Steel Case Study There are many competitive forces that are affecting Nucor Corporation. Some of the primary ones are the market size, number of rivals, and pace of technological change. The market size is shrinking because of the increase in competing international steel companies. The number of rivals in America is declining due to higher labor costs than in foreign countries. There is a very fast pace of technology in the steel industry and it seems that the company, that obtains the newest technology, flourishes. This is due to the difficulty in lower costs of steel production. Better technology is one of the only ways to decrease costs because labor is pretty much at a set cost and all that is left is the cost of iron and making the steel. If a company can get its hands on a new technology that allows it to under price its competitors then it has a big advantage in the steel industry. Nucor’s main rivals in the steel industry are AK Steel Holding Corporation, Mittal Steel Company, and U. S. Steel. The five forces for the steel industry are the buyers, substitutes, suppliers, threat of new entrants, and rivals. The buyers have a fairly strong power on the steel producers. This is because of the low switching cost between competitors. Unless a contract is signed between a steel company and its buyer, there is little cost to the buyer if it wants to switch to a different steel company. There are not very many substitutes for steel, as steel is a commodity, so the substitute power is weak. Steel is a one of a kind item in that it is very strong and very versatile in its use. It is used in buildings, automobiles, bridges, garage door openers, and many other everyday objects. Suppliers also have a weak power in the steel industry. The suppliers are supplying iron to steel companies. Iron is very common and many companies sell it. Also, steel companies frequently integrate backwards and provide their own iron to their steel mills. The threat of new entrants is very weak due to high entry barriers and the current struggling competitors. The rival power is moderate to strong because there are a fair number of steelmaking companies. Also steel dumping occurs, but I will be talking about that later. According to this analysis, Nucor is in a three star industry, so it seems to have an okay chance at surviving. It is not the best industry to be in, but Nucor still has been able to flourish due to its organizational philosophy and technological innovation. 2) The driving forces behind the steel industry are industry growth rate, globalization, technological change and manufacturing process innovation, exit of major firms, and frequent change in cost. The steel industry is falling. There is a declining demand for steel and many companies have already gone bankrupt or are on the verge of going bankrupt. Some of these companies are Bethlehem Steel and Ling-Temco-Vought. The steel industry is very difficult to compete in because more steel is being produced than there is demand for it. Globalization is also a problem for the steel industry in America. Due to globalization it is getting easier for competing companies to send their products to other countries. This causes a problem for companies like Nucor because America has strict labor laws. In other countries labor is exploited and workers are paid very little, while in America, companies must pay their workers a minimum wage. One good thing that America does do is provide tariffs on incoming steel products to help American companies better compete with the international companies. Some countries are subsidiaries to the steel companies in their countries. This means that the governments have a vested interest in the company and want it to succeed. The companies can then sell products, like steel, at a much lower price due to the incoming funding form the government. China has been accused of this and America has taken action to alert the World Trade Organization to settle the matter, but this is only one step to â€Å"leveling the playing field† with China. The technologies for making steel are constantly changing and this allows for more efficient and therefore cheaper steel products. It seems that the companies, who obtain these technologies, obtain a significant head start in the industry. Like I said before, many companies are going bankrupt and are leaving the exiting the industry. Since steel is a commodity it leads to very volatile prices and can change quite frequently due to demand. By looking at Exhibit 1, you can see how the average price per ton decreased form $425 per ton in 2000 to $354 per ton in 2001. This exhibit shows how many tons of steel Nucor sold during certain years from 1970 to 2006. It is interesting to see that Nucor’s net income was fairly low during the years of 2000-2002, but increased to $1,121. 5 million. This is because of Nucor’s many acquisitions during the low period. Just a few years later in 2004, the price of steel was back up to $595 per ton. These driving forces very easily impact the steel industry’s competitive structure in a bad way. These driving forces make it very difficult for steel companies to compete in this industry. 3)The prospects for future profitability of the U. S. steel makers are very unattractive. Unless America can successfully combat China’s enormously, inexpensive, production ability, I do not see any American steel company surviving. China just has too big of a production ability and has the workforce to do it cheaply. Nucor will have to expand in this industry in the United States to survive. If the WTO negotiations with China go well then American steel companies may have a chance in the steel industry. If they do, then America can increase tariffs on incoming steel products and give American steel companies a chance to survive. Future profitability looks grim for American steel companies because of what I described before. China has been accused of subsidizing its steel companies, therefore funding them to make it possible to â€Å"dump steel† which is the process of selling steel at prices below the cost of making it. China would do this because then it would eventually under price foreign competitors and run them out of business. This, supposedly, happened back in 2000-2001 and devastated the steel industry in America, causing many companies to go bankrupt or be bought by other companies. Nucor was lucky enough to have survived this fall out and acquired many steel plants at low prices. The steel industry did bounce back in 2005-2006 and this allowed Nucor to grow quite rapidly due to its previous acquisitions. If America can again survive the big Chinese power, then Nucor will succeed, but right now it looks bleak for the American steel industry. 4)Nucor has adopted a low-cost strategy based on four parts. These parts are acquisitions, technological innovation, plant innovation, and joint ventures. The acquisition part of the Nucor strategy is that it has acquired many different steel companies in 2000-2001, when the steel industry in America was suffering. Because of the low time in the steel industry, Nucor could purchase steel companies at lower prices than normal. This helped its low-cost strategy substantially because it allowed Nucor to grow yet still remain a low-cost steel producer. Exhibit 2 shows Nucor’s financials, and very accurately illustrates the hit Nucor took during the low period of 2000-2003. This was a perfect time for Nucor to buy other steel companies, as this was one of the only ways for it to grow. Nucor invested heavily in new technologies. Investing in new technologies is very important for steel companies to do, as it is very easy to reduce costs if the company has a foothold on a new technology. Nucor focused on the introduction of disruptive technologies to give it an advantage in the market as compared to its competitors in terms of product quality, cost per ton, and market share. One example of this is the Castrip process. This new process produced flat-rolled, carbon, and stainless steels in very thin gauges. It allowed Nucor to produce steel in fewer steps, and helped produce savings in its operating expenses, therefore increasing Nucor’s net income. The Castrip process needed lower-quality scrap steel, which decreased costs of the scrap steel, and required 90% less energy. Also this new process cut green house gases by 80%. Nucor also increased its capital investments on the newest machinery to provide more efficient steel plants. By providing its workforce with the best possible technology, Nucor was able to max out production yet still retain a safe working environment. The implementation of hard working plant managers, produced hardworking managers that are aggressive enough to implement methods to improve product quality while keeping costs low. Nucor’s last strategic part was its joint ventures. By investing in joint ventures, Nucor was able to grow internationally with out the full capital risk. Some examples of this were its joint ventures in Brazil, Australia, and Trinidad. The joint venture in Brazil was between Companhia Vale do Rio Doce and Nucor. The goal was to produce an environmentally friendly pig iron plant that used eucalyptus trees as fuel. The use of eucalyptus trees as fuel removed 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for every one ton of pig iron produced. Another joint venture was three other companies in Australia. This plant used a new technology process called HIsmelt. This new process converted iron ore to pig iron at a lower cost and higher quality than previously known pig iron producing technologies. The Trinidad plant was acquired in 2007 and was originally in Louisiana. The plant was moved to Trinidad because of the constant supply of natural gas as fuel therefore lowering costs. This plant reduced scrap metal dependence by as much as 25%. It also allowed for a higher quality production of sheet steel. Nucor’s four-part strategy has lead to a competitive sustainable advantage as seen in exhibit 2 between the years of 2004-2006 when its net income soared to more than $1,757. 7 million. Nucor used a cost-based advantage to achieve its competitive sustainable advantage. )Nucor employed an organization philosophy consisting of decentralization, individually operated plants, a three layer structure, good compensation practices for its employees, and good employee relations. Nucor’s decentralized structure allowed for its employees to make quick decisions that did not have to go through all of the bureaucratic steps like that in a centralized company. A decentralized co mpany relied on higher quality employees that could analyze a situation and react quickly and successfully. The individually operated plants were akin to the decentralized company. Each plant was individually responsible for its profits. The three layers consisted of the executives at the headquarters located in South Carolina, the general managers that ran the plants and talked to the executives, and the hourly employees that did most of the labor at the plants. The general managers ran the plants individually form each other and were expected to reach, at least, a 25% return on its total assets. If a general manager failed this, the executives would interfere and had no hesitation in replacing an unsuccessful general manager. The individual plants allowed for team like competitions between plants to see who could be the best performer. Nucor was nonunion, but provided salaries based on competing plants’ salaries in the area. Nucor offered a generous compensation bonus to good work that differed for each worker. Hourly workers received bonuses if they produced more than the standard number of tons. Department managers earned annual bonuses depending on percentage of net income to dollars of assets. Nucor also had great employee relations. Nucor offered 401k plans by matching up to 25% of employees’ contributions. Medical and dental plans were very common for Nucor employees. There was also a tuition reimbursement of up to $2,750 for any employee. For the children of employees, Nucor would provide a scholarship up to $2,750, which would encourage employees to stay until their went to college. As seen here, Nucor treated its employees very well to reduce employee turnover and attract the best employees. Nucor required a high human capital if it were going to use a decentralized structure. The high quality employees that Nucor attracted helped Nucor execute its low-cost strategy, and led to superior results. )Nucor’s leadership, great strategy, and execution were what led to why Nucor was so successful in the steel industry. The great leader that Nucor relied upon was Kenneth Iverson, who changed Nucor from a nuclear energy company into a steel company. As seen in the last question, the decentralized structure helped Nucor react t problems quickly due to the ability of employees to take t he authority to solving problems. To be a great company, you need all three. This was evident in the case of Nucor because it was turned around and became a very successful company in a very different and difficult industry than where it started. )The SWOT analysis of Nucor is as follows. The strengths of Nucor are its strong market position, historically based position, increased production capacity, and strong technological focus. Nucor had a strong market position that allowed it to flourish in the steel industry. The strong market position is shown by its ability to stay out of the red during hard times. This is seen in exhibit 1. Nucor continued to have a positive net income, even during the low period between 2000 and 2002, as seen in exhibit 1. Nucor’s historically based position has given it a long-standing presence that is known to most steel consumers. This has helped Nucor because it tells the consumers that Nucor has been able to provide quality steel year after year. As seen in exhibit 1, Nucor has increasingly produced steel starting at 207,000 tons in 1970 to 22,118,000 tons in 2006. This growth is enormous and not once did Nucor’s steel sales fall below its previous year. Nucor’s strong technological focus has allowed it to become a power in the steel industry. It used electric arc furnaces when they were a new technology and encouraged further innovation into the steel production methods. Some weaknesses of Nucor are that it is mainly located in America and that the steel industry is already very developed. The fact that Nucor is mainly in America limits its growth. Nucor cannot compete with international companies so it is best to stay in America, but that continues to limit its growth because Nucor can only sell so much steel in the United States. The steel industry is very developed due to the early demand for the high amounts of steel back when the steel industry started. Now demand has lessened and the developed companies are fighting to stay alive. Nucor’s opportunities are joint ventures and new technologies. Nucor has taken advantage of some of its joint ventures in Brazil and Australia. This is good because is allows for an expanded production line and further integration backwards. New technologies are a good way for Nucor to grow as it can decrease its costs and therefore increase its net income. This is a necessity for Nucor due to its â€Å"prison-like† existence in America. The threats on Nucor are foreign competitors and decreasing demand. Foreign competitors are growing in the developing nations like India and China. These nations are very large and China already produces one third of the steel in the world. Decreasing is also a problem, which is caused by the increasing amount of suppliers. Nucor’s distinct competencies are its highly successful strategy and high quality human, technology, and leadership capital. 8)My assessment of Nucor’s stock is that it has done the best out of its American competitors as shown in exhibit 3. Exhibit 3 is a comparison of the stocks of Mittal Steel (MT), U. S. Steel (X), AK Holding Steel Company (AKS), and of course Nucor Corporation (NUE). As shown, exhibit 3 shows these four stocks from 1999 to 2009. Mittal Steel did surpass Nucor during the years of 2007 and 2008, but currently Nucor is the highest. This is good because it shows the reaction to the recession, and it shows that Nucor bounced back the best. I personally would not purchase any steel stock because I believe that the growing steel industries in China and India will over power the American steel companies. However, if I had to invest in a steel company, it would in fact be Nucor. 9)Nucor needs to address the growing steel industry in Asia. Daniel DiMicco needs to do something to ensure that Nucor survives. I would recommend further investment in new steel technologies, and if it comes to it, Nucor may have to change industries again, like it did back in 1970. DiMicco may want to make sure that he is not â€Å"keeping all of Nucor’s eggs in one basket† by staying in the steel industry. Moving into the energy industry may be a smart move as there is a definite need for alternative energy. Nucor’s current, increasing net income could help invest in alternative energies that would help Nucor become sustainable. 10)The biggest recent event is the possibility of China potentially steel dumping, which would under price Nucor substantially. This would lead to the downfall of Nucor. Another current event is the new technology of producing â€Å"Green Steel† (http://news. n. msn. com/business/article. aspx? cp-documentid=1090378). This is a new technology that takes waste plastic and converts it into steel. Since plastic is mainly carbon, it is possible to produce steel from the waste plastic. This would solve the problem of what to do with the plastic that is no longer used and help produce cheap steel that also lowers emissions. Lower temperature is needed in this new process therefore reducing the energy needed. This new technology converts waste into very much needed, and useful steel.

