Socratic Seminar on Catcher in the Rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Socratic Seminar on Catcher in the Rye - Essay Example However, based on the social changes in modern society, the novel turned out to be popular among adolescent and young people in the society. To confirm its popularity in modern inclusive and challenging society, the work has been translated into almost all major languages in the world. Every year, more than 250,000 copies are sold. So far, more than 65,000,000 copies have been distributed and sold in almost all parts of the world. Despite becoming one of the most popular characters in modern society, Holden Caufield has become an icon for young people especially in developed countries such as United Kingdom and United States of America. The Root Cause of Holden’s Problems Holden’s problem started one Saturday afternoon when he was late to attend a football match with a rival school, Saxon Hall. In addition to being late for the game, Holden lost most of the fencing team’s equipment in New York City on a subway, forcing the game to be cancelled for lack of the required equipment. He was criticised by his fellow teammates for being ineffective and an unreliable manager of the fencing team. As a result of being late for the game and emerging as an incompetent leader, Holden lost his valuable leadership position. The incompetence of Holden is also demonstrated when he stated that â€Å"somebody had thrown his cookies† which meant that someone has pocked (Salinger 39). The embattled leader was also expelled from school for engaging in unacceptable behavior both within the school compound and outside the school compound. Holden decided to visit the home of his history teacher, Mr. Spencer to inquire about his performance and to convince him to award him better marks for his history paper. However, to Holden’s surprise, the old man read his history paper aloud. This act humiliated Holden to an extent that he was forced to leave and head towards New York City. In attempt to advise him on the importance of having a descent and honorable life, Spencer told Holden â€Å"life is a game† (Salinger 41) where everyone should learn to understand and effectively apply the rules of the game without searching for any favor or support for unacceptable activities and behaviors. Although he was disappointed by Spencer’s reaction, Holden took his word seriously and went on with his way. The character’s problems emerged out of his percepti on towards life and his inability to withstand testing and challenging situations in life. In his life, Holden assumed that life is a simple path where everyone can be manipulated for personal interests and gain. For instance, his plan to visit his history teacher was aimed at trying to convince him to award him better grades without considering his mistakes. He also intended to convince him to intervene in ensuring that his suspension was revoked. However, to his surprise, Mr. Spencer humiliated him. Later in the story, the readers are informed that out of frustration in life, Holden attempted several times to commit suicide due to life’s challenges. For instance the character was spotted saying that â€Å"any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody† (Salinger 91). Holden the narrator The narrator is Holden. He is telling his story to individuals who lack the ability of withstanding life’s complications and people who do not abide by the rule of law. T he narrator explores some of the challenges that he has been undergoing in his own youthful life. In the novel, it is clear that the narrator has a very challenging life both at school and in his home. There was continuous conflict between the narrator and his family. The intensive disagreement between

Employee Empowerment and Motivation Essay Example for Free

Employee Empowerment and Motivation Essay Employee empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision making in autonomous ways. It is the state of feeling self-empowered to take control of ones own destiny (Heathfield, n.d., 1). In other words, giving the employees the power and ability to make decisions that affect not only their department but the company as a whole as well. Empowerment has become an increasingly used human resources (HR) catchphrase when analyzing the corporate world of today. Empowerment of the employees can increase employee morale, improve company performance, and improve employee relations, however is not an overnight process. All levels of employees, supervisors, and executive management have to work together and be properly prepared in order to make an empowerment program successful. Improving Employee Morale In many corporate organizations, the lower level employees often feel unappreciated and underutilized. Often, employees can feel like just another number, destined to do the same thing day after day with all decisions being made by upper management. When companies adopt an employee empowerment approach, these feelings can be reduced or even eliminated. Allowing, and even mandating employees to have a say in company decisions makes them feel important to the success of the company. Employees want to be heard and they want their opinions to matter. The most effective morale booster is for an employee to see his or her idea become a company policy. When this happens, the employee feels more valued and being recognized as an important contributing part to the company. Improving Company Performance Another benefit of employee empowerment programs is usually a noticeable improvement in company performance. The simple explanation for this fact is that employees who are most familiar with the day-to-day processes have the best hands on knowledge to be able to implement educated changes and improvements to those processes. Often, many members of management and the corporate officers are hired into their jobs based on education and experience with other companies; they often never worked their way up within the current company and have therefore, never experienced the day-to-day processes. Therefore, decisions made by those officers are often solely based on hypothetical situations and projected  profits; they are often so focused on the bigger picture that they overlook the details. However, when the employees performing the job are asked to make decisions, they look at from the bottom and up and take those forgotten details into consideration. Improving Employee Relations When employees are not involved in company decisions, often they operate within their own confined department. Often, the employees take actions without thinking about the repercussions of their actions to other departments; this is done mostly out of lack of communication of what those repercussions might be and not understanding how each process inter-relates. When employees are given the empowerment to make company decisions, it encourages open communication. Once employees know that they are going to be held responsible for their decisions and that those decisions will impact the whole company, they will take the time to work with other departments to investigate how things affect the company as a whole. This serves to not only achieve better decision making but also opens lines of communication and strengthens the company feeling of being more of a family unit. Making Preparations For Employee Empowerment Although employee empowerment seems like a simple concept, it cannot be implemented without preparation. All levels of employees within the company must be prepared and in agreement with the idea in order to make it work. Expectations must be communicated from the top most levels of management down to the base employees and vice versa in order for empowerment to work. Flat OrganizationOne of the first steps in successful employee empowerment programs is the flattening of the organization structure and its organizational chart. When the organization has too many decision makers and not enough line employees, conflict is inevitable and empowerment will not be successful. This change in organization may include the restructure of elimination of jobs to eliminate the dictatorial chain of command and bring all employees closer to the result. This transference of responsibility to the employees allows management to focus on other things such as researching new ideas and processes that are presented by the employees. Employee and Management ResistanceWhenever a company adopts an employee empowerment program, resistance from all levels is expected. Supervisor and Management level employees will often resist empowerment programs because they feel are giving up control that they worked hard to achieve. The human nature to enjoy a feeling of control and empowerment threatens that control. Supervisors and managers must be counseled in advance to make sure that they understand that their input is still crucial and important and that empowerment of their employees will be for the betterment of all parts of the company. One would think that employees would jump at the chance to participate in employee empowerment programs. However, many employees often balk at the opportunity. They often lack the self-confidence to make decisions they know will affect the whole company. Others believe that empowerment is just another word to justify piling more responsibility on the employees. According to Abrahamson (2004) in which he discussed how organizations can go through change overload and how employees can experience change fatigue and burnout. To prevent this, employees must be convinced of the positive effects of employee empowerment. The company must strive to make the employees understand that the program is being implemented because the company values their experience and opinions and truly values their input. EducationOften, both management and employee resistance is caused by the feeling the employees do not have the knowledge needed to make the proper decisions for the company. Education is the key answer to this fear. By educating the employees about the company as a whole and the operations of those outside of their own department, confidence in the employees decisions is heightened. Education about the empowerment process in general will also help to quell fears by clearly defining everyones role within the company following the changes so that everyone knows what is expected of them and is confident with their future within the company. Conclusion Employee empowerment is an important part of the successful operation of todays organizations. By allowing the employees to have in an  input in company decisions not only lifts their morale, but more use of their experience and knowledge with day-to-day operations to make better decisions. This allows the company to service their clients better and ensure the continued success of the company within their market. Companies looking to start empowerment programs should take the time to educate employees completely and discuss the program benefits with all employees at all levels. This will help ensure that all employees are committed to the program and to ensure its success. â€Æ'References Abrahamson, E. (2004), Change Without Pain. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Trends-in-Organizational-Change.html. Heathfield, S.M. (n.d.). Human resources: Employee empowerment. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossarye/a/empowerment_def.htm.

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia are Murder Essay -- Euthanas

Euthanasia is Murder      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On June 4, 1990, Janet Adkins committed suicide. She killed herself under the supervision of a man named Jack Kevorkian. Again and again, Kevorkian set up machines and killed patients that were supposedly terminally ill. He escaped punishment for years, but on March 26, 1999, Kevorkian was incarcerated for second-degree murder. (Online,99) He had developed many friends and many enemies. One of his followers was a woman who had developed coronary artery disease. Her name was Donna White. She thought about suicide often, especially when her pain was incredibly intense. Help found her before euthanasia did. A hospice care facility heard about her plot to commit suicide, and they found help for her. They provided therapy for her suicidal thoughts and severe depression, and they also provided her with the medication to keep her pain free. She no longer follows Kevorkian's ideals and is against him instead. (Shapiro and Bowermaster, 94) Over 52 patients were killed in "Dr. " Kevorkian's presence. (Online, 99) What if they could have found the help that they needed?    Euthanasia is ending one's life if one has a terminal disease is an incurable condition, and is done by a lethal injection. Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide began in ancient Rome and Greece. They believed that it was okay in certain situations to allow a person to die or to help a person die. This was often the case with the elderly in these cultures. Certain religions are against euthanasia. The Christian, Jew, and Islamic religions all cling to the fact that life is sacred and should not be taken away. In some cultures, helping someone to die is the same thing as homicide, and is treated so in a court of law. (Encarta, 98)    .. ...ailable: http://www.angelfire.com/al/jefspage/index3.html Barnett, Erin Hoover. "Is Mom Capable of Choosing to Die?". 1999. [Online]. The Oregonian. Date of Download: November 15, 1999. Available: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/99/10/st101719.html Cassel, Eric J. "Euthanasia". Grolier Interactive Inc.. 1998 Euthanasia. Gould, Jonathan and Craigmyle, Lord. Your Death Warrant?. New York: Arlington House, 1971. Mattos, Jennifer and Sachs, Andrea. "Defining the Right to Die". Time. April 15, 1996. Pg. 82 Rosenbaum, Stuart E. and Baird, Robert M. "Euthanasia: The Moral Issues". 1989. Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Prometheus Books. Shapiro, Joseph P. and Bowermaster, David. "Death on Trial". U.S. News and World Report. April 25, 1994. Pp. 31-39. Shapiro, Joseph P. "Expanding a right to die". U.S. News and World Report. April 15, 1996. Pg. 63.

