Friday, November 29, 2019

Confucianism The Religion Of Confucianism Is And Interesting And Uniqu

Confucianism The religion of Confucianism is and interesting and unique religion. The various parts of this belief system deal more with humanity than with deities or supernatural occurrences. It is this fact that leads many to believe that Confucianism is more a philosophy or way of life than a religion. There are, however, various ceremonies and beliefs that those who follow Confucianism observe. In short, Confucianism has had more impact on the lives of the Chinese than any other single religion. Confucius was born in the province of Lu (now known as Shantung), in 551 BC, the youngest of eleven children, in the period of China's history when the nation was divided into feudal states. Confucius saw the time in which he lived as a low point in China's history so he set out to teach his philosophy in an effort of improving his society. He was born into a noble class, but his family had been stripped of its nobility by the time he was born. By the age of 21 he had been so well educate d that he already had disciples and by 22, he had opened a school. He became known later in life as K'ung Fu Tzu (which was later Latinized in the west as Confucius), meaning Great Master Kung, for his teaching. It is known that he had a wife , a son, and a daughter, and that he held a few governmental offices. The teachings of Confucius were to lead people to achieve a status known as Chun Tzu, or superior man, to become Chun Tzu you must reach a perfect balance and awareness in political and social situations. In the time of Confucius, only the aristocracy was educated, which meant that the Chun Tzu was exclusively the wealthy, however, he devoted his life to teaching everyone regardless of their financial standing, provided they were intelligent enough to learn his teachings. Confucius did not make his teachings easy, he provided only a portion of theinstruction, and if his pupils were unable to complete it, he would not teach them. There are six major works which are considered the classics of Confucianism. They are The Shu King (Cannon of History), the Shi King(Cannon of Poetry), the I King (Cannon of Changes), the Li Ki (Book of Rites), the Chun Chiu (spring and Autumn Annals) and the Hsiao King ( Book of Filial Piety). Other books composed of his teachings after Confucius' death include The analects of Confucius, Ta Hsio (Great Learning) and Chung Yung (Doctrine of Steadfast Men). The center of Confucius' beliefs was Jen or human love and Li, the importance placed on ceremony in China. He believed that everyone already has Jen but, a person must live a virtuous life for their Jen to truly flourish. He believed that Jen can be experienced or encountered in different ways. The young first experience it as the love they feel for their parents or Hsiao. Another is known as Yi or the love of friends. Confucius felt that formality was lacking in his society and that each person should respect what is it be respected. By combining Li and Jen, he felt that Chin a's social and ceremonial standards could be improved. Confucius also held ideas such as sincerity and benevolence to be of great importance. He believed that one must be sincere, trustworthy, honest, and committed to their promises. Confucius also believed that you should treat others in the same manner that you would expect to be treated. He believed in caring for the well-being of others and helping those who need help. In Confucianism there truly is no one way to worship. The very nature of the religion (being more a philosophy than religion) inhibits any special type of worship. Many Chinese practice Confucianism as their day-to-day moral code, and then practice Taoism to provide nature and ancestor worship and Buddhism to give them answers for why they suffer. Confucius did advocate ancestor worship as well as honoring T'ien, or Heaven, but he did not create these practices, he merely promoted them as adding the formality and ceremony that he felt was necessary for a well orde red society. It is very difficult to distinguish between

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on The Color Red In Ethan Frome

Throughout Ethan Frome, author Edith Wharton uses red as a symbol of the passion Ethan longs for but never receives. Red is the color of blood, ruddiness, good health, and liveliness. Zeena, Ethan’s wife, has none of these qualities, yet Mattie Silver, Zeena’s cousin, has all of them. In the harsh white landscape of Starkfield, red stands out just as Mattie stands out in the harsh landscape of Ethan's life. Ethan looks on as â€Å"†¦a girl who had already wound a cherry-coloured ‘fascinator’ about her head, and, leading her up to the end of the floor, whirled her down its length to the bounding tune of a Virginia reel†(16). The cherry-colored fascinator symbolizes the exhilarating time these young people who are dancing are having as Ethan stares on in his sad, grey world. He wants to go out there and dance, but his life is different from theirs. â€Å"Frome’s heart was beating fast. He had been straining for a glimpse of the dark head under the cherry-coloured-scarf and it vexed another eye should have been quicker than his†(16). Here we see the scarf as a wall between these two people. The mere sight of the young woman’s face enlivens Ethan. Fire is used as a symbol of the passion and life that Mattie Silver will try to bring into Ethan’s life. â€Å"But it was not only that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire on a cold hearth†(17). In this scene, Ethan remembers the moments and thoughts him and Mattie share. â€Å"The cold red of sunset behind winter hills, the flight of cloud-flocks over slopes of golden stubble, or the intensely blue shadows of hemlocks on sunlit snow†(18). The red sunset represents the beauty of their love, and the secret mental fervent romance they share. After a romantic walk home, Ethan and Mattie walk up to the Frome house with their arms locked together, and smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Zeena opens the door to see the two... Free Essays on The Color Red In Ethan Frome Free Essays on The Color Red In Ethan Frome Throughout Ethan Frome, author Edith Wharton uses red as a symbol of the passion Ethan longs for but never receives. Red is the color of blood, ruddiness, good health, and liveliness. Zeena, Ethan’s wife, has none of these qualities, yet Mattie Silver, Zeena’s cousin, has all of them. In the harsh white landscape of Starkfield, red stands out just as Mattie stands out in the harsh landscape of Ethan's life. Ethan looks on as â€Å"†¦a girl who had already wound a cherry-coloured ‘fascinator’ about her head, and, leading her up to the end of the floor, whirled her down its length to the bounding tune of a Virginia reel†(16). The cherry-colored fascinator symbolizes the exhilarating time these young people who are dancing are having as Ethan stares on in his sad, grey world. He wants to go out there and dance, but his life is different from theirs. â€Å"Frome’s heart was beating fast. He had been straining for a glimpse of the dark head under the cherry-coloured-scarf and it vexed another eye should have been quicker than his†(16). Here we see the scarf as a wall between these two people. The mere sight of the young woman’s face enlivens Ethan. Fire is used as a symbol of the passion and life that Mattie Silver will try to bring into Ethan’s life. â€Å"But it was not only that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire on a cold hearth†(17). In this scene, Ethan remembers the moments and thoughts him and Mattie share. â€Å"The cold red of sunset behind winter hills, the flight of cloud-flocks over slopes of golden stubble, or the intensely blue shadows of hemlocks on sunlit snow†(18). The red sunset represents the beauty of their love, and the secret mental fervent romance they share. After a romantic walk home, Ethan and Mattie walk up to the Frome house with their arms locked together, and smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Zeena opens the door to see the two...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research Paper about expensive college tuition 2

