Organizational Culture and Incentives at Lincoln Electric free essay sample

1. Introduction: An overview of the case study Lincoln Electric is a leading manufacturer of welding products, welding equipment, and electric motors, with more than US$1 billion in sales and 6,000 workers worldwide. Although now publicly traded, members of the Lincoln family still own more than 60 percent of the stock. Lincoln Electric’s tradition of innovative solutions, technological leadership and commitment to customers, employees, and shareholders stems from the vision of its founder, John C. Lincoln and his brother, James F. Lincoln. Lincoln Electric has a very successful management system that other businesses benchmark their own systems by it. For years, other companies have tried to figure out how management coaxes maximum productivity and quality from its workers, even during difficult financial times. The Lincoln system succeeds largely because of an organizational culture based on openness and trust, shared control, and an egalitarian spirit. Although the line between managers and workers is firmly drawn, managers respect the expertise of production workers and value their contributions to many aspects of the business. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Culture and Incentives at Lincoln Electric or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The company has an open-door policy for all top executives, middle managers, and production workers, and regular face-to-face communication is encouraged. Lincolns system worked so well in the US that management decided to extend it overseas. Lincoln built or purchased 11 plants in Japan, South America, and Europe with plans to run the plants from the US using Lincolns expertise with management control systems. Managers saw the opportunity to beat local competition by applying manufacturing control incentive systems to reduce costs and raise production. The results were abysmal and nearly sunk the company. Production and financial goals were not met. The huge losses in the international plants meant that the company would have to borrow money to pay US workers bonuses, or forego bonuses, for the first time, in Lincoln history. Management wondered whether the Lincoln Management System could be transferred to other countries. 2. S. W. O. T Analysis Strength Organizational Culture Everybody in company treated Equally whereby there is no special car parking area for managers and top management executives ,everybody will use the same cafeteria for breakfast or lunch and lastly they practicing open-door policy in the organization Any GAINS in Productivity will be shared with Consumers low Price Employee Higher Pay Shareholders- High Dividend Incentive Scheme Pay according to number pieces produced and enable the workers to gain more wages than the other welding company workers throughout the United states. In addition, these incentives system indirectly heightened the sense of ownership among the plant workers and it’s encouraging them to produce more quality product within the timeframe. Lincoln main strength is Lowest cost structure and High level of productivity strategy Weakness Long working Hours According to the labor law in US or any other countries ,the acceptable working hours for manufacturing company workers is (35 hours per week ) whereas Lincoln electric practicing (43-58 hours per week ). No Base salary when there is no base salary, most of the workers will feel uncomfortable to work in that kind of organization. For instance, if the worker couldn’t work for 43 to 58 hours per week, he or she might low wage than others and how that person would manage the cost of living in United States with that low wage. Opportunity It was told by foreign distributor that American equipment will not sell good in Europe So instead company decides to set up the Wholly owned subsidiaries and acquisition to make the Equipment locally to capture the international market. E. g. Lincoln acquired 7 manufacturer in Europe and Mexico It takes 2 years to implement or change the entire company workers to follow and adopt the Lincoln organization culture and incentives system in Mexico. Threats Political In many Europe and Asian countries the government considered piecework as Exploitative compensation system which force employers to work harder, therefore in Germany the strategy doesn’t work well. Society As stated in weakness part, the long working hours became threat when Lincoln implement the strategy in Other countries because it is not acceptable since labor law limit the working hours 35 hours per week Technical Managers have no experience of work outside US and the local managers also felt reluctant to implement the culture of Lincoln in the Unit. Legal Due to many lawsuit against the organizational culture and incentive systems of Lincoln ‘s foreign acquired companies 3. Case Discussion Questions 1. What is the source of Lincoln’s long-standing competitive advantage in the United States market for arc welding equipment? Lincoln’s Electric long-standing competitive advantage in the United State market achieved by a high productivity rate per worker and this company success had been on extremely high level of employee productivity. Lincoln’s Electric apply incentive scheme based on piecework. The workers receive no based salary but depend on the number of pieces they produce. The piecework rates at the company enable an employee working at a normal pace to earn an income equivalent to the average rage for manufacturing worker in the area where the factory is based. A company faces a quality aspect when it comes to incentive scheme based on piecework. But at Lincoln Electric’s the worker must repair or paid back any piecework that have defect. It means the workers must be responsible for their outputs. The work culture in Lincoln Electric’s is one of the attributor. The company had a strong respect for the ability of the individual. Moreover, in this company, they practicing open-door policy whereby the communication barriers between ‘workers’ and ‘managers’ were eliminated. All workers are treated equally despite of their position. Since 1934, production workers have been awarded a semiannual bonus based on merit ratings. These rating are based on; Objective criteria; example: employee’s level and quality of output. Subjective criteria; example: employee’s attitude toward cooperation and his or her dependability. This semiannual bonus motivates workers to perform better and work harder, resulting boost in productivity. Despite high employee compensation, the worker so productive than Lincoln has a lower cost than its competitors. 2. Why did Lincoln enter foreign markets through acquisitions and Greenfield ventures, rather than through exporting? The Lincoln Electric’s did consider expanding into international market by exporting, but was told by foreign distributor that American equipment would not sell well in Europe. So instead the company decides to set up wholly owned subsidiaries and acquisitions to make the equipment locally. Through acquisition, it was a quick way to execute. The company can rapidly build its presence in this targeted foreign market. Lincoln acquired seven arc welding manufacturers in Europe and one in Mexico. This move is the quickest way to make the equipment locally and introduce their product to the local market. Acquisition may be less risky because acquisition provides a set of assets that are producing a known revenue and profit stream. It also acquires valuable information such as manager’s knowledge about the local market environment. Greenfield ventures gives the company a much greater ability to built the kind of subsidiary company that it wants. The backbone of Lincoln Electric’s success lies in its strong organization culture and a unique set of incentives. Thus, by applying Greenfield ventures can be much easier for Lincoln to build that organization. It is to change the culture of an acquired unit 3. Why did Lincoln’s foreign ventures fail to deliver the gains forecast? The Lincoln may have overlooked the organizations cultural differences when the company decided to acquire the seven arc welding manufacturers in Europe and one in Mexico. When the company acquires these arc welding manufacturers, Lincoln left local managers in place, believing that they knew local conditions better. But there have been told to imply Lincoln’s strong organizational culture and introduce its incentive system in acquired companies. Local managers had little working knowledge about Lincoln’s organizational culture and were unable or unwilling to impose that culture on their unit, which had their own long-established organizational culture. The incentive system or work pieces were a problem to imply to it’s newly acquiring companies. The piecework was viewed as an exploitive compensation system that forces employees to work harder in other countries. The strong organizational culture and the incentive system were the main reason why Lincoln Electric’s stand up upon other competitors. If these two elements cannot be imply or used in their newly acquire companies, this must be the reason why Lincoln’s foreign ventures fail to deliver the gain forecasted. 4. In retrospect, what might Lincoln have done differently to avoid the financial crisis it found itself in? Before investing to a foreign country, Lincoln must first in vestige the foreign countries law relating to worker and working conditions. Also the company must know the foreign culture; it might be organizational culture or life culture itself. Then decide what entry made is the most suitable for the company. When it comes to Lincoln Electrical, where strong organizational culture and incentive system were the backbone of it success, the most possible entry mode is through Greenfield. Greenfield ventures give a much greater ability to build the kind of subsidiary company that it wants. Lincoln can introduce it organizational culture and incentive systems without a clash with another culture or system. While this strategy takes more time to execute, it yields greater long-run returns than the acquisition strategy. 5. What lessons can be gleaned from the Mexican venture? International managers should understand better about the foreign culture that the company wants to invest in. Before foreign instruments are made, the company must understand fully about its culture and laws. The local managers should be train or paid a visit to the successful factories in the America. They should be taught about the culture and the incentive system. Then the managers can imply these to the factories in their own country. The culture can change slowly if truly it is a good culture. Worker can accept it if it more beneficial to them. The incentives systems are proven to make the worker more productive and make the worker earn more. 4. Recommendation There are three ways to solve the company’s current on whether to expand Lincoln business into international market or not such as Human Resources Management, Culture and Policy and Communication . Based on the case study, through Human resources management, could bring an end to this issue whereby recruit foreign talents into US headquarters to adopt the culture and once they feel confident, they will be transfer to their home country to oversee the Lincoln’s acquired companies. Moreover, HRM should recruit more degree holder so that could balance between experienced based managers and knowledge based managers in the organization in order to avoid the agency problem. Apart from that, training is also plays vital role to overcome the lack of international business knowledge of fresh graduates who hired as managers. Nevertheless, Lincoln’s management should create new department called ‘culture and policy ‘ in headquarters and also in acquired companies around Europe and Asia countries. This department main objective should be on understanding the culture, behavior, law, politics intervention, economy, labor law policies and also the market research about a country where Lincoln prefer or desire to expand the business. Last but not least, communication also an important factor for international business whereby create new channel among the branches and offices in order to update the current situation in the acquired companies, if they found anything goes wrong ,the US headquarters would take immediate action it. Higher the foreign talents and local talents hired, more will be the solution, ideas, suggestion and strategies will be introduce, therefore, it will be easier for Lincoln to expand the business into international market and will sustain for longer term.