International business management Essay

1. Regional integration Regional integration is a process in which states enter into a regional agreement in order to enhance regional cooperation through regional institutions and rules. The objectives of the agreement could range from economic to political to environmental, although it has typically taken the form of a political economy initiative where commercial interests have been the focus for achieving broader socio political and security objectives, as defined by national governments. Regional integration has been organized either via supranational institutional structures or through intergovernmental decision-making, or a combination of both. Past efforts at regional integration have often focused on removing barriers to free trade in the region, increasing the free movement of people, labour, goods, and capital across national borders, reducing the possibility of regional armed conflict (for example, through Confidence and Security-Building Measures), and adopting cohesive regional stances on policy issues, such as the environment, climate change and migration. 2. Internalization Internationalization is the process of acceptance of a set of norms and value established by people or groups which are influential to the individual through the process of socialization. John Finley Scott (1971) Also it can be defined as a process through which we come to identify parts of our culture as part of ourselves especially to norms and values. 3. Internalization process In international business management describes the process in which the firm gradually becomes involved in international business and enters foreign market whereby the discussions and decisions on development of the domestic market and international market are made. The term international usually refers to either an attitude of the firmtowards foreign activities or to tlie actual carrying out of activities abroad.*Of course there is a ciose relationship between attitudes and actuai behaviour.The attitudes are the basis for decisions to undertake international ventures and the experiences from international activities infiuence these attitudes. In the case descriptions we have to concentrate on those aspects of the internationalization that are easy to observe, that is the international activities. We consider, however, these attitudes as interesting and important and the discussion of the internationalization process is basically an account of the interaction between attitudes and actual behaviour 4. Expand Sales Companies sales are dependent on two factors: the consumers’ interest in their products or services and the consumers’ willingness and ability to buy them. The number of people and the amount of their purchasing power are higher for the world as a whole than for a single country, so companies may increase their sales by reaching international business. Ordinarily, higher sales means higher profits, assuming each unit sold has the same markup. For example, the Star Wars cost millions of dollars to produce, but as more people see the films, the average production cost per viewer decreases. So, increasing the sales will be major motive for a company’s expansion into international business. 5. Acquire Resources Manufacturers and distributors seek out products, services and components produced in foreign countries. They also look for foreign capital, technologies, and information they can use at home. Acquiring resources may enable a company to improve its product quality and differentiate itself from competitors in both cases, potentially increasing market share and profits. Although a company may initially use domestic resources to expand abroad, once the foreign operations are in place, the foreign earnings may the serve as resources for domestic operations. 6. Diversify Sources of Sales and Supplies To minimize swings in sales and profits, companies may seek out foreign markets to take advantage of business cycle recessions and expansions differences among countries. Sales decrease in a country that is in a recession and increase in one that is expanding economically. By obtaining supplies of the same product or component from different countries, companies may be able to avoid the full impact of price swings or shortages in any one country. 7. Minimize Competitive Risk Many companies enter into international business for defensive reasons. They want to counter advantages competitors might gain in foreign markets that, in turn, could hurt them domestically. For example company A and company B compete in the same domestic market. Company. A may fear that Company B will generate large profits from a foreign market if left alone to serve that market. Company B may then use those profits in various ways (such as additional advertising or development of improved products) to improve its competitive position in the domestic market. Companies harboring such a fear may enter foreign markets primarily to prevent a competitor from gaining advantages. 8. Controlling Expenses Every business wants to have low expenses; so some companies will therefore enter the global arena to minimize their costs. Companies will examine the resources they need and where they can get them at the lowest price. By searching outside of their own borders, companies hope to find more economical solutions to the production and manufacturing problems they have. Business might choose to take advantage of lower labor costs, they might move manufacturing plants closer to natural resources, invest in new and more efficient technology, or profit from another countries innovations or tax structures. For example a company that is located in Toronto that gets most of their resources from Japan might want to look into moving the company closer to Japan or they might have to look into finding a new place to get their resources. This is known as outsourcing, meaning that a company will obtain something by contracting it from another source. 9. Diversification In order to diversify a company’s product line they may choose to enter a specific international market. This will apply to both a large scale international business along with a small company. Companies have a foothold in a number of countries so they don’t have to depend on the economy of one country. Companies engaged in international business can protect their investments and their markets by dealing with countries in a variety of countries. A recession in one county won’t have a huge effect if business is doing well in another country. 10. Competitiveness Many companies expand globally for defensive reasons to protect themselves from competitors or potential competitors, or to gain advantage over them. In today’s business environment, even a small business is competing with international businesses. A neighbourhood video store is facing competition from a larger international company such as Blockbuster Video. A local store may have a limited selection because of its small size but it may be able to offer more personal service, a more specialized stock or even lower prices. On the other hand, local businesses may find if difficult to compete with the selection and price that multinational companies can offer. If their businesses are too threatened, they may find wider markets or merge with a larger, possibly international company. International Business Theories Analytical framework of International Business (IB) is built around the activities of MNEs enunciated by the process of internationalization (Kamwesara, 2010p.17). Before emergence of MNEs, Foreign trade and IB were regarded as synonymous and international trade doctrines based on labour cost differentials free trade guided the international transactions among trading partners. Several theories have been formulated which form the basis of international trade and FDI.

The Geography of the Cold War: What Was Containment? Essay

It was a glorious meeting. On April 25, 1945, at the Elbe River in Germany, two powerful armies met. Coming from opposite ends of Europe, the Americans and Russians had cut Hitler’s Germany in two. Now at the Elbe, soldiers from the Red Army of the Soviet Union reached out their hands to their American counterparts. It was a time for great happiness. World War II, the deadliest war in all of human history, was nearly over. Unfortunately, the warmth of the handshakes did not last. The Soviet Union and the United States had serious differences. Their greatest difference was over a political and economic system called communism. In its pure form, communism is a belief that private property should be replaced by community ownership. In the Soviet Union this idea was not easily accepted by the people. Russian leaders Vladmir Lenin and Joseph Stalin were ruthless in their elimination of those who had different ideas about Russia’s future. It is estimated that in the 1930s, Stalin was responsible for killing more than 10,000,000 Soviet people who he believe were in his way. Soviet communists did not like capitalism. They opposed private ownership economies of the United States and its allies. Russian leaders believed that capitalism was doomed and that communism would spread throughout the world. This caused great tension and the emergence of a new kind of war, a Cold War. Mistrust ran deep. In the words of Winston Churchill, it was as if an â€Å"iron curtain† had been drawn between the Soviet-controlled countries in Eastern Europe and the Western democracies. The Soviets had suffered terribly in World War II, losing more than 27,000,000 soldiers and civilians. Stalin was determined that Germany would never be able to strike Russia again. To protect Russia, Stalin wanted a buffer zone in Eastern Europe. It was no secret that Stalin and his successors wanted to expand the Soviet Empire.

Free Essays on Sources Of International Law

Between the various sources of International Law there exists an obvious hierarchy, in which treaty holds undisputed authority. Discuss. In an international system typified by the sovereign equality of states, above which exists no legislator or enforcer, much of international law emanates from the rules such states choose to be bound by. Treaties are a common method of doing this, but they are not the only one. Other sources of international law exist, and to suggestions that treaties hold undisputed authority are false. This essay shall begin with examining the statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This Article indicates three primary sources of international law and some subsidiary sources. This will be followed by a brief description of each of the three main sources. Section 2 asserts that customary law holds equal status to treaty amongst the sources. This is seen through the operation of two principle maxims of interpretation; lex posterior derogat priori and lex specialis derogat generali. It will be shown that these maxims give preference to neither treaty nor custom, but treat them equally. Se ction 3 shall examine the concept of jus cogens norms in International Law. It shall be seen through both theoretical discussion and case law that jus cogens norms override both conventional (treaty) and customary law. They are principles that allow no derogation and nullify any treaty or custom with which there is conflict. However, it will be noted that the potential problems and difficulties associated with jus cogens norms has meant significant development has not been achieved. Nevertheless, it is seen how jus cogens norms sit atop the hierarchy of sources. Section 4 shall examine the source of law known as ‘General principles’. It shall be seen that though commonly and rightly considered to be subsidiary to conventional and customary law, this category can have implications which may limit their superiority. Ce... Free Essays on Sources Of International Law Free Essays on Sources Of International Law Between the various sources of International Law there exists an obvious hierarchy, in which treaty holds undisputed authority. Discuss. In an international system typified by the sovereign equality of states, above which exists no legislator or enforcer, much of international law emanates from the rules such states choose to be bound by. Treaties are a common method of doing this, but they are not the only one. Other sources of international law exist, and to suggestions that treaties hold undisputed authority are false. This essay shall begin with examining the statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This Article indicates three primary sources of international law and some subsidiary sources. This will be followed by a brief description of each of the three main sources. Section 2 asserts that customary law holds equal status to treaty amongst the sources. This is seen through the operation of two principle maxims of interpretation; lex posterior derogat priori and lex specialis derogat generali. It will be shown that these maxims give preference to neither treaty nor custom, but treat them equally. Se ction 3 shall examine the concept of jus cogens norms in International Law. It shall be seen through both theoretical discussion and case law that jus cogens norms override both conventional (treaty) and customary law. They are principles that allow no derogation and nullify any treaty or custom with which there is conflict. However, it will be noted that the potential problems and difficulties associated with jus cogens norms has meant significant development has not been achieved. Nevertheless, it is seen how jus cogens norms sit atop the hierarchy of sources. Section 4 shall examine the source of law known as ‘General principles’. It shall be seen that though commonly and rightly considered to be subsidiary to conventional and customary law, this category can have implications which may limit their superiority. Ce...