About expensive college tuition 2 - Research Paper Example Numerous factors have been attributed to the increasing cost of college tuition, among them being the high demand for higher education. However, the great question is if this cost is worth the value of education that students attain. Bennett and David (199) say that almost every parent says they need their child to join college. Therefore, nearly 68 percent of high school graduates attend college. However, only 54 percent of the total students who join college graduate with full academic year’s attendances, six years to be precise. Hence, with all the students with high dreams and hopes joining college, only about half graduate from college (Bennett and David 200). Lange and Topel (460) outline that according to the College Data, to attend an in-state public college or university students have an average budget of $22,261. While that number seems lower for public colleges and universities, private colleges and universities’ is estimated at $43,289. With this high cost, CNN reported that for 2013 alone each graduate or college student owed the state averagely $35,200 loan debt. According to Lange and Topel (464) in the perspective view, the summary of the average household consumer debt in the United States shows that Americans all owe $31,646 of student loan debt. In total household consumer debts, American consumers or citizens owe the state a debt of $11.15 trillion out of which $994 billion is debt in student loans. This shows a 4 percent debt increase from 2012 (Marc Joseph A16). It is true that the college tuition fee has become too high. Parents get afraid that their children might not be able to attend college (Lange and Topel 480). The lucky who can take their children to colleges pay a lot of money. Americans know that part of the reason for the high college fee is due to the declining state support on education. However, it is also very true that those

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

South Africa Apartheid History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

South Africa Apartheid History - Essay Example Apartheid (1948-1994) cannot be considered as ‘the best solution’ for the country because it violated human rights and freedoms of black populations and caused separation between white minority and black majority. Primarily, apartheid was one of the main forms of racial discrimination, separation of white minority and black majority. Social divisions in this colonial society increasingly took on a rigid racial character1. Between 1950s – 1970s white power was used to forge one of the most extreme forms of racial discrimination in the twentieth-century world. For instance, whereas the strength and size of the settler population in the United States or Australia meant that race relations were for many years relegated to the peripheries of national historiography, race was an abiding concern even in the most inward-looking settler histories of South Africa2. Apartheid cannot be the best solution for South African because this term coincides with the concepts of racism, segregation and oppression of black population. Segregation in South Africa encompassed many different social relationships. It is often discussed as a series of legislative Acts which removed and restricted the rights of ‘non-whites’ in every possible sphere. Segregation was more than a set of restrictive legislation: it refers as well to a composite ideology and set of practices seeking to legitimize social difference and economic inequality in every aspect of life3. For instance, "Coloured" was the official apartheid designation for persons of mixed raceâ€Å"4. Many of the spatial and social elements of segregation, such as the division of churches on the basis of color, were initially governed by convention rather than law. It is important to mention the exclusion of blacks from skilled work, and especially from the exercise of supervisory functions ove r whites, was determined by custom as well as legislative

Monday, November 18, 2019

Economic Indicator Forecast Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic Indicator Forecast Paper - Essay Example It has been forecasted that the FED is going to increase the interest rates in late 2009 or early 2010 therefore the expectations are that the prime interest rates will be in the range of 3.50% to 4.00%. Another forecast indicates that until December 2009, the prime interest rates may hit the figure of 4.00% and will continue to move upwards until 4.75% in December 2010. (http://mortgage-x.com, 2009). This forecast is slightly more generous than the earlier projection however, considering the other fact that financial system has to cope with the increasing losses too therefore it is possible that the interest rates may go up to 4.75% in December 2010. The increase in the prime interest rates may decrease the demand for automobiles because the financing cost of such products would increase and consumers may find it difficult to purchase new cars at high increasing interest rates. Further, it may also be possible that the increase in interest rates may further increase the overall cost of doing the business for automobile firms. The forecast up to Oct 2009 indicates that the new housing starts within US would be 683,000. (http://forecasts.org, 2009) however; recent statistics suggest that there is a steep increase in the housing activity in the country. Whereas according to some estimates, the housing starts are going to depress or at least remain within the current limits until 2011. (National Post, 2009). These forecasts indicate somewhat mixed forecasts as it indicates that the housing starts may indicate random patterns on month wise averages however, the overall projections may indicate that the housing starts would remain at the present level at least up to 2010. I believe that later forecast that the housing starts will depress until 2010 are more plausible because interest rates are projected to increase later this year therefore the finance to builders as well as mortgage rates are set to increase too. This may therefore, result into

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Air France KLM Business Report