How to Answer this Interview Question Honestly

How to Answer this Interview Question Honestly In the interview, things are going along well. Maybe you’ve aced the small talk with the interviewer, and have created a rapport as you skip through the standard interview questions about five-year plans and that time you problem-solved the heck out of something. Then your new buddy looks you in the eye and asks for your honesty. For example, â€Å"Tell me what you’d do if your boss came up with an idea you hated.† Or â€Å"Tell me something negative you’ve heard about this company.† Just two new friends (and probable future coworkers) having a candid moment, right? Well, partly yes. But mostly no. The interview is still on, remember, and you need to answer it as an A+ candidate. How do you navigate this interview question?DO make sure you’ve got straightforward body language.Fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, all of those things make it look like you’re scrambling for an answer- or worse, making something up.DON’T disparage the c ompany or your hypothetical boss with the terrible idea.Going negative can be tempting to show what a badass shark you are, but keep in mind that this might not be so hypothetical to the interviewer. She might be your boss with the terrible idea at some point. Try to keep the tone positive no matter what:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I think an idea is a starting point for conversation.† Or â€Å"I did see the news reports last week about the company accidentally poisoning baby seals, but I think there are two sides to every story, and I’d want to know more about the situation that goes beyond the headlines.†DON’T gossip.If the company was all over the news last week for poisoning baby seals, then sure, it’s okay to go ahead and mention that particular elephant in the room if you’re asked about negative things you’ve heard. Otherwise, it’s likely the interviewer is fishing to see what the industry is saying about his company- or at the very least, trying to gauge whether you’re coming in with a particular agenda.This is especially likely to come up if your current/last job was at a competitor. You’re not a double agent, so don’t let them play you like one. If you’re pressed, be positive. â€Å"I can’t recall anything particularly negative, but I was interested in learning more about [aspect of company], if you’d like to talk more about that.DO see this as an opportunity to reflect back on your own skills.For the question on how you’d disagree with a boss or colleague, use an example of a time you faced different perspectives in a previous job. For the â€Å"what have you heard?† question, emphasize that what you have heard about the company dovetails with your goals, and that’s why you’re so interested in working with them.DON’T be brutally honest.Be tactful and positive instead. Remember, there’s Regular You, and there’s Professional You. There are, necessarily, differences between the two. Always err on the side of Professional You, even if Regular You would talk smack about the company off the record, or if Regular You would roll your eyes at a boss’s ludicrous idea. The interviewer needs to know you’re a team player, and this is a good place to show off your diplomacy skills.So in short: don’t go too negative, and if you need to, umm, massage what you really think, make sure it comes off as a straightforward response.

Trade Unions A future essays

Trade Unions A future essays A trade union is an independant self-regulating organization of workers created to protect and advance the interests of its members through collective action. Over recent years, it has become fashionable in many quarters to write off Britains trade unions, to label them as obsolete institutions out of touch with new realities and incapable of change. In todays world of individual employment contracts, performance-related pay schemes, Human Resource and Total Quality Management and all the other ingredients of the so-called new workplace, trade unions are often regarded as anachronistic obstacles preventing success of the market economy. As collective voluntary organizations that represent employees in the workplace, it is argued, trade unions no longer serve a useful purpose. The main priority of this essay is to represent the arguments for and against the relevance of trade unions in todays working society. Furthermore, I shall comment on the future of the trade union movement, based upon the facts and findings that helped construct this text. Trade unions exist because an individual worker has very little power to influence decisions that are made about his or her job. The greatest advantage in joining a trade union is because, by doing so, individuals possess more chance of having a voice and influence in their place of work. By joining forces with other workers, an individuals opinions and beliefs regarding their job will also be voiced by other union members, thus creating a stronger stance against management, if needed. Therefore, the main purpose of a trade union is to protect and improve people's pay and conditions of employment. This objective is usually achieved through negotiation and representation. Negotiation is where union representatives discuss with management, issues which affect people working in an organization. The union finds out the members view...