French New Wave Essays - Jacques Rivette, Antoine Doinel

French New Wave Essays - Jacques Rivette, Antoine Doinel French New Wave The French New Wave was a movement that lasted between 1959 to 1964. It all started with the Cinematheque Francois, an underground organization that would regularly show older films from around the world. This beget the cine-club, and by the 1954 there were 100,000 members in 200 clubs. From these clubs several magazines were created, the most famous of these were LEcran Francois, La Revue du Cinema, Postif, and the world known Cahiers du Cinema. One of the two most influential people during this time was Alexandre Astruc who declared that, the cinema is becoming a means of expression like the other arts before it, especially painting and the novel. It is no longer a spectacle, a diversion equivalent to the old boulevard theater...it is becoming, little by little, a visual language, i.e. a medium in which and by which an artist can express his thoughts, be they abstract or whatever, or in which he can communicate his obsessions as accurately as he can today in essay or novel. What Astruc was saying , was that the cinema was now as personal as paintings and literature, instead of just a show. The second and most influential of the two was Andr Bazin, who like Astruc believed that the cinema was equal to the novel. Bazin believed in the long take and the deep focus over the Soviet Montage, composition in depth is seen as egalitarian in the sense that everything in the frame exists with equal clarity, thereby giving the spectator a choice: our eyes are free to roam from foreground to background and around. It is closer to the way we perceive in off screen life, and it reintroduces ambiguity into the structure of the image. Bazin also championed the Italian Neorealism movement, for its revolutionary humanism, and its on location shooting, improvisational style, use of non actors, and for its long takes. In 1950s Andr Bazin founded Cahier du Cinema, a magazine that championed the director as Films true author. At Cahier du Cinema, Bazin further developed the theory of director as author of his film, the Auteur. Bazin charted the main areas of film studies as we know them, effectively creating the discipline: authorship, which led Bazins disciples to develop the politique des auteurs. Cahier du Cinema brought together the leading French critics/film enthusiasts of the time- Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, Eric Rohmer and Jacques Rivette... These critics began devouring older movies, mostly silent films like, German Expressionism, Italian Neorealism, thirties French films and most particularly American studio films that were banned during Nazi occupation. Here they learned to love directors like Howard Hawks and John Ford, the American masters who were virtually ignored in this country until the French critics made a case for their artistry. These critics also made the world aware of Genre. The examples of genres are the Western films, Gangster films, Musicals, and Film Noir. But the most important observation was the director as Auteur. They championed the director as the auteur, the creator of a personal vision of the world which progresses from film to film. These critics began seeing style and same thematic consistencies in certain film directors, and held them in the highest light. One of the first scandals in this wave of thought was an article written by Francois Truffaut in 1954, A Certain Tendency in the French Cinema. In his essay he criticized the French postwar films that were adopted from novels and were heavily dependent upon plot and dialogue. Truffaut also attacked Jean Delannoy and Rene Clement as they were stopping the growth of film as art. The final influence on the French New Wave came in 1958. The Documentary filmmakers began using lighter and more mobile equipment, using smaller crews, and began rejecting structure in their scripts. Cinema Verite was the name applied, meaning Cinema truth. Then in 1959, France called for a new wave and it got it. The same year, twenty-four French directors made their first feature films, followed in 1960 by forty-three more features. All this was possible to accomplish with the advent of the lightweight film equipment and handheld action ruled the screen. The first of these French New Wave films was Jean-Luc

4 Ways to Land the Job When You’re Overqualified

4 Ways to Land the Job When You’re Overqualified Say you want to take a break from managerial positions and go back to doing more hands-on, creative work. Or maybe you’ve been laid off and pickings are slim. Perhaps you just want to spend more time with family and friends and don’t mind taking a pay cut. Chances are, you don’t look right on paper for the work you used to do. Here are four ways to circumvent the problem of being overqualified.1. Network Face-to-FaceOnline programs are going to weed you out: you have too many years experience and your salary range is probably too high. You won’t get past the initial cull. But you can still get your foot in the door. Figure out why you want to make this change, hone it into a great elevator pitch, and hit the meet-and-greets. Get in front of as many hiring managers as you can, one-on-one, and make your case. You’ll have much more success with people than with online bots.2. Don’t Bury the LeadYou’re a great candidate, but the hiring man ager will be skeptical of your taking a step backward (in the linear model anyway). Why wait for them to ask? Bring the issue right out into the open yourself by bringing it up first. That way, you control the conversation and the narrative and can really explain your situation and why you’d still be right for them to hire.3. Put Your Heart on Your SleeveIf you were to take all of your hard-won management experience off your resume, there’d be a huge gap. But you can still get rid of it! Add in its place volunteer experience and consulting in your field. If you don’t have any, get started! The career-enriching work will pay off in the long run.4. Tell your StoryOnce you get the interview, you’re almost there. Make it personal. Explain your unique qualifications, but don’t forget to sell yourself- you!- as a good fit for the job. Use your storytelling skills to show them who you are and why this is not just the best move for you, but the best move f or their company.

Data Analysis Methods and Tools Research Proposal

Data Analysis Methods and Tools - Research Proposal Example On the other hand, lower morals would lead to lower level of employee satisfaction from the job and thus negatively influence the performance of the organization as well. For this reason, the management of the businesses keeps a critical sight on the performance of each individual employee in order to identify the contribution that each employee is making towards achieving organizational goals and objectives. For this reason, the author of the proposed research work will try to identify and understand the effect of performance appraisal systems on motivating and retaining strategies of the organizations (Seldon, Ingraham, & Jacobson, 2001). In the literature reviewed for this research work, the researcher has identified the true meanings of job satisfaction. While elaborating on the concept of job satisfaction, a number of researchers has agreed that it is actually the addiction or fondness that employees inherit from the working environment within the organization, and those elements at work place which motivates employees to show commitment with the organization (Thompson & Phua, 2012; Maslow, 1943; Herzberg, 1966; Vroom, 1964; Adams & Freedman, 1976; Malik et al., 2010). For this purpose, businesses have identified appraising employees’ performance as an essential tool to provide them utter support and appraise their contribution in organizations’ progress and growth (Anthony et al., 1996; Schneier et al., 1991). While the employees are satisfied from their employer and working condition, their attitude towards job is positive and motivates them to put extra efforts in their work, so that they can rece ive greater benefits by the employer (Karimi, Malik, & Hussain, 2011). As for the proposed research work, these views and ideas of past researchers will be used by the author of this research proposal, to identify the relationship between performance appraisal system, motivation of employees

Managerial decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managerial decision making - Essay Example A hallmark of today's business environment is its chaotic nature. This chaos is rooted in unprecedented rates of change and high levels of complexity. In turn, rapid change and effective decision-making create an environment of high risk in which decision makers possess little certainty about what the future holds. They perceive events through opaque lenses and base their decisions on large measures of speculation and only small doses of certainty. A large part of the complexity of today's projects is tied to the variety of options facing all project players, from project managers to team members to customers. Naturalistic decision making helps managers to understand how decision are made in complex situations, uncertainty and changing conditions.Research and understanding of naturalistic decision making helps organizations to interpret cognitive functions and improve their everyday performance. Following Cannon-Bowers et al 1996: "There is no doubt that the overriding strength of th e NDM perspective on decision making research is its focus on how decisions are made in complex, real-world environments" (p. 193). Managers do not always remember and thus learn from their mistakes, because they do not realize they have made mistakes. A naturalistic decision making gives managers means to disengage themselves from a particular situation, from its narrative, from one's roles, and from a dominating conceptual scheme. Effective application and understand of naturalistic decision making enables one to assess one's situation, to evaluate present and new possibilities, and to create decisions that are not parochially embedded in a restricted context or confined by a certain point of view. Naturalistic decision making takes into account ethical theory but not abstractly (Flin 1996). In complex environment, naturalistic decision making is crucial for organizational behavior and effective performance. This is because in the first instance ethics has to do with human relationships and human activities, not with abstract formal principles. It generates conclusions from that particular set of events, taking into account not merely the situation but its narrative and the set of mental models or conceptual schemes that frames these events. Naturalistic decision making and cognitive processes are essential to get one from a particular situation to a more disengaged perspective (Bazerman 1995). It is often argued that human beings are motivated primarily by self-interest; in business, managerial or corporate self-interest, sometimes even greed, accounts for questionable and even egregious behavior. Moreover, none of us is perfect, so in large companies there are bound to be errors of judgment. Other explanations also attempt to account for these events and their perpetra tors (Flin 1996). It is then sometimes argued that social, political, and legal institutions, along with the corporate culture and the particular roles and role responsibilities of the managers and companies in question, create a causal nexus that constrains what might consider morally appropriate behavior and often precludes the consequential avoidance of harm. In contrast to traditional decision-making, "Under naturalistic decision making a similar emphasis on task complexity has not been made explicit. In fact, attention to factors that contribute to decision complexity, and how decision makers cope with these, must be examined more fully if the definition of core NDM features is to be fully realized" (Cannon-Bowers et al 1996, p. 193). Following naturalistic decision making approach, organizations and managers understand that acting in one's own interest where one's well-being is the object as well as the subject of action does not necessarily exclude taking into account the interests of others, for those interests are almost always necessary to achieve success. Third, acting in one's own self interests in either sense is not necessarily evil. One must be careful to distinguish not only the quality of the action itself and

How does the internet effect social change Essay

How does the internet effect social change - Essay Example This molds an individual into falsehood and can be easily manipulated. For example, one is inclined to be like entertainment idols; by the way, they dress, act or live. Considering the existing internet connections, online communities have emerged and have acted as catalysts for advocacy and activism. This has been achieved through instant messaging social sites, which provide a platform for exchange of ideas and information (Nuert). Social activism via the internet has seen government regimes being toppled as in the case with Egypt. Internet advocacy also enhances relief campaigns in cases of tragedy or conflict as with the case of Haiti earthquake, recently. In addition, relatives separated by geographical barriers can keep in touch using electronic mail, which is more efficient. Taking into account the ever-advancing technology, video calls over the internet can be made to bridge the gaps. Furthermore, the internet plays a crucial role in the education sector by providing vital information to all, considering the introduction of the distant learning; internet has enabled people to gain knowledge bridging the geographical barriers. However, negative effects can be experienced with the development of abbreviations used during instant messaging, which degrades English grammar. The internet also increases public knowledge by providing information about things that affect their daily life, and knowledge about one’s health and environment is vital for effective development. University of California, Los Angeles. Internet Peaks As Americas Most Important Source Of Information. ScienceDaily. 10 Feb. 2003. Web. 8 Oct. 2012.