Definition of the Pendleton Act - 19th Century History

Definition of the Pendleton Act - 19th Century History The Pendleton Act was a law passed by Congress, and signed by President Chester A. Arthur in January 1883, which reformed the federal government’s civil service system. A persistent problem, going back to the earliest days of the United States, had been the dispensing of federal jobs. Thomas Jefferson, in the earliest years of the 19th century, replaced some Federalists, who had attained their government jobs during the administrations of George Washington and John Adams, with people more closely aligned to his own  political views. Such replacements of government officials increasingly became standard practice under what became known as the Spoils System. In the era of Andrew Jackson, jobs in the federal government were routinely given to political supporters. And changes in administration could bring about widespread changes in federal personnel. This  system of political patronage became entrenched, and as the government grew, the practice eventually became a major problem. By the time of the Civil War, it was widely accepted that work for a political party entitled someone to a job on the public payroll. And there were often widespread reports of bribes being given to obtain jobs, and jobs being awarded to friends of politicians essentially as indirect bribes. President Abraham Lincoln routinely complained about office seekers who made demands on his time. A movement to reform the system of dispensing jobs began in the years following the Civil War, and some progress was made in the 1870s. However, the 1881 assassination of President James Garfield by a frustrated office seeker put the entire system into the spotlight and intensified calls for reform. Drafting of the Pendleton Act The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act was named for its primary sponsor, Senator George Pendleton, a Democrat from Ohio. But it was primarily written by a noted attorney and crusader for civil service reform, Dorman Bridgman Eaton (1823-1899). During the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, Eaton had been the head of the first civil service commission, which was intended to curb abuses and regulate the civil service. But the commission was not very effective. And when Congress cut off its funds in 1875, after only a few years of operation, its purpose was thwarted. In the 1870s Eaton had visited Britain and studied its civil service system. He returned to America and published a book about the British system which argued that Americans adopt many of the same practices. Garfield’s Assassination and Its Influence on the Law Presidents for decades had been annoyed by office-seekers. For instance, so many people looking for government jobs visited the White House during the administration of Abraham Lincoln that he built a special hallway he could use to avoid encountering them. And there are many stories about Lincoln complaining that he had to spend so much of his time, even at the height of the Civil War, dealing with people who traveled to Washington specifically to lobby for jobs. The situation got far more serious in 1881, when newly inaugurated President James Garfield was stalked by Charles Guiteau, who had been rebuffed after aggressively seeking a government job. Guiteau had even been ejected from the White House at one point when his attempts to lobby Garfield for a job became too aggressive. Guiteau, who appeared to suffer from mental illness, eventually approached Garfield in a Washington train station. He pulled out a revolver and shot the president in the back. The shooting of Garfield, which would eventually prove fatal, shocked the nation, of course. It was the second time in 20 years that a president had been murdered. And what seemed particularly outrageous was the idea that Guiteau had been motivated, at least in part, by his frustration at not obtaining a coveted job through the patronage system. The idea that the federal government had to eliminate the nuisance, and potential danger, of political office-seekers became an urgent matter. The Civil Service Reformed Proposals such as those put forward by Dorman Eaton were suddenly taken much more seriously. Under Eaton’s proposals, the civil service would award jobs based on merit examinations, and a civil service commission would oversee the process. The new law, essentially as drafted by Eaton, passed the Congress and was signed by President Chester Alan Arthur on January 16, 1883. Arthur appointed Eaton as the first chairman of the three-man Civil Service Commission, and he served in that post until he resigned in 1886. One unexpected feature of the new law was President Arthurs involvement with it. Prior to running for vice president on the ticket with Garfield in 1880, Arthur had never run for public office. Yet he had held political jobs for decades, obtained through the patronage system in his native New York. So a product of the patronage system took a major role in seeking to end it. The role played by Dorman Eaton was highly unusual: he was an advocate for civil service reform, drafted the law pertaining to it, and was ultimately given the job of seeing to its enforcement. The new law originally affected about 10 percent of the federal workforce, and had no impact on state and local offices. But over time the Pendleton Act, as it became known, was expanded a number of times to cover more federal workers. And the success of the measure at the federal level also inspired reforms by state and city governments.