The Concept of Demoralisation

The Concept of Demoralisation Free Online Research Papers ‘Demoralisation’ is a concept which encompasses the perceived declining morality of individuals in modern western society. Western society’s obsession with the economy, profits and efficiency had supposedly lead to the extinction of morals. I shall consider different viewpoints and contemporary examples to determine the extent to which this viewpoint holds truth. Firstly, I shall look at Weber’s formal rationality and Ritzier’s ideas of dehumanization, referring to Bauman’s example of the Holocaust as evidence of severe demoralisation. I shall then examine Bauman’s writings on Postmodern Ethics and how society acts to constrain our morals. Durkheim’s Anomic Suicide provides a deeper understanding of the extent of society’s regulation and then I shall consider Mestrovic’s account of the deregulation of the economy. Finally, I shall reflect on Ralph Fevre’s more contemporary description of the misapplication of rationality and how this acts to demoralise individuals. In order to grasp the extent of the infiltration of declining ethics into our society, I shall consider the presumed cause of this situation. Rationalisation and the rise of capitalism are the core changes which have shaped individuals morals and behaviour in the modern western world. Max Weber is the key advocator of this position in his formulation of his ideas on the rationalisation process and bureaucracy. Bureaucracy refers to a method of organisation where all action is specifically regulated by rules formulated by officials. These rules attempt to shape society in a way which eliminates chaos, free-thinking and choice in order to achieve a rational and efficient society. Weber developed the idea of ‘formal rationality’, a key component of bureaucratic organisation, which refers to the rationalised principles individuals rely on in decision-making. Institutionalised rules curb the actions of individuals to aid them to a specific end, eliminating any reference to values or morals. Weber stated that formal rationality sees the ‘discharge of business according to calculable rules and without regard for persons’ Ritizer highlighted one of the key dimensions of rationalisation as the control it exerts over people. Human judgment is replaced by rules, regulations and structuresThis dehumanising aspect of bureaucracy links to Weber’s concern about the irrationality of rationality which Ritzier discusses in his analysis of McDonaldisation. Ritzier turns to Ronald Takaki to demonstrate how rationalised settings can act as places in which the ‘self was placed in confinement, its emotions controlled, and its spirit subdued’ (Takaki cited in Ritzier 2004:25). Here, Ritzier is showing how despite the effectiveness of bureaucracy, the rationalised processes can act to dehumanise and alienate individuals. Bureaucratic procedure therefore acts to demoralise individuals and places people into, what Weber calls, the Iron Cage of rationality. By this, he is referring to the extent to which bureaucracy and rationalisation dominates mankind; rather than viewing this as a step towards freedom, Weber maintains that civilization is becoming increasingly enclosed in an â€Å"iron cage†- and this acts to enclose and reduce our moral freedom. Whilst Weber’s views on the deterioration of morals in our society can be appreciated, it is nevertheless necessary to examine some present values compared to those of the past. All Western societies operating under capitalist principles provide some degree of welfare benefit with the generally accepted moral stance of care and concern for the disadvantaged. However, in the pre-capitalist societies of the 18th Century and beyond, the basic rights of health care and education for all were not considered essential. If morality can be defined as the concern with right or wrong behaviour, then there is a need to question Weber’s implication that moral attitudes pre-capitalism were intrinsically superior. The principle example of Weber’s fears of rationalisation infiltrating into civilian life was highlighted by Zygmunt Bauman, who showed how the events of the Holocaust demonstrated precisely the demoralisation invading our society. Bauman was concerned with the apparent dismissal of the Holocaust as a one-off event, a momentary lapse of morals from one prejudice group. His belief was that the distinct lack of moral instincts were due to a malfunction of society; viewing the causes of the actions as due to the rationalisation of bureaucracy. Bauman proposed to ‘treat the Holocaust as a rare, yet significant and reliable, test of the hidden possibilities of modern society’. The precise bureaucratic procedure carried out by the Nazis in the mass-murder of innocent individuals, demonstrated the extent to which modern civilization was, according to Bauman, the Holocausts necessary condition (Bauman 1989:13). The rationality described in detail in Weber’s writings focused on specific elements in society which can be directly seen in the processes of the Holocaust; the rational spirit, efficiency and the regulation of values. Bauman even believed, after re-reading Weber’s analysis of modern society in light of the Holocaust, that the event could have even been predicted by Weber himself! The concept of demoralisation was important to Bauman as he posed the question of how normal individuals can be transformed into the perpetrators of mass crime. For him, the bureaucratic organisation of the Holocaust resulted in the social production of moral indifference and the concealment of morality in actions. Moral indifference occurred as the perpetrators were under complete authority by a movement they were devoted to. The procedures which were undertaken were regulated and ordered into a routine, dispensing with moral obligations. The victims of the Holocaust were also dehumanized through the use of ideology, by demeaning the victims to a non-human state; the full implication of the perpetrators actions would not be acknowledged. Demoralisation was also achieved through the ‘mediation of action’, where the casual connections between the actions of the perpetrators and the mass murder itself was concealed. Bauman demonstrated how the methods of killing increased the distance between the acts themselves and their consequences. Though the use of gas chambers, one individual was not responsible for another’s death in the way shooting an individual would harm morale. Instead, the jobs of building the chambers themselves, parading the victims into the rooms and emptying the chemicals into the roof were divided between many individuals; and therefore so was the responsibility. Bauman successfully demonstrates the way in which bureaucratic procedure is mirrored within the procedures undertaken by the Nazi’s, however rationalisation in society may not be the sole cause of this event in history. The suspension of moral outrage by the people who participated in the Holocaust was possibly created though fear of the repercussions of opposition. There are examples of equivalent atrocities throughout modern history and there is scant evidence to suggest that bureaucracy was the root cause of their creation. The regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Chairman Mao and Magabe are linked by their dictatorships, subsequent misuse of power and the imposition of a climate of fear which was necessary to subjugate their people. No modern western society is presently ruled under a dictatorship, it relies on a collaboration of opinions and the co-operation of society. The expression of opinions does not result in punishment as there is a toleration of free expression; and this toleration could be considered as an aspect of morality. Bauman focuses specifically on ‘demoralisation’ in his writings on Postmodern Ethics (1993) where he considers the link between post-modernity and morals. Demonstrating distress for the postmodern ‘substitution of aesthetics for ethics’ he exposes how the ‘right way’ is no longer a simple path to take, postmodernity has developed numerous divides of being ‘economically sensible’, ‘aesthetically pleasing’ and ‘morally proper’ Bauman draws on Weber’s writings of the Protestant Ethic and how their compulsive emphasis on morality seeped into all aspects of life. Now, the moral guidance of the church is almost extinct and so modern legislators are attempting to ‘compose and impose†¦ a cohesive code of moral rules which people could be taught and forced to obey’ This demonstrates the imposition of rationality on morals, no longer is morality a personal righteous decision, as free will is viewed with such caution by those in control that enforcement of what is right is essential; ‘untoward, potentially