Film review Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film - Movie Review Example Thesis statement Success in moviemaking demands the incorporation of a good plotline, believable characters and a socio-cultural strong theme, as is seen in the movie Mean Streets. Summary of the Plot Charlie is the protagonist in the film. He works for his uncle, Mr. Giovanni who is the head of a New York mafia gang. Charlie attempts to rise through the ranks of mafia organization, but his Catholic convictions and sense of responsibility towards his friend Johnny Boy dissuade him. Charlie is having a secret affair with Teresa, Johnny’s cousin who is ostracized because she is epileptic. Charlie attempts to secure redemption from the Catholic Church, unsuccessfully. He resorts to succoring Johnny as a way of realizing this redemption. Johnny goes to Michael’s bar, where Michael unsuccessfully coerces him into settling his debts. This leads to a brawl between the two. Later on, Michael and his henchmen trail the Johnny, Charlie and Teresa, engaging them into a drive-by sh ooting. Johnny is shot in the neck and Charlie who is also the driver, in the hand. This causes the car to crush. An ambulance arrives and its paramedics whisk away the three to a hospital (Mean Streets, 1). Dimensions and Criteria for Evaluating the Film Different dimensions can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a movie. The four main dimensions include: the use of sound; composition of the movie; theatrical dimensions of the film image; and the dimensions between artistic traditions and the movie. The theatrical dimension which mainly factors the film image is well seen in the way Scorsese as the movie director uses lighting and its different entities. For example, at an instance, Giovanni as the leader of the New York Mafia gang is depicted against a dark background, in his secret rendezvous. Herein, Giovanni has a cigar in his hand, convincing Charlie to severe his association with his Johnny Boy, since honorable men hang with honorable men. This clearly helps the audienc e identify Giovanni as a villain and his rendezvous as a crime den. There are several criteria that are applicable in evaluating the film. The story, characters, direction and overall effectiveness of the film are some of the criteria that can be used to evaluate Mean Streets. Touching the criterion which is the storyline, Mean Streets is a success because the storyline has complete concomitance with the intent of the movie. It is obvious that the author intended to bring out the aspect of democratization of religion, in the movie. The movie’s storyline brings out this aspect successfully. Charlie is good-willed, despite the rut he finds himself in. The convictions he has for Catholicism is still deeply etched in his person and he resultantly seeks redemption in the Catholic Church, albeit unsuccessfully. He sacrifices himself for his friend Johnny to gain this redemption. The church’s act of turning down Charlie’s noble intent effectively brings out the failure of religion to democratize. This also serves as a clarion call for change. The characters remain believable throughout the movie. Cesare Danova as Giovanni possesses a serious mien which fits the role he plays as the local caporegime. Giovanni sits in his office well dressed and smoking a cigar. He tells Charlie that honorable men go with honorable men. This helps portray Giovanni as the ringleader of the mafia group. At the same time, the same

Leader in Globalized Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leader in Globalized Workplace - Essay Example It is no coincidence that globalisation enables organisations to compete for scarce resources and customer preferences internationally. Globalisation leads to and facilitates reduced labor costs, lower costs of manufacturing and marketing, and greater demand for products and services, especially from the third world countries (Bartlett & Ghoshal 1989; Harris & Morgan 1996). Apparently, leaders working in global organisations need new skills and knowledge to manage these organisations through the global change. Unfortunately, in light of the emerging globalisation trends the significance of national culture gradually wanes. The absence of geographical boundaries erases the existing cultural differences among employees. Yet, it is at least wrong to assume that globalisation eradicates the effects of national cultures on individual level outcomes; this being said, leaders in globalised workplace need a cultural intuition and understanding of the main cultural conventions affecting their followers. Globalisation and culture: Hofstede assumptions and their limitations in globalised workplace National culture has always been one of the central measures of effectiveness in organisations. With the advent of international organisational forms, national culture has come to exemplify an important source of influences on individual employee outcomes and one of the central objects of organisation analysis. Hosftede’s model of cultural influences on organisations has become the seminal element in the evolution of cultural knowledge in organisation research. Since then, â€Å"most of the research on culture has focused on identifying the core cultural values that differentiate cultures† (Erez & Gati 2004, p.584). Hofstede (1980) and Schwarz (1999) are rightly considered as the gurus in the analysis of cultural values and their implications for organisational and workplace behaviours. Hofstede’s study of national culture is one of the most frequently cited works in the research of national culture and its effects on organisational performance. In 1980 Hofstede published the results of a broad survey of almost 120,000 personnel from a large multinational company in the U.S., where he proposed a system of the national culture dimensions to measure and predict the relationship between culture and employee performance in the workplace (Hannerz 1992; Hofstede 1980). The central implication of Hofstede’s study is that national cultures as clusters of shared norms, values, and beliefs greatly affect and actually predict the way employees act in the workplace. In other words, depending on the cultural belonging of the employees, his (her) workplace behaviours and reactions can be modeled in advance. For example, individuals born and operating in masculine culture are prone to value competition, performance and success, whereas those born in â€Å"feminine† cultures are more likely to value caring, warm social relationships, and quality of life (Hofstede 1980; Leung 1989; Rohen & Shenkar 1986). The individualism-collectivism dimensions presented by Hofstede (1980) allow defining the degree to which employees are group- and socially-oriented (Chen, Chen & Meindl

Film review Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film - Movie Review Example Thesis statement Success in moviemaking demands the incorporation of a good plotline, believable characters and a socio-cultural strong theme, as is seen in the movie Mean Streets. Summary of the Plot Charlie is the protagonist in the film. He works for his uncle, Mr. Giovanni who is the head of a New York mafia gang. Charlie attempts to rise through the ranks of mafia organization, but his Catholic convictions and sense of responsibility towards his friend Johnny Boy dissuade him. Charlie is having a secret affair with Teresa, Johnny’s cousin who is ostracized because she is epileptic. Charlie attempts to secure redemption from the Catholic Church, unsuccessfully. He resorts to succoring Johnny as a way of realizing this redemption. Johnny goes to Michael’s bar, where Michael unsuccessfully coerces him into settling his debts. This leads to a brawl between the two. Later on, Michael and his henchmen trail the Johnny, Charlie and Teresa, engaging them into a drive-by sh ooting. Johnny is shot in the neck and Charlie who is also the driver, in the hand. This causes the car to crush. An ambulance arrives and its paramedics whisk away the three to a hospital (Mean Streets, 1). Dimensions and Criteria for Evaluating the Film Different dimensions can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a movie. The four main dimensions include: the use of sound; composition of the movie; theatrical dimensions of the film image; and the dimensions between artistic traditions and the movie. The theatrical dimension which mainly factors the film image is well seen in the way Scorsese as the movie director uses lighting and its different entities. For example, at an instance, Giovanni as the leader of the New York Mafia gang is depicted against a dark background, in his secret rendezvous. Herein, Giovanni has a cigar in his hand, convincing Charlie to severe his association with his Johnny Boy, since honorable men hang with honorable men. This clearly helps the audienc e identify Giovanni as a villain and his rendezvous as a crime den. There are several criteria that are applicable in evaluating the film. The story, characters, direction and overall effectiveness of the film are some of the criteria that can be used to evaluate Mean Streets. Touching the criterion which is the storyline, Mean Streets is a success because the storyline has complete concomitance with the intent of the movie. It is obvious that the author intended to bring out the aspect of democratization of religion, in the movie. The movie’s storyline brings out this aspect successfully. Charlie is good-willed, despite the rut he finds himself in. The convictions he has for Catholicism is still deeply etched in his person and he resultantly seeks redemption in the Catholic Church, albeit unsuccessfully. He sacrifices himself for his friend Johnny to gain this redemption. The church’s act of turning down Charlie’s noble intent effectively brings out the failure of religion to democratize. This also serves as a clarion call for change. The characters remain believable throughout the movie. Cesare Danova as Giovanni possesses a serious mien which fits the role he plays as the local caporegime. Giovanni sits in his office well dressed and smoking a cigar. He tells Charlie that honorable men go with honorable men. This helps portray Giovanni as the ringleader of the mafia group. At the same time, the same