Leadership discussion broad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Leadership discussion broad - Essay Example On the other hand, firms which are stuck in the middle of the two strategies make the lowest returns because they can neither build their image of the product of products or services of the highest quality or distinct features consistently nor that of a cost effective provider consistently. A cost leader selects product differentiation at a low to moderate level. Differentiation incurs more cost as more resources are required to be spent in making the product unique. Therefore, a cost leader goes for differentiation which is not markedly inferior to its competitors competing through differentiation, but is achievable at a low cost. A cost leader does not add a unique feature until it is wanted by the customers or it has been done by the competitors (Hill and Jones, 2008, p. 121). A cost leader attracts the customers by charging them a lower price compared to what they are charged by the competitors, but this tendency to charge the lower price is jeopardized when the cost leader also tries to become a differentiator. Consequently, revenues are

Corporate social responsibility in the global business community Assignment

Corporate social responsibility in the global business community - Assignment Example Also, it changes the business entrepreneurs perception towards business and society. Today, business is not just about profits, but it is more about profit sharing with society and employees (Kiran & Sharma, 2011). The majority of the world-renowned firms and organizations, for instance, the world bank, as well as European Commissions are mostly actively promoting and supporting the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. However, Modern corporations attempt to put significant focus on the politics, economy, and the society of a country (Baxi, 2006). Perhaps, the developing nations are supposed to focus more on the Corporate Social Responsibility implementation and from the planning process. In addition, they can form alternatives to lifting the development of the social sector, and a suggested way is to develop viably and strategized public-private partnerships. Currently, the greatest challenge for most governments is on how to create Corporate Social Responsibility practices policies aa well as nurture a framework that is durable and would assist society and companies to translate the public policies to deliverables (Kiran & Sharma, 2011). Therefore, the paper focuses on defining CSR, identifying a global business that implements a CSR strategy, explain why, how, and where the global market they implement their strategy. The overall objective of the paper is to get a better understanding of how and why global companies are becoming more responsible. The paper also include the interpretation and conclusion. Nestle is one of the global renowned and largest, beverage and food companies. Nestle is a very old organization that started its activities almost 130 years ago. Its key success is innovations of its product. Alongside with its innovative capabilities, its brand business acquisitions that have made it be the large food firm all over the world. However, with time the passing, the Nestle company has swiftly grown and penetrated into the production of

Atomic force microscopy Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Atomic force microscopy - Lab Report Example The material to be scanned is placed below the tip, as the tip moves across the surface it is attracted or repelled by different forces, the atomic deflection from rest is recorded and an imaging software is used to process the results. The results normally appears as a topographical image of the surface imaged2. Different imaging techniques are used to picture the surface or for different surface analysis, they include the contact mode, non-contact mode and tapping mode. With assistance from specialized software, Atomic Force Microscope can be used to measure characteristics of material surface that other types of microscope cannot image. This method is whereby the tip gets into contact with the surface being scanned, it is the most common mode used in atomic force scanning. The tip have a repulsive force coefficient of 9N. As the tip moves over the surface, the deflection of the cantilever generated is fed to a DC amplifier system, which verifies it and tries to much it with the desired. If the magnitude of deflections is different from the required one, the feedback amplifier system increases the voltage supply to the piezoelectric positioning system to raise or lower the material surface relative to the tip until the desired voltage is achieved3. The measure of voltage supplied to the piezoelectric positioning system gives the degree of roughness and surface features of the material. This is displayed laterally to the position of the sample. The main problem with the contact mode is the application disproportionate force to the sample by the probe leading destruction of the sample surface; this can be minimized by reducing the amount of force applied by the probe. However, there are limits to the minimum force that the operator can apply during scanning in ambient conditions. Ambient conditions possess some challenges to AFS since a thin layer of about 30 monolayers made up of

