Case Study: Xerox Essay

Q 1: How would Xerox define Diversity? How has the definition changed over the years? A 1: Diversity means more than race and gender. Diversity means creating an environment where all employees can grow to their fullest potential. The first chairman of Xerox, Johnson C. Wilson had the commitment to diversify. Chairman Wilson took proactive steps to create a more diverse workplace in response to race riots in the 1960s. He called for increased hiring of African Americans in order to achieve equality among its workplace. Throughout the 1970s Xerox established an internal affirmative action office and began to hire significant number of minority employees. Xerox placed an emphasis on the advancement of minorities and females in the 1980s. It was during that Barry Rand, an African American, was named the first minority president of a division. In the 1990s sexual orientation was included in the company’s Equal Opportunity policy. Xerox has 50% of its workforce made up by women and minorities. Of that 50%, 48.2% are Xerox’s senior executives. In 2007, Ursula Burns was named the first African American female president of Xerox Corporation. The definition of diversity was changed by Anne M. Mulcahy. She said Diversity was the key to success. Diversity breeds creativity. Companies ruled by a hierarchy of imagination, and filled with people of all ages, races, and backgrounds challenge each other’s underlying assumptions, freeing everybody from convention and orthodoxy. In summary: According to Xerox, diversity is more than just race/gender/numbers. It is about inclusion! By including people of all ages, races, and backgrounds,  Xerox can create a place where employees can grow to their fullest potential with their different ways of thinking, perceiving, and creating innovative solutions. They believe diversity=innovation=success. Over the years you can Xerox maintain their strong focus on diversity. In the 60’s they hired African Americans to improve equality in the workplace. In the 80’s they continued hiring minorities AND women, and in the 90’s hired many of different sexual orientations. Q2: What are the seven reasons why Xerox should be motivated to diversify their workforce? Illustrate how Xerox shows it values its workplace diversity. A: 1.Diversity means different ways of thinking, perceiving, and innovating. Innovation is the reason they are at the top of their industry. 2. Diversity creates productive people. Hiring people of different minorities and backgrounds improves equality and enhances individuality and increases productivity. 3. Diversity is highly respectable. In today’s day and age, America has become very diverse. And to diversify one’s company along with the country will result in respect. Xerox has been named one of the Top 10 companies by Fortune, Forbes, Working Mother, Latino Style, and Enable magazines. 4. Diversity spurs creativity. To enjoy work, feel included, express individuality, and use owns different outlook enhances creativity among employees. 5. Diversity instills commitment. Xerox values diversity from entry-level positions up to the highest seat in the house. With a female African-American as the president encourages employees that anyone can do it and commitment is powerful. 6. Diversity serves as an inspiration for other companies. Diversity for Xerox is inspirational. Their logic and beliefs for diversity truly benefits them and their employees and it is evident through their success and ranking. Diversity in the workplace represents the real world: a place of different religions and beliefs but they all have the same skills, high work ethic, and devotion. 7. Diversity has been working and going strong. Because of success with diversity, Xerox should continue focusing on it. They have a 100% rating on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index and its Best Places to Work survey. Illustration is a chart: This chart demonstrates diversity in the Xerox company. 3. Xerox defies the leaking pipeline phenomenon. The leaking pipeline is something that explains that women don’t have enough senior positions in the workforce, and then leave before they have the opportunity to receive them. Xerox defies this because they, from the beginning, have been committed to the idea that whoever is right for the job, regardless of background, gender, or sexual orientation, will get the job. This commitment not only enables women to reach those higher positions, but also gives them the motivation to keep working hard and not abandon the business out of fear the company might not promote women. 4. No one can argue that Xerox has not taken major strides towards diversity within their corporation. After all, Xerox made history when Ursula Burns succeeded Anne Mulcahy as its chief executive officer (CEO) in July of 2009. This transfer of power marked the first time ever that a female CEO of a Fortune 500 company was succeeded by another female. As historic as this female to female hand-off was, what made it even more remarkable was that fact that Ursula Burns is also an African-American. With this in mind, one may naturally ask, â€Å"How do women and minorities within the upper management of other Fortune 500 companies compare to Xerox?†. In order to answer this question with authority, our group sought out many reliable sources such as established magazines, think tanks, and websites devoted entirely to the task of tracking, analyzing, and encouraging the idea of diversifying our corporate world. Moreover, since our case and its’ questions were published in 2012, we found it best to compare the other companies to Xerox as they stood in 2012 as well. Lastly, our group also assumed that â€Å"the highest levels of each organization† refers to the corporations’ CEOs and their board of directors. According to the Huffington Post, in 2012 only eighteen (or 3.6 percent) of the five hundred chief executive officers comprised of the Fortune 500 corporations were women1. Of these eighteen eighteen women, only one other was of a minority status – Indra K. Nooyi of Pepsico. Mrs. Nooyi is of Asian/Pacific descent, more specifically, Indian. Hence, with this data we can gather that in 2012 the number of minority women CEOs in the Fortune 500  was a mere two. Comprised of these two were one African-American, one Asian-American, and zero Hispanics. In total, less than one half of one percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs in 2012 were held by minority women. This startling statistic proves that women and minorities are extremely under-represented in the Fortune 500 CEO class. With women occupying eighteen percent of the CEOs positions of 2012’s Fortune 500, the remaining eighty-two percent of positions were occupied by men. Minority men fared better than their female counterparts, but not by much. With a little bit of algebra and data obtained from The Center for American Progress2, one can calculate eight men of Asian descent (1.6 percent), six men of Hispanic descent (1.2 percent), and three African-American men (0.6 percent) held the titles of CEOs within the Fortune 500 of 2012. The four hundred sixty-five (93 percent) residual positions were all held by Non-Hispanic white males. When we expanded our search to include all of the board members for each each of these companies we were greeted with slightly better news. According to Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards the report published in 2012 by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), women and minorities combined accounted for 13.3 percent3 of all of the Fortune 500’s board members in 2012. The ABD ranked Xerox as the 35th most diverse board that year. Xerox cares about diversity and it shows. There are many things that other corporations can do to increase diversity in their workplace. For example, human resources personnel can host recruitment events in ethnically diverse areas, such as inner cities. Placing ads in cultural papers, leaving fliers at different churches, and participating in a job fairs may also lead to finding more diverse candidates to apply for and fill their needed positions. With a more diverse staff, more companies can expect an influx of ideas, new talents and perspectives, and increased returns on investments.