The argument for the institution of a world currency Essay

The argument for the institution of a world currency - Essay Example The people who developed the theory believe barter trade being replaced by money exchange is not sufficient to determine a good monetary economy. However, barter trade is considered to be slow and cumbersome, features that are ease by money exchange system. Furthermore, the money system has changed the general functioning economic system; it has also changed the economy parties’ responsibilities. Money system has also enabled easy and fast financial analysis to certain whether the business is in a profit or loss trend. The monetary theory is known to have emerged from critics of the high class businesses evaluation, the reason being that the neo-classical interpretation mode did not consider the small business owners also called the macro-groups. The distribution theory is not well appreciated and instead a theory which recognizes banks as they provide the best payment means as well as the firms’ power since it determines the best locations of important resources. Franc e has got two major groups namely: Dijon school, headed by Bernard Schmitt together with Alvaro cencini. The main problem associated with this group is re –examination of Keynesian based economy as well as international payment analysis. The other group is headed by Alain Parguez Paris based and Francois Poulon heads the Bordeaux branch. This group faces analysis difficulties related to its levels of activities, unemployment as well policies stabilizations. The general equilibrium theory is rejected by the author of this article as its more of the barter trade theory which is considered to be technical means of exchange. The current macro-economics is also rejected due to the exogenous nature of the money stock. Origin and money nature is not well specified in the theory. The theory does not portray the banks and firms relationships instead rely on the unconvincing income distribution notion. The authors reveal further the difficulty in assessing the relationships between the circuit and the Post-Keynesian School. The limitations is associated with government deficits, the stock of money is either increased or reduced due to the transactions between the Central bank as well as Commercial banks. The circuit theory is more of the Wicksellian theory considered to be credit economy based. Circuit theory tends to replace the monetory economy due the latter inconsistency in money commodity. Money commodity can be generally defined as the kind of money which can be created by any producer for himself. Commodity money resembles the slow and cumbersome barter trade hence token money informs of paper currency has gained preference. However it is worth noting that paper currency itself is not enough to define or determine monetary based economy. For instance delivering goods to a customer who would pay later makes the buyer the debtor and you as the seller the creditor, such transaction is not monetary based but credit economy. There are three major vital conditio ns required for money based economy to exist. Money should be in token currency to limit chances of barter trade. Money should also be accepted by all parties i.e. the sellers and the buyer as a means of payment, this limits credit transactions. Agents making payments; the buyers should not be given privilege of seignorage when making payments in other words they should not lengthen their promises to pay for the goods they had earlier received. The above named conditions can only be met if payments are made as promises of an extra party apart from the buyer and seller. Banks is the third party in the modern world. For

Micronutrient Chart Essay Example for Free

Micronutrient Chart Essay Complete the table below. For each micronutrient listed, describe its function and identify common food sources. Then, review your Personal One-Day Intake Log and identify foods that provide substantial amounts of micronutrients. You do not need to identify every micronutrient found in every piece of food. List those foods in the My Food Choices column corresponding to the micronutrients they contain. Please answer each of the following questions with a maximum of 200 words. 1. What micronutrients are missing from your diet? What foods, that you enjoy, could you eat to supply these nutrients? 2. Micronutrient deficiencies can have many negative effects on your health. What long-term effects can you anticipate if your current deficiencies continue? General Questions General General Questions Resources: iProfile and WileyPLUS ® Read the instructions in the University of Phoenix Material: Micronutrient and Fast Food Presentation located on the student website to complete this assignment.   If you are having trouble making friends on campus, get involved in a club or two. Find any organized activity that you are interested in, and you will automatically be spending time with other students who share at least one of your passions. It can be helpful to have friends who are fellow students but not your immediate classmates. This archive file of SCI 220 Micronutrient Chart comprises: Complete the table below. For each micronutrient listed, describe its function and identify common food sources. Then, review your Personal One-Day Intake Log and identify foods that provide substantial amounts of  micronutrients. You do not need to identify every micronutrient found in every piece of food. List those foods in the My Food Choices column corresponding to the micr Click this link Now for Complete Course https://bitly.com/12C5XsD If you are having trouble making friends on campus, get involved in a club or two. Find any organized activity that you are interested in, and you will automatically be spending time with other students who share at least one of your passions. It can be helpful to have friends who are fellow students but not your immediate classmates. General Questions General General Questions Resources: iProfile and WileyPLUS ® Read the instructions in the University of Phoenix Material: Micronutrient and Fast Food Presentation located on the student website to complete this assignment.