Poverty and Crime Correllation

Poverty and Crime Correllation America is experiencing poverty at an increasing rate in terms of the number of children in poverty and the intensity of poverty. There are approximately 15.3 million U.S. Children living in households defined as falling below the poverty line (Duncan, 1998), and they are increasingly concentrated in impoverished and underclass neighborhood (Greenwood, 1995). One-third of all children experience poverty in at least one year of their life and only one in twenty experiences ten or more years of poverty. Poverty has become a major concern in the United States because of the effects it has on the youth in our society. Many young children are faced with lack of food, inadequate living conditions, and lack of parental guidance. Strains are placed on children living in poverty as young as the age of seven. Children living in poverty generally isolated from mainstream society, dont have access to community organizations, poor schools, low self-esteem, depression, behavioral problems in school, and engage in delinquent activities. Delinquency among the poor has been studied over the years to see if there is a relationship between delinquency and poverty. Theories have suggested the link between delinquency and poverty is due to unemployment, family disruption, lack of education, marital disruption, female- headed households, teenage pregnancy, isolation of poorer neighborhoods, lack of role models in the communities, less supervised youth programs, and no formal community networks to deter potential criminal (Anderson, 1993; Hannerz, 1968; Liebow, 1967, Rainwater 1970, Sullivan, 1993, Sutles, 1968). The link between poverty and crime is diverse (Jargowsky and Bane, 1991). The reasons why people who are living in poverty commit criminal acts vary from crime being the only opportunity to achieve a higher level of socioeconomic status to enhance financial ability. People of all class commit crime for different reasons, but it has been proven over the years by different researchers that people living in poverty commit more crime than any other class. This literature will focus on what is known about the poverty and delinquency, the gaps in this field, method used in this field, and current study in this field. Literature Review How Poverty is defined and measured? How poverty is defined and measures has attributed to different results in the study of poverty and crime. Poverty has been defined in several different ways. One definition of poverty is a situation in which a persons income is below 60% of the median income of a country. According to the Census Bureau, poverty is defined an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. The official poverty measurement was adopted in the last 1960s and it consisted of a set of thresholds for families of different sizes and composition that are compared to a resource measure to determine a family poverty status. The thresholds represent the cost of a minimum diet multiplied by three to allow for expenditures on other goods and services. This measurement of poverty had several weaknesses according to the National Research Council and the Panel on Poverty and Family. The official measurement did not take into consideration the expenses it takes to hold a job, and it does not reflect the effects of key government policies that alter the disposable income available to families (Citro and Michael, 1995). Alternatives approaches to measure to poverty thresholds were viewed by in 1995 by the Panel on Poverty and Family in regards to experimental poverty measures. For experimental purposes, poverty was measured by a dollar amount for food, clothing, shelter, and utilities, as well as a small amount for needs such as transportation expenses, expenses to maintain a household, and personal care. The panel developed a threshold designed for a family of four- a mother, a father, and two children. According to the panel, thresholds can be adjusted for the needs of families of different sizes and composition and geographic locations. Paul Jargowsky, one of the most well known researchers on poverty and crime, adopted only a small fraction of the official measure of poverty recommendations of the Panel of Poverty and Family. During his methodology for his many studies, he measured poverty by calculating a simple poverty score by determining the proportion of high poverty census tracks within a city during his several different studies. He believed that the cut off threshold was 40% of poor residents, and other researchers such as (Wilson, 1996) used 30% threshold to represent poverty. Data from the Census Bureau has also been used to measure poverty as well. The percentage in poverty is calculated as the percentage of the total population in the census that fall below the Social Security Administrations poverty line. Poverty definitions and measurement differ from researcher to researcher; therefore, results in research will vary depending on what definition and measure of poverty is adopted (Jargowsky and Bane, 1991; Rickets and Sawhill, 1988; Wilson, 1996). Why People living in Poverty Commit Crime People living in poverty commit crimes for several different reasons. Survival in the poverty stricken neighborhoods is one of the main reasons for criminal behavior. Often times, many people have to commit crimes such as robbery or burglary as a mean to have financial gain in order to feed themselves and their children or to be able to maintain their household expenses. People also commit crime because it is the norm to take the law into their own hands (Cooney, 1997). High poverty areas do not have the access to the local law enforcement as other areas normally have. Law enforcement is often viewed as not being helpful; therefore, we see many retaliatory crimes committed in these areas. Retaliatory violence in response to disrespect becomes a way to achieve status in the absence of other opportunities. People living in such neighborhoods believe that they have to take the law into their own hands because the local authorities have failed to protect them Kurban and Weitzer (2003). T he response time to such neighborhoods is much slower compared to neighborhoods in the suburbs, and everyone is viewed as a criminal when they may actually be a victim. Crime in poorer communities is a just a form of self help (Anderson, 1993). Many people living in poverty do not want to be living in poverty. In order to obtain a higher level of socioeconomic status, crime is seen as the only option (Wilson, 1987). Money that is made by committing crimes such as illegally selling crack cocaine, or another type of drug, or money that was obtain illegally is used to established some type of legal business establishment. Once the legal business is established, there is no longer a need to commit crime and this places the individual into another class. Crime is also committed to have fun or have something to do to occupy an individuals time (Agnew, 1992). Grand Theft Auto is one of those crimes that are committed to just have fun. Many people, especially, adolescents, commit this offense to joyride around the city. Many youth begin a life of crime because of their parents ineffective parental practices. Being poor and having children to provide for can lead to emotional distress. Parents are inconsistence with their children, forceful, and extremely harsh and the bond between parent and child is weaken (Sampson and Laub, 1994). When that bond weakens, children are more at risk for deviant behavior. Parents are also not involved with their childrens education as other parents in mainstream society. It has been proven that poor performance in school is associated with the onset of delinquency (Maguin and Loeber, 1996). School is often viewed as a place to go to fight and steal from classmates rather than a learning institution. Obtaining an education is not stressed by some parents to their children; therefore; their children never understand the importance of education. School is looked at as a place for fighting, bullying, stealing, and just a place to hang out. Poor children are not successful in school. They have been found to be deficient in reading and mathematical skills (Beebe, 1993). Rewards from the school environment are limited by the lack of school success, therefore, the risk for delinquency is increase and a life is crime behavior is developed (Mofitt, 1981). Growing up in an isolated poverty community, children are told they can not achieve high academics because of their living conditions. Many children are forced to withdraw from school because of attendance. Missing school on a daily basis is a norm in high poverty areas because children lack decent or proper clothing for different types of weather, the lack transportation. They may faced interrupted utility services and over crowdedness in the home they may hinder their ability to attend school and learn (Swain, 2006) Poverty and Delinquency (Isolation) . Poverty can be classified into three types which are persistent poverty, underclass poverty, and ghetto poverty (Wilson, 1996). Many studies have link poverty to geographic isolation and street crime as crime and violence (Anderson, 1999). High poverty areas are generally clustered together and are isolated from mainstream society. Jargowsky (1996) suggested that the loss of jobs in the poor neighborhoods, and the creation of managerial and professional jobs in the suburbs lead to economic segregation. Isolated neighborhoods are deprived of the basic needs that it needs to prevent problems such as violence and crime. Excellent schools, churches and reinforcements of morals and values that mainstream society lives are absent from the neighborhoods that are segregated (Jargowsky 1996). Segregation from mainstream society has limited people in high poverty areas to have contact with people in mainstream society. Due to the limited contact, poor people are not given the opportunity to see values and norms that the remaining of society bases their lives. People living in mainstream society base their life around obtaining the American Dream. They believe in college education, marriage, family, career, and home ownership. In poorer communities, these values and beliefs are irrelevant and replaced with norms that are appropriate for their environment (Wilson, 1987). As suggested, the norms for most poor people are some form of criminal behavior. Poor people tend to only associated themselves with others that are poor. This is mainly because they feel intimated by someone who has higher socioeconomic status, or someone who has a higher education level than themselves. They are most comfortable with someone who is receiving welfare or some form of assistance from the government. Seeing only criminal behavior and not being able to see mainstream societys behavior severely handicaps poor people. Behavior is learned; and if an individual is isolated and only see crime being committed within their communities, they will be more likely to commit crime. For the high poverty stricken areas, criminal behavior is spread throughout the community and thus creates a powerful predictor for delinquency (McDonough, 1992). Some members of the isolated would like to move to a more their families to a more affluent neighborhood to decrease the chances of their young children engaging in delinquency (Ludwig, 1998). Children will have more opportunities, better education, better job networks, and will be able to achieve the American Dream. Moving from a poor isolated community to a more affluent community can be difficult for some of the residents. Due to the isolation, they are often afraid and believe they are not intelligent enough, and fear they will be rejected by society because of their background. Poverty and Delinquency (Time and Persistence) People who are identified as poor do not have the same experience of poverty. The difference in the experience