Infanticide and Mother- Daughter Relationship in Toni Morison’s Beloved

Infanticide and Mother- Daughter Relationship in Toni Morison’s Beloved * Dr. (Mrs) Monika Gupta Reader, Dept. of English H. N. B. Garhwal University, Srinagar (Garhwal) Uttarakhand, 246174-India e-mail- [email  protected] com Beloved (1987) is Morrison’s most sensitive novel till date. It deals with the forgotten era of slavery and the pathos of black slaves. The most striking element is the heart wrenching story of a black female slave, Sethe, who kills her own daughter to protect her from the horror of slavery.Morrison has always excelled in creating her female characters. Her novels show a deep sense of bonding between the female characters. In Beloved, the female bonding and the multiple layer of meaning in their relationship makes the story emotionally appealing and it is the story that, â€Å"†¦penetrates perhaps more deeply than any historical or psychological study could, the unconscious emotional and psychic consequences of slavery† (Schapiro 194 ). The story touches the social, psychological, philosophical and supernatural element of human life. Sethe is the heroine of the story.She is a black slave who lost her mother at a very early age. She was brought to the Sweet Home Plantation as a slave where she marries Halle Suggs and bears four children from him. She suffers the most inhumane treatment at the plantation by the white masters. She is whipped mercilessly and milked like a cow. The whites, â€Å"†¦sucked her lactating breasts† (Peach 109). This incident traumatizes Sethe to an extent that she decides to run away from the plantation. She gathers all her courage and escapes to take refuge in the house of her mother-in-law at 124 Bluestone Road.She is soon traced and finding no hopes for freedom takes the most horrific step of killing her own daughter to show resistance towards slavery. She is imprisoned for seven years for her crime and later secluded by the community and declared an outcast. Her own family deserts her. Her two sons escape the situation, Baby Suggs eventually dies and her daughter Denver withdraws herself from her mother. 2 The story of Sethe is a true story of Margaret Garner, a slave who in January 1856 escaped from her owner of Kentucky, crossed the Ohio River and attempted to find refuge in Cincinnati.But when caught by the owners she looses all hopes of freedom, and kills one of her daughters with the butcher’s knife. But Morrison has beautifully developed this true story with the background of slavery. The slave women have always suffered a lot at the hand of both black and white men. They were robbed of every possession – even their motherhood. Mothering and motherhood were denied, as black women were regarded as breeding stock only. Since the rights offered to the black women were negligible therefore she did not stand at the position of a decision maker.Sethe was not supposed to love her children. That is why Sethe’s act of destroying her own creation becomes the subject of controversies. Whether a mother has a right to stop the heartbeats of her child or is it a crime to put an innocent life to end? Such questions resonate in the entire story. American public considered Margaret Garner and other slave mothers who killed their children, criminal. There have been numerous examples in the American history where mothers have killed their infants to remove the extra burden on them.For instance, Mary Montgomery escaped the plantation with her child but when she found it difficult to escape with a baby in tow, she left, â€Å"her sucking infant behind to die† (Drew 49). Infanticide was a punishable offence and Sethe and her real life counterpart had to face harsh consequences of the crime. Economic reasons more than any others had led to the killing of infants in the slavery era and have continued to exert an unfortunate influence even down to our own day. The African – American setup is the example where ec onomic factors led to the sorrowful phase of the Black community.Infanticide, shown in the novel is of many forms. It is not just a murder in literal sense but also murdering an infant mentally or psychologically by curbing the desires and rights. Beloved is a documentation of all such infanticides, the most pathetic, being the murder of Beloved by her mother by cutting her throat. Apart from these instances it is shown that Sethe’s mother also committed infanticide when she threw her children at birth, â€Å"without names† (Morrison 78). Another instance of infanticide is when Ella, another black slave admits that she too killed the children born from her white masters.The author has given different views on infanticide 3 through the mouth of the characters. Sethe asserts that she, â€Å"†¦ couldn’t let all that go back to where it was, and I couldn’t let her nor any of ‘em live under schoolteacher. That was out† (200). Baby Suggs could not frame any judgment and silenced her views to such an extent that it eventually led to her death. Paul D initially accuses Sethe for her rough choice but later accepts the situation considering her circumstances. Infanticide has always been the background of the slave age. It sometimes showed resistance and sometimes mercy killing.But child abuse and especially girl child faced the most terrible consequences of slavery. In the words of Linda Brent, â€Å"Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (405). Denver is also a victim of child abuse. The initial years of her childhood are spent in prison along with her mother. She is mocked by the society for the crime committed by her mother. Her mother never reveals her past to Denver which makes Denver loose faith on Sethe. The rest of her childhood is spent in fear of being killed by her mother. She is a psychologically scared child.Denver speaks for herself, â€Å"I spent all of my outside se lf loving Ma’am so she wouldn’t kill me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (255). She waited for a miracle to happen, so, she could be away from Sethe. Sethe is declared culprit by law and even by the society. But what compels her to take such cruel action is the fear of slavery and exploitation for her daughter. The owners of the Plantations, schoolteachers and his nephews violate her motherhood by stealing her milk from her bosom. All these incidents constitute Sethe’s past and they are reconstructed in the novel through the discourses of Sethe and Paul D, co-victim of slavery.Memory forms a most important part in Morrison’s novels. â€Å"For memory exists as a communal property of friends, of family, of a people† (Middleton 159). Though Paul D realizes Sethe’s pain as a mother he knows that she was â€Å"†¦not a normal woman† (50). Sethe’s story is debatable on two grounds. On one side it is the â€Å"maternal loss† (Matus 109) where the plight of the helpless mother under slavery is revealed. On the other hand it crosses the limits of maternal violence. Infanticide committed by Sethe is analyzed under these two terms. The narrative enacts a circling or repetition around the 4 traumatic events† (Matus 112). Infanticide in Beloved is analyzed with close reference to Sethe and her daughters as it is the most affected relationship. Slavery has done a psychological damage to a mother-child relationship. Morrison has shown many angles of mother-daughter relationship in the novel. The first relation is that of Sethe and Beloved. It is the most unique relationship. Here a mother is the killer of her own blood. Sethe had enough reasons to prove that her act was just not crime but a mercy killing.She was perplexed with the horrific side of slavery and could not bear her daughter in a similar condition as hers. Therefore, she decides to free her from the impious birth of being black. â€Å"I took and put my babies where they’d be safe† (201). Though the act of infanticide is the most monstrous act for a mother to even think of but Sethe was too reluctant to turn towards slavery again with her children. As a mother Sethe’s act can never be justified. She attempted the most unnatural thing. Killing was not the only alternative. She could have killed the slave owner, or even herself.The supernatural existence of Beloved proves that Sethe’s act was guilty of the murder and was to be condemned. Therefore, Sethe becomes the monstrous women in the novel with a streak of madness in her nature. Beloved, is the mirror which reveals the past of the character that comes in contact with her. She comes back to possess Sethe. She tells Denver about her plans that, â€Å"She is the one I need. You can go but she is the one I have to have† (93). This obsession for her mother makes Beloved’s identity mysterious. Her appearance and disappearance add an element of supern aturalism to the painful story of Sethe.She appears mysteriously from water. â€Å"She had new skin, lineless and smooth, including the knuckles of her hands† (63). The reappearance of Beloved from water is symbolic in the sense that it depicts the entire process of child birth. It is like emergence of new born baby from the fluid of the mother’s womb. Sethe takes Beloved as a living being and not as a ghost. It is Morrison who presents Beloved, â€Å"gothically monstrous† (Matus 119) so that Sethe feels calm after relieving herself from the burden of the past. Beloved is in true sense the ghost of past which is trying to find its place in the present.Just as her appearance was sudden, her 5 disappearance left a lot of unanswered questions. In the end she appears as a naked pregnant lady which according to the community ladies, exploded in air. Sethe shares a similar relation with her other daughter Denver. She is the eye witness of the bloodshed of her sister. She also drank her mother milk mixed with Beloved’s blood. She is the only permanent member of 124 Bluestone apart from Sethe. Both of them share an unspoken relationship. Denver blames her mother for killing her sister. She isolates herself from the community and from her mother.Her alienation leads to her attachment with Beloved when she takes her for her dead sister. Her act of drinking the milk of her mother mixed with the blood of Beloved symbolizes that Sethe and her family made the death of Beloved their life and her blood their nourishment. â€Å"Beloved is my sister. I swallowed her blood right along with my mother’s milk†(252). Beloved is determined to wage a war against her mother. Denver on the other hand keeps the grudges in her heart. But her love for her mother gradually grows when she sees her mother suffering under the tantrums of Beloved.Denver comes to rescue her mother. She is a link between Sethe and the community. Sethe understood Denverâ⠂¬â„¢s solitude but never disclosed the past to her. She only reveals the half truth. â€Å"As for Denver, the job Sethe had of keeping her from the past that was still waiting for her was all that mattered†(53). This silence in the mother – daughter relationship widened the gulf and made Denver â€Å"secretive†(121). She lived in the secret company of Beloved until she actually appeared in flesh. Beloved and Denver have an intensely possessive nature. Beloved makes Sethe her important part.She wants complete attention of Sethe. She fixes her eyes on Sethe. At this part of the novel Sethe and Beloved are viewed as one soul. A similar possession is seen in the nature of Denver but towards, â€Å"her ghost sibling† (Matus 118). The growing intimacy of Beloved and Sethe gives threat to the security of Denver and she feels â€Å"marginalized† ( Matus 118) in their company. In Beloved, both the daughters appear to be aggressive but the maternal violence of Sethe overshadows their aggression. In the end there is also a role reversal seen in the character of Denver. She hates her mother in the beginning.She seeks the company of Beloved and wants to protect her sister from her 6 mother. But later she becomes sympathetic towards Sethe and wishes to protect her from the ghost of Beloved. This is the growth in the character of Denver where she is able to frame her own opinions about life. Guilt is the most integral part of the healing process. It follows crime. Guilt may be internal or exposed but crime is always accompanied by the feeling of guilt. This guilt is what Beloved stands for as for as Sethe is concerned. Sethe’s rash act of killing her daughter gave a huge blow to the psychological state of Sethe.She never wanted to speak of her past but arrival of Paul D and then Beloved confirms her belief that Beloved was her own daughter whom she killed. This guilty self makes Sethe surrender fully to the demands of Beloved. She f eels intensely insecure in the presence of Beloved and offers her the best at the cost of her job, house and health. Sethe’s guilt, frames Beloved as the dead infant. She keeps on justifying the infanticide to Beloved. The ultimate note of Morrison seems that, â€Å"Guilt and the past must not be avoided. They must be taken up and possessed† (Carmean 91). The slave women were never designated for being mothers.They were considered only as the breeder. â€Å"Their infant children could be sold away from them like calves from cows† (Davis 7). Sethe’s mother-in-law does not even recall the faces of her eight children. Similarly, Sethe was never nursed by her mother. But Sethe’s attempt to be a good mother hinted at the dangerous consequences of mother love. Even Paul D recognizes that mother-love for a slave is too risky. To quote: â€Å"Risky, thought Paul D, very risky. For a used-to-be slave woman to love anything that much was dangerous, especial ly if it was her children. She had settled on to love (56).When Paul D accuses Sethe of having â€Å"thick love†(202) she replies that, â€Å"Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all†(202). This means that Sethe has a very desperate and obsessive kind of nature. It cannot be called the unselfish motherly instinct. Sethe’s relation with her daughter Beloved is selfish. She used Beloved as a scapegoat to show resistance to the institution of slavery. This fear of getting revealed haunts her psychologically. Beloved appears as a girl in flesh from the water to avenge her death, â€Å"Sethe was trying to make up for the handsaw; Beloved was making her pay for it† (308). Sethe and Beloved share an intense relationship which breaks the bond of time, space, culture, community etc. She believes that death is nothing but continuations of life in another form. Both share a common feeling of being haunted. Sethe commits an evil and Beloved beco mes evil. And their union creates the mystery that is most horrific in the story. Infanticide puts Sethe’s motherhood at stake but a closer evaluation of the real life situation of black slaves in general and females in particular, leave no other option other than death or suicide. Most of the females had this suicidal tendency to escape from brutality. Slaves were treated no better than animals.Morrison’s female characters have a shade of grey in their personality. For example Sethe’s attempt to kill makes her a merciless lady. Paul D remarks that, â€Å"†¦you got two feet, Sethe, not four† (202). Similarly the eccentric character of Beloved shows that she is the embodiment of evil. Beloved tries to seduce Paul D. She tries to strangle Sethe and makes Denver a mere puppet in her hand. Beloved is an extremist in the sense that on one hand she nearly chokes Sethe to death and at the very next moment she soothes Sethe’s bruised neck with her sof t fingers. Beloved’s highly dominating and demanding nature causes enough pain to Sethe.She gives up everything she had, to please Beloved so that her crime is forgiven. A similar wildness is also seen in the character of Denver. She blames her mother for the infanticide and mentally proves to be a torture to Sethe. Denver’s alienation from her family increases Sethe’s isolation and Denver plans this deliberately so that her mother realizes the pain of being killed. However, Denver proves to be a great help to Sethe in the end when she realizes that Beloved has totally possessed her mother. The psychic trauma of infantile abandonment is also seen in Sethe.Slavery broke the bonds of Sethe with her mother before she could even speak. This denial of parental claim exaggerates Sethe’s role as a mother and she consider her sole responsibility towards the well being of her child. Her act of infanticide also reveals her attempt to reconstruct her own past where her mother was hanged and she was left all by herself. She confesses, â€Å"My plan was to take us all to the other side where my own ma’am [Sethe’s mother] is,† (250). Sethe’s own experiences of life and the cultural preaching of the blacks made her believe that life as a female slave was worse that death. For the blacks, â€Å"death was anything but forgetfulness† (4). This hatred for the present birth and hope of a better life in the new birth makes Sethe confident on her decision of infanticide. Sethe’s crime, if considered morally, is highly condemnable. It is unapproved by any religion or community to commit infanticide. Even Sethe realizes this when the community rejects her. Baby Suggs, who is the moral preacher, could not react to the incident and succumbed to death. Sethe knew that she was to be blamed for the death of Baby Suggs.At the social level Sethe is declared an outcast who tries to be a rebel by breaking the set of norms o f the society. This develops a communication barrier between the community on one side and Sethe’s household on another. Denver is also the victim of the feeling of alienation. But Sethe needs the support of the community to overcome her guilt. â€Å"In Beloved life is hell, but togetherness, shared experiences and brotherly/ sisterly love helps the characters to survive, if not to forge better lives for themselves† (Mbalia 91). In the end of the story the entire community joins to drive Beloved away of the Bluestone Road.Morrison proposes solidarity as the only viable solution to the problems of the black community. Infanticide is also criticized politically when Sethe is sentenced to seven years imprisonment for the act. Supernaturalism is the prominent element of Beloved. The first line of the novel draws the attention towards the mysterious world. It says, â€Å"124 was spiteful. Full of baby’s venom† (3). Morrison’s prime concern is to develop the unique culture of Africa so that the ghost stories introduced appear real and alluring. The hostile environment of America and the white community adds to the haunted environment of the novel.The ghost tales are common to the blacks as death for them is no longer the issue of fear. Baby Suggs admits that her own dead children must be, â€Å"†¦worrying somebody’s house into evil† (6). Therefore the character of Beloved and even her presence as a ghost in Sethe’s house appears justified to the modern readers. â€Å"Morrison’s clan is a complex of values and mythologies† (Holloway 160). Morrison has also projected supernaturalism as the consequence of disturbed psychic state of a person. Frustration and suppression often leads to the formation of an imaginary world and imaginary characters. This is another angle of justifying the element of supernaturalism. Morrison connects the two worlds of living and dead through Sethe and Beloved. The bl ack community is also well equipped with the methods of separating the physical and the supernatural world. This is how the community is able to drive Beloved to her right place. Sethe seems to be out of focus. Without the guidance of a mother, she has missed out on the actual mother-daughter relationships. Circumstances of sexual exploitation seem to have marred her psychologically and the base animal like nature of a human being seems to have overtaken her personality.Sethe seems to be ridden with a problem of the mind. No mother however cruel can resort to killing her own child. Even if she feared that her daughter would be a future victim of abuse, she could have given her child away to someone she knew. Sethe stopped thinking beyond a point and terror and fear have made her act in such a manner. Though she feels she has done the right thing she is guilty of doing injustice by killing her child. Morrison does not aim at giving the judgment on the act of Sethe. It is left to the readers to analyses her decision.Infanticide was condemned by the society but Sethe is forgiven in the end by the same the society. Since solidarity is the proposed solution to the humiliations suffered by the blacks, therefore, the crime of Sethe cannot be viewed as an isolated decision. The community is also directly and indirectly involved in the execution of the infanticide. That is why the community also shares the burden of guilt along with Sethe. But it is not forgetting of the past that the author propagates it is actually living the past to overcome it.Works cited Brent, Linda. â€Å"Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl†. The Classic Slave Narratives. Henry Louis Gates. ed. New York: American Library, 1987. Carmean, Karen. Toni Morrison’s World of Fiction. New York: Whitestone Publishing Company,1993. 10 Davis, Angela. Women, Race and Class. New York: Random House, 1981. Drew, Benjamin. â€Å"The Refugee: A North-side View of Slavery†. Four Fugitive Sl ave Narrative. ( Reading MA : Addison Wesley, 1969). Holloway, Karla and Stephanie D. New Dimensions of Spirituality A Biracial and Bicultural Reading of the Novels of Toni Morrison. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987. Matus, Jill. Toni Morrison Contemporary World Writers. New York: Manchester University Press, 1998. Middleton, David. Toni Morrison’s Fiction: Contemporary Criticism. New York: Garland Publishing, 2000. Mabalia, Doreatha Drummond. Toni Morrison Developing Class Consciousness. : Selinsgrove: Susquehanna University Press, 1993. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Signet, 1987. (All the subsequent references are quoted in the parenthesis of the text) Peach, Linden. ed. Toni Morrison. Macmillan Press: London, 2000. Schapira, Barbara. â€Å"The Bonds of Love and the Boundaries of Self in Toni Morrison’s Beloved†. Contemporary Literature 32: 2, 1991.