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation

Replacing Fossil Fuels | Dissertation Abstract This research provides guidance as to the most successful style of renewable energy in replacing the current dominant fossil fuels in the future. This success is based on a number of key variables, not least the implications of cost, management and longevity that are intertwined with developing, installing and running a renewable energy source. The case-study focused on the four main types of renewable energy, solar power, wind power, biomass energy and geothermal energy and came to some interesting conclusions. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research was used, with the majority of the findings coming from the qualitative research. However, the quantitative research was in the form of two case studies highlighting the effectiveness of two types of renewable energy in certain household situations and how the energy can replace that of traditional fossil fuels. The findings show that while no one particular renewable energy type gained a majority backing from the research, knowledge about these types of energy is still perhaps too limited for any person to make a correct and informed choice as to the development of renewable energy. The qualitative research indicated that there are many strengths and weaknesses to each type of energy, while the quantitative research stressed that in certain situations renewable can be very effective. Another key finding of the literature was that general knowledge and understanding of renewable energy is not at an acceptable level in terms of the general public and leads to the recommendation of increased awareness. Aims and Objectives This section is designed to provide a detailed overview of the research aims and objectives of the present dissertation and the research questions that the study will try to answer in as comprehensive a manner as possible within time and resource constraints. Research Aim The aim of this study is to establish the possible options for renewable energy available in the United Kingdom for future use. This will be conducted through a comparative analysis of the four main types of renewable energy currently available, solar energy, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. The main aim of the research is to: o Identify successful alternatives to the non-renewable energies in the United Kingdom In order to achieve this, a number of objectives will need to be met. The aim of the research is to be able to conclude with clarity, the most attractive option or options available to the United Kingdom and its government in terms of renewable energy, for the current day and moreover, into the future. The uncertain prospect of the traditional non-renewable energies, coal, oil and natural gas, have meant that renewable energies have had to be developed with the aim that in the future, these newer, more environmentally friendly options will gradually take over the burden of energy supply in the United Kingdom. Research Objectives Based on the research aim outlined in the previous subsection, the research objectives that the present study will seek to achieve are as listed below: o To undertake an investigation into the four main sources of renewable energy; these include Solar Energy, Wind, Biomass and Geothermal energy. o To gain an understanding of the history and development of these energies is needed to fully understand the extent to which the United Kingdom can rely on them in the future. o An analysis of the benefits and disadvantages of each particular type of renewable energy o To explore how well the government is backing renewable energy with incentives o To examine the financial implications – to gain an insight to how much renewable energy will cost in installation, what grants are available? o To examine design implications – installation of renewable sources, aesthetic, dimensional requirements. Research Questions There are particular research questions that will need to be addressed when attempting to analyse possible future energy alternatives. These include: * How significant is the extent of cost when attempting to replace non-renewable energies with the more environmentally friendly types? * How far does the government wish to develop all four types of energy? Do they have a particular idea as the market share that each one should ideally hold on providing energy to the United Kingdom? * What can history tell the research about the likelihood that these renewable energy methods will succeed over a longer period? * Can (and will) these renewable energies ever fully replace the non-renewable energies that the United Kingdom (and globally) has relied heavily and dependently upon since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? The research will attempt to address these questions and objectives whilst trying to meet the aim of the entire project; identifying successful long term strategies to replace dwindling non-renewable energy sources with abundant renewable sources while still enabling the United Kingdom to grow and hold its position of relative power and influence on a global scale. 1: Introduction Ever since the realisation that non-renewable energy sources (coal, oil and natural gas) are exactly as the description suggests, and that the level of these are reducing rapidly due to the global appetite for energy consumption in the continuing race for power, influence and development, it has been apparent that renewable energy sources would have to be developed to enable this global growth to continue. The United Kingdom, whilst overtaken in recent years by countries such as the United States and China in terms of energy consumption, has had a history intertwined with this notion. The Industrial Revolution, beginning in the United Kingdom in the 18th Century, acted as a catalyst for the rapid consumption of a large proportion of the world’s traditional, non-renewable energy sources. This has led to the necessity of developing renewable energy forms to supplement these more traditional energy types, with the aim to take over the burden of energy supply in the future. Brown (cited in Miller Spoolman, 2008:211) states that in terms of history, the 19th Century belonged to coal and the 20th Century to oil. However, the 21st Century will belong to the sun, the wind and energy from within the earth. This belief is widely held for a number of reasons and highlights the importance that the development of renewable energy sources has on the current agenda of policy makers and governments on a global scale. However, this will prove to be a difficult challenge. As Sawin (2004) stresses, over the previous decade, the World Bank funding for fossil fuel projects (totalling $26.5 billion) far exceeded that for renewable energy (Sawin, 2004:13). It is this type of obstacle that can make the development and mainstreaming of renewable energy difficult to implement and is why it is so crucial to research this issue, highlight the financial costs of renewable energy as a long term successor to the fossil fuels and increase public knowledge of renewable energies an d their benefits. The renewable energy options are possibly limited to four main types. Whilst many various options have been and are being developed by researchers and scientists, only four are currently at a stage where they could develop enough energy to be able to supplement and then eventually succeed non-renewable energy. These are highlighted as solar energy, wind power, biomass and geothermal energy (Tiwari Ghosal, 2005:17). These four types of energy will therefore form the focus of the research with each particular strand of energy being investigated to establish whether it is feasible that any one (or perhaps a combination) of these energies can ever be relied upon to replace fossil fuels. This is the long term aim of renewable energy, whilst at the current time, they are still on the periphery in terms of usage when compared to non-renewable energy forms. The research will identify strengths and weaknesses of each of the four types of energy, particularly focusing on people’s opinions and other variables such as cost, performance and design issues that may gain or lose support depending on the results. The research will be conducted through two different approaches. Firstly, there will be a qualitative analysis of the literature available on each of the four main sources of renewable energy. This coupled with official government information detailing about each type of energy will form the majority of the research. In this manner, the proposed research will be qualitative based. However, the success of the mixed method approach to research, as championed by Maxwell (2005:183), highlights that the research should include quantitative data research as well. This will be conducted through two case studies, analysing the effects of two of the renewable energy sources on a small scale. These will be focused around particular individ uals’ attempts to use a form of renewable energy to replace more traditional fossil fuel energy in their home. The quantitative data achieved by these two samples will provide evidence as the success of the renewable energy type in replacing more established non-renewable energy in an everyday life situation. This will enable the research to identify key areas that surround the debate over renewable energy sources and the suitability of each of the four main types in their possible future role as the majority providers of energy to the United Kingdom. 1.1: Solar Energy Solar energy is perhaps the most prominent of all the renewable energy sources currently available. Solar energy has existed in many forms for thousands of years (Craddock, 2008:28). He stresses that early users of solar energy include the Romans who used the suns’ rays to heat their rooms and designed south facing windows to make use of the heat provided by the sun. In the modern era, technology has developed rapidly and solar energy is now seen as much technical and efficient than ever before. The literature review will analyse solar energy and emphasise the strengths and weaknesses of the energy as a possible candidate for large scale usage on a national level. As Figure 1 highlights, when the sun’s rays shine upon a solar panel, the effect converts the light energy to electrical energy. In this instance, the power from the solar panel is directly proportional to the amount of light shining on it, so if the light from the sun is three times as bright on a particular day than the previous day, then you will receive three times the power. (Stubbs, 2008:4) The development of solar energy has occurred due to the understanding that our current way of life cannot continue if we remain economically dependent on fossil fuels. A champion of solar energy, Scheer (2004) supports the theory that it is imperative that we make comprehensive use of solar energy, not just to augment fossil fuels but to replace them before they either run out or critically damage the world through pollution and dangerous emission levels (Scheer, 2004:4). There are two main formats that solar energy takes. These are passive and active formats (Craddock, 2008). A passi ve solar energy system uses the sunrays directly to heat water or gas. The active system converts the sun’s energy into electrical energy by using a photovoltaic semiconductor material called solar cell (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). The researcher also provides evidence that solar power can be relatively low in terms of its efficiency stating that the electrical power output of the solar panel, arrived at by multiplying the solar power input by the efficiency of the panel (Figure 2), can often produce a low amount of energy. The energy produced in the equation above is only high enough to power two light bulbs. This can be countered by increasing the size of the panel and the efficiency of the panel. These two changes will increase the output (El-Sharkawi, 2005:89). Developments made recently should, according to Jones (2003:48), allow solar cells to operate more efficiently. The recent innovation of solar concentrators is used in solar thermal technology to generate heat to power turbines. With solar concentration technology, mirrors or lenses focus light onto specifically designed cells. The older versions of solar cells have solid absorbing layers that require clear skies and direct sunlight to produce energy. However, new solar concentrators follow the sun’s path through the sky during the day allowing a better chance at finding direct sunlight. This highlights that solar power is increasing in efficiency and from a relatively un-technical beginning, solar power is now a real possibility at pr oviding alternative power to fossil fuels in the future. 1.2 Wind Wind power is perhaps the most striking of all of the recent developments in renewable energy. The wind turbines that adorn high peaks across the country are constant reminders of the attempts by the government and industry to develop renewable energy. Wind power is generated through the utilisation of large scale convective currents that carry heat from lower latitudes to more northern destinations. These create rivers of air that are used by newly developed wind turbines to generate power. (Figure 3) Winds are strongest at high peaks and specifically more frequent and at their strongest along the shores of lakes, seas and oceans, restricting the placement of wind turbines to coastal regions in many parts of the world (Gipe, 2004:24) As Figure 4 highlights, the power of wind can be increased to almost two hundred percent of its normal speed as it reaches the crest of a peak, thus ensuring the positioning of the wind turbines. These have led to many criticisms of the aesthetics of the turbines, given that they are large and seen as imposing by some onlookers. The wind turbines can produce a large volume of energy but are dependent on nature and days of unusually low wind speed can reduce the effectiveness of the turbines remarkably. When the wind speed is above the level needed to produce the maximum efficiency, no power losses are achieved in the system. It is only when the wind speed drops below the necessary level that the efficiency of the wind turbine drops (Hau, 2006:489). There are a number of strengths and weaknesses of wind power and these will be assessed in the literature review. However, the UK has increased its share of the wind turbine market recently (at an average rate of 35% per annum) in its attempts to increase the percentage of which all electricity generated will come from renewable sources by 2020 (This has been set at 20% : Government White Paper, 2003). There are various types of wind turbines, in different shapes and sizes, developed to harness the wind power at a particular geographical location. The main two versions of the modern wind turbine are based around the axis. The two different types are the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. The horizontal axis (Figure 5 above) is the most commonly seen in the United Kingdom and is popular due to the high efficiency rating. The higher the tall tower base, the higher the wind speed and the more output that can be created. This is why the horizontal axis is the most popular. However, this is also one of the disadvantages with complaints arising about the sight of these wind turbines on the horizon from many locals when they are installed. Vertical axis wind turbines (Figure 6) are less common in the United Kingdom. These vertical axis turbines are less common due to the fact that they are generally less efficient, because of the nature of its rotation and the stress on the blades. This leads to frequent replacements and therefore a higher cost. They are, however, less tall than horixontal axis wind turbines and therefore less of a distraction on the horizon for those that are angered by the horizontal axis types. 1.3 Biomass Biomass energy is defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel source derived from recently dead biological material. This is opposed to fossil fuels that come from long dead biological material. Biomass constitutes the largest non-hydroelectric renewable source of primary energy in the United States and its presence is growing rapidly in the United Kingdom (Turner Doty, 2009:443). This is highlighted by Chiras (2006:21) who stresses that many countries are now turning to biomass as an alternative fuel source due to its relative ease in creating energy and the low cost involved. Biomass includes a wide assortment of solid fuels, such as wood, and liquid fuels such as ethanol derived from corn and biodiesel, a liquid fuel made from vegetable oils. The wide variety of forms that biomass can take can be found in figure 7. Biomass is remarkably popular as an energy source, as stated previously due to the low cost and relative ease at obtaining the materials needed for conversion. The three main conversion types are anaerobic digestion, fermentation to alcohol and the thermal process which produces a range of fuels and by-products including methane, methanol and ethanol that can produce heat, power and light, as well as fertilizers and fibres that can be used to produce food, textiles and plastics. (Figure 8) This range of products and power that it can produce make it very flexible and attractive to those who support the development of renewable energy. However, one key advocate of biomass energy states that currently most use of biomass energy is not clean or sustainable. The pollution caused by burning wood, manure and agricultural waste is causing severe health problems. It is also true that some energy crops have a bigger energy and environmental cost than they return. Thomas (2007:44) indicates that if biomass is to be a vital part of the future energy mix then there needs to be methods developed to process and use it in sustainable way over a long period of time. Biomass energy has accounted for over thirty percent of the United Kingdom electricity generation from various renewable energy types over the past five years. This amount is only second to that of hydro power (Institute of Physics Report, 2010). Although the total amount generated by renewable energy is still relatively small compared to that of traditional fossil fuels, it highlights that if biomass can be developed on a larger more industrial scale, and if more environmentally friendly processes can be created, then the usage of biomass technology may increase dramatically in the near future. Support within the United Kingdom exists for the development of the biomass energy industry. A recent report (European Wind Energy Association, 2009:524) highlights that the United Kingdom government has developed grant schemes (funds reserved from the New Opportunities Fund) for investments in energy crops and biomass power generation of at least  £33 million over three years. This will ho pefully enable the biomass industry to develop cleaner, more sustainable methods of creating biomass energy that can be used on a much larger scale. 1.4 Geothermal Geothermal energy is identified as power extracted from heat stored in the earth. It has a long history of use, from simple ways such as bathing to the modern use; that of generating electricity. In recent years, geothermal power has developed but still only supplies around 0.5% of the global electricity. Geothermal power is identified as cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. However there are setbacks in the development of the energy. The main negative aspect of geothermal energy is that it is has been historically limited to regions that are close to or on tectonic plate boundaries (Craddock, 1998) Geothermal power works through a relatively simple process, exploiting the heat of the earth and transforming it into electricity. Figure 9 highlights how this process occurs. Capehart (2007) underlines the abundance of geothermal power and states that the resource base for the power can be drawn from shallow ground to hot water and rock several miles below the Earth’s surface to even further down, to molten rock known as magma (Capehart, 2007:377). There are three types of geothermal power plants operating in the world today. These are dry steam plants, flash steam plants and binary cycle plants. Dry steam plants directly use geothermal steam to turn turbines. Flash steam plants pull deep, high pressure hot water into lower pressure tanks and use the resulting flashed steam to drive the turbines. Binary cycle plants pass moderately hot geothermal water by a secondary fluid to flash to vapour and then this vapour then drives the turbines (Capehart, 2007:337). Geothermal energy is seen as very reliable in that it has an average system availability of 90-95%. This is far higher than other sources of renewable energy. There is however a negative aspect in the aesthetics of the geothermal power plants, with many scholars highlighting the unattractive nature of the plants (figure 10) as well as negative public opinion on this matter (Saunders, 2007). The benefits of geothermal power have been harnessed by countries such as Iceland and the United States for a number of years but only now is the United Kingdom beginning to realise the potential of this renewable energy process. An article by Morris (2009) notes that with the recent development of planning for the United Kingdom’s first geothermal energy plant, the most suited region may be that of Cornwall due to the granite located there lending itself to the process. Morris (2009) emphasises that those behind the Eden scheme believe that Cornwall could provide as much as 10% of the United Kingdom’s electricity for the next one hundred years from geothermal plants. He also identifies other granite basements in the north of England and the north-east of Scotland. Geothermal power is therefore a currently underdeveloped source of renewable energy in the United Kingdom but has the potential to become a reliable and environmentally friendly source of power over the next few decades. The development of technology should also help to strengthen the support behind geothermal energy, given that at any location on earth, deep down in the core there is the potential energy for geothermal power. If developments can be made the energy to be harnessed away from tectonic plate boundaries, then the power of geothermal energy could perhaps become unrivalled when compared to other renewable energy sources. The literature review will continue this debate as to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular renewable energy resource. 2: Literature Review This literature review will provide part of the secondary research into the research question posed at the beginning of the work. The aim; to identify successful alternative renewable energy sources to replace that of non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) that currently are in demand today. Morgan (2007:9) stresses that while fossil fuels bring enormous benefits to the world, in term of the production of mass energy that has allowed global industry and technology, as well as levels of living to rise rapidly in the last one hundred and fifty years, there a number of negative aspects to non-renewable energy sources. The limited nature of the resources is one, but also the affects that the use of coal, oil and natural gas has on the environment is also a key factor in the need to develop renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly. Therefore this literature review will attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the four main renewable energy types; solar, wind, biomass and geothermal and highlight a possible successful candidate or candidates that could take over in producing the large majority of global energy. In this manner, the four main types will need to be analysed in a number of key areas; cost, effectiveness, affect to the environment and aesthetics. Cost A good overview is provided by Freris Infield (2008). They highlight that after the United Kingdom government set the target of achieving 20% renewable energy in electricity supply by the year 2020, it became possible to analyse a cost for the proposed energy developments. An analysis completed in 2003 suggested that the extra cost for the development of renewable energy processes would represent an additional 0.3p/kWh on consumer electricity bills. This was focused primarily on wind power, as wind power is expected to contribute the majority of the renewable energy target (Freris Infield, 2008:215). Other scholars also support the view that wind power is the most expensive of the renewable energy processes. Ackermann (2005:300) acknowledges that the use of wind energy in remote areas is an exceedingly expensive option when trying to harness power from the earth, rather than using non-renewable energy sources. Quaak, Knoef and Stassen (1999) indicate their preferred method, through cost analysis, is that of Biomass. They state that the initial start up costs are less expensive than wind, solar and geothermal energy plants and also the longevity of the plants as compared to that of wind turbines (that need parts replacing on a regular basis) is a key factor in the cost analysis and that biomass is by far the cheapest of the renewable energy sources currently available (Quaark, Knoef Stassen, 1999:1). However, although Walker (2007) identifies that biomass is currently the cheapest form of energy, the scholar also states that solar power could become, over time, the cheapest form of energy. While solar panels are expensive, this is only because of the low number of them. Walker (2007:7) notes that solar cells would become dramatically less expensive if more people bought them, allowing the solar cell companies to reduce prices due to a healthy competition. The simple nature of solar power, combined with a drop in prices could aid the overall cost of the energy source, allowing it to become cheap and competitive with other renewable energy sources. Sass Duffield support the view of the cheap costs of geothermal energy as opposed to wind, biomass and solar energies. They state that geothermal energy, despite high initial installation and start-up costs, can dramatically lower monthly energy bills and therefore in the long term, or within a few years, the cumulative energy savings e qual the extra up-front costs and can become less expensive than other forms of energy. An interesting viewpoint is provided by Orr (2009:23) who indicates that at the current time, none of the existing renewable energies are cost effective and it is why governments across the globe are having to provide grants to develop them. The competitive nature of global society means that only cost effective and profit generating products succeed. Therefore, designers of renewable energy processes need to find ways to lower the costs of purchase for these energies in an attempt to rival cheaper and more established fossil fuel production. It is only in this way that renewable energies can hope to develop rapidly; to the benefit of the Earth. Effectiveness and reliability The effectiveness and reliability of an energy source is the most fundamental issue that surrounds its development. An energy that has low levels of effectiveness and low reliability rates will usually never be mass developed, due to the restrictive nature and high costs to gain a substantial yield. Wind power is suggested to have a relatively high effectiveness rating by Spilsbury Spilsbury (2007). However, other scholars stress that wind power is the least effective of all of the different renewable energies due to the loss of potential power through its design (Petersen, 1999). Other energies such as geothermal, with a 95% availability (Bracaloni et al, 1995) have a far higher efficiency rating. Quaark, Knoef Stassen (1999:52) also highlight the relative low efficiency rating of biomass energy, stating that conditions at times only allow a 25-35% efficiency rating. Lomborg (2001:134) stresses that the efficiency of solar cells is also around the 20% mark, indicating that geother mal energy is far more efficient that other forms of renewable energy. Environmental effects One of the key weaknesses of the fossil fuels and their use in energy production today is the negative effects that they have on the environment. The creation of carbon dioxide from the processes needed to create energy from coal, oil and natural gas has acted as a catalyst in lowering climate conditions across the globe. Therefore, one of the main aims for new renewable energy sources is to promote an environmentally friendly strategy. Lomborg (2001) identifies that one of the renewable energy sources being discussed lacks this strategy. Lomborg stresses that biomass energy production gives rise to a slew of pollution problems such as suspended particles, sulphur, nickel, cadmium and lead. This is supported by the Council of Europe (no date) who indicate that the weakness of biomass energy is that it produces relatively large amounts of fine particles and often also other air pollution like polyaromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Compared to this, the Council stress that wind energy only causes some carbon dioxide and fine particle emissions in the construction phase, whereas solar energy appears to be the most environmentally friendly of the renewable energies. Chiras (2009) identifies this and supports the notion that solar power is perhaps the most environmentally friendly of all of the renewable energies. The construction phase causes less emissions than any other renewable source and the fact that industrial plants (such as that used for biomass and geothermal energy) are not required for solar power means that like wind power, once constructed there is no harm to the environment, with the solar panels soaking up the heat of the sun and transferring this into energy. Aesthetics The aesthetics of renewable energy is a key factor in gaining support for possible renewable energy sources. Gipe (2004) stresses that wind power often comes under a lot of scrutiny due to the developments of horizontal axis wind turbines that dominant certain landscapes. Gipe indicates that communities are generally against these being developed because of the ugly aesthetical factor. However, he also notes that due to the nature of wind turbines and wind energy, these locations are generally remote and therefore do not affect the majority of people. There is also the development of wind turbines at sea, which could possibly aid the reduction of resentment towards wind turbines. Moreover, Scheer (2007:200) underlines that the rejection of wind power on grounds of aesthetic landscape pollution is treacherous and short-sighted and cites key examples of previous architecture such as skyscrapers as precedents. He also argues that the benefits of wind power far outweigh any argument on a esthetics and therefore feels it is a pointless debate. Chandrasekharam and Bundschuh (2002) feel that there is a similar argument for geothermal and biomass energy plants. The aesthetic factor may often be overriding but the success of creating environmentally friendly (geothermal in particular), renewable energy should outweigh any decision as to the aesthetical impact of these new sources of energy. Summary A number of key concepts were analysed in this literature review. The review suggests that opinions over renewable energy sources and their potential success rates are divided. While there appears to be agreement in the literature over the importance of developing renewable energy sources due to the fact that fossil fuel supplies are decreasing dramatically and that they have an adverse effect on the environment, there is real debate as to the preferred methods of renewable energy. Perhaps the most important contributing factor may come down to cost, and the literature review suggested that the current cost for all renewable energy forms are too high and