Air France KLM Business Report Air France-KLM is an international airline company and a member of the skyteam airline partnership. The company was formed on May 2004, following the merger of Air Frances and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), thus creating the worlds largest airline group by earnings and second largest worldwide cargo operator in terms of revenue-tonne kilometers. The company operates under two major networks hubs, Paris-CDG and Amsterdam-Schiphol. The Companys three main businesses are passenger transportation, cargo operations, engineering and maintenance. The company counts more than one hundred thousands employees all over the world. Passenger transports being the major business of the company with more than three hundred destinations worldwide. The majority of the employees are based in France and the Netherlands. Both Air France and KLM continue to operate flights under their distinct brand names as subsidiaries of Air France-KLM. List of Acronyms AF Air France NWA Northwest Airline CSR Corporate Social Response SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats MRO Maintenance Repair and Overall CDG Charles de Gaulle IT Information Technology E M Engineering and Maintenance IMS Information Management System GDP Domestic Growth Product Table of Contents Executive Summary i List of Acronyms ii CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2 Organisational structure 8 CHAPTER 3 Organisational culture 10 CHAPTER 4 -Leadership and management 12 CHAPTER 5 Teamworking and Mentoring 13 CHAPTER 6 Resourcing and Training 14 CHAPTER 7 Communication skills 15 CHAPTER 8 Performance and Motivation 15 CHAPTER 9 Management systems 17 CHAPTER 10 Management of change 18 CHAPTER 11 Future Directions 19 Conclusion and Recommendations 20 References 21 Appendices 22 CHAPTER 1 Introduction AIR FRANCE KLM AIR FRANCE KLM is the combination of two big airlines such as Air France and KLM. Since their merger in 2004, KLM works closely with Air France within the AIR FRANCE KLM holding company. In terms of financial turnover, AIR FRANCE KLM is the worlds largest airline partnership; it also transports the most passengers and is the worlds second-largest cargo transporter. Air France and KLM carry more than 71 million passengers per year. They operate more than 594 aircraft enabling them to fly to 236 destinations worldwide with 2,500 daily flights. The two airlines world networks can be combined, forming a vast network organized around the two major hubs of Amsterdam-Schiphol and Paris-CDG. The head offices are located at Amstelveen and Paris. Alitalia AIR FRANCE KLM and Alitalia agreed to strengthen their partnership in January 2009 by AIR FRANCE KLM taking a minority stake in Alitalia. The agreement gave AIR FRANCE KLM greater access to the Italian market. SkyTeam Alliance SkyTeam is a global airline alliance which includes AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, , Delta Air Lines, Aeroflot, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air (including Northwest Airlines), CSA Czech Airlines, Tarom and Vietnam Airlines, Aeromà ©xico. Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam alliance. Income Over the fiscal year 2009-2010 the turnover of Air France-KLM was 20.9 billion euros. Together, the two airlines have over 107.000 employees. For more information on AIRFRANCE KLM Finance, please go to www.airfranceklm-finance.com. Shares The Air France-KLM shares are listed in Amsterdam, Paris and New York. Aim Air France-KLM comprises a holding company which controls two airlines, Air France and KLM, each of which retains its own separate identity and brands. The group is the worlds largest air transport group in terms of revenue, second largest in terms of air traffic (in passenger-km) and cargo (ton freight-km), and third largest in terms of maintenance revenue. Both airlines run their own operations from their respective hubs Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol. Passengers Passenger transport is the largest of the groups three core businesses, generating around 80% of its revenues (as of 31 March 2008), with 74.8 million passengers carried. Cargo Cargo was the first fully-integrated commercial activity at Air France-KLM in 2005. Client companies now have a single point of entry, and a full, simplified offering with flights departing from both hubs and benefiting from both networks. Air France-KLM Cargo ranks first worldwide among air freight carriers (excluding integrators). Maintenance The combination of Air France Industries and KLM Engineering Maintenance allows the group to offer a comprehensive range of aircraft maintenance and overhaul services with complementary areas of specialization. Maintaining the two fleets accounts for two-thirds of the groups maintenance operations, further supplemented by maintenance repair and overall (MRO) operations for 150 third-party airlines. Mission and Vision The mission of Air France KLM is to provide its customers a high quality service adaptable to their changing needs. The overall vision is to become the worlds biggest and leading airline company. Company Background Air France Air France founded on 7 October 1933. The background of the company has been striking by a number of milestones, including investing the acquired capital of UTA in early January 1990 and the combination with Air Inter in 1997. Air France and Delta Air Lines joined forces with Aeromà ©xico and Korean Air to launch the Sky Team alliance in June 2000. Air Frances main hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is Europes number one in terms of connecting opportunities. KLM Meanwhile KLM was first founded on 7 October 1919 being the oldest airline still operating under its original name. The recently background has been marked by the formation of a joint venture with Northwest Airlines (NWA) in 1989 and its achievement of the investment of Kenya Airways in 1996. KLM has Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as its home base. Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have become the largest European airline group Since May 2004 but each airline has retained its individual identity, trade name and brand which mean three businesses, two airlines, and one group SWOT Analysis Mullins (2007) explained that, in order to evaluate the nature of the business environment and its strategic capability an organization may undertake a SWOT analysis focuses on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the organization. STRENGTHS Strengths are those positive aspects or distinctive attributes or competencies which provide a significant market advantage or upon which the organization can build. Against a backdrop of increased Liberalization which serves to intensify competition, the profitable growth strategy plays to the groups strengths, the following are the air France KLM group strengths. A modern fleet the groups chief asset Guaranteeing energy and economic efficiency and greater safety levels, the groups aircraft fleet is its chief asset when it comes to meeting the challenges of sustainable development. The dual Roissy Schiphol hub and a balanced network The Air France and KLM route networks complement each other extremely well. The dual hub concept is central to group strategy and is designed to make the most of this. The benefit of dual brand strategy Air France and KLM took an original approach to the merger, choosing to retain the two brands while developing a unified strategy. Air France and KLM each enjoy strong brand identities and are extremely complementary. Enhanced competitiveness thanks to cost control To maintain its competitiveness, the group launched Challenge 10,designed to save 1.4 billion euros by 2009-10, through a 3% cut in unit costs. The plan is four-pronged: Process optimization and productivity gains; Fleet modernization, which will generate fuel and maintenance cost savings; Purchasing, and optimizing group synergies; External distribution costs. The development of high growth areas The groups ambition is to seize growth opportunities in countries driving global economic growth, mainly Brazil, Russia, India and China. In the years ahead, the Air France-KLM group plans to grow by 4.7% per year in terms of available seat-km on its long-haul network. WEAKNESSES Weaknesses are those negative aspects or deficiencies in the present competencies or resources of the organization, or its image or reputation, which limit its effectiveness and needed to be corrected to minimize their effect. International economic instability Faced with soaring oil prices, international economic instability, and signs of waning demand, air transport has entered a period of great uncertainty. Our Group can count on its strategic assets, the quality of its fuel hedging and its resolute policy of cost control to meet this challenging period of turbulence and low visibility OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities are favorable conditions and usually arise from the nature of changes in the external environment. The organization needs to be sensitive to the problems of business strategy and responsive to changes. Sustained demands In an increasingly global society, the demand for mobility is also increasing. Air transport is a key factor in a countrys economy. Over the last 20 years, air transport has grown twice as quickly as gross domestic product (GDP). In 2008, the rapid development of emerging countries is stimulating growth in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. This will compensate for the slowdown in the US economy. As for the future, IATA forecasts an increase in global capacity of around 5% per year by 2011. A key contribution to the economy Air transport carries over 2 billion passengers annually. Tons of cargo shipped by air each year represent 35% of the total value of export trade in manufactured goods. By connecting people, businesses and goods around the world, air transport makes an essential contribution to global economic activity. Both directly and as a promoter of growth in other industries. THREATS Threats are the converse of opportunities and refer to unfavorable situations that arise from external developments likely to endanger the operations and effectiveness of the organization. Air France KLM like any other organizations is faced with a number of threats, these includes Increased pressure Growth in European low-cost carriers has been strong for some years and Middle Eastern carriers are planning considerable expansion: Gulf carriers plan 20% seat growth per year for the next three years. This represents stiff competition for European airlines on traffic between Europe and Asia or Australia. Development limited by infrastructures Europe is experiencing air traffic congestion, leading to significant delays, increased costs and CO2 emissions. This is partly a result of the fragmentation of airspace and of the air traffic control process. There is considerable room for improvement. For 10 million flights a year, it is estimated that the actual route flown is 5% longer than ideal. For some routes, such as Amsterdam-Zà ¼rich, it is even 20%. The annual cost of fragmented European skies is estimated at 3.4 billion euros. A sector subject to heavier taxation Air transport is subject to strict regulation, mainly regarding security, safety and infrastructure. The sector is also subject to high charges, among them airport or navigation charges, plus dedicated fees to finance security. Moreover, air transport is the only means of transport to finance soundproofing measures, as it does in numerous European countries. Climate change awareness General awareness of the reality of climate change continued to increase in 2007. This was coupled with local environmental constraints that have always affected air transport activities. Air transport accounts for between 2 and 3% of all man-made CO2 emissions. In Europe, its relative contribution will increase due to growth in traffic and the expected reduction of emissions in other industries. In the past 40 years, the sector has made considerable progress, reducing CO2 emissions per passenger by more than 70%. Summary In spite of its merger Air France KLM is still operating under its identity and brand name with their home bases located at Amsterdam airport Schiphol for KLM and Paris-Charles de Gaulle for Air France. The main core duties of the group are to transport passengers, cargo and engineering and maintenance. As any other organization Air France KLM has the opportunities to grow much bigger and become the first largest airline company in the world. CHAPTER 2 Organisational structure The pattern of relationship between various positions in the organization and among members of the organization is referred as structure. Organization is essentially a group of people with a common objective or goal to archive. The structure can either be formal i.e. documented or informal i.e. unofficial. Mullins (2007) defined, Organization Structure as the division of work among members of the organization, and the co ordination of their activities so they are directed towards the goals and objectives of the organization. It is the relationships among positions in the organization and among members of the organization. It makes possible the application of process of management and creates a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organization can be planned, organized, directed, and controlled. It defines tasks and responsibilities, work role and relationships, and channels of communication. Essentially there are various types of organizational structures depending on the nature of organization, such as centralized, complex, stratified and formalized structures. An effective structure is the one that coordinates various parts of the organization and different work areas. Meanwhile the structure of the organization can either be tall i.e. with a long hierarchical chain of command where the freedom and responsibility of the subordinates is restricted or flat i.e. with a short chain of command, there is more effective between management and workers but employees may have more than one manager. However both of two structures above are highly affected by the number of employees who reports direct to a certain manager that is Span of Control. Hellriegel et al (1998) explained, that span of control refers to the number of employees reporting directly to one manager. When the span of control is broad, relatively few levels exists between the top and bottom of the organization. C onversely when the span of control is narrow, more levels are required for the same number of employees. Although there is no correct number of subordinates that a manager can supervise effectively, the competencies of both the manager and employees, the similarity of tasks being supervised and the extent of rules and operating standards all influence a managers span of control. Consider the Air France and KLM corporate and social responsibility (SCR) organization structure CHAPTER 3 Organisational culture According to Hellriegel et al (1998), the organization itself has an invisible quality a certain style, a character, a way of doing things that may be more powerful than the dictates of any one person or any formal system. Armstrong M (2006) defined, organizational culture as the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that may not have circulated but shape the ways in which people