Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Prisons and Jails Essay

In the United States, prison overcrowding and budget cuts within the criminal justice system have lead to an increase in the need and the development of private prisons and jails. According to Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2010), â€Å"A private prison is a place in which individuals are physically confined by a third party that is contracted by a local, state, or federal government agency. Private prison companies typically enter into contractual agreements with local, state, or federal governments that commit prisoners and then pay a per diem or monthly rate for each prisoner confined in the facility† (Private Prisons, para. ). There are several advantages and disadvantages to private prisons and jails, as well as conflict. The government believes that contracting with reputable private firms is one way to cut cost in prisons and eliminate overcrowding. Studies have shown that private prison construction is 24% lower than state built systems (Reed, 2003). Along with cutting cost, a private facility will allow the government to increase housing capacities at a rapid rate. For example in Houston, Texas; a new Immigration and Naturalization Service facility was estimated to cost $26,000 per bed and built in 30 months through government construction (Reed, 2003). A private firm did the job at $14,000 per bed and took less than six months to build (Reed, 2003). With the cost of construction being decreased and time saved, overcrowding was also reduced. Private facilities can offer officials powerful tools to ensure good conduct (Segal, 2001). Private contracts can be a powerful tool against the abuse of authority. An effective performance-based facility will reward private firms for providing the care public officials require, and penalize firms for breaking such contract (Segal, 2001). Private firms can offer states more flexibility in planning and designing (Reed, 2003). A private firm will be forced to make the public’s safety and inmate’s treatment at a high priority to avoid negative attention. Many private prison and jail contracts specify a daily rate of reimbursements per prisoner. The private operator and the state would select a location where, the prison can be expanded if need be. The operation of a private facility could be managed by statutory authority, which is a nongovernmental unit, or public trust, pursuant to a contract with the United States. The statutory Authority could grant housing care and control of a minimum or medium security level prison owned or operated by a contractor (G.  J, 1998). Some disadvantages to privatizing prisons and jails are the deprivation of physical liberties and that the private sector would gain financially. When financial gain becomes the motive for operation the prison, competition begins and the quality of operation and care decreases. When quality decreases problems arise. The focus is lost and decreasing the operations of the prison can increase. With privatizing prisons the risk is run that companies may cut corners, make careless mistakes, and be understaffed. An understaffed prison presents a high risk for the officers as well as inmates and public safety in the event of an escape. One should ask will the private officers receive the same quality of training that government certified guards receive. Privately run prisons and jails will not provide the same quality of accountability in securing the surrounding communities. By privatizing the profit margin compromises public safety. Whether a prison is privately or publicly run one could identify advantages and disadvantages socially and logistically. Some believe by privatizing a prison a decline in new inmates would occur. This belief is based on the fact that private prisons would not offer the luxuries of public prisons. For example, public prisons and jails are governed by regulations to provide quality mental and medical care for the inmates. Inmates in public prisons are afforded a library, college educations, and many other amenities he or she could not afford on his or her own. Therefore many inmates consider public prison a vacation to obtain secured housing during different seasons as well as an opportunity to obtain quality medical care when he or she needs it. Today there are various debates concerning safeguarding a prisoner’s constitutional protected rights, and the states authority to abide by those rights in order to protect the state’s and citizen’s interest. The concern of the prisoner is that they are entitled to rights whether they are convicted offenders or suspected offenders. These rights include due process and everyone accused or found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt has such rights under the constitution of the United States. Contrary to this is the public interest as well as the state and policy makers that must abridge to make their state more efficient to serve public interest. One must understand that people make mistakes and are still held accountable for their actions. Even more so if one commits a crime, such as capital murder, rape, armed robbery, etc. they are breaking state and moral laws. Offenders that commit such crimes