Piaget Versus Vygotsky In Regards To The Cognitive Theory Education Essay

The building of the thought procedure ; like retrieving, job resolution, and determination devising, is all apart of what ‘s called cognitive development. The basic premiss of cognitive development is the manner a individual perceives, thinks, and understand the goings-on around them through the combination of genetic sciences and learned factors. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were influential in the apprehension of this signifier of development conveyed by their several theories. Cognitive Development starts at birth and progresses as a kid starts to larn and turn mentally. If a individual, particularly an pedagogue, can understand how a kid develops cognitively versions can be made to suit the specific demands of a kid. Constructivism is an attack to learning and larning based on the premiss that knowledge is the consequence of mental building ( McDevitt, and Ormrod, 2006 ) . A pupils belief, attitudes and how they are shown how to make things impact how one learns. This averm ent is one expressed and agreed upon by both Piaget and Vygotsky. Both besides agreed that social influences created the boundaries that surrounded cognitive development. Being Constructivist and acknowledging the influence of 1s milieus are about the lone similarities that are shared by Piaget and Vygotsky ‘s theory portion. Each theoretician had cardinal thoughts that their theory of cognitive development was built upon. These thoughts differed from each other. As in Piaget ‘s, he theorized that intelligence is produced by action. He strongly felt a kid learns best through interaction. ( Huitt, & A ; Hummel, 2003 ) Vygotsky disagreed, alternatively he felt larning occurred before development and they learn because of history and symbolism ( Van der Veer, 2008 ) . Further more, Vygotsky would reason that kids non merely needed but valued others input in order to turn psychologically, a point that Piaget disagreed with. Piaget beloved that there are four stages to cognitive development that occurs. The first phase, referred to as Sensorimotor Stage, begins at birth to two old ages. In this phase a kid relies to a great extent on natural behaviours of course learned, like sucking. Piaget beloved intelligence manifests itself through physical motor activities such as creeping or walking. These attribu tives dominate in this stage although ; some linguistic communication accomplishments are developed as good. Piaget continues his stages into the ages two through seven with the preoperational phase. During this phase, Piaget believes a kid is egoistic with his ideas. Basically, Piaget says at this clip, a kid thinks if he believes or sees things one manner, that is the manner everyone sees it. During this phase the flowering of unwritten linguistic communication, memory and imaginativeness besides occurs. The 3rd phase, labeled concrete operational phase, continues on into the ages of seven and into eleven. A dramatic alteration in how a child thinks happens at this clip. One begins to believe in a more logical manner. Piaget rounds out his phases with the concluding 1 named the formal operational phase. The formal operational phase refers to the ability to get the hang abstract ideas and symbols relationally are the premiss of this phase. Very few people will of all time make this portion of Piaget ‘s Cognitive Theory. Those who do are besides able to treat scenarios that may happen ( McDevitt, and Ormrod, 2006 ) . Interrupting cognitive development into phases was a procedure that Vygotsky disagreed with. He thought at that place to be no phases at all every bit good as no clip frame in which they are expected to happen. He had different constituents to his political orientations in mention to development, like the usage of private address. Private address, put merely, is the pattern of speaking to oneself. He asserted that this procedure contributed to a kid ‘s job resolution accomplishments, as the kid would speak it out to himself before moving. Private speech production might go less of a prevailing facet over clip but is ne'er to the full outgrown. Following, Vygotsky focuses on the zone of proximal development. This signifier of development refers to things a kid may no be able to make on their ain right off but in clip will. Vygotsky steadfastly asserted it was imperative for a kid to work within his zone in order to accomplish maximal acquisition ( Van cervid Ver, 2008 ) . The co ncluding key to Vygotsky ‘s theory lies in the term staging. Using encouragement and aid by manner of advice is how scaffolding is defined. Hints and arrows are employed by an influential presence in a kid ‘s life who has already mastered these constructs like ego regulation or job resolution ( Mcdevitt & A ; Ormrod, 2006 ) . Cognitive theories, like the 1s developed by Piaget and Vygotsky have been put into pattern by instructors, pedagogues, and healer likewise for old ages. Both theories are valid, plausible and easy can be put into pattern, particularly in a category room. For illustration, Piaget ‘s preoperational stage is dominant in a kindergarten schoolroom, where five twelvemonth olds reign. Piaget ‘s stage states that kid is egoistic in his thought. This can be portrayed in a simple scene taken from a kid ‘s recess clip. One kid loves hide and seek. They play it as a household rather often at place. The regulations at place dictate one must number to 20 but another pupil argues that is non right. But the first kid insist since this is the iron-clad regulation because he assumes if he thinks its played that manner, everyone does, therefore bodying the preoperational stage. Similarly, Vygotsky ‘s theories are besides plausible. A good illustration can be found in a 2nd clas s schoolroom. No two kids think likewise is a given for they all develop on different degrees. Like, some kids have mastered simple arithmetic, where as others struggle with the construct. One manner to impart aid would be through the usage of math manipulative, like confect. It would keep the attending of those who understand that while farther helping those who have n't. Cognitive development has shaped the manner an pedagogue approaches a pupil. Piaget and Vygotsky have given one peep into the developmental heads of a kid. Without these theories, an pedagogue ‘s influence may non be as efficaciously utilized like it should. Work Cited Van Der Veer, R. ( 2008 ) . Lev Vygotsky: continuum library of educational idea. Continuum. McDevitt, T, & A ; Ormrod, J.E. ( 2006 ) . Child development and instruction. New York: Prentice Hall. Huitt, W. , & A ; Hummel, J. ( 2003 ) . Piaget ‘s theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved 09/18/2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/piaget.html