of poverty is based on its persistence and its timing (Franworth, 1994). Poverty early in a childs life and the longer a child lives in poverty are strong indicators of delinquency (Brooks-Gunn and Duncan, 1997). Many children are born into poverty and remain in poverty throughout their entire childhood. This type of poverty is known as persistent poverty. African Americans experience poverty longer than other ethnicity groups, and the elevated rate of delinquency among African Americans is contributed to lower socioeconomic status and urbanization (Hawkins, Laub, and Lauritsen, 1998). Recent studies confirm that exits from poverty are higher for household headed by white males and much lower for those headed by black females (Steven, 1994). A child living in persistent poverty faces a wide range of behavior problems that leads to delinquency. Some of these problems are school related issues such as fighting, humiliation, and anger. Duncan (1994) investigated the impact of persistent poverty on children who were five years old. The study indicated that the effects of short-term poverty are not as large as the effects on persistent poverty (Duncan et, al., 1994; 307). Delinquency is most prevalent in persistent poverty than short-term poverty. Poverty early in a childs life can be detrimental because it is then when shaping of a child is most important. If poverty is experienced later in a childs life, it can affect school attendance and possible it can be a factor in whether a child graduates from high school or not (Duncan, 1998). School is not a priority for an adolescent living in poverty; but rather, living conditions, survival, negative influences within the community, and any emotional issues that may arise within a child living in poverty. Previous Researchers Studies and Methods To determine the link between poverty and crime, determines what type of method is used. Ethnographic research is best used to examine the relationship between poverty and delinquency (Anderson, 1990; Jankowski, 1991; Sullivan, 1989; Williams and Kornblum, 1985). This type of study link other factors such as persistent unemployment, marital disruption, and female-headed household and teenage pregnancy to poverty and delinquency (Anderson, 1993). Ethnographic is best for capturing persistent poverty which is living in poverty for a period of eight years or longer (Duncan and Rogers, 1991). Although the best method, it would take at least a ten year longitudinal study which most researchers dont have the time to dedicate to such study. Individual analysis is the most convincing type of research, but provides the least support between poverty and crime (Jankowski, 1995, Tittle and Meier, 1990). Empirical research has also suggested that persistent poverty leads to crime (Currie, 1985; H agen and Peterson, 1995; Jencks, 1992; Krivo and Peterson, 1996; Sampson and Wilson, 1995). Researchers such as Coulton, Chow, Wang and Su (1996), Massey and Denton (1998), and Lee (2000) used at least one of the three measures while looking at poverty segregation in 100 metropolitan areas. The first measure used was the proportion of poor families living in the extreme poverty census track. The second measure was proportion of poor families living that would need to move to a different census track to achieve an equal distribution of poverty throughout the metropolitan area, and the last measure was the probability that poor families would encounter other poor families within their census track. These three measures are distant, but are empirically related (Coultron et al. (1996). To show the poverty by census track, Pittsburg (PA) and Cincinnati (OH) cities with near the same in population (334,563 verses 330,662) was used. Cincinnati had 31.2 % of its poor residents living in the census track in which 40% of the tract residents are poor in contrast to 22.5% in Pittsburg. It was suggested that poor residents living in Cincinnatis poverty ring are more geographically and socially isolated from non-poverty tracks that are resident s of Pittsburghs high poverty track. In 2000, 236 cities with a minimum population of 100,000 were used in a research that focused on the relationship between poverty clustering and crimes in the cities. For the purpose of the research, the Uniform Crime Reports and the Census of Population and Housing were the two data sources used. The Census of Population and Housing calculated the percent of residents on poverty in each census tract. This study used two tracks for the research; one track for 30% poor census track and one for contiguous 40% poor census tracks. The study took the median age of city residents because the crime rates are most likely be committed by younger residents (Baller, Messner, Deane, and Howkins, 2001; Cohenand Land, 1987). Other factors that were measured in this study were unemployment, African Americans, and female headed households. This study concluded that social isolation rather than deprivation contributed to the relationship of segregation and crime. Longitudinal data spanning over 14 years was used to measure the level of exposure to poverty and its timing and used to examine the relationship between poverty and delinquency. The sample population range in ages from 10 -15 years old and a face to face interview were conducted from 1979-1992. This study had an over representation of Hispanic and African- Americans disadvantage youths. The sampling in this study has several limitations. First limitation was the self-reporting of delinquency for the youth, and no one older than the age of 15 could participant in the study. This sample is not a national representation of all children living in poverty between the ages of 10-15. Exposure to poverty was measure by the number of years the youths family lived in poverty. The family income was measure by each year the family was below the poverty level, thus was the divided by the youths age to determine the percent the youth spent in poverty in his/her lifetime. The study also examined t he impact of poverty at different stages in life (Brooks-Gunn, 1997). Stages in a youth life were measured form birth to 5 years old, from 6 to 10 years old, and from 11 and older. The results of this study indicated that the extent that the level of exposure to poverty is important in the likelihood of delinquency. It also revealed that poverty had more effect on a child in the early years of development (Jarjoura and Triplett, 2002) Kurbin and Weitzer (2003) studied retaliatory homicides in St. Louis. They found that retaliatory homicides were more prevalent in disadvantage isolated communities. They took narratives from individuals who were involved in homicides and they confessed retaliation was associated with a mistrust of the police. Kurbin and Weizer (2003) concluded that disadvantage isolated communities suffer from policing vacuum and promotes cultural values to settle disputes among themselves. Kurbin and Weizer were not the only researchers that concluded that crime is way to settle disputes. Anderson (1999) and Wilson (1897) argued that poor people who are isolated developed a set of alternative norms in order to survive on the streets. Cooney (1997) also argued that poor people engage in more criminal behavior because the limited access to the law. To truly capture the relationship between poverty and crime, ethnographic research is the most productive type of study. A field researcher will have the opportunity to capture the lives of people living in poverty for an extended period of time. This type of research will provide the answers to why people living in poverty become delinquent and a researcher will understand the struggles and hardships poor people face. A researcher conducting ethnographic research will be able to explain in his findings the state of mind of someone living in poverty and clearly explain why criminal activity has become a way of life. Many different researchers have conducted research using different methods, but most of the researchers have concluded that there is a direct link between poverty and crime. It can be concluded from the various studies that people living in poverty commit greater amounts of crime than others not living in poverty. It can be concluded that the limited access to police is one of the reasons greater amounts of crime occur in poor communities. It can also be concluded that isolation plays a major role in criminal behavior among poor people. Previous study mainly focused on segregation and isolation. Current study has focused on spells and timing of poverty as it related to criminal behavior. Gaps in the Knowledge on Poverty and Delinquency One major gap is that there has not been a study to explore the interaction between overall poverty and concentrated poverty, even though there is some indication that poverty may indeed interact with its spatial concentration in predicting crime. An example of this is the research that was conducted by Sampson and his colleagues on neighborhood effects. Their findings were that social behavior is influenced not only by what happens in ones immediate neighborhood, but also by what happens in surrounding areas (Sampson, Raudenbush, 2001). The negative consequences of living in a poor neighborhood and living in non-poor neighborhood can spill over to surrounding communities, implying a possible interaction between poverty and its geographic distribution. The effect of poverty on crime may be higher in neighborhoods where poverty is spatially concentrated because poor residents in such areas are less likely to experience negative influences not only fro their own community but surroundi ng ones as well. Researchers can believe that poverty on criminal behavior may be somewhat mitigated when it is less spatially concentrated and potentially exacerbated when it is more concentrated. Another gap in the relationship between poverty and crime is criminological investigations. Nor do criminological researchers draw upon the vast literature that now exists on poverty in America to inform their analyses of delinquency. It is not shown that there are considerable differences among the poor by the level of exposure. Understanding the importance of distinguishing the poor by level of exposure begins with recognition that there is a dual nature of poverty in America (Bane and Ellwood, 1986). The concept of a dual nature to poverty refers to the fact that while there are substantial numbers of people living in persistent, long-term poverty, many people, including children, experience only short-term poverty. There is a need to pay more attention to the measures of poverty that that is used and to understand just who is captured by the measures. What is missing in most studies of poverty and delinquency is data on more than one year in the life of the subject. Debate on the Subject There has been some debate over the relative roles of concentrated disadvantage and segregation in explaining violence (Sampson and Wilson, 1995). Researchers are at odds with whether or not it is isolated African American communities or race related factors that explain higher crime in those communities. Massey and Denton (1993) believe that segregation is more important than race related factors. In previous studies, it was shown that overall poverty and isolated poverty affected whites, but only the overall poverty affected American Americans (Pruitt, 2000). The most difficult part of the debate is the importance of isolated poverty verses the importance of racial segregation is that isolation poverty is related to African American and isolated poverty among whites is rare (Krivo and Peterson, 1996, Kasarda, 1993). Researchers have conducted several studies to try an overcome this debate. Krivo and Peterson (1996) analyzed the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and ind ex street crime in Columbus, Ohio with some white neighborhoods experiencing disadvantage. Conclusion