behave and get things done. Values refer to what is believed to be important about how people and organizations behave; norms are the unwritten rules of behavior. To understand the soul of the organization requires that we travel below the charts, rule books, machines, and buildings into the underground world of corporate cultures. Indeed there are several ways in which organizational cultures are formed, maintained and changed. Meanwhile there is a very possible relationship between organizational culture and performance, the relationship between organizational culture and ethical b ehavior, the challenge of managing a culturally diverse work force and finally how organizations socialize individuals to their particular cultures. There are several types of organization cultures, these includes labels of baseball team, club, academy and fortress. Organizational culture represents a complex pattern of beliefs, expectations, ideas, values, attitudes and behaviors shared by the members of an organization. More specifically, organizational culture includes routine behaviors, norms, and dominant values held by organization. Essentially the issue of cultural differences and cultural compatibility in mergers between Air France and KLM has gained much attention among the two companies. Since the two companies operate under its brand name and culture, the effects of cultural clashes on the result of a merger and their employees are numerous. Cultural differences may result to poor or low productive behavior among the employees, such as low level of commitment, trust and cooperation between the groups of employees from the two merging companies. Loss of productivity caused by luck of trust and cooperation is particularly frequent in case of top managers. This is because cultural clash is strongest when the contact between the opposing cultures is greatest; and executives is the people involved in the merger from its beginning till its end. This is a very bad sign for companies, since motivation and commitment of the top managers has a major influence on the motivation of other subordinates. Cultural differen ces mainly influence employees of the merging companies, but perceived cultural distance may also influence potential foreign investors and shareholders who may want to avoid direct ownership because of high information costs and the difficulty in transferring management techniques and values. Organization cultural aspects may be beautiful both for the investors, who find the business models of the foreign partner a considerable advantage and for the managers who expect more opportunities for themselves by working for the partner firm, which they perceive to be high prestige worldwide leader firm and which corporate culture better addresses their expectations. In this situation managers are willing to adopt new culture. Whether cultural differences hinder or facilitate the integration process, their meaning is undeniable. Only some of them notice the complexity of the international mergers where not only two different organizational cultures come together, but organizational culture s which are deeply nested in national cultures. Common cultural differences embrace differences in communication styles, planning and decision making practices, negotiation strategies, and management or leadership styles. All of them are shaped by both national and organizational cultures, considering the role managers play in the merger and post-merger integration process, it is at the top management level that national cultural differences play the most important role in the life of merging organizations. That is why Air France KLM before making any decisions and signing any contracts should conduct an in depth cultural audit of the future partner. It is important to realise that cultural distance and cultural differences do not necessarily have to mean troubles. Cultures do not have to be the same; it is sufficient if they are complementary. Consequently, the major advantage of such a cultural due diligence is that it raises awareness of issues that should be managed during the i ntegration process. CHAPTER 4 -Leadership and management As Hellriegel et al (1998), defines leadership as the process whereby a person influences others to achieve a goal, i.e. is a process of creating a vision for others and having the power to translate the vision into reality. The ways in which leaders attempt to influence others depend in part of the power available to them and in part on their competencies. Leaders draw on five sources of power to influence the actions of others: legitimate, reward, coercive, referent and expert. Vision, empowerment, meaning through communication and self understanding are the competencies that help leaders become more effective. Mullins (2007) defined; management is active, not theoretical. It is about changing behavior and making things happen. It is about developing people, working with them, reaching objectives and achieving results. Indeed, all the research into how managers spend their time reveals that they are creatures of the moment, perpetually immersed in the nitty gritty of making things happen. Air France-KLM is now introducing a new combined executive management structure on a functional basis, replacing the separate management structures in Air France and KLM. In place of the Strategic Management Committee, which had supervised the development of Air France and KLM over 2004 to 2007, the business is being managed from 2007 through an Executive Committee whose members has a group level responsibility and can come from either Air France or KLM while retaining their responsibilities at a company level. CHAPTER 5 Teamworking and Mentoring As defined by Katzenbach and Smith (1993) cited in Armstrong M (2006), A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. For example, after KLM and Air France merged, management decided to create teams of people from both companies to exchange information about particular topics. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The most valuable part is the intangible part, teaming up the guy from IT with the guy from marketing, with the network planning guy, who normally dont speak together. CHAPTER 6 Resourcing and Training According to Bratton Gold (2007), human resource planning is the process of systematically forecasting the future demand and supply for employees and the deployment of their skills within the strategic objectives of the organisation. Armstrong M (2006) said, people resourcing is concerned with ensuring that the organization obtains and retains the human capital it needs and employs them productively. It is also about those aspects of employment practice that are concerned with welcoming people to the organization and if there is no alternative, releasing them. It is a key part of human resource management. Mullins (2007) explained that, one of the major areas of human resource management function of particular relevance to the effective management and use of people is training and development. Few would argue against the importance of training as a major influence on the success of the organization. Staffs are crucial, but very expensive resource. In order to sustain economic and ef fective performance it is important to optimize the contribution of employees to the aims and goals of the organization. The purpose of training is to improve knowledge and skills and to change attitudes. It is one of the most important potential motivators which can lead to many possible benefits for both individuals and organization. Since the combination of Air France KLM, each company has kept its own set of policies, especially for Human Resources issues, while developing new common policies in some other areas. Air France-KLM rates as the sector leader on human resources issues and actively addresses all of the challenges relevant to its business Overall, Air France KLMs performance on human resources issues remains stable compared to the last rating. Alongside the environment of the recent merger, severe competition and tough boundaries, the major labour relations issues for the company are to develop employability and staff mobility, essentially through training and proactive social exchange of ideas. Other critical issues for the company entail promoting non discrimination, diversity, and equal opportunities, and safeguarding health and safety in the workplace. CHAPTER 7 Communication skills Cook et al (1997) describes that, communication begins when one person sends a message to another with the intent of evoking a response. The effective communication occurs when the receiver interprets the message exactly as the sender intended. Effective communication is essential for the functioning of any organization. Managers need to transmit orders, and polices, build cooperation and team spirit, and identify problems and their solutions. It is believed that managers have traditionally spent the majority of their time communicating in one form or another. Communication within an organizations may take place through several ways, these includes; meetings, face-to-face discussions, memos, letters, e-mails, reports, etc. Recently, however, more and more employees find that an important part of their work is communication, especially now that service workers outnumber production workers and research as well as production processes emphasize greater collaboration and teamwork among workers in different functional groups. Moreover, a sea change in communication technologies has contributed to the transformation of both work and organizational structure. For these reasons, communication practices and technologies have become more important in all organizations, but they are perhaps most important in knowledge-intensive organizations and sectors and, as such, are of great significance to science organizations and to public sc ience management. The study of organizational communication is not new, but it has only recently achieved some degree of recognition as a field of academic study. It has largely grown in response to the needs and concerns of business. The first communication programs were typically located in speech departments, but most business schools now include organizational communication as a key element of study. The study of organizational communication recognizes that communication in organizations goes far beyond training managers to be effective speakers and to have good interpersonal communication skills. Moreover, it recognizes that all organizations, not just business organizations, have communication needs and challenges. CHAPTER 8 Performance and Motivation Armstrong M (2006) defined; a motive is a reason for doing something. Motivation is concerned with the factors that influence people to behave in certain ways. All organizations are concerned with what should be done to achieve sustained high levels of performance through people. Giving close attention to the individuals can best be motivated through such means as incentives, rewards, leadership and importantly, the work they do and the organization context within which they carry out that work. Essentially motivation can take place in two ways; such as people can motivate themselves (intrinsic motivation) by seeking, finding and carrying out work that satisfies their needs and secondly people can be motivated by management (extrinsic motivation) through such methods as pay, praise, promotion and punishments such as disciplinary action. In terms of career management, AF-KLM has put increased emphasis on developing careers for older employees. Extensive means are put in place to deal with health and safety issues, although key performance indicators are not disclosed on a group-wide basis, but separately for Air France and KLM. Air France KLM is one of the few companies who show transparency on how to deal with atypical working hours. Air France-KLM has an above average performance compared to its sector peers on Business Behaviour issues. The Group scores very well on its product safety and security commitments and has thorough commitments and implementation measures on responsible contractual agreements, making its management of client issues among the best in the sector. The Groups performance in terms of passenger satisfaction has been stable over the past three years. Air France-KLMs approach to suppliers issues (embedded in its Procurement Charter for Sustainable Development) and anticompetitive practices is similarly comprehensive, although AF-KLM faced a minor allegation related to anti-competitive employment legislation. Overall, the Groups performance improved slightly compared to last rating, and remains far above the sector average. CHAPTER 9 Management systems Since both Air France and KLM introduced Integrated Management Systems (IMS), which cover quality, environmental management, and food safety concerns. Air France was awarded comprehensive certification for its IMS. The Air France and KLM maintenance business units use their complementary approaches and their multi-skilled workforces to offer customers a unique, customized portfolio of services, in-line maintenance. The constant dialogue with third-party airlines and the combined experience of Air France and KLM ensure that their maintenance departments have in-depth knowledge of the sector and its needs. Customers are also invited to take part in regular satisfaction surveys. Not only that, also Air France KLM promotes environmental friendly solutions which they promote among customers. CHAPTER 10 Management of change Hellriegel et al (1998) explained, many sectors of the economy, organizations must have the capacity to adapt quickly and effectively in order to survive. To a certain extent all organizations exist in a changing environment are themselves constantly changing. Increasingly organizations that emphasize bureaucratic or mechanistic system are ineffective. Organizations with rigid hierarchies, high degrees of functional specialization, narrow and limited job descriptions, inflexible rules and procedures, and impersonal management cant respond adequately to demands for change. Organizations need designs that are flexible and adaptive. They also need systems that both require and allow greater commitment and use of talent on the part of employees and managers. Organisational change can be difficult and costly. Despite the challenges, many organizations successfully make needed changes. Adaptive, flexible organizations have a competitive advantage over rigid ones. Thus managing change has become a central focus of effective organization worldwide. There are so many pressures for change, these includes global market, the spread of information technology and computer networks and changes in the nature of the workforce employed by organizations. Thereby, we conclude for the organization to exist there must be innovation process to constantly integrate with the new technologies worldwide. Air France KLM has managed to cop with those technological changes at various aspects so as to comply with customer needs, these includes the revolution of electronic ground services. Air France KLM satisfied the demand autonomy and transparency expressed by passengers. The company is extending the use of the current technologies, i.e. mainstreaming electronic ticketing, extending check in at self service kiosk. The spread of e service offers the company genuine opportunities to reduce the cost and improv