are all given due process and are entitled to a fair trial. If an offender found guilty and sentenced to prison, some constitutional rights should not be violated. However, there are rights that must be taken away. The first right taken is their freedom, which means that they will be incarcerated behind bars until their sentence is complete. This is the punishment itself; however, when some rights are taken away by the government then it becomes a violation under the constitutional law. When prisoners are in incarcerated they retain the right to humane treatment and have their basic needs fulfilled, regardless of their crimes. Prisons under state law must provide medical care for offenders, as well as making sure that they are in good health and are getting medical attention. Individuals that are incarcerated also have other rights in prisons that must be met some of these rights include, the right not to be punished cruelly or unusually, the rights to administrative appeals, the right to practice religion freely, the right to medical treatment (both long and short term), and the right to personal property such as: cigarettes, stationary, a watch, cosmetics, and snack food. Medical treatment includes treatment for diseases such as, cancer, HIV, TB, heart problems, high blood pressure, and other medical conditions one may encounter. The United States must obey by these rules to provide medical care, according to Fellner (2010): The first of the eleven principles in the United Nation’s (UN) Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners states: All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings. † Respect for the dignity of patients is, of course, also central to medical ethics. For example, the code of ethics of the World Medical Association states that physicians shall be â€Å"dedicated to providing competent medical service†¦ with compassion and respect for human dignity† (para. 5). Throughout the United States prisons and jails carry out their duties in order to have public appeal and serve in favor of the public interest. One must recognize that the states and policy makers must provide protection against prisoners even while they are incarcerated. Although prisoners have rights some are lost in order to maintain order in prisons, discipline, and security. These behaviors include fighting with other inmates, disrespecting correctional officers, and involvement in illegal activity. The state must run an institution that is not only fair but that does not accept inappropriate behavior. Inmates that are convicted have a term to serve and must look at the prison lifestyle as a punishment, thus showing the outside world the consequences when a crime is committed. When an offender is convicted for a felony crime he or she loses rights that we abuse such the right vote and serve in political office. The outcome varies by state. The fact remains that even after an inmate has served his or her time in prison, they will continue to have state and public interest in their way to fall full a normal life as they are labeled with a stigma. The government has the right to protect its citizens from all that may be in the best interest of the people and states. According to Law. Jrank. org (n. d. ): With respect to the states, the Tenth Amendment provides that â€Å"[t]he powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. † In other words, the states retain their â€Å"police power† to enact laws for the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens (Present-Day Relationship between National Government & States, para. ). There are many remedies to the conflict of deriving from private prisons and jails. Remedies depend upon personal opinion and public interest. Politicians for the most part argue that private prisons and jails are an extra expenditure that the governments can do away with. In contrast, a political view may that not having to build new facilities can save money. A civilian employee working within the corrections system may argue that the staff at a private facility may not be trained as efficiently as one trained by the state or county. This can be combated if governments adopt a policy such as that used in the State of Florida. All state corrections officers whether employed at a public or private facility receive the same training at a state accredited correctional training facility, overseen by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The conflict of most concern would be the rights of prisoners; How to maintain an orderly correctional facility and not impede on the Constitutional rights of inmates. In all facilities the civil rights of inmates are an issue. It is all too easy to violate the civil rights of an inmate. To remedy this conflict facility administration need to ensure that their staff is aware of the limited rights of inmates as well as the consequences for the violation of those rights. In conclusion, the use of private prisons and jails come with advantages and disadvantages as does anything. The use of such facilities can save governments money. The use of the same such facilities can raise concern. The public safety and the fair treatment of prisoners is the ultimate goal and should be considered at all costs.