Cardiac case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cardiac - Case Study Example n is experiencing cool, clammy skin and inspiratory crackles because of severe allergic reaction, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) anxiety, and low oxygen in the blood. These result from exhaustion of the heart, heart attack, artery blockage in the lungs, internal bleeding, pneumonia, dehydration, drug overdose causing heart function to reduce, and reduced blood pressure (Lee Linda, Bates, Pitt, & Walton, 2010). Question 3: The pain that Mr. Canton is experiencing is not significant because it is not one of the major causes of his condition. The pain in his wisdom tooth is resulting from other causes rather than myocardial infarction (WEBMD, 2015). Question 4: Mr. Canton vomits because his wall infarction is inferior. The inferior wall infarction is associated with gastrointestinal problems, particularly because of bradycardia. The inferior infarction results from cardiac sensory receptors, which mediate vasodepressor and cardioinhibitory responses, which are normally distributed to the left ventricle’s wall (Lee Linda, Bates, Pitt, & Walton, 2010). Question 5: Elevation of isoenzymes prevails in body cells having a notable concentration in liver, heart, kidney, muscle, and erythrocytes. Just as in the case of proteins that mark function of tissues, elevation of isoenzymes occurs after hypoxia is prolonged. It occurs after hypoxia is prolonged in various clinical situations, such as cardiorespiratory diseases, disorders of kidneys, liver, muscle, and lung, as well as malignancy (Krucik, 2012). Question 6: Myocardial infarction is a segmental necrosis of myocardial based in the endocardium. Areas where myocardial infarction occurs are subepicardial in the event of occlusion of small vessels, which come from coronary thrombi. For many patients, a disruptive coronary disease becomes evident at angiography. Infarction takes place where the occluded vessel is distributed. The occlusion of the left side of the coronary artery leads to major infarction of the

Should all federal welfare programs be abolished Research Paper

Should all federal welfare programs be abolished - Research Paper Example ain welfare programs associated with the federal government include: the Food Stamp Program, Temporary Assistance for the Needy Families, Medicaid, and Supplementary Security Income, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Housing assistance. Other small government welfare programs include Infant and Children Welfare, Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Low Income Home Energy Assistance, and School Based Food Assistance. In 1996, welfare reforms by President Bill Clinton brought about the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Act (AFCDA). Through this Act, President Clinton aimed at reducing welfare assistance to the needy families. These programs should therefore not be abolished because they impact positively on the lives of a majority of the American citizenry. For instance, the federal welfare programs have reduced poverty levels and provided for medical welfare of the low income earning citizens. These programs should not be abolished though far reaching reforms need to be put in place to reduce the number of people in these programs. According to the United States Code, 2000 (279), the main aim of federal welfare programs is to provide assistance to the unemployed and needy citizens. Assistance includes unemployment and reemployment assistance, and emergency grants to assist seasonal farm workers and migrants. Before any reforms are made the benefits of federal welfare programs need to be evaluated. The first question we need to evaluate is why many people are running to welfare programs. If welfare programs did not help the poor, no legislation or Congress would have approved the welfare programs. The Medicaid program introduced in 1965 was to be funded by both the federal and the state governments to help improve the medical needs of the low incoming Americans who cannot afford medical cover (Northrup, 181). The federal and state Medicaid covers pregnant

Marketing case study (analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing case study (analysis) - Essay Example Armed with his savings and determination, he ventured into business where there are only two players—Bullard, the market leader and another which is rumored to close because of bankruptcy. Before finally making up his mind to offer carpet cleaning services, he should have conducted a thorough environmental scanning in order to understand the risk associated with his decision. Looking at the situation of the industry, he should have noted that aside from the peak seasons where Bullard cannot accommodate all prospective customers (he actually knows that population triples in summer and doubles during winter) one firm might be enough to provide all the services for the entire Petoskey. Thus, he could have ventured in a more profitable industry or choose to offer services only in summer or winter. Secondly, he should have conducted a market research as to why customers are drawn to Bullard and why all his competitors fail to capture the customers. In order to compete efficiently, he should be able to pinpoint the success factors related to the business. Internally, Jim Services Inc lacks a comprehensive marketing strategy which will enable to differentiate it from Bullard. It should be noted that the firm launched is a copycat which did not strive to build its own image in order to snatch customers. What Jim did is to employ a â€Å"me-too† strategy by claiming to offer the same service as the market leader. In so doing, the company did not influence the customers to shift to its services but only becomes as a ready alternative when the market leader cannot accept other carpet cleaning services during summer and winter. Jim Services Inc could have differentiated itself through the provision of other value added or offering lower prices. After noting the factors which contribute to the failure of Jim, this paper recommends that his cleaning services be offered only during

Phonetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Phonetics - Essay Example Tools is not a good gift sorry (word order) tools are not a good gift because it probably means that the guy have to work and his not working (um) unless he some sort of physicist or mechanic tools probably not a good gift. Opera tickets is not a good gift I don't guys like opera. Silver cuffling(k)s is romantic and is a good gift. A picture of her is again a good gift I think is romantic. Race car driving lessons is a good gift because guys love sports. A book from the best seller list is not a good gift because I don't think guys like reading that much. An electric razor is very unromantic and is not a good gift is also means that guys probably don't shave. White socks is not a good gift. A sweater is probably a good gift again shows that the women cares for the man. Once upon a time there was a man Mr. Smith everything seemed to be good in his life. But he was feeling loneliness and one day he realized the missing part of his life was a women. He took a brush and paint and he painted on his car "wanted;" a wife he put his address below. Several days later later he got letters and one of them was particularly exciting this was a letter from a lady who had a daughter, a son, and a dog. Mr. Smith called to the lady they met and they made serious relationships. Thus Mr. Smith removed the advertisement from his car. And finally Mr. Smith got married to the lady. Analysis of the speeches of Bis... It has been observed that they sound strange and even rude sometimes. It is a glaring problem that they cannot produce the correct sounds of many vowel-sounds especially the [I], [], []. For the consonants sounds, both have problems in producing the correct sound of th transcribe. It is observable that they prolong that instead of producing the retroflex [r] they produce the trilled [r]. Aside from the difficulty in the approximation of sounds, the two students have been diagnosed to be problematic in their intonation, assimilation of sounds, pitch, stressing, and rhythm. Dimitry for instance has so much unnecessary pauses. This lesson plan then shall be intended for them to be familiarized with the vowel sounds. It is prepared in such a manner that they will find the difference of pronouncing isolated words from the words in context. Drill will be given as it is the best way for them to learn and to master the skills. One Hour Lesson LESSON 1: THE VOWEL SOUNDS (should be read and pronounced by the teacher correctly with Dimitry and Bisun repeating after the teacher) [i] High tense front Extended unrounding of lips (smiling position) feelings "feelings, nothing more than feelings" keep "keep smiling, keep shining" believe "I won't ever leave as long as you believe" she "She's the girl I really want" need "I need your love" [I] Lower-High lax front Natural unrounding of the lips; slight opening of the mouth miss, kiss "Boy I miss your kisses" this, is "all the time what this is" minutes "25 minutes too late" still, hear "still I can hear the words" Monday, "You can kiss me on a Monday" [] Low tense front Natural unrounding of lips' low bunching of the

Policy Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy Paper - Assignment Example In addition, certain malware programs are meant to transfer information regarding website activities to third parties (Vacca, 2013). The security policy addresses antivirus, spyware, and adware in a medium-sized organization. If defines the handling of computer gadgets in the organization including how regularly computer software maintenance is expected to be performed, the manner in which computer updates are conducted, the type of programs to be installed and used on computers. The policy also defines the means by which prevention and removal of malware programs from computers is done (Aycock, 2011). It also denotes the types of files attachments to be blocked at the mail server, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to be run on the server. The policy also specifies whether the use an anti-spam firewall is acceptable in order to offer additional security measures to the mail server (Aycock, 2011). It also specifies the manner in which files should be availed to the trusted sites and the examination process to determine unwanted or hostile content. A virus has the ability to replicate and distribute to other programs in the computer (Aycock, 2011). It also causes damage by using up computer memory, reformatting the hard disk and deleting files. A spyware automatically gathers information from a computer and online activities and transfers it to other interested parties. Adware is financially supported or that which offers financial support to a different program through the display of ads when a computer is connected to the internet (Aycock, 2011). This policy is applicable to all computers and servers that are connected or associated with the organization network through wireless connections, standard network connections, virtual private network connections or modem connections. The policy explicitly includes computers owned by the organization, individuals or sharing the organization’s network. The computer