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Settling of America (1620s -1670s) :: history

Settling of America (1620's -1670's) Christopher Columbus discovered the America’s for Spain in 1492. The explorers and settlers that settled in Central and South America were mostly Spanish and Portuguese. The English took notice of the Spanish success in the America’s, so they decided to explore the upper part of the America’s, North America, in the late 1500’s. Virginia was the first settled in the Chesapeake region in about 1607, and then later settlers went north to places like Massachusetts in the New England region in about 1629. Though both areas were settled by the English, they developed two different societies. While Captain John Smith was in Virginia in 1624, the men on the ship waited for the large ship to leave and ‘those of us that had money, spare clothes, credit to give bills of payment, gold rings, fur, or any such commodities, were ever welcome to [purchase supplies. The rest of us patiently obeyed our] vile commanders and [bought] our provisions at fifteen times the value’ (Doc. F). While other men were searching for gold ‘with their golden promises, made all men their slaves in hope of recompense.’ A Puritan lawyer, John Winthrop, immigrated to New England because his views on religion were different from those in England. Even though Puritans are Protestants, Puritans tried to purify the English Church. In 1630 on board of the Arabella on the Atlantic Ocean on way to Massachusetts, he wrote â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity† which gave his views on what a society should be. ‘†¦the condition of mankind, [that] in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and in subjection†¦.[Yet] we must knit together in this work as one man.’ (Doc. A). In this he is saying that men may be different but to make a new world work, they must work together. All through his speech he mentions God. For example, he opens his sermon with ‘God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. This shows that in New England, the people were very religious. New Englanders actually took religion a little too seriously. In the 1680’s and 1690’s Witch trials were taken place, especially in Salem Massachusetts. Women and some men were killed after being suspected of witchcraft until 1692. The religion bracket this happened in was the Puritans were Calvinists with very strict views about society.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Food Additives Essay