Culture Schock Essay -- essays research papers

Culture in ancient times was defined as â€Å"the sum total of the equipment of the human individual, which enables him to be attuned to his immediate environment on the historical past on the other†. It reflects in effect what humans have added to Nature. It comprises the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of a society and includes, in addition to the arts and letters, the value systems, traditions, modes of life and beliefs of the society. It also absorbs from other cultures and undergoes changes with time, sometimes beneficial, sometimes regressive. (Barlas, 15). Culture shock is a severe psychological reaction that results from adjusting to the realities of a society radically different from one’s own. The actual degree of culture shock may vary depending on the differences and similarities between the society studied and the persons’ own society. The symptoms may range from mild irritation to surprise or disgust. (Scupin, 124). Usually after the person experiencing culture shock learns the norms, beliefs, and practices of the community, the psychological disorientation of culture shock begins to diminish. This paper will be based upon culture shock and international business. There are three areas where culture shock could affect you: 1. Emotions-you have to cope with the stress of international work and keeping an emotional balance in order to perform in a business. 2. Thinking style- you have to understand how your counterparts think and be able to develop culturally effective solutions. 3. Social skills and social identity- you need effective social skills to establish new business relationships. (Marx, 25). This differs from manager to manager, some managers seem to adapt in an almost chameleon –like way to different countries, whereas others cling desperately to their habits and their national approaches. Working in a new culture can produce a variety of reactions, such as;  · Confusion about what to do  · Anxiety  · Frustration  · Exhilaration  · Inappropriate social behavior  · Inability to get close to your business partner and clinch the deal  · Feeling isolated  · Becoming depressed All of the above are possible reactions to culture shock, the shock we experience when we are confronted with the unknown the â€Å"foreign†. The term culture shock was coined by the anthropologists Oberg, who explained both the symptoms and the process o... ...location. It is as likely to occur in a country near your home base as in posting further afield.  · As soon as you arrive in your new location, identify all the opportunities for building support networks with other international managers and local people.  · As with any stressful situation, fight it, don’t give in to it. So don’t resort to escapist strategies such as drinking or eating too much and don’t deny your symptoms.  · Ask other international managers for guidance on the issues and problems to look out for. Learn from their experience  · Give yourself time to adapt and don’t rush into too many work-related projects as the start of the assignment. Make sure that the organization gives you this time too.  · Don’t hesitate to seek professional help of symptoms persist despite your coping effort. Help may be available within your company or externally through counselors or the medical profession.  · Expect the same symptoms to reoccur when you come home. Reverse culture shock is normal.  · Think about the positive aspects of culture shock-people who experience it adapt better to their new environment than those who do not.  · Retain a sense of humor! (Marx, 18). Word Count: 1199