heinous impulses needed to be held in check’ . Weber’s formal rationality appears to be enforced even in our inner most decisions. In Bauman’s opinion, rationality cannot take precedence over moral impulses, it merely can ‘silence it and paralyze’ and would therefore lead to less good being done than would otherwise have been the case. Bauman maintains that morals are precisely non-rational, the morality of a choice is lost if the choice involves a calculation of gains and losses. He advocates that only rules are universal; therefore morals should be ‘thoroughly personal’, detached from any form of rationality as true morals should rest on personal responsibility. Bauman draws on Durkheim’s view of ‘anomie’, explaining that one can only be moral when alone and not subjected to the influence of society, as this is when ‘moral impulse makes an exit’ Bauman is therefore stating that ‘morality is the condition of perpetual and irreparable anomie’ In order to gain a deeper insight into Durkheim’s formulation of ‘anomie’ and its link to the concept of ‘demoralisation’, I shall consider his writings on Anomic Suicide. Durkheim formulated the idea of the state of anomy in his considerations of the influence of both economic crises and ‘fortunate crises’ on suicide rates. Massive setbacks in the economy can be linked with high suicide rates, and this would presumably lead to the assumption that if circumstances were to improve then the rates of voluntary deaths should decrease. Durkheim provided evidence to show that this was, however, not the case. He examined the situation in Rome in 1870, where a spurt of economic growth lead to an increased standard of living for the whole of society. Despite this prosperity, suicide rates soared, shattering the presumed link between poverty and suicide rates. Durkheim perceived these high suicide rates to be linked to ‘disturbances of collective order’ and formulated his concept of anomy. Man has, according to Durkheim, material and selfish desires which provide humans with an ‘inextinguishable thirst [which] is constantly renewed torture’ In order to ever be satisfied or content, these passions require limitation and Durkheim believes that it is society which takes on this ‘moderating role’. Society provides individuals with a set of ideas concerning their upper limit of achievement and this will usually be an accessible goal, thus leading to contentment and happiness within individual circumstances. Anomy occurs when society is ‘momentarily incapable of exercising this influence’ and the individual is thrown into a deregulated state which has no limits to bind them. Both economic disasters and increases in wealth can act to upset the scale, and force individuals into a state of anomy. The severe consequence of this state, for Durkheim, is the incident of voluntary death. Bauman was suggesting that it is only in this state where true morals exist as this is when society loses its dominance over individuals. True free-will and independent thinking from the constraints of society, provides individuals with the ability of pure moral thought. However, Durkheim’s formulated relation between anomy and high suicide rates demonstrates the extent to which modern society constrains us. If the release from influence is so huge that it forces individuals to take such extreme action as death, then it would appear that some restraint is beneficial and thus would be instinctively sought by civilized society. Stjepan G. Mestrovic in his book The Coming Fin de Siecle (1992) applies Durkheim’s anomie to the deregulation of the economy, and demonstrates demoralisation with particular focus on the economy and its infiltration into all spheres of social life. Both modernity and post-modernity have resulted in a reconstruction of society which is in accordance with purely economic interests. Durkheim was concerned with how this exposes society to extreme risks of anomie, as economic crises can therefore impact on all in society in one way or another. â€Å"Precisely because the economic functions today concern the greatest number of citizens†¦It follows that as that world is only feebly ruled by morality, the greatest part of their existence takes place outside the moral sphere† Mestrovic focused on how the news in the 1980s directly portrayed Durkheim’s observations that the economic anomie is a major cause of the public’s lack of moral standards, as it showed reports of a clear decline in business ethics. Durkheim had anticipated the postmodernist ‘success at any cost’ ethic due to society’s obsession with improving the economy and this was unfortunately demonstrated in a number of cases. The Stock Market crash of 1987 had severe effects of demoralisation. Lack of confidence joined with periods of unemployment, welfare dependency and a sense of panic resulted in a demoralised work force meaning that regaining credibility and public trust proved difficult. ‘The economic sphere of life’ previously came second to religious or political life, however now it is such a vast aspect of society it dominates all of social life and acts to alter the actions of individuals. Modern social institutions are now, according to Mestrovic, run as if they were businesses. A key example of this are modern churches, in previous eras churches were simple and sustained from donations and charitable contributions whereas now, Mestrovic exposes how they invest in stocks and hire secretaries to increase credibility and in some cases, profit. The fear is that the domination of the economy within all social institutions can lead to the influence of economic anomie throughout society. Durkheim highlighted that due to this social change, the infiltration of immorality will be more invasive and total. Mestrovic was particularly concerned with demoralisation as he highlighted the three most ‘pressing and controversial modern social problems’ as the lack of business ethics, the selfishness of the ‘me generation’ and the rise of hyper-individualism. The lack of morals which is associated with the cut-throat business world is now seeping into all of social life as the economy becomes increasingly dominant and powerful. To illustrate the way in which Durkheim’s economic anomie is infiltrating throughout modern society, Mestrovic drew on the events following the Stock Market crash of 1987. Firstly, bankruptcies were reported to be extremely high both before and after the Stock Market crash and it is evident that Durkheim stated that bankruptcies can be an indicator of anomie. And secondly, Durkheim stated that ‘When the price of the most necessary foods rise excessively, suicides generally do the same’ and just after the Stock Market crash there were surges in prices for wheat and corn, demonstrating the presence of anomie. Mestrovic concerned himself with the reasons why such mounting evidence of demoralisation have been ignored; he demonstrated that it was not only Durkheim who highlighted the infiltration of immorality from the economic sphere, major influential writings such as the critiques by Simmel in his Philosophy of Money and Marx’s analysis of capitalism demonstrate similar postulations. Mestrovic believed that such links have been ignored for ideological reasons. Post-modernity prevents the study of an idea which demonstrates the ‘instability of human desire-anomie’. The realization of such a concept in a post modern society could disrupt the bureaucratic system and the rationale on which it is based. However, is the business world as cut-throat as Mestrovic is implying? Modern day businesses are now centered on policies which enforce environmental responsibility, fairness towards employees and the provision of responsible services to customers. Ethics within the business world appear to be foremost on agendas, as implementing morale within a work force is vital to ensure the well-being of employees. Although the underlying element is still increasing efficiency and profit, employees are cared and provided for by benefits and services. A key objective for companies is to raise the morale of employees to inadvertently increase business status and profits. The question which arises here is whether morale has in fact taken the place of morality? (A point made by David Riesman in the 1950s). Ralph Fevre, in his book The Demoralisation of Western culture, is particularly concerned with what has taken the place of our ‘hollowed-out’ morality. Drawing on Riesman’s idea of the replacement of morale with morality, Fevre demonstrates how Riesman believed demoralisation had occurred as individuals relentlessly followed the crowd for guidance on values and discovering the ‘right way’ of doing things. Riesman perceived how individuals no longer exercise autonomy in decision-making. In