Assignment 5 (675) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 5 (675) - Case Study Example The challenge is therefore incorporating the new ideas into the current curriculum and implanting them successfully. 2. Forcing the new area into a curriculum that is already considerably full will call for a very articulate strategy so as not to hurt the students already entrenched in the old curriculum. As a district supervisor, my strategy would be to employ the curriculum development process and planning cycle. It will important to ask ourselves the purpose that our schools seek to achieve, how to select learning experiences that are useful in the attainment of the same and organising the experiences so as to instruct effectively. The final issue is evaluation of the effectiveness of learning experiences. Thus through evaluation of the old curriculum it can be possible to drop what have become obsolete and incorporate modern ones such as life skills.The strategy would therefore involve conducting a survey among the students and stakeholders to determine how many would like the inclusion of life skills in the curriculum 3. In todays and the technological schools of the next decade the programme would take the theme of inculcating technology skills that are necessary for survival in the modern economy. By incorporating and teaching technology in the curriculum, learners would be allowed to appreciate the central place technology is occupying in the modern daily life. Many learners are likely to enjoy practical skills such as working with computers hence would tend to contribute to their own learning. 1. In the second case study, the major issues are resistant to change and the fear among principals of losing their autonomy when it comes to choosing books. The principals want to control and organise the function at the building level for they benefit in a way e.g. through the â€Å"Wines and Cheese† parties hosted by companies selling books. 2. As a new

Market Success and Entry Strategy Research Paper

Market Success and Entry Strategy - Research Paper Example The first and foremost step is the analysis of the market size and demand. The market according to the various segments are divided and categorized. For example, for an automobile market, the division of the market can be as according to the taste, demand and preference of the consumers. The consumers in one group of consumers are different from the other group and each represents a separate entity. The characteristics or the dimensions on which a market size is determined are geographic, cultural, social, economic and psychological factors. The market potential of a new consumer product is tested. The acceptance level of the product would decide the money that product will make in the market. There are various factors, which affect segmentation in a consumer market. Geographic is one such factor, where a country is segmented on basis region, city, urban, rural and climate. Demographically market is segmented on the basis of age, family size, gender, household income, life stage, occ upation, education, religion, race, generation and social class. Further, segmentation can be done on the basis of lifestyle and personality traits. On an individual level market can be segmented on the basis of attitude, belief and perception of products, product awareness and usage pattern. Market success analysis In any country the buying or the purchasing power is depends mostly on the infrastructure, currency, quality of the product and employment level. In mostly all agricultural based society, the production of a commodity, information to other available resources is very less. The resources like the labors, professionals or the working class has a major impact on the success of any foreign company in any country. In India the distribution of labor forces is unequal. Most of the professionals reside in the urban areas. Hangout Plaza is a fast food chain of restaurant. It offers mostly burgers, chicken pizzas, which will not be accepted by the rural population. In India, the c ost of labor is low. In order for the company to be able to market their product smoothly they should employ the local population. The skilled, unskilled labors can be deployed to gain the confidence of the locals and to get the work done at a cheaper rate. The regulations and the duties imposed by the government also play a major part in shaping the business of a company in the international market. The Government's red tape policies are often a hindrance for any foreign company. In India, the government is quite liberal in allowing the foreign companies to enter. India has many U.S. base hotels which are operating since a long time (FAO, 1997).    The political, economic and social factor poses a serious problem risk for any new company in the global market. For Hangout Plaza, there are many competition threats from many other fast food chains of hotels. Since there is no clear-cut strategy to decide and ascertain which strategy can be useful for assessing the competition threat s, the need to understand and calculate the same becomes more tedious and tough.  Ã‚  

Human Personality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Personality - Essay Example This theory of specificity has its roots deep in the experimental tradition, and its priori improbability should not prevent us from glancing at the main sources from which it draws its strength. The first of these sources is the Thorndikian type of learning theory prevalent around the first decades of this century. Learning is conceived in terms of S-R (stimulus-response) bonds after the manner of the reflex or the conditioned reflex, and these bonds are, of course, conceived to be entirely specific. If the organization of personality is mainly a matter of learning and here the huge preponderance of writers have favoured an anti-hereditarianism sight, without though basing themselves on any persuasive experimental evidence then the specificity of the learning procedure ought to be mirrored in the last product of learning, i.e. the mature personality. And as S-R theories in the field of learning have been confront by S-S theories which uphold that learning is part of a better difficu lty of organization, chiefly perceptual organization, these non-specific theories came into the field additional lately, have been somewhat less important historically, and have not carried over into the field of personality account to the similar extent as the specificity theories. Genius Human perfectibility" has been the theme of many enthusiasts; and many utopian schemes of society have been and still are suggested, which postulate in the men and women of the future an increase in moral and physical health and vigour. And it is plain that in a broad and general way natural selection, sexual selection, and the advance of science are working together towards improvements of these kinds. But it is plain also that these onward tendencies, at least in comparison with our desires and ideals, are slow and uncertain; and it is possible to argue that the apparent advance in our race is due merely to the improvement which science has effected in its material environment, and not to any real development, during the historical period, in the character or faculties of man himself. Sleep Regarding sleep as an alternating phase of personality, we must consider what are its special characteristics and faculties. Regarding it as an integral factor in our earthly existence, and on an equal footing with the waking state, we must consider how the faculties of sleep, as of waking, can be enhanced and intense in the course of the bodily and psychical development of man. Such development or concentration, though, presupposes a understanding of the true nature of sleep which we are by no means at liberty to take for granted. Disintegrations Of Personality Many disturbances and disintegrations of the personality must presently fall to be described. But the reader who may follow me must remember the point of view from which I am writing. The aim of my study is not to destroy but to complete; or say, rather, my hope is that observation of the ways in which

My Hobby Essay Example for Free

My Hobby Essay Vegetable gardening as my favorite hobby Deepa George WGU February 20, 2013 Vegetable gardening as my favorite hobby Hobby is an entertaining activity which provides pleasure and recreation. It is a way of escaping from the stress and the monotony of one’s daily round of duties. Therefore, hobby is essential for the proper enjoyment of life. My favorite hobby is vegetable gardening because it provides me sense of pride, peace, and relaxation, promote healthy life style and save money on groceries. You should start gardening as your hobby because it provides you relaxation, keeps you physically healthy, and save money on grocery bills. First of all, a vegetable garden is an easy and effective way to provide a sense of pride and relaxation. I am fortunate to have a spacious backyard for the gardening. I have vegetables and crops such as peas, lettuce, greens, cabbages, root crops, squash, beans, corn, melons, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, and herbs in my garden in different seasons. Research shows that gardening promotes mental health by relieving stress and promoting a sense of accomplishment. Spending some time in the garden ease stress, keep you limber and improve your mood. Vegetable gardening is a wonderful pastime the whole family can enjoy. Allowing children to be involved in the gardening help them to develop an understanding of nature, sense of responsibility, and pride. Kids are more likely to taste vegetables they grow themselves. My five year old son is proud about our vegetable garden. He helps us with watering the plants, caring for the crop and harvesting the produce. He was extremely reluctant to eat fruits and vegetables buying from the market, but now he does not want to miss anything coming from our garden. When your daughter Sara was in my house, she enjoyed peeking under leaves in search of ripe fruits and vegetables. Hence, I am sure that she will be so happy to have her own garden. Growing your own food, build a sense of pride and satisfaction. Watching a seed sprout in front of your eyes to become food on your plate is gratifying. The commitment for garden rewards you with a feeling that you have brought something to life. It is truly exciting to go to your backyard and get a juicy, ripened tomato for a salad. Now the weather is turning warm and favorable for planting. You should make a vegetable garden with your favorite vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and jalapeno peppers. The stores like Lowes, Home depot, and local seed stores have varieties of seeds with planting instructions. I will help you with picking out plants, preparing raised beds and containers, and fertilization of plants. I would like you to enjoy the sense of pride, accomplishment and relaxation by gardening which brings you close to nature. Secondly, planting vegetable gardening keeps you and your family healthy. It provides fresh fruits and vegetables right at your fingertips. Everybody is seriously concerned about the safety of the food available in the market. When you grow your own food carefully and organically, you do not have to worry about the contamination of the vegetables. When they grow in your backyard, you are not able to resist them, and their vitamin content will be at the highest level as you eat them straight from the garden. Thus, gardening is a simple and an easy way to promote good eating habits. Furthermore, gardening is a good outdoor exercise. Planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting require a lot of physical activity. Tending vegetable garden burns calories and uses muscles. Studies have shown that one can burn 200 to 500 calories per hour by working in the vegetable garden. The activities in the garden will give you sufficient physical exercise to keep you physically healthy and mentally alert. Finally, you will save money on groceries when you begin to stock your kitchen with fresh produce from backyard. It will help you to save money on gas you use to get to the store. To save money, you should plant smart and grow the food you like to eat. Make sure you grow a lot of vegetables that you use regularly. Since you like the salad, you should plant plenty of salad greens to save money. You can preserve the produce and enjoy the goodness of fruits and vegetables long after the harvest is over. There are four common ways to preserve foods: canning, freezing, drying, and pickling. Last year, I preserved beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrot and sweet corn and used for the rest of the year. You can share the extra vegetables with your friends, or sell in the fresh vegetable market. Every year I donate extra vegetables to a food pantry, and it helped me to take the tax deduction for non-cash distributions. You can save the seeds from the best produces, and use for next year. Gardening is an investment that offers a good return. For example, I have spent two dollar for one packet of green bean seeds. Once I cover the cost of soil, fertilizers, and water, I got a return of around seventy five dollars. I suggest you to start gardening as your hobby that produces positive economic return. Conclusively, vegetable gardening provides relaxation by getting a person outside and exposing to natural air. Planning a garden and caring for the garden help the person to stay healthy and save money. For all these reasons, I encourage you to choose vegetable gardening as your hobby.