Project management approaches for dynamic environments Essay

This paper sets out to investigate the nature of projects  conducted in fast changing environments. Examples and  theory are used to illustrate the nature and challenges of  this category. Suitable management approaches are identiï ¬ ed under the following headings: Planning, Experimentation, Lifecycle, Controls, Culture, Communication, and Leadership style. The dynamic project category.  The paper closes with recommendations for further  research. In this paper, control is taken to mean the mechanisms through  which resources are managed to achieve objectives [1], and is diï ¬â‚¬erent to the PMBOK ‘technique’ [2] which is strictly focused on bringing activities in line with a plan [3]. The term dynamic is taken to mean characterised by constant change [4]. In the project management context dynamism is taken to be a dimension of a project  that represents the extent to which a project is inï ¬â€šuenced by changes in the environment in which it is conducted. This paper argues that this is a non-binary dimension that  applies in varying degrees to all projects, so strictly any  given project is neither ‘dynamic’ nor ‘not dynamic’. All projects have some degree of dynamism, so the dimension  is not dichotomic. Therefore, the ideas in this paper may be applied in varying degrees to any project as deemed appropriate. For the sake of simplicity though, for the remainder of this paper, a dynamic project is taken to be one that is  necessarily subject to higher than normal levels of change  due to the environment in which it is conducted. The business environment is changing at an increasing  pace [5–7]. Rothwell and Zegveld [8] went so far as to say we are in the midst of a technology explosion. They argued  that 90% of our technical knowledge has been generated in  the last 55 years, and that technical knowledge will continue to increase exponentially. Perrino and Tipping [9] reported  Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬Ëœthe pace of technology is accelerating, raising the stakes and risks for  managing innovation, and requiring early  warning and shorter response time†. Change, in all forms  of technology and business processes, can be regarded as  increasingly pervasive and providing challenges even where high technology is not a core business, such as in mining  [10]. Consider how the Australian Submarine project was  challenged by developments in the IT industry between  the 1980s design phase, and sea trials decades later [7].  This paper will now investigate dynamic projects from a  theoretical point of view. Gray and Larson [11] argued that    Pich, Loch and De Meyer [12] describe a type of project  that encounters unknown unknowns and how it is best suited to what they called a ‘learning’ strategy which involves scanning, problem solving and ï ¬â€šexibility. They argue that  this is distinct from projects conducted in well understood  environments which are suited to ‘instructionism’, and distinct from  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœselectionism’ where the most fruitful initiative is chosen after a pool of trials. Turner and Cochran [13]  espouse the ‘goals and methods matrix’ that describes four diï ¬â‚¬erent types of project according to how well deï ¬ ned the methods and goals are. Projects can have poorly deï ¬ ned  goals (‘ï ¬ re’) or poorly deï ¬ ned methods (‘water’), or both (‘air’).  Shenhar and Wideman [14] describe a type of project that involves high levels of uncertainty, using technologies together for the ï ¬ rst time. They call these ‘high tech’ [14]. They also describe a type of project that actually creates  new technologies, called ‘super high tech’. Shenhar [15] describes how ‘low technology’ projects are typically performed in construction, production and utilities, and high technology projects in the computer, aerospace and electronics industries. He oï ¬â‚¬ers building and bridge construction as examples of low technology projects. The key diï ¬â‚¬erence to Shenhar is the level of development work  involved, in that low technology projects have little, and high technology projects have considerable levels and usually require prototyping. Shenhar and Wideman [14] argue that another key diï ¬â‚¬erence is the number of design  cycles. In low technology projects they say there is typically only one cycle with a freeze before development, and with high technology there are at least two, typically  three cycles. Operational  work  Cioï ¬Æ' [16] suggests that ‘projects’ be placed on a spectrum of ‘newness’ from operational to project. The idea has been adapted in Fig. 1 to illustrate the sliding scale  of unknowns that applies to projects. Unknowns in this  sense refer to any aspect of the project, including the methods to achieve it, the objective, and the environment it has to operate in. The guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) [2] describes  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœprogressive elaboration’, where planning is developed in greater detail as the project progresses. Using progressive elaboration to ï ¬ ll knowledge gaps, it might be possible to move a project to the left in  Fig. 1, thereby achieving the objective in a more predictable fashion. However, rapid changes in the environment, including tools and methods, and attempts to innovate,  act to push the project to the right, increasing unknowns.  The two forces of exploration and change act against each  other continuously throughout the project. The challenge is to conduct exploration at a greater rate than the emergence  of environmental change. It is also important to ensure that the amount of change created by the exploration and  implementation is not counterproductive overall. An example of Project A in Fig. 1 might be a production line where there only variable is the colour required.    The intention here is to review literature to provide a  broad overview of approaches that might be used to better  deal with dynamic environments. Approaches were broken down as follows:

Future of Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Future of Journalism - Essay Example People involved are a crucial factor for a continuous success of the collaborative blog and growing number of members on Daily Kos. Kos believes that future of journalism must be close to people, involving her in a more active way. People not only need to get information, they need to bringing and to discuss about it. Journalist must allow a person to count his histories about what occurs in its communities because nobody knows better and understand what happens. People have valuable information and they are possible to become into collaborator. The media must be near the people of active form, its interest is not only to absorb the information but to contribute with its information and to educate the others. Media need to "create tools that would allow greater engagement and discussion between editors, writers, and readers" (Moulitsas, 2009, para. 2) Journalists, reporters, editors and media professionals need to involve the people to achieve credibility and they are going to be more recognized and respected. Kos said "people become part of this collaborative media world" (Lopez, 2009, Podcast) Lopez, Eugenia, (2009, April 08). Moulitsas speaks about the future of journalism. X Press. Journalism Department - San Francisco State University. Retrieved May 21, 2009 from http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/012959.html