Describe the Effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany

Describe the effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany (9 marks) The Treaty of Versailles was the Peace Settlement between the Allies and Germany at the end of the First World War. The German authorities had little choice but to accept the treaty. The treaty rules were harsh and affected Germany negatively. One of the main effects the treaty had on Germany was the fact they had to admit and put their hands up to being responsible for causing the war. The effect that this had was that everyone was going to hate Germany but also the country itself would be angry which could lead them into starting another war.Due to the fact they had to claim responsibility, it also meant they had to pay compensation to the allies. These payments, called reparations, would be paid monthly and would total some ? 6,600 million. Again, this made the country angry risking the start of another war, but also it meant that it would affect Germany finically causing them to be in major debt and cause pover ty. In addition, Germany faced a large amount of territorial loss as a result of the treaty. In fact, Germany lost 13% of its land which contained 6 million Germans.The land Germany had owned was given to countries such as Poland, Denmark, Belgium and Lithuania. Consequently, Germanys population went into poverty and many of them lost their homes creating an overall negative effect. Moreover, the treaty stated that Germany had to disband their air force, limit the army to 100,000 soldiers and cut the navy to 15,000 sailors. Due to the limitation and cuts, many people lost their jobs causing them to go into poverty. The army had gone from employing 3 million people to now 100,000 people resulting in 2. million people becoming unemployed. As there weren’t as many soldiers, this meant Germany was vulnerable and became an easy target. Germany was open for an attack, but it meant Germany would be unable to attack other countries. Overall, the effect of the treaty of Versailles on Germany had an negative impact. Germany were spiralling downwards as they were in a large amount of debt, unprotected, vulnerable, angry and the population were in poverty. There is a clear risk of a war being created due to the harness of the treaty.

One Source Essay

The purpose of this paper is to argue for and against an organization adopting an ethical approach. This essay will look into the two sides of the argument in depth using relevant theories, examples and case studies. The first part of this essay will look into why an organization adopting an ethical approach to management could ultimately benefit the firm. On the other hand, the essay will look at the case against a firm adopting an ethical approach to management. The essay will then conclude by suggesting that it would be important for organizations to act ethically to a certain extent.One definition suggests that ‘ethics are the moral principles that should underpin decision-making. A decision made on ethics might reject the most profitable solution In favor of one of greater benefit to society as well as the firm' (Marabous, 2003). The key words used in definition are ‘moral principles', so this definition suggests that acting ethically means acting in a moral way. In essence, an ethical approach to management Is generally acting right to benefit the community and the environment not solely concentrating on maximizing profits.It Is also important to define what exactly acting morally is, one good definition suggested that morality is the notion of what is good and bad (McIntyre, 1998). Argument For In arguing for an organization adopting an ethical approach, the benefits that an organization would gain from this behavior Is that it could be used as a USPS (unique selling point). This is evident in a variety of organizations today, for instance, the Body Shop. Body shop sells products that are kind to the environment, and also boast the fact that they are 100% against animal testing.A key point is that, not only does the many strive to Improve the communities In less developed countries, but it publicizes these actions In order to get support from possible consumers. This strategy appeals to customers a great deal, which implies there are plenty o f consumers who choose not to buy products that have been tested on animals so choose to buy products only from the Body Shop. Similarly there are consumers that may not have such strong opinions against animal testing but buy products from the body shop because it seem like the right thing to ad.These ethical approaches to management has seen Body Shop's profits rise over the years, and are now one of the arrest cosmetic retailers in the country as a result. As well as advertising the fact that they are against animal testing. The Body Shop also promotes community trade. Active self esteem, defending of human rights, and the protection of our planet. Organizations will also gain significant public relations advantages from ethical behavior. There are examples of organizations that have not acted ethically, and as a result have received very negative publicity.One key example would be Nestle. A study in the British Medial Journal said that manufacturers of powdered milk, such as Nes tle were breaking international codes by selling their products to West African countries. The Studies were carried out in two West African countries Togo and Burning Fast. Findings from the study showed that Nestle had been Issuing free powdered milk to mothers in these West African countries, officials from Nestle had convinced mothers that powdered milk was actually better for their children than 1 OFF needed to find money in order to purchase this milk.Of course money was not always available so drastic measures were taken, such as over diluting the little dowered milk they had available, or diluting the powdered milk with water that was not very clean. As a result of this children's health in the region was poor due to lack of nutrition and consumption of contaminated water. The result of this study severely affected the reputation of Nestle. Pressure groups and other activists urged consumers to boycott products from the firm because of the way they had acted in Africa. As a r esult of this poor publicity Nestle had operating profits fall significantly.This case study is a prime example of how not acting ethically could seriously image the reputation of the firm, so another advantage of adopting an ethical approach to management is that this sort of situation could be avoided. Another major advantage of an ethical approach to management is that an organization could get more out of their workforce. Employees can expect to respond positively to working for an organization that they trust to be acting morally correct. Employees may feel proud to work for a firm that they know is abiding by ethical and moral guidelines.This would also help motivate the workforce and boost their confidence. As a result this could in turn lead to higher productivity from the workforce and ultimately lead to higher operating profits. A positive ethical approach to management could add to the competition for employment at such a firm. An ethical approach to management would also result in a lower labor turnover, because less employees would be leaving the organization if they felt they were being treated right, subsequently all of these reasons would lead to lower costs for an organization I. . Training and paying redundancies. A survey conducted in 2003 even showed that about 75% of The Body Shop's employees felt ‘proud' to be working for the organization. According to Banyan (1996) the success of the final solution depends on the capacity of managerial techniques to denude individuals of their dignity and deprive them of their humanity. Argument Against One of the main disadvantages that come with an ethical approach to management are the costs involved when managing ethically. A key example would be the exploitation of cheap labor.Sport manufacturing giant Nikkei has been accused of exploiting cheap labor in Asian markets. A report in Vietnam in 1997 showed that Nikkei had been mistreating women that worked in the factories producing shoes. The wo men were being paid about $1. 0 per day which was well below minimum wage in America. It was reported that the workforce was even punished for using verbal communication and were only allowed one toilet break during their period of work. From an ethical point of view this is the opposite of how a firm should act, and thus Nikkei received bad publicity for their actions.Although from Nine's point of view exploiting cheap labor in these Asian markets meant extremely high profits per unit produced, because shoes produced were being sold at around $150. Since the bad publicity and attempted boycotting from pressure groups, Nikkei vowed to act in a ore ethical manner, so paid worker significantly higher wages and also improved working conditions, although this did reduce the amount of bad publicity they were receiving it also meant that Nikkei so their costs soar.Although the company still makes a healthy profit, a more ethical approach to management has meant they are the argument that not all organizations will see a loss in profit for acting more ethically. It will largely depend on what type of organization is in question, for example Marks and Spencer sell organic chocolate and promote the fact that there is air trade between farmers. Although Marks and Spencer do have to pay farmers fairly, they can also charge a premium on their products to maintain profit levels.This way the firm can hit two birds with one stone, because they get positive publicity and a good consumer base, and are able to maintain profit levels. Another Disadvantage of a more ethical approach to management is that it could conflict with existing policies within the organization. A possible restructuring of the organization may need to be done; internal divisions may be created within the business. This of ours is a problem is the workforce is not used to change or does not want change in general. This could lead to lack of motivation of workers which in turn would lead to lower levels of p roductivity.A company could possibly also experience problems in sending a message in an organization which is decentralized. Even though the workforce may be in favor of a more ethical approach to management it would be extremely difficult to implement it, and additional training of the workforce may be required for maximum efficiency. Conclusion Having argued on both sides of the organization approach, it suffices to state that, it s important for firms or organizations to adopt an ethical approach to management as the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