Assessing The Effect Of Iran And Sanctions Politics Essay

Assessing The Effect Of Iran And Sanctions Politics Essay Nations around the globe are at odds over the issue of nuclear proliferation. As some countries aim to build their nuclear defenses, others aim to decrease or put an end to proliferation completely. Iran and the United States are a pertinent example of the former and the latter. In order to ensure the international communitys safety, the U.S. Government and its allies must enforce economic sanctions on Iran to thwart the flow of materials and funds needed for the country to grow its nuclear missile programs. On June 1st the U.S. Government and its allies, the U.N. (United Nations) Security Council, and the E.U. (European Union), along with other nations, imposed a fourth round of strict sanctions on Iran. This was done in reaction to Iran, which is a member of the U.N., choosing not to comply with the rules and regulations of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), a sub agency of the U.N. Since the IAEA is a sub agency of the U.N. which Iran is a member nation of, it must comply. The IAEA was established in 1957 to act as an international watchdog, monitoring and reporting on the nuclear activities of all member nations of the U.N. This agency promotes safety and piece in the arena of nuclear technologies. Iran says that its nuclear endeavors are peaceful, intended only to generate electricity and produce medical isotopes, not to construct a nuclear weapon; its actions imply just the opposite. Despite the behest of the U.S. and its allies, the AEOI (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) continually hampers the agencys inspection processes. It recently stripped two agency inspectors of the right to monitor its nuclear activities and refused others access to several facilities. The IAEA says that at the rate Iran is enriching nuclear fuel, it would soon have enough to produce two nuclear weapons. This Inspired alarm and concern throughout the international community about what Iran is doing behind closed doors. Without the IAEA keeping watch our safety is compromised, a belligerent Iran poses a great danger. Some may say that Irans nuclear program poses virtually no threat because it is so much smaller in comparison to that of the U.S.s and U.N.s. This idea is completely nonsensical. Just one nuclear missile in the hands of a country with a destructive agenda poses a much greater threat than five thousand nuclear missiles in the possession of a country with a peaceful agenda. Iran has yet to convince the nuclear watchdog of the peaceful nature of its nuclear pr ogram. This hazardous situation requires strict sanctions against Irans trade, military, and financial transactions carried out by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps), which controls the nuclear program and has taken a central role in running the country and the economy. The New York Times Reports: The sanctions require countries to inspect ships or planes headed to or from Iran if they suspect banned cargo is aboard. The sanctions bar Iran from pursuing any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Bar Iranian investment in activities such as uranium mining, and prohibit Iran from buying several categories of heavy weapons, including attack helicopters, missiles and other nuclear-related technology. It is the position of some that sanctions are ineffective, not a means to an end but instead a sort of prerequisite to doing something that might actually make a difference (such as a declaration of war). People who take that position are misinformed about the situation and sanctions in general. Economic Sanctions or restrictions on foreign commerce have been implemented by countries throughout history as an effective means of influencing one anothers behavior. In 432 B.C., Athens imposed sanctions on the state of Megara, denying it access to its harbor and market place, in order to prevent it from fighting against it. In more recent history, sanctions were successful in blocking the transfer of cryogenic rocket engines from Russia to India in 1993, stopping the shipment of arms from South Africa to Syria in 1997, and halting china from exporting sensitive military equipment in 1998. This is not to say that sanctions are always effective, or that they have any effect at all. In this case the U.S. is going the extra mile to ensure that they are effective. It has imposed its own sanctions on foreign banks that violate Irans sanctions. Foreign banks that continue to do business with Iranian banks and firms that may be associated with nuclear missile programs are banned from accessing the U.S. financial system. The prospect of being cut off from the U.S. economy adds an impetus for foreign banks to not violate the sanctions. Not all countries in the U.N. and U.N. Security Council are on board with the sanctions against Iran. The U.N. Security Council is composed of five permanent members, they are: The United States, China, Russian Federation, France, and United Kingdom and ten non permanent members with a term of one year. Every member nation voted for the Sanctions except Brazil and Turkey (nonpermanent members) who voted against them. Brazils Ambassador to the U.S., Maria Luiza Ribeiro sighted a lack of diplomacy, In our view the adoption of new sanctions by the Security Council will delay rather than accelerate or ensure progress. She goes on to say that the nations should increase talks. The U.S. and its allies have been talking to Iran about their nuclear program for years; the problem is that Iran is unwilling to listen; now it is time to take action. Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters in the capital Brasilia We dont want Iran to have nuclear arms, let there be no doubt about that. They, like other countries, have the right to a peaceful (nuclear power) program. It is true that Iran has the right to have a peaceful nuclear power program; unfortunately a peaceful nuclear program is not what they aim to have. Brazil and Turkey negotiated a trade in an attempt to quell international suspicion of nuclear weapons and prevent sanctions. Iran was to ship its low enriched uranium to turkey, were it would be stored, in return for a research reactor from Brazil. Yet, Iran continued to enrich its fuel, getting it closer and closer to levels needed to construct a nuclear weapon. South Korea and Japan are putting the international communitys safety ahead of their own economical gain. Trade between Iran and South Korea grew to $9.6 billion last year, up from $2.9 billion in 2000, Iran is its largest export market in the Middle East. Iran is the fourth-largest source of crude oil for South Korea, accounting for 10 percent of its oil imports. Despite all this the county imposed sanctions on Iran that are similar to those previously announced by Japan and the European Union. Foreign Ministry spokesman, Young-sun says, Our government expects Iran to join the international efforts for nuclear nonproliferation and take steps to faithfully implement its obligations under the relative Japan and U.N.S.C. resolutions. Of course Iran is against the sanctions, saying that they are a form of economic warfare. No amount of pressure and mischief will be able to break our nations determination to pursue and defend its legal and inalienable rights. Iran is one of the most powerful and stable countries in the region and never bowed and will never bow to the hostile actions and pressures by these few powers, and will continue to defend its rights, said Mohammad Khazaee, representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations. The problem with that argument is that Iran is not under the pressure of few powers, but of the international community. Are they bullying Iran? No they are protecting themselves from a situation that poses danger to them and the citizens of their nations whom they have a duty to protect. President of the U.S., Barack Obama, put it best when he said We recognize Iranss rights but with those rights come responsibilities. And time and time again, the Iranian government ha s failed to meet those responsibilities. We can only hope that this new round of sanctions is successful in changing Irans calculations of costs and benefits of pursuing nuclear proliferation. Hopefully Irans leaders will come to the conclusion that their interests of Iran and its people are better served by complying with its international obligations. Iran continues to have the opportunity to take a different and better path, says Obama, lets hope it does.