Food additives are chemicals added to food to maintain flavour or improve its taste and appearance. Some additives have been used for centuries, for example, maintaining food by pickling (with vinegar), salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulphur dioxide as in some wines. With the arrival of processed foods in the second half of the 20th century, many more additives have been imported, of both natural and artificial agents. There are many types of additives used in processed foods and consumers are sometimes concerned about their safety and the need for using them. Why use food additives? Additives are used so that these foods still have a consistent high quality. In some products, they are so important that additives are used even in various organic foods. Other reasons that food additives are used include: * Maintains or improves the nutritional value of food * Improves the palpability of a food or makes it more appealing * Improves storage life of a food * Provides aids to manufacturing, producing, packing, packaging, processing, preparing treating, transporting, holding or storing food * Serves as a preservative only when necessary because there is no alternative practical means of preservation of the food. Potential risks of food additives Although these additives are important for food storage, they can give rise to certain health issues. They can cause different allergies and conditions such as hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorder in some people who are sensitive to specific substances. The foods containing additives can cause asthma, hay fever and certain reactions such as rashes, vomiting, headache, tight chest, hives and worsening of eczema. Explain why food supplies benefit from food additives Our food supplies benefit from food additives because they make food last longer and it is more convenient for consumers. Canned foods for example make food last for years without getting spoilt but if you get a can and its dented you shouldn’t eat the contents because they could be poisoned from the metal of the can.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Definition of the Triangle Trade (Rum and Slave Trade)