Free Essays on John List

John List John List was the only child born to his parents J.F. and Alma List. Born in 1925, his dictatorial upbringing by his mother, and the family’s strict and fanatical adherence to the Lutheran faith, produced a child that was not only lonely but dedicated to family values, a belief that God would always provide, and the belief that hard work produces tangible rewards in ones life. John had very few friends in his Lutheran elementary school, and his mother would not permit him to have any friends that she did not meet and approve of. John always had to stay home with his friends where his mother could supervise his activities. Friends would say that his mother would check on him every fifteen minutes. As John grew up he was considered to be a loner. He never took part in extracurricular activities. He was very studious and an honor student. After high school, he enlisted in the Army and quickly rose to the rank of sergeant. After World War II, he enrolled at the University of Michigan and earned a degree in business, and only three months later was granted his M.B.A. After graduation, he developed very few friendships. One night at a bowling alley he met a beautiful young woman named Helen. Helen was a widow and mother to an eight-year-old daughter name Brenda. After a very brief dating period, John and Helen became engaged. Her first husband had perished in the Korean War after being awarded the Silver Cross. As their marriage approached, Helen announced to John that she was pregnant. He consented to marry her despite some ambivalent feelings about whether he truly loved her. Despite his feelings, the wedding went on as planned. The night before the wedding, Helen confessed to John that she was not really pregnant; nevertheless, they married the next day. Later, he would say many times that he regretted this decision. During the early years of their marriage, John and Helen encountered many financial setbacks. Fin... Free Essays on John List Free Essays on John List John List John List was the only child born to his parents J.F. and Alma List. Born in 1925, his dictatorial upbringing by his mother, and the family’s strict and fanatical adherence to the Lutheran faith, produced a child that was not only lonely but dedicated to family values, a belief that God would always provide, and the belief that hard work produces tangible rewards in ones life. John had very few friends in his Lutheran elementary school, and his mother would not permit him to have any friends that she did not meet and approve of. John always had to stay home with his friends where his mother could supervise his activities. Friends would say that his mother would check on him every fifteen minutes. As John grew up he was considered to be a loner. He never took part in extracurricular activities. He was very studious and an honor student. After high school, he enlisted in the Army and quickly rose to the rank of sergeant. After World War II, he enrolled at the University of Michigan and earned a degree in business, and only three months later was granted his M.B.A. After graduation, he developed very few friendships. One night at a bowling alley he met a beautiful young woman named Helen. Helen was a widow and mother to an eight-year-old daughter name Brenda. After a very brief dating period, John and Helen became engaged. Her first husband had perished in the Korean War after being awarded the Silver Cross. As their marriage approached, Helen announced to John that she was pregnant. He consented to marry her despite some ambivalent feelings about whether he truly loved her. Despite his feelings, the wedding went on as planned. The night before the wedding, Helen confessed to John that she was not really pregnant; nevertheless, they married the next day. Later, he would say many times that he regretted this decision. During the early years of their marriage, John and Helen encountered many financial setbacks. Fin...

What Happens If the Presidential Election Is a Tie

What Happens If the Presidential Election Is a Tie In four instances, the Electoral College, not the popular vote, has determined the outcome of a presidential election. Although there has never been a tie, the U.S. Constitution outlines a process for resolving such a scenario. Heres what would happen and who the players involved are if the 538 electors sit down after the election and vote 269 to 269. The U.S. Constitution When the U.S. first gained its independence, Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution outlined the process for selecting electors and the process by which they would select a president. At the time, electors could vote for two different candidates for president; whoever lost that vote would become vice president. This led to serious controversies in the elections of 1796 and 1800. In response, U.S. Congress ratified the 12th Amendment in 1804. The amendment clarified the process by which electors should vote. More importantly, it described what to do in the event of an electoral tie. The amendment states that the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President† and â€Å"the Senate shall choose the Vice-President. The process is also used in the event that no candidate wins 270 or more Electoral College votes. The House of Representatives As directed by the 12th Amendment, the 435 members of the House of Representatives must make their first official duty the selection of the next president. Unlike the Electoral College system, where larger population equals more votes, each of the 50 states in the House gets exactly one vote when selecting the president. It is up to the delegation of representatives from each state to decide how their state will cast its one and only vote. Smaller states like Wyoming, Montana, and Vermont, with only one representative, wield as much power as California or New York. The District of Columbia does not get a vote in this process. The first candidate to win the votes of any 26 states is the new president. The 12th Amendment gives the House until the fourth day of March to select a president. The Senate At the same time that the House is selecting the new president, the Senate must select the new vice president. Each of the 100 senators gets one vote, with a simple majority of 51 senators required to select the vice president. Unlike the House, the 12th Amendment places no time limit on the Senates selection of a vice president. If There Is Still a Tie With 50 votes in the House and 100 votes in the Senate, there could still be tie votes for both president and vice president. Under the 12th Amendment, as amended by the 20th Amendment, if the House has failed to select a new president by Jan. 20, the vice president-elect serves as acting president until the deadlock is resolved. In other words, the House keeps voting until the tie is broken. This assumes that the Senate has selected a new vice president. If the Senate has failed to break a 50-50 tie for vice president, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 specifies that the Speaker of the House will serve as acting president until tie votes in both the House and Senate have been broken. Past Election Controversies In the controversial 1800 presidential election, an Electoral College tie vote occurred between Thomas Jefferson and his running mate,  Aaron Burr. The tie-breaking vote made Jefferson president, with Burr declared vice president, as the Constitution required at the time. In 1824, none of the four candidates won the required majority vote in the Electoral College. The House elected  John Quincy Adams president despite the fact that Andrew Jackson had won the popular vote and the most electoral votes. In 1837, none of the vice presidential candidates won a majority in the Electoral College. The Senate vote made Richard Mentor Johnson vice president over Francis Granger. Since then, there have been some very close calls. In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Samuel Tilden by a single electoral vote, 185 to 184. And in 2000, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 271 to 266 electoral votes in an election that ended in the Supreme Court.