Study of Nikon Corporation

Study of Nikon Corporation The Nikon has gone global and divides the globe to six regions of its operation which are the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa. The products have also been grouped in to imaging products (Digital/film cameras, lenses and accessories), precision equipment (IC/LCD steppers and scanners), sport optics (Binoculars, telescopes and laser rangefinders), instrument products (Microscopes and measuring instruments), and ophthalmic lenses (Single vision and progressive addition lenses) (Nikon, 2010). It has a capital of  ¥ 65,475 million as of March 31 2010, where the consolidated net sales were  ¥ 785,498 million as of March 31 2010 while unconsolidated net sales as of March 31 2010 were  ¥ 572,972 million (Nikon, 2010). The numbers of employees in the corporation are approximately 26,125 as of March 31 2010 where the number is not inclusive of employees in subsidiary and associated companies. The company also has five main plants that include the Ohi plant, Yokohama Plant, Sagamihara Plant, Kumagaya Plant, and Mito Plant (Reynolds, p.23). The company has developed products of quality throughout the years where the core technology center, the research and development center and the production technology center are responsible for quality and innovation. Its imaging products (72.5%) contribute to a huge proportion of the sales followed by precision equipment (19.1%), instruments (5.7%) and others (2.7%) respectively (Nikon, 2010). The Nikon philosophy is Trustworthiness and Creativity that presents the unchanging principles that the company are dedicated to. The aspirations include Meeting needs and exceeding expectations where the company does not just stop at meeting the customer needs but also providing the customer with new products of value that exceed expectations; aiming at sustained growth through continuous development of all products; maximizing on the understanding and knowledge on light to produce products that transform and lead the markets currently and in future; and maintaining high integrity so as to contribute to the prosperity of the society (Nikon, 2010). The commitments of Nikon are being firstly being pro active i.e. Be broad-minded and well-informed in order to act quickly and resolutely Second seeking new knowledge i.e. Pioneer new potential through self-study and insatiable curiosity thirdly is effective communication i.e. Harmonize diverse skills by thinking out of the box and communicating effectively with others and last but not least displaying integrity i.e. Work with diligence and sincerity as a responsible individual (Nikon, 2010). The goal is Transforming imagination into creativity (Nikon, 2010). This paper critically examines the Nikon Corporation its history products, markets, goals and philosophy. It continues to scrutinize the company by performing a Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats Analysis which is crucial in matching the companys resources and capacity to the competition it faces in its operating environment; and a 4 P Product Services Pricing Promotion and Placement Mix analysis. It elaborates the position the corporation stands in the market and current and future opportunities that the company has in terms of growth and sustainability. Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats Analysis Nikon has been well placed in the markets in the markets and this gives the company a competitive advantage (Armstrong, p.34). This involves an environmental scan where the internal and external analysis is carried out. The Strengths The patent rights of the brand are high Nikon boasts of a global established brand that sells globally and is demanded by so many customers. The Nikon products are renowned throughout the world and thus give the company a strong basis to establish itself over it competitors and any new entrant in to the markets (Tarcy Et al p.47). This is seen as strength in that the brands are preferred by customers thus more sales are made and hence more revenues to the company. When the patent right is high the company has a lot of goodwill with the company and thus becomes the favorite and hence controls a larger share in the market. High technology in the production of products; Nikon has a reliable brand that is based on high level technological supremacy and resource and development. This has been established by the company since its inception where the products developed suit the market and become leaders in the market because of their level of technology (Nikon, 2010). The company has continued to phase out the products that are out of technology and introduced competitive products in the market that make life convenient and more comfortable. The company has invested a lot in resource and development and alliance, and industrial knowledge so as to keep on producing basic technological products that control the market. The Nikons starring technology is developed in the optics, image processing, materials, precision measurement and manufacturing, software and system technologies. The technology has continued to be unique and superior which offers better performance and functionality. Such technology include Super-Resolution in Non-Linear Optical Lithography, High-Precision Thin films, Ultra-Precision Molds, Image Processing Algorithms, Lead-Free Electronics Technology, Nano Particle Coating, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), Vibration-Reduction (VR) and Predictive Focus Tracking System (Nikon, 2010). Quality has also been a strong point for Nikon in that the products produced have always been regarded for their high quality in the market. This makes Nikon products have a competitive advantage over its competitors. The diversification of the products that the company has is also a very strong strategy to remain in business (Tarcy Et al. p.52). This is the case because the company does not rely on a single product to get its revenues thus diversify the risks in the markets. The company has diversified to produce products like microscopes, measurement instruments, binoculars, cameras, and steppers that it has continued to dominate the market and contribute to the companys revenue. Nikon continues to boast of a very wide distribution network. The global dominance in the five regions which are the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa gives it a competitive advantage over those with ineffective distribution mechanisms (Nikon, 2010). Even in each region there is specialty in the products that are more preferred by the customers hence more sales. There is also presence of subsidiaries and affiliate companies that make the products available to the customers easily and in time. The effective distribution network enables the company to study the dynamics of the market in time and respond quickly before the markets are dominated by other competitors. The global presence is strength due to balancing of the currencies where the company can absorb shock from depreciation of currencies in areas that they are operating in (Tarcy Et al. p.71). The global presence can also be important in that when products are not moving in one region they can be transferred to other regions that require the products and thus promote business. Nikon has global and regional presence that enables the company to study the dynamics of each region and apply the best strategy. It is also possible to shift the products to other markets when they are bought at a slower rate in other regions thus save on production. Nikon has also invested a huge amount of finances in its business; the capital of  ¥ 65,475 million invested by the company is a way to lock out investors that cannot raise such an amount hence helps it in dominating the markets. The Nikon D1H camera is known for its solid build where the handling and the ergonomics is very efficient with a strong and fast autofocus. It is also weatherproof and is very fast since it as the 5 fps. It also produces large images that are approximately 40 jpeg fine (Nikon, 2010). Weakness Nikon has a poor marketing strategy where promotion of products has been low and the products have not been known to many consumers. The marketing systems have been reluctant and not aggressive enough to make the products known in all regions. The production of the Nikon scan scanner software that was faulty was a major weakness to detest its products in the market. The Nikon Scan has remained redundant in the number of images it determines in that it only determines 99 images and stops working (Nikon, 2010). For images above 100 the scanner must be restarted to continue its function. This is a very crucial part in that the customer can judge the products quality through one product and lead to rejection of the rest. The scanner software did not also have proper calibration procedures even after the purchase of an IT-8 Target. The Nikon NiMh camera batteries are not user friendly also they are heavy and big while they are sold expensively at shops (Nikon, 2010). They are also bad since they need recharge or be replaced once the camera is put in use for a shorter time than other cameras. There is a global phobia where people detest products from Japan and China and see then as counterfeits or of low quality. Products from these countries may have low sales due to such phenomenon and the company must be able to fight this negative attitude of the products it produces. Opportunities The digital world has numerous chances that have not been exploited the customers are yet to be fulfilled (Bà ¶hm, p.23). Customers still yearn for better digital products as they are produced. Any company that deals in technology has opportunities to control the market share through unique products or products that are user friendly and technologically advanced. In cameras manufacturing better products gives the company a chance to remain competitive. In view of the fact that Nikon has invested heavily in resource and development then it stands a chance to better opportunities. Trade is being liberalized in many regions and thus there are possibilities of governments loosening regulations of operations. This will be instrumental in allowing further development of the company to such countries where it is not yet penetrated (Ferrell, Hartline, p.35). Nikon has the capability to expand its production processes to other countries where there is distribution is done from exports. This will be easier and cheaper to reduce costs of production since the products are will be produced locally hence extra costs are eliminated (Bà ¶hm, p.48). Nikon may prefer mergers with companies like Sony so as to be much effective and build an empire that will control a large market share. a vertical merger will be more effective where the companies do not loose their identity but merge as a necessity to better their business objectives. Threats Nikon faces stiff competition from other globally renowned companies such as Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Canon, Kodak, Casio, and Pentax that all deal with the similar products. Such companies pose a threat of controlling the market share that Nikon holds. There is also the threat that the customers may shift their taste and prefer other companys products due to better marketing techniques applied by the other companies. New regulations may appear in different regions that may affect the companys operations in view of the fact that they may be unfavorable or strict. These regulations may include trade regulations that may be a barrier to efficient trade. In the Middle East peace has not been brokered by the warring parties and this political stand off will be a threat to business in the region. 4P strategy The Product Services, Pricing, Promotion, and Placement (Distribution) analysis of Nikon Corporation will be effective in establishing the companys position in the market and the opportunities that may be available for sustainable growth (Ferrell, Hartline, p.39). This gives a customer oriented approach that ensures that the business ventures into the market in a way that it will meet all the customers demands and expectations. The 4P marketing strategy is also known as the SIVA strategy which is translated as the Solution (product), Information (Promotion), Value (Price), and Access (Place) (Ferrell, Hartline, p.39). Product Nikon deals with a range of products that are aimed at maximizing customer satisfaction. The products include imaging products such as the Digital/film cameras, lenses and accessories; precision equipment such as IC/LCD steppers and scanners; sport optics such as the Binoculars, telescopes and laser rangefinders; instrument products such as the Microscopes and measuring instruments; and ophthalmic lenses such as the Single vision and progressive addition lenses. The imaging products are specifically the digital SLR Cameras, Digital compact cameras, speed-lights, software, film scanners, film SLR cameras, and Nikkor lenses. The microscopes include the biological, digital, industrial, stereoscopic and multi-purpose zoom. The precision equipment includes the IC stepper and scanner and the LCD stepper and scanners in different series (Nikon, 2010). The packaging is attractive with different colors and the Nikon brand name on them with each product packed with a user manual so as to enable the user steps of operation. The packaging is also ensured to shock proof to protect the products from any falling or mishandling. A return form is also placed in the packaging that bears the name and address of the company. The company logo is also encrypted in all products. It bears the words handle with care that cautions any person handling them that they are delicate and prone to damage. The customers are also assured of a warranty for every product they buy that is from authorized distributors. Pricing Each product has a specific price and the prices vary in every region and according to the specifications. The price for Digital SLR Cameras is $7,999.95; NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4 is $469.95, AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III is $499.95; AF DC-NIKKOR 105mm f/2D is $1,199.95, and COOLPIX S640 is $219.95 (Nikon, 2010). The LS-9000 Nikon scanner is sold at $2799.99; while SB-400 Speed-light unit is sold at $149.99; SB-600 Speed-light unit is sold at $249.99; and SB-900 Speed-light unit is sold at $349.99 (Nikon, 2010). Compared to the competitors prices Nikons prices are averagely similar in the markets thus leaving the customer to choose the best product that suits them. Promotion This includes the Advertising, Professional Selling, Sales Promotion, and Publicity of the products by the company (Ferrell, Hartline, p.57). Nikon Corporation in June 2003 dissolved the Nikon sales promotion Co. ltd in view of the fact that it was not affecting its mandates to the corporation. Its mandate was shifted to Nikon Corporation business units that would effectively carryout the marketing and advertising. Nikon has also implemented the CSR strategy that includes several promotional strategies which include the education and awareness, surveying and monitoring, preventions of violations, and a consultative reporting system. The education strategy seeks to educate the employees in the corporation to create a favorable workplace environment through this promotion strategy the employees are able to promote the company to the public. The company also conducts awareness surveys that help gauge the products place in the market this helps promotion in laying the right procedure to advertise the products that have low sales. Nikon also promotes the products through print and advertising. It also holds photo exhibitions like the Photokina that helps in showcasing all the recent products by the company. Photo shootouts are also organized where customers are able to try out the new products and know their operations, availability and prices. Billboards are also used to advertise the products so as to reach the customer more efficiently. Taxi branding where taxis are branded with the company logo and products to promote the products is done globally. Nikon has also been involved in supporting sports such as formula one and advertised during the events (Nikon, 2010). Placement (distribution) Nikon is present globally with all its products being traded world over. The market has been segmented into regions that enable ease of distribution of the products to the customers. There are six regions which are the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa (Nikon, 2010). In each region there are authorized distributors of the products where they are then further sub-divided into sub divisions that help penetrate the market effective and reach the customers in time. Conclusion The general life cycle of the products from Nikon starts from the receiving of raw materials, then to the material, component and product manufacture, then to transport, where it is then used by the customer after which it is then recycled or disposed. Nikon has developed a competitive advantage over other companies and has definitely benefited from the effective marketing strategy it has. Work Cited: Armstrong, Michael. Management Processes and Functions, London: CIPD, 1996 Bà ¶hm, Anja. The SWOT Analysis. Boston: GRIN Verlag, 2009 Tarcy, Brian,. Bradford, Robert and Duncan, Peter. Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide For Busy People Who Want Results Fast!. New York: Chandler House Press, 2000 Ferrell, Olive C. Hartline, Michael D. Marketing Strategy. Ed.4, New York: Cengage Learning, 2008 Nikon. Nikon Corp, 2010. http://www.nikon.com/ November 27, 2010 Nikon. Product Assessment, Nikon Corp, 2010. http://www.nikon.com/ November 27, 2010 Reynolds, Clyde. Nikon F Book. New York: Focal Press, 1977

Hepatitis B 2 Essay -- essays research papers

Hepatitis B can be prevented with a highly effective vaccine, but this year ten to thirty million people will become infected with the hepatitis B virus. I feel that because this disease is preventable, only knowledge can help reduce the number of people infected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. This virus is a blood-borne pathogen. It is one hundred times more infectious than HIV. “Hepatitis B is one of the most frequently reported vaccine preventable diseases in the United States,'; according to the Centers for Disease Control. This disease is transmitted through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. You can also acquire the disease through sharing needles, toothbrushes, and razors, or if you come in contact with infected blood. For these reasons, the people at the highest risk of contracting the disease are: anyone who is sexually active; health, dental, and emergency workers; adoptive families with children form Asia, Africa, South America, Eastern and Mediterranean Europe (as these areas have a high number of people infected); drug users; and anyone in close contact with someone infected. This is not as scary as it seems, for you cannot contract the virus through sneezing, coughing, or holding hands. A surprising fact about hepatitis B, considering it is preventable, is that one in twenty people are or will be infected in their lifetime. There are one million people infected in the United Stat...