Plato’s Conception of Justice Essay

The Republic is a dialogue between Socrates, Plato’s brothers, the Sophist Thrasymachus, along with Cephalus and his son, Polymarchus. The first book of the republic involves a presentation and refutation of the different views on justice. Socrates used the method of elenchus in order to show the flaws of the argument. Cephalus The topic concerning justice has started when Cephalus commented on living a just life. For preliminary, Cephalus have offered a definition of justice as that of telling the truth and paying someone what you owe. However, this idea was debunk by Socrates by offering a counter-argument which ask if this still hold in the case of a madman or someone who is insane. To further clarify, this issue that Socrates presents was whether or not a person shall return a knife that was borrowed from another person. With respect to Cephalus’s interpretation of justice, the knife shall be given back to its owner. However, Socrates presented a case, wherein the owner of the knife has gone insane and was planning to kill someone else. The madman was asking for his knife to be returned. Socrates, ask if giving back the knife shall still imply justice. Cephalus, himself, agreed with Socrates that this shall not imply what justice is. However, Cephalus have not managed to give further argument since he has to attend on certain things regarding the presentation of sacrifice. In the beginning of the conversion between Cephalus and Socrates, Cephalus could be characterized as someone who is very willing to converse with Socrates. Yet, when his idea was out rightly rejected to be false or to contain flaws he escape from the conversation using an alibi that something else came up and must be done, leaving the argument on the hands of his son, Polemarchus. Cephalus’s definition of justice and the way he reacts seems a bit related to how capitalist thinks. The mention of returning someone else’s favor or paying debts is a proof of this. For business people it would be just to return the debt you owe. Not doing so would be regarded as cheating or not being fair. Also, telling the truth is a must in the business world, if one would lie about certain transactions or about the real cost of something, it would is tantamount to deceiving the other person. The other person would not trust the liar anymore and the liar’s business would sooner or later fall down. Telling the truth is indeed just, since lying is always viewed as an injustice. However, as the case presented by Socrates shows, there are times, wherein man ought to tell lies and not to return debts or something one has borrow. With respect on how Socrates clarifies his point, it is obvious that giving back what you have borrowed and telling the truth does not guarantee a just action as what Cephalus pointed out, it might even lead to more injustice, if one would not look more closely. Polemarchus Polemarchus continued the dialogue by offering a related definition. He views justice as helping or giving favors to those who give you favor and harming those which does you harm. However, Socrates have been able to point out that, human judgment for whom to consider as a friend or as and enemy is open to error, such that the friend might just be pretending to be a friend and what you think as an enemy might be someone who is a friend. Also, some of your friends might turn as an enemy later in life and vice versa. The same thing goes with some of your friend might not be a good person and some of your enemy might be a good person. Socrates argued that it shall not be the case that you would only give favors to those who you consider as a friend for the time being and give harm to those you consider as an enemy. Polemarchus view was generally an immature view of what is justice. The definition was somewhat childish since it is the same principle as hating your enemies and keeping your friends. It also seems to be the most obvious view about justice in their generation, since it has political underpinnings. As war continued to shape their civilization, it was rational for those people living in that time to view justice in reference to enemies and friends. This shows that those who help you are your friends thus; they must be treated with respect and kindness. On the other hand, those who go against you or your country are considered as your enemy. Since â€Å"enemies† goal is to destroy or conquer each other, it would be rational not to help them and do them harm as what Polemarchus is trying to imply.   Relatively, Polemarchus holds the same view as Cephalus with respect to â€Å"giving someone what is owed to them†.   While Cephalus tried to incorporate money matters on his definition, Polemarchus treat his definition as a general version of what Cephalus has been trying to imply. Nevertheless, Socrates, remains unconvinced of their definition of justice, for both could be derived from flawed premises. Cephalus definition could not be generalized to cover all circumstances, while Polemarchus view is too relative and/or subjective. Thrasymachus Seeing how Socrates has been able to debunk the two popular beliefs of justice, Thrasymachus entered the conversation hastily offering a definition of justice that he believes to be better and more accurate. He argued that justice is merely the advantage of that which is stronger. He defends his definition as the advantage of other person aside from the just person himself. According to the statement of Thrasymachus, the person who is just is usually in a disadvantageous position, especially since most of the people are living with injustice. Those who do injustice, as can be observed generally, rise as stronger than those people who try to be just. This illuminates the idea that justice is a convention.   Justice, Thrasymachus believes, is meant to deter the action of the people to benefit other people. Thus he concludes that it would be more rational if justice would be ignored as a whole. To this view, another thing needs further clarification aside from the meaning of justice. The question involves if justice must be done or as Thrasymachus believes, must be ignored. Socrates first tried to clarify whether or not Thrasymachus have been imposing that injustice is actually the right thing to do or if Thrasymachus is advocating injustice over justice. Since by saying that justice is the advantage of that which is stronger, he holds that it is just to acquire more and more of power, wealth and everything else that makes one stronger. At the end of the argument, Socrates has been able to demonstrate how crude it would be to consider injustice as a virtue since it is contrary to wisdom which is a virtue. Furthermore, since Thrasymachus have presented an argument concerning following the instructions of those who are stronger, then it follows according to Socrates, that justice is adhering to certain rules. However, this rules which are set by the ruler/s might not be the right rules after all; as what we could find in the past, wherein leaders are very prone to commit certain errors. There are leaders who even act solely for his advantage, disregarding the efforts and sacrifices of the citizens. Socrates question, if following such ruler/s could still account for justice. Obviously, it does not. Thus, Socrates adds, that justice must be something that promotes the common good. Lastly, Socrates ended up arguing that justice is something that is a desirable virtue, while injustice is contrary to that. Thrasymachus is considered to be a Sophist. Since, he cannot withstand the arguments presented by Socrates; Thrasymachus have accused Socrates of cheating. In the dialogue he has with Socrates, Thrasymachus is portrayed as someone who would not let anyone to be better than him self. His stubbornness and unwillingness to be persuaded along with his constant doubt demonstrate that he would rather live following his false beliefs rather than to be persuaded by someone else. It can be seen on the way in which he defines justice, as that of promoting the interest of that which is stronger. In his dialogue with Socrates, it seems that he’s trying his best to become the stronger by showing everyone most especially to Socrates, that his view regarding justice is correct. At the end, when he could not find a way to further argue against Socrates, he accused him of deception. Discussion The traditional view on justice as have been shown in the Republic could be rooted on Hesoid, who view justice as following certain set of action. One has to be just because if he does not follow the set of actions that were ordained by the Gods, he would be punished and if he follows, he would be rewarded. However, in the time of Socrates and Plato, the view that indeed the Gods blessed those who act just was disregarded since many people who do injustices are seen to be better off than those who are just. This shall be the explanation on the views of justice made by Glaucon, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus. Challenge   Socrates would have to prove that justice is not only good in appearance, he would have to show that indeed, there is a higher level of morality which is beyond human conventions and that it must be followed not merely because of the rewards and punishment that goes with it, but because it is something compelling and universally desirable to do so. This has been the focus of Book II. A further elaboration of what should a just and an unjust man shall do is then presented through a discussion of a story about a mythical ring that would make a man invisible at will. According to the myth, unless men are stupid, a simpleton or just plainly insane, if nobody else could see him he would do unjust things. Indeed, it was always beneficial that men shall appear just and do injustice unknowingly. According to the arguments laid by Adeimantus and Glaucon, men naturally do injustice and it is out of question, since there are several instances wherein man would think that the action is just with respect only to its appearance, whatever the intention might be. It is common for man to give alms for instance, and it is a just action in fact. Whether the money comes from a just or unjust means is out of the question, provided that no one really knows where it came from. The Ideal State In Book III of the Republic, Socrates began to construct an â€Å"ideal just state†.   He does this in able to show that in order to clearly show justice, it shall first be presented without the presence of injustices. In doing so, he discusses that the evils that beset mankind may not come from God for God is all-good, ultimately, evil comes from man himself, in his selfishness and arrogance arise injustice. In Book IV, the ideal state is already finished.   Socrates intends to show that a just state is a state that shall display happiness. Happiness in this sense shall not be composed mainly of the material things, for the citizens of the â€Å"ideal just state† would be happy only if they would be able to do what they have to do.With respect to the ideal state that Socrates has proposed, he concluded that it shall contain wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Justice is attained when the citizens have practiced his function well. Conclusion In Plato’s republic, Plato has been able to refute the different views on justice by his contemporaries. At the same tine, he has been successful in providing a clear view on what he believes shall be the concept of justice. That it is a virtue that could only be manifested and work best only if the entire state would do what their individual function is. As the dialogue unfolds, the different views on justice were proven to be misleading and are flaws since it is a view that certain group of people advocates. The view of Cepahalus mainly argues the view that the elder group of people usually holds, Polemarchus on the other hand gives a view of someone who is young and determined while the view of Thrasymachus resembles that which cannot accept that he is wrong. All of these views are primarily concerned in the individual justice, while Plato present a kind of holistic approach to justice stating that it must be in a state level to see its entirety and for it to work more effectively. Works Cited Jowett, B. (1901).   PLATO: THE REPUBLIC . The Colonial Press. New York.