relation to business, the replacement of morality with morale would be beneficial to a rational business system. Autonomy in choices could potentially lead to chaos and irrationally, which bureaucracy is compelled to avoid at all costs. By subjecting employees to a specified morale, limiting choices and moral consideration, order and efficiency can be achieved. Ralph Fevre provides an up-to-date consideration of the issues surrounding demoralisation, directly contemplating its influence on Western society. In his opinion, common sense is the form of reasoning which has led to our demoralisation and has taken the place of morality. Common sense is the ‘general level of knowledge which may be derived from a variety of sources’ but, Fevre, in addition to this, explains that common sense also has a ‘sense-making function’ which appeals to our confused state in relation to our limited access to morality. Emotions and religious feelings previously guided our actions, meaning that decisions were made from a basis of moral integrity. Now, common sense appears to be a more â€Å"reasonable† guide for our actions; ‘it is now established as the standard by which we believe we are required to explain ourselves. Emotions have become vacant because they are no longer considered to be a reliable basis for reasoning. Common sense, on the other hand, is in conjunction with our rational society as it relies on hard evidence, through senses and experience, to explain things. Common sense therefore demotes emotions to ‘useless sentiment which can simply be expressed but never acted upon’. In society’s adoption of common sense as our sole form of reasoning and in the disregard of emotions, morality ceases to exist in numerous aspects of our lives. Fevre therefore places the blame of demoralisation on our reliance on common sense in reasoning. Fevre holds that an individual’s application of rationality and reason is occurring in the wrong place and as a result demoralisation occurs . Through our experience of society, rationality does prove successful in business and in achieving certain aims. The richest people of the world are particularly aware of this, as it may be the rational processes and scrupulous efficiency that gained them their riches and status. It is not a coincidence therefore that a common conception of rich people is their unhappiness as a result of their ‘losing touch with fundamentals’. The perceived effectiveness of rationality seeps into all aspects of life, demoralizing all where it is applied- particularly in relation to personal relationships. Fevre demonstrates his argument by use of an example of a widespread dilemma concerning childcare; whether to continue working and pay for childcare, or to abandon work and stay at home to look after the children. If the dilemma is considered with reference to a cost-benefit calculation and treated as a purely economic decision, as opposed to being considered with the moral reference it deserves, then the application of rationality is inappropriate and morality is lost. Fevre accepts the difficultly of such a situation and that ‘whatever we decide, we are left with feelings of doubt and unease’ but he is demonstrating what demoralisation feels like as ‘in our hearts we know we have put our children into an instrumental calculation and weighed their worth’ Our most intimate, personal and moral decisions are now, in modern western society, being considered with the structure and processes used in the business world- as this is all we know. We strive for efficiency and rationality to such an extent that we no longer know how to apply morality and emotions to day to day decisions. Demoralisation is a negative consequence of the way our economy and our society has been built, but there are key positive consequences of our development. Efficiency and rationality has provided us with a strong and reliable structure which has enabled us to gain from a high standard of living. Profit provides us with money which is required for survival; giving us access to basic needs such as food, shelter and health provisions- therefore is profit really such a dishonorable term? From a negative viewpoint, profit motivation has lead to the exploitation of labour in developing countries as the western world seeks to cut expenses and gain access to cheap commodities and services- we utilize their poverty for our own interests. This is an example of severe demoralisation, as despite this fact of which we are all aware, we relentlessly continue to buy into such services for a more â€Å"reasonable† price to increase our own means. Profit is consistently sought after, however much we wish to prevent any exploitation; our economy has meant that exploitation has become inevitable. This demoralizes modern western society as a whole. In conclusion, demoralisation is a concept evident in many areas of society. Weber and Durkheim predicted the suspension of morality in a bureaucratic society and contemporary examples have demonstrated the truth of their insights- The key issue is whether it is a necessary evil, the unavoidable product of the way in which modern western society has been developed. The question posed to our society is whether morality can return. 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Health care reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health care reform - Research Paper Example In the film Sicko, by Michael Moore, he looked at the inequalities that exist between the United States healthcare systems in comparison to that in other countries. The way in which he showed his argument both in the interviews as well as his actions makes a compelling argument for the inadequacy of US healthcare. While universal healthcare and non-profit systems such as in Canada and Cuba are great, however the expenses come at a price to the people. It does point out the inequalities that exist in comparing the US to other nations. The biggest shocking fact was that 9/11 victims were not being treated adequately. As a result, they had to travel to another country in order to get the aid they needed. It is an inadequacy that we are medically treating criminals and enemies of the state for free, while our own people who either can or cannot afford medical insurance are forced to try to make due with the system that is already in place. The IOM paper was able to provide a good methodo logy for the development and re-establishment of the US healthcare system. It calls for reform not only in the way in which the healthcare system works, but also in which physicians, nurses, etc. should behave and work with citizens. The focus is on treating the patient not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. It also calls for making healthcare more easily accessible. The biggest flaw with the article in what is needed in order to promote the changes in both medical education and hospital regulation is the monetary budget that would be required. Even if a reform was able to be funded, it would take years to completely revolutionize the system. The idea and components are sound, some of which are easier to change than others. The biggest problem with the United States healthcare is the disparities, or the inequalities that exist. One of the largest things that is emphasized in the culture and business of the United States is social Darwinism. Those that can afford healthcare and those that cannot will suffer inequalities. The example was pointed out that those with low grade health insurances usually don’t get screened for illnesses such as cancers and diabetes. This then leads to the progression of the illness which by the time it is diagnosed, it already has a high probability of mortality rate. In addition, access to certain resources and physicians is also limited by socioeconomic status. The problem with our healthcare system is the inadequacy of addressing medical concerns on a high output level. Even though technology and medical science has been increasing, there are still problems in the medical sector. Part of the problem is the training that is being received in medical school, nursing school etc. So much is put into technology and medication that the patient/doctor relationship is almost non-existent. In addition, empathy isn’t always shown to patients especially those who suffer from dehabilitating illnesses. The ci vil population also always has to deal with high insurance premiums because the price of medical treatment and medicines has increased. It is also because the malpractice insurance has also risen as a result of doctors being sued for improper medical treatment. The idea of socialized and universal healthcare is great in theory and in some societies such as Canada and Cuba, it may be possible. However, the