Definition of the Triangle Trade (Rum and Slave Trade) In the 1560’s, Sir John Hawkins pioneered the way for the slave triangle that would take place between England, Africa, and North America.   While the origins of the slave trade from Africa can be traced back to days of the Roman Empire, Hawkins voyages were the first for England. The country would see slave trade flourish through more than 10,000 recorded voyages up through March 1807 when the British Parliament abolished it throughout the British Empire and specifically across the Atlantic with the passage of the Slave Trade Act. Hawkins was very cognizant of the profits that could be made from the slave trade and he personally made three voyages. Hawkins was from Plymouth, Devon, England and was cousins with Sir Francis Drake. It is alleged that Hawkins was the first individual to make a profit from each leg of the triangular trade. This triangular trade consisted of English goods such as copper, cloth, fur and beads being traded on the African for slaves who were then trafficked on what has become to be known as the infamous Middle Passage. This brought them across the Atlantic Ocean to then be traded for goods that had been produced in the New World, and these goods were then transported back to England. There was also a variation of this system of trade that was very commonplace during the  colonial era in American History. New Englanders traded extensively, exporting  many commodities  such as fish, whale oil, furs, and rum and followed the following pattern that occurred as follows: New Englanders manufactured and shipped rum to the west coast of Africa in exchange for slaves.The slaves were taken on the Middle Passage to the West Indies where they were sold for molasses and money.The molasses would be sent to New England to make rum and start the entire system of trade all over again. In the colonial era, the various colonies played different roles in what was produced and used for trade purposes in this triangular trade. Massachusetts and Rhode Island were known to produce the highest quality rum from the molasses and sugars that had been imported from the West Indies.   The distilleries from these two colonies would prove to be vital to the continued triangular slave trade that was extremely profitable. Virginia’s tobacco and hemp production also played a major role as well as cotton from the southern colonies.   Any cash crop and raw materials that the colonies could produce were more than welcome in England as well as throughout the rest of Europe for trade. But these types of goods and commodities were labor intensive, so the colonies relied on the use of slave for their production that in turn helped to fuel the necessity of continuing the trade triangle. Since this era is generally considered to be the age of sail, the routes that were used were chosen due to the prevailing wind and current patterns. This meant that is was more efficient for the countries situated in Western Europe to first sail southward until they reached the area known for the â€Å"trade winds† before heading west towards the Caribbean in lieu of sailing a straight course to the American colonies. Then for the return trip to England, the ships would travel the Gulf Stream and head in a Northeast direction utilizing the prevailing winds from the west to power their sails. It is important to note that the triangle trade was not an official or rigid system of trade, but instead a name that has been given to this triangular route of trade that existed between these three places across the Atlantic. Further, other triangle-shaped trade routes existed at this time. However, when individuals speak of the triangle trade, they are typically referring to this system.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