I Want to be an Elementary School Teacher :: Teaching Philosophy

Why I Want to be an Elementary School Teacher Why do I want to become an elementary school teacher? There are so many different things I love about teaching that it is hard to answer this question. The main reason is that I want to transfer my knowledge and ideas to children who can further the things I have taught them to become successful. Many teachers throughout my life have been a big inspiration to me. They have taught me many things about basic knowledge and also about life. They have made education fun and exciting. My teacher’s did such a good job that it actually inspired me to be a teacher myself. At a younger age, children are more apt to learn the basic skills in life. Reading habits, writing styles, and many more other things are critical to being taught the right way at an early age. If the child is not taught how to read sentence by sentence to understand the meaning at an early age, it is very difficult for them to study later on in the future. There are many different types of students that will be in a classroom. There will be visual learners, more hands-on type of learners, and many more. I hope to develop my classroom in a way so that I can teach all the different types of learning. Technology has really made this goal a large amount easier to accomplish. With the use of webpage’s and software, a teacher can now reinforce the different topics they cover in a classroom. Rousseau believed that children were born innocent and with the same intelligence. I do believe that children are born with intelligence; I just want to be able to expand on that. If I could just teach children how to do basic math problems, what a sentence is, or anything educational I would feel so accomplished. A classroom should also be a place for many other types of learning to take place. Students should be able to learn about social relationships, emotions, and themselves.

Ethical Decisions

Chapter 6 Ethics Issue Brenton T. Percell BUS323 Commercial Law Salem University In your opinion, was it ethical for Mr. Trump to broadcast this type of information to the public? When making an ethical decision, the following questions should be asked is it a utilitarian decision approach, deontological approach or virtue ethical approach. The utilitarian decision meaning was the firing for the greater good for the mass of people? No. Was it a deontological decision based on, treat others how one would want to be treated, No. The last philosophical reasoning being virtue decision. Virtue decisions are defined to be genuine and honest and should be handled in that manner is a public relation leader. When decisions are made with virtue in mind, all decisions should be made ethically to ensure honesty is conserved. (Bennett-Alexander & Harrison, 2012, pg16-18) (Media, 2018) With the above steps in understanding an ethics decision defined in my opinion the manner that Mr. Trump chose to terminate his employment with Mrs. Carolyn Kepcher, publicly on his BLOG, stating,† She loved her fame, and she loved celebrity Apprentice, and it was affecting her work.† was unethical. If this was the case was it any progressive action to make Mrs. Kepcher aware of her performance or was she just terminated? These are grounds of termination depending on a contract agreement, state laws (at- will). The action that makes this judgment unethical is the hiring of his daughter proceeding after the termination of Mrs. Carolyn Kepcher. (Bennett-Alexander & Harrison, 2012, Pg154) In your opinion, where should we, as a society, draw our (1) legal and (2) ethical lines regarding the type of information shared in this context? [Please keep in mind, for a variety of reasons, an ethical behavior may require more restrictions and restraint on actors than one would want to codify in law.] The legal implication in this situation cannot be made soundly due to the unknown variables such as contract, state that contract was signed legally no laws were broken, Mr. Trump was on his account that solely reflects on himself and his brand. Which is within his right, freedom of speech. The reasoning for the termination may not be the best or ethically sound but it is a reason. In my opinion, it is more of an ethical/ moral issue rather than a legal issue. No-one rights were violated during the firing of Mrs, Kepcher. ReferencesBennett. (2012). The Legal, Ethical & Regulatory Enviorn of Business in a Diverse Society. [VitalSource]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/1259582132/Media, W. (2018). Ethical Theories. Retrieved from https://pagecentertraining.psu.edu/public-relations-ethics/introduction-to-public-relations-ethics/lesson-1/ethical-theories/

HR Practices of United Services Automobile Association Essay

The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is a Fortune 100 company as of the year 2009 that primarily sells life and property insurance to its 7. 7 million members, which consists of active and retired military personnel and their family members (www. biz. yahoo. com). They also offer such services as banking and investment management, focused on helping military persons to manage their money wisely and offer them services at reasonable costs with low interest rates. As of 2009, the company employees 21,500 people and competes in the industry of property and casualty insurance against other companies such as MetLife, State Farm, and Government Employees Insurance Company (www. biz. yahoo. com). USAA is headquartered out of San Antonio, Texas, where twenty-five Army officers founded the company in 1922 and set out to insure each other’s cars while standing firm in the values of honesty, integrity, loyalty and great service (USAA. om). â€Å"USAA’s mission is to facilitate the financial security of its members, associates, and their families through provision of a full range of highly competitive financial products and services; in so doing, USAA seeks to be the provider of choice for the military community,† (usaa. com). This mission statement from USAA’s website shows that the company has established its target market, segmenting it into the realm of military personnel and their families. Their main business strategy in attracting customers and beating out the competition for those customers is not only offering a wide array of financial and insurance services, but also by doing so at reasonable costs, rates, and carrying operations out with superior customer service. As a USAA customer having dealt with their top competitors also, I know firsthand that they initially attract customers by internet and television advertising mostly, and achieve customer loyalty by offering a great product at a great price with superior customer satisfaction relationships; this gives the company a high sustainable advantage in their industry and creates a high customer value in the market. This major corporation can afford to be such a customer-focused one because they are not a publicly traded company; in other words, they answer not to stockholders, but rather to the members of the association to cater to their desires. This is how they are able to beat out the competition and gain the edge on acquiring and sustaining more customers than other companies in their industry. Human Resource Practices The USAA corporate website’s careers section pitches employment with the company to interested potential employees as not simply taking orders from customers, but rather truly making a difference in a military family’s life with each and every call. One thing they do that is effective is putting a section titled, â€Å"What’s in it for you? † under which they share that the company pays competitively against the competition within the labor market and offer benefits such as a great 401(k) plan, fitness programs, and other beneficial incentives (usaa. com). From an employee’s perspective, USAA is a great company to work for because the pay is competitive, the benefits increase the value of the job above the pay rate, and there is tremendous job stability once you become a part of their team. This website shows that the company’s human resource practices focus chiefly on pay and benefits to attract potential employees; furthermore the job qualifications insinuate that they are looking for people that have some sort of military service completed, with a moderate college education but skills that are focused on customer satisfaction and interacting well with other people. Often times, customer service positions have a high turnover rate due to the nature of the position in dealing with disgruntled customers, however, USAA does a great job of attracting and retaining the type of individuals they are seeking by offering great pay and benefits that make the job tough to quit. Ethical Philosophy The USAA company website states that their core values are, â€Å"service, loyalty, honesty, and integrity; the same as the military community we serve,† (usaa. om); this portrays the corporate philosophy and ethical positioning quite clearly. They believe in working hard and faithfully to deliver the best service possible while doing what is best for the â€Å"greater good† of the society in which they operate. When compared with the Kantian Rights discussed in chapter one of our textbook, Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (Noe, page 15), USAA’s company ethics parallel with them quite well. The four traits of service, loyalty, honesty, and integrity would completely support the Kantian Rights of free consent, privacy, freedom of conscience, speech, and due process because these are the very things the military fights to defend, and the military is the market which USAA seeks to serve. Foreign Operations The extent of USAA’s foreign operations is not too great considering they serve the people of the American military forces. However, they do handle customer accounts while they are in foreign lands serving in the military; for instance, USAA offers great financial management support for military personnel who are about to be deployed so that they can use their combat and active duty pay wisely to support themselves and their family. HR Practices and Business Strategy One trait that makes a large difference between successful corporations and lesser successful corporations is the company’s ability to implement its ideals into everyday business operations and sync its human resource practices with the overall business strategy. Seeing as USAA is rated in the top one hundred best companies to work for, they must be lucratively creating an environment in which their human resource practices are complimenting the overall business strategy. This creates loyal and satisfied employees that will, in turn, carry out their tasks with diligence and create the superior customer service that so greatly defines USAA. If the customer service employees at USAA were not satisfied, whether it be for compensation reasons or any reason for that matter, they would not be in a position or attitude to maintain the core values of the company, thus the HR practices would no longer be in harmony with the overall business strategy. It is in this situation that we see the utmost importance of the human resource department and its ability to compliment the company’s business strategy. Due to the company’s competitive pay and long list of great benefits that increase the value of having a career with USAA, it is fair to say that their employees should be satisfied and adequately motivated to carry out the overall business strategy.