Cognitive week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cognitive week 5 - Essay Example The trace decay theory and the interference theory aim to explain the implications that result from trying to remember or recall memories; these implications being forgetting or distortion of memory which result in causing false memories in an individual. However when we look at the case by Loftus and Polage (1999) on eyewitness testimony we can see how shortly after viewing the video clips the participants answer’s to basic questions regarding what they had seen were inaccurate and false. This leads us to deduce that false memory problem can be a result of short term memory too. In court cases, mostly in 1983 to 1998, false memory in terms of claimed recovered memory of witnesses and victims had been readily accepted by the courts with convictions being solely on the reliability of these recovered memories. However it is clearer now that these alleged recovered memories have been tampered with mostly by therapists of these witnesses and can be hence be false in nature limitin g their reliability in court. For example a woman accused Dr. Thompson, a memory expert, to have raped her. However the doctor was doing a live interview just before the woman’s rape occurred. It was later discovered during a counseling session the woman’s recollection of the event had become confused and she had simply seen the doctor on television before the assault had taken place; a recollection that had been a result of a false memory (Sachter, 1996). Therefore highlighting the huge role false memory plays in the recollections by witnesses which can lead to false or inaccurate convictions if relied on solely. References Loftus, F. & Polage, D. C. (1999). Eyewitness Testimony. Psychiatric clinics of North America. 22, 61-70. Schacter, D.L. (1996). Searching for Memory - the brain, the mind, and the past. New York: Basic