White Paper For Vietnam Essay Example

White Paper For Vietnam Essay Example White Paper For Vietnam Essay White Paper For Vietnam Essay History of Vietnam is the history of scourge and wars starting with the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, also known as North Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh in Ha Noi on 2nd September, 1945 with the declaration of Independent State with Tonkin and Anan provinces also taken over. This was a starting phase of the aggression, which began to take shape into full-fledged war between South and North Vietnam and turned the course of history of Vietnam. Geneva Peace Accord signed under the gloominess of Korean War by France and Vietnam in 1954 shows the signs of the beginning of the Cold War. And due to the pressures exerted from Soviet Union and the People’ Republic Of China, Vietnam delegation promised to create a temporary partition of their nation at the seventeenth parallel. Moreover, Communists also began to believe that with their superior position and better organization, they can take over Southern Vietnam politically but this did not happen. On 2nd September 1945, the day was the mark of the French colonial rule over Vietnam, Statue of the Frederic Auguste Barholdi’s Liberty Enlightening the world was placed at the avenue Pugiener and gathered was the crowd of 400,000 people to mark the failure to oust France in 1880’s. From the place, Ho Chi Min showed independence of Vietnam and Liberty ensued. Under the shadow of international turmoil at the aftermath of First World War and the Communists regime: Soviet Union and China, The Vietnam War also known as the Second Indochina War was one more step to make United States raise their brows and reconsider their international relations. After the Geneva Peace Accord was signed, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam land reform programs took the shape of mass killings on their prospective enemies. Later Ho Chi Minh apologized and in the South, Emperor Bao Dai formed the non-communist state who was an ardent supporter of France and Japan and made Ngo Dinh Diem his Prime Minister. In the back drop of this turn over, Catholics and around 90,000 Viet Minh fighters entered North to regroup themselves. According to the Geneva Conference of 1954, the partition of Vietnam was only temporary, making waves for the National Assembly elections on 20th July 1956. The agreement that ensued led to the division of two Military Zones to be separated by the Demarcation line known as Demilitarized Zone. Among other Nations, United Nations refused to became signatory to Geneva agreement and the President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem refused to hold elections. This raised the question over United States commitment for democracy and also possiblity of any elections that can be run in Communist North. In 1954, just two months after the Geneva convention, North Vietnam formed what is known as Group 100 with its headquarters at Ban Nameo. After 1954, South Vietnam became part of Asia and Senator John F Kennedy followed parenthood approach as the Middlebrow logic of political obligation in his 1956 speech to the American friends of Vietnam. As the events unfolded, Vietnam was on the verge of war and bloodshed. In 1955, North Vietnam started with the ‘anti-landlord’ campaign, whereby they either imprisoned or killed number of counter-revolutionaries, according to the various historical versions ranging between 6, 000 to 200, 000. Vietnam became the land where new kind of aggression was unleashed against the advocators of independence and the very concept of democracy. The brutalities and armed attacks were leashed at the behest of the Communist regime in Hanoi and in 1965, the aggressions became more severe. Just like Greece, the Guerrilla warfare forces began to use neighboring territories as their place of their activities. North Vietnam was striving to use any means to control South Vietnam and to support them were the Communist China and other Communist states supplying them with new weapons. To support the regime was the Lao Dong, who set up complete machinery in South Vietnam to run their espionage and subversion activities in 1960. It was mainly because of the malicious reasons. And for ten years to the date 1960, South Vietnam confronted their aggressors. In a report titled Threat to the State issued by the Central Research Agency with evidence clearly stated North Vietnam designs over South Vietnam. At the behest of South Vietnam, United States took its stand to give this part of Vietnam his military and strategic support.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Halewood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Halewood - Essay Example Halewood must be cognizant of the fact that it is very difficult to introduce a new product in the market and this is even worsen if there are alternative product that has been in the market for a long time that will be posing a challenge. It thus needs several strategy measures to ensure that the expectedniche is occupied in the market, among other things that will affect their marketing strategy in this case includes; Competition from Alternative Products In designing their marketing and service delivery strategy, the company should look at the issue of alternative products in terms of prices, availability, and the customer’s loyalty associated with them. This is very important in coming up with a marketing strategy that will counter strong sense of establishment in the market from other products. Prices of the alternative products will play a significant role in affecting Halewood marketing strategy because for them to make a break through, they have to retail at a cost low er than those of the established product. The cost of the alternative products will thus be very critical for Halewood to make informed choice on how best they should sell their products in the market in order to have a competitive edge. The availability of the product is equally important for Halewood to evaluate the strategy that should be used to make the product have sufficient inroads in most of the prospective market zones. In most cases, one will find that products availability are skewed to one zone than others, with this realization, Halewood are able to have different strategies in the different areas based on the intensity of other products in the different areas. In an area with more competitive products, there will be intense marketing than those areas that do not experience business rivalry on the same product. Product’s Strength in the Market Halewood will have to consider their product’s strength that the competitive products are not giving, Like in the case of the new product being introduced, the company came up with this taste to provide a solution for those who want an alternative product to consume other than Alcohol or caffeine. This is the strength of the product the company has come up with that probably most business competitors are not providing; most of the probable competitors provide purely alcohol or soft drinks. In this case, Halewood will be providing an intermediary product that will cater for the needs of those who do not want alcohol and caffeine in the afternoon. In their marketing, this should be boldly captured so that the prospective customers can know the unique taste that is provided by the new product (Lawley, 2007, p.83). The fact that the new product is designed in a way to bring in a new taste in the market should be categorically captured in the marketing strategy so that the customers will develop the urge to have its taste and make choice out of it. Understanding Competition Introduction of every ne w product in the market meets an existing competition, to effectively compete with those companies that are already established or introduce customers to new products, a lot has to be done in relation to understanding strategies used by other companies. This will involves researching on the marketing strategies of the competitive companies so that a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses are known. This will help Halewood to devise a marketing strategy that will counter those that are played by the competitors, it is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors in deciding which option to consider (Lawley, 2007, p.88). Having known the weakness and the strengths of the competitor

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Frida Kahlo and Surrealism Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Frida Kahlo and Surrealism Movement - Essay Example The essay "Frida Kahlo and Surrealism Movement" states the surrealism movement and Frida Kahlo. Frida unconsciously painted from a surrealist style, though not a disciple or even admirer of surrealism- a result maybe due to her dramatic nature and extreme emotional and physical pain that she suffered. She often experimented with styles, icons and motifs and her work reflected strong sexual overtones, though she had no special explanations for her methods and once said "I put on the canvas whatever comes into my mind." Her paintings often shocked people due to their sexual boldness and exquisite starkness, her ruthless representation of herself in her paintings like ‘My Birth’, ‘What Water Gave Me’ ‘Henry Ford Hospital’ and ‘The Two Fridas’ are emotionally breathtaking. In 1953, when Frida Kahlo had her first and only solo exhibition in Mexico during her lifetime, a local critic wrote: 'It is impossible to separate the life and work of this extraordinary person. Her paintings are her biography.' Frida Kahlo was a passionate, dramatic and clever woman, the product of a Hungarian –Jewish father and a devout Catholic of Spanish-Mexican Indian decent mother. She was closest to her father who shared her interest in art but had a cold relationship with her mother. This potent cultural fusion, plus being surrounded by women (three sisters of her own and two half sisters) and witnessing the Mexican revolution, seems to have had a great hand in shaping Frida’s personality early on.