The ancient Egyptian culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The ancient Egyptian culture - Research Paper Example The two deserts bordering Egypt on both sides is seemingly a drawback in the lush land near the river banks but the two land types were ideal to nurture one of the oldest civilizations in history. The Egyptians regarded the two land types as two different regions. The first type, the Kemet or â€Å"black land† (6), is where the ancient Egyptians grow crops. The land is literally black as a result of the flooding of the Nile leaving silt deposits on the soil. Favorable amounts of silt in soil improve water retention and aeration which are the best conditions for growing crops. The second type is the â€Å"red land† or the Desheret (6) which is the vast stretch of desert on both sides of the Kemet. Unlike the â€Å"black land†, the sand and heat of the Desheret was not beneficial for crops. The â€Å"red land† instead yielded precious stones, copper, gold and other minerals that are made into jewelry and tools. The desert was also the hunting grounds for the ancient Egyptians, rabbits, gazelles and antelopes were the usual prey of the hunters. The Nile River with its fertile soils and desert lands rich in minerals and precious stones provided the ideal environment and adequate resources for a society to thrive. The earliest Egyptian settlers were nomadic hunters who decided to live permanently on the banks of the Nile. The beginning of the Nile River civilization started between 3300 B.C. and 332 B.C. (5) prior to the establishment of a recognized government system. Evidences of the existence of the early occupants were unearthed in tombs. Polished semi-precious stones crafted into jewelry, pottery, clay sculptures and copper ornaments were obtained from the excavations and found to date back to the Pre-dynastic era of the Egyptian civilization. Prior to the beginning of Dynastic Egypt, Nile-dwellers are classified into two cultures with separate government systems. The Upper Egypt situated in the south of the Delta occupying the strip of land between the deserts. The Badarian and Naqadan culture flourished in Upper Egypt cultivating the land and crafting pottery (Hayes 14) that later became important archaeological artifacts. The state head in Upper Egypt dons the white hedget and believed to be the personification of their god. Lower Egypt’s culture was also influenced by Upper Egypt the government form however, is more bureaucratic and ruled by families. Rulers of Lower Egypt wear the red deshret. Pre-dynastic settlers in Egypt were growing wheat, barley and flax (Bell, Quie 40). The sowing season starts in October when the floods subside leaving the silt-rich soil ready for planting. Harvest season is from March to May just before June when the flooding occurs due to the overflowing of the Nile caused by heavy rains and the melting snow from Ethiopia. The inundation period starts from June and lasts until September (Deady 14). Animals were also domesticated during the Pre-dynastic period. Cattle, sheep , goats, pigs, and dogs (Trigger 17) were among the animals the ancient Egyptians tamed. Donkeys were also domesticated and later utilized as a means of transportation. At the onset of the Early Dynastic Period in ancient Egypt, the unification of the two ancient Egyptian regions also brought on the maximized use of the entire stretch of the Nile for transportation and irrigation systems. Ancient Egypt had its first dynasty under the first pharaoh Narmer or Menes. Egypt became the largest nation under one ruler

Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Apple Inc - Essay Example Leadership demands self-improvement and self-renewal to continue. Leaders make decisions that create the future and above all, successful leaders of today dare to desire. They must dominate the events around them while maintaining an atmosphere of dignity and mutual respect. In this paper, we would be discussing on the roles and responsibilities of leaders in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture. The ability to look at the world as it is and view something new and improved is a valued leadership trait. Leaders with this quality have been able to create something new by breaking down the barriers caused by existing paradigms that once stifled progress. They have been innovative, creative, flexible, responsible and not afraid to experiment. Many organizations consist of multi-disciplinary teams as a way of doing business. This system may work well until a problem occurs. The teams' behavioral interaction may change and they may begin finger-pointing and apportioning blame, instead of finding solutions cooperatively. For example, the marketing department may look at what is perceived to be a distribution problem. Instead of the unnecessary finger pointing, marketing adopts the customer's perspective and suggests a solution to solve the problem. Ideas and solutions can be found in some of the most unlikely places and leaders should not be too quick to dismiss the less than obvio us. Once the idea or solution has been sourced, one should not be afraid to experiment and take risks to invest in ideas that show promise, even if it means trying the idea again and again in different variations. To understand management and leadership better, it is essential to analyze the role of leaders in creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture. Fred E. Fiedler and his associates at the University of Illinois have suggested a contingency theory of leadership (Fiedler, 1967). The theory holds that people become leaders not only because of the attributes of their personalities but also because of various situational factors and the interactions between leaders and group members. On the basis of his studies, Fiedler described three critical dimensions of the leadership situation that help determine what style of leadership will be most effective (Miner, 1982, p.22): Position power is the degree to which the power of a position, as distinguished from other sources of power, such as personality or expertise, enables a leader to get group members to comply with directions; in the case of managers, this is the power arising from organizational authority. As Fiedler points out, a leader with clear and considerable position power can obtain good followership more easily than one without such power (Bowers, 1975, pp.167-180). With the dimension of Task structure, Fiedler had in mind the extent to which tasks can be clearly spelled out and people held responsible for them. If tasks are clear (rather than vague and unstructured), the quality of performance can be more easily controlled and group members can be held more definitely responsible for performance. Fiedler regarded the dimension of Leader-member relations as the most important from a leader's point of view, since position power and task structure may be largely under the