Organizations and Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizations and Behavior - Essay Example However dealing with how organizations behave, it is necessary to see how the concept of leadership is in an organization. Leadership is all about the needs of the individuals of an organization. Leadership styles are mostly related to the situation in hand. They are used by considering the requirements of people involved and the particular challenges that the organization is facing. There are apparently six different leadership styles or approaches (Kotter and Cohen, 2002, p124). The first one is Visionary. This style is needed when an organization is looking for a new direction and its aim is to move people towards a new goal. Second one is coaching. This style deals with the development of individuals and showing how they can improve their performance and connects their aims to the aims of the organization. Coaching is best for organizations in which the workers who are initiative and want more professional development (Hatch, 2006, p19). Thirdly there is the Affiliate style. This style talks about team work and how a good connection between groups is important. This approach is important in improving and increasing team harmony and morale and improving communication or repairing any type of broken trusts within an organization. However too much praise can lead to poor performance as well. The fourth one is the Democratic style. This style deals with people’s knowledge and skills and introduces a commitment towards goals. However this style will fail in times of crises and in times of urgent decisions. The fifth style is Pacesetting. This style deals with the high standards of performance. The leaders want a perfect work and better and faster things. This style fails in if used too much hence it should be used sparingly. The final and sixth style is Commanding style. This style is also known as the military model. This is the most often used one but the least effective though. It deals with less praise and more criticism; it

Anishinaabe Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Anishinaabe Literature - Essay Example The Anishinaabeg people of the United States consist of the Nipissing/Algonquin, Ojibwa, Sauleteaux, Chippewa, Odawa, Mississaugas, Oji-Cree and Potawatomi. These communities have basically inhabited the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S. as noted above, the myths of the Anishinaabe are great facilitating the way forward in upholding an identity which is distinct. Notably, the Anishinaabe stories are not only sacred but also wide ranging. The way these stories are told is also funny and humorous- an element which is shared in all stories. A good example of these stories is the myth about the history of the Anishinaabeg (Pheasant 1). According to this myth, Gizhemanidoo, in the very beginning created the universe, including the creation of the Grandfather Sun, Grandmother Moon, Father Sky and Mother Earth. He is also believed to have created all the things on earth- both the living and the non-living. It is after he had created all that is on the surface of the earth, in the se as and in the sky that Gizhemanidoo created the four seasons. According to the Anishinaabeg, these seasons were geared towards bringing both balance and harmony to all. Besides, these people held these seasons to be one of the greatest mysteries to have ever existed (Cavender 8). The man was later created after all other creations. Gizhemanidoo appeared to the first Anishinaabe in a dream- where he (Gizhemanidoo) instructed the first Anishinaabe to give names to all other creature according to the language given to him. This story brings us to the knowledge that the first Anishinaabe gave names to all insects, animals, fish and bird. On completing the work, he made it known to the Gizhemanidoo that he had accomplished all that he was to do through a dream. It is after this that he was given the name Nanabozho (Sugarhead 6). Markedly, storytellinf among the Anishinaabeg remains to be a means through which members of the indigenous communities get to be taught and learn. In the manner in which these stories are being told, it is crystal clear that the cultural processes present in the society are being emphasized. The same stories are actually being used as cultural dimensions of the old to present the past, thus facilitating the viewing of life history as part and parcel of the principal contributory explanations of cultural processes instead of simply making illustrations or even augmenting ethnographic descriptions.

Transformational Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words - 1

Transformational Leadership - Essay Example Based at Fort George, the Black Watch is the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) (Arm 2011). Serving the Black Watch as a Company Sergeant Major, I handle a total of 120 soldiers under my command. To become successful in each of the military mission, the Army as a group needs good leadership. Considering my role and responsibilities as Company Sergeant Major, this report will focus on applying leadership theories, principles and techniques in my chosen profession. Prior to the conclusion, factors that make a good leader will be thoroughly discussed. Unlike the role of managers who are managing business organizations, leadership in the military is not about organizational hierarchy, top-down management, or even the use of positional or authoritative power in terms of controlling a group of soldiers. Likewise, it is a myth that military officers within the army are all about following the chain of command since soldiers who are in the military service treat one another as members of a large family. Even though effective commanders are expected to possess command skills and practice good leadership, the true concept of leadership is not about commanding a group of soldiers who are under the control of the commanders Yukl (2002, p. 2) defined leadership as â€Å"a process whereby intentional influence is exerted by one person over other people to guide, structure, and facilitate activities and relationships in a group or organization†. On the other hand, McNamara (2008) defined leadership as â€Å"a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent†. In relation to these definitions, Taylor, Rosenbach, and Rosenbach (2009, p. 1) explained that effective leadership â€Å"is all about getting people to work together to make things happen that might not otherwise occur or to prevent things from happening that would ordinarily take place†. It simply means that effective military leaders include those individuals who are capable not only in influencing other soldiers to strictly follow what is being commanded to them but also motivate, inspire and empower a group of soldiers as uniq ue individuals under my guidance.

Anishinaabe Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Anishinaabe Literature - Essay Example The Anishinaabeg people of the United States consist of the Nipissing/Algonquin, Ojibwa, Sauleteaux, Chippewa, Odawa, Mississaugas, Oji-Cree and Potawatomi. These communities have basically inhabited the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S. as noted above, the myths of the Anishinaabe are great facilitating the way forward in upholding an identity which is distinct. Notably, the Anishinaabe stories are not only sacred but also wide ranging. The way these stories are told is also funny and humorous- an element which is shared in all stories. A good example of these stories is the myth about the history of the Anishinaabeg (Pheasant 1). According to this myth, Gizhemanidoo, in the very beginning created the universe, including the creation of the Grandfather Sun, Grandmother Moon, Father Sky and Mother Earth. He is also believed to have created all the things on earth- both the living and the non-living. It is after he had created all that is on the surface of the earth, in the se as and in the sky that Gizhemanidoo created the four seasons. According to the Anishinaabeg, these seasons were geared towards bringing both balance and harmony to all. Besides, these people held these seasons to be one of the greatest mysteries to have ever existed (Cavender 8). The man was later created after all other creations. Gizhemanidoo appeared to the first Anishinaabe in a dream- where he (Gizhemanidoo) instructed the first Anishinaabe to give names to all other creature according to the language given to him. This story brings us to the knowledge that the first Anishinaabe gave names to all insects, animals, fish and bird. On completing the work, he made it known to the Gizhemanidoo that he had accomplished all that he was to do through a dream. It is after this that he was given the name Nanabozho (Sugarhead 6). Markedly, storytellinf among the Anishinaabeg remains to be a means through which members of the indigenous communities get to be taught and learn. In the manner in which these stories are being told, it is crystal clear that the cultural processes present in the society are being emphasized. The same stories are actually being used as cultural dimensions of the old to present the past, thus facilitating the viewing of life history as part and parcel of the principal contributory explanations of cultural processes instead of simply making illustrations or even augmenting ethnographic descriptions.

Intelligent Design Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intelligent Design Philosophy - Essay Example Moreover, the principle of separation of state and the Church has precluded its teaching in schools. Nonetheless, creationism never really disappeared especially for those who remained to abide by the principles of Christian fundamentalism. Today, creationism takes a different shape, a shape that promises to be more scientifically in sync by underscoring empirical evidence rather than the idea of a Divine Being to explain its thesis. The concept of intelligent design emerged in the latter part of the 20th century and was founded by experts in various scientific fields. The arguments underpinning this concept attempt to point out the inability of the Darwinian evolution to explain certain phenomena. The arguments underlying the intelligent design concept are discussed in the preceding paragraphs as well as the counter-arguments of those who opposed them. Background: History of Intelligent Design The intelligent design movement is assailed as being rooted in Christian fundamentalism, a religious movement that originated in the United States and was sparked by the rise of Christian modernism in Europe in the late 19th century. The fundamentalist came out with a series of 12 booklets called collectively The Fundamentals: The Testimony of the Truth that attacked, among others, Darwin’s theory of evolution (Flank 17-21). Darwin’s Origin of Species, which was published in 1859, began to be taught in US schools and the fundamentalists vehemently fought this. Christian fundamentalist, however, declined after the Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 where legal luminary Clarence Darrow acted as counsel in a test case that breached a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution. In this case, the fundamentalists were depicted as â€Å"uneducated hicks and backwoods country bumpkins† (Flank 21-24). In 1987, however, the final blow was dealt to creation science when the US SC itself invalidated an Arkansas law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in the case of Ed wards v Aguillard 482 US 578 (1987) (Young & Edis 2-3). With the death of creation science, intelligent design took its place as a theory that was foist to foil Darwin’s evolution. Conceived in the 1980s, it was the brainchild of some Christian intellectuals such as Phillip Johnson, who wrote Darwin on Trial, Michael Behe, a biochemist, and William Debski, a mathematician and philosopher, among others. Johnson subsequently established the right-wing think tank Center for Science and Culture and published a new book called The Wedge of Truth after the group’s wedge strategy, which has purportedly the overthrow of materialism as its goal. The strategy consists of the publication of books and technical and scientific materials within a span of five years to be incorporated into the public school system as well as to drum up support from their â€Å"natural constituency, namely, Christians† (Young and Edis 3). Intelligent Design: The Concept Intelligence design is a n origin-of-life theory that opposes the natural selection essence of evolution. Thus, this concept subscribes to the idea that there must be a grand ‘designer’ out there who directs the development of life because life and the universe are too complex to have merely come on their own without any entity or being guiding them. This theory directly conflicts with Darwin’

Nature of globalization Essay Example for Free

Nature of globalization Essay Globalization is a term used to explain the new era just like we learn about different periods such as stone age. It entails that people around the world are more connected to one another than ever before in terms of †¢ Information flow through sophisticated means unlike in early ages where messengers and drum beating was used for communication. †¢ Money transfers and goods transportation is quicker and efficient all over the world. Goods and services produced in one part of the world are necessarily available in all parts of the world. †¢ International travel is more convenient and faster than ever. (Martin, 2004) All this changes have been as a result of advance in technology, basically the computer. This is what has enabled globalization. Globalization can be found in five different areas; economic, cultural, political, religious and social systems. Globalization therefore, can be understood as the tendency or the process of businesses, technologies or philosophies to spread throughout the world. Nature of globalization Globalization is something that is very new in the world. For the last 30 years, there was no much discoveries in computer technology although there were computers and they were only used in the developed countries. This is why we cannot say there was globalization since globalization simply means making the world a â€Å"global village† in that every information and services are available and accessible to all the people around the globe just as it is in a small village. The idea of globalization has made it possible to harmonize the cultures of people all over the world. That is because people are able to carry out businesses across boundaries without traveling, using different currencies, making instant payment and in developed countries they use a common currency for example the Euro that is used all over Europe and the US dollar that is used by many countries. It is possible therefore, that the whole world will in future be using one common currency. This is what is referred to as economic globalization. According to Sachs (2005) technology in information has made transfer of information and especially educational information to be available across the globe. This is what has brought the idea of e-learning through the Internet. The changes in culture of the people is being felt especially in the African societies which had very stronghold in their traditions but today this has little or no influence on peoples ways of life especially in the young generation, for example changes in sexual inequality. This is as a result of globalization, people copy the lifestyles or cultures of others from the developed countries due to interaction, travels and high speed information transfer. For this same reason people are able to change their religious believes because the gospel has taken a new line, i. e. it is global reaching every corner of the globe. Conclusion When we talk of globalization we definitely have to think about the major participants in this idea. The United States dominates in this global traffic in information and ideas. (www. globalpolicy. org) The American music, movies, television and software’s are so dominant , so sought after by everybody and so visible that they are now available in every corner of the earth, including the developing countries in sub-Sahara Africa. References Raskin. P. T(2002), The Great Transition Boston Tellus Institute p31-42. Alex MacGillirray (2006) A Brief History of Globalization. New York. p122-127. Sachs,T. (2005), The end Poverty New York p 13-23 Martin, W. (2004), why globalization works, New York: Yale University Press, pg 210-235 Global policies, Available from, www. globalpolicy. org (Retrieved December 14, 2007) What is globalization, Available from, www. globalisation101. org (Retrieved December 14, 2007)