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Assignment - Essay Example There are many Companies, providing different services in the field of communication, but such leaders as Century Link, are the perfect examples of high-quality services, ability to be reliable and gain a public trust. These objectives are reached through completion of exact tasks. The company provides the users with high-speed Internet. It is interested in providing the customers with security and PC support services, IPTV, DISH Network, MobiTV and DirecTV services (Century Link). Consequently, Century Link is one of the leading companies, providing the clients not only with high-quality phone and data networking equipment, but also the Company, which is able to develop appropriate solutions. The Company establishes its relations with the customers on the basis of fairness and trust. The employees of the Company are protected, compensated and promoted in an equitable manner.  Business partners are pleased with cooperation of CenturyLink. This can be explained by the fact that the Company develops its policies in accordance with the following statement: â€Å"Treat others as you would like to be treated† (Century Link). Moreover, there is no doubt that Century Link would justify its name and it is interesting to look at the history of the Company. There are many characteristics of this Company, but the point that it is brave and innovative cannot be denied for sure. Thus, Century Link is defined as â€Å"the largest Independent Telecommunications Provider and fourth largest wire line telecommunications provider in the United States - based on access lines - serving 33 states with 7.5 million access lines, 2.1 million broadband customers, 450,000 video subscribers and a nearly 17,000-mile core fiber network† (Century Link). These figures are impressive, aren’t they? Nevertheless, in order to delve into the depths of this success, it is appropriate for the audience to know that the Company was established in 1930! The Company

Three short essay questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Three short questions - Essay Example In such a state, government has no rights to deny its citizens the rights to do anything. Citizens are free to do anything and at any time. They are allowed to access any material and use any property so long as it does not affect anyone. The government in such a state has no rights to tax its citizens and to restrict its citizens from doing any form of business or activity. Nozick advocates for such a state and says it has respects for a person's moral rights (Wolterstorff & Cuneo 89). The next state is the welfare state where citizens are the source of the political will, and they are given the chance to participate in its formation, they are also, the subjects against which the institution will be judged, and they depend upon states free services, programs and general items for their satisfaction materially. I prefer the welfare state, as it has laws that guarantee persons' safety at all times. It is one in which the heads of the government so selected to rule over the subjects ha ve some responsibility to satisfy their citizens. The form of government in Europe differs with that in the United States in that, in Europe, there is use of democratic monarchy while, in the United States, they use welfare liberal democracy. Use of the monarchy system does not allow multiple parties to contest in an election. Only one royal family inherits the throne throughout the country’s history (Wolterstorff & Cuneo 78). Question # 2 Nikita is one of my favorite movie shows. It concerns a young girl who was abducted by a secret government body and trained to be an assassin, but she fled from them and started to work against them. In the movie, there are several artistic styles used. These qualify it as art. According to David Humes theory, every artistic thing, is good provided it is appealing to an individual (Ascott & Shanken 34). Individual tastes are acceptable and allowed to be referred to as art. Owing to this, the movie Nikita is a good art. Using the object cent ered theory, an art, is classified on the objects qualities and not what it represents or expresses. This also is in line with the movie as the objects used to pass the message are well organized and have good qualities. The progress of the movie is also well structured and this classifies the movie as being good. The next theory that art is judged against is in consideration of the limits of formalism. In this theory, any piece of art is rated against the qualities of the objects as well as the context and content. Considering Nikita as a piece of art, it actually passes this test as all characters are usually well groomed in accordance to the occasion and have quality content, which they deliver. I also rated art against expression. A good piece of art is supposed to be expressive. It should explain its meaning and the message in it by itself. It does not need explanations to be clear. According to Leo Tolstoy, art should also be emotional. The objects used should show emotions wi th every word and body movement used. Every body language used should show emotions. John Dewey, an American pragmatist, views art with reference to the writer’s thoughts and feelings. He gathered this from experience. He says that before a poet does any art, then it is

Clincial Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Clincial Psychology - Essay Example In these changing and challenging situation psychologists have to develop their skills all the time. Clinical psychology is related to identifying and treating the problems/conflicts which people face. These conflicts may involve, emotional thinking, learning as well as social and sexual problems. The person practicing in the area of providing diagnostic, therapeutic and counseling services to an individual, a family, or a group is called clinical psychologists. In general, the psychologist associated with the word clinical helps people to achieve changes in life style and habit to correct health problems. Now being a professional associated with and committed to increase the scientific and professional knowledge of people's behavior to improve the condition of individuals & organization, they have to protect lots of information's about their clients. Now confidentiality is the key area, where psychologists, has to take care of. They have to take certain steps to prevent misuse of client data related to various tests and other relevant information's into the public domain. But bein g a professional not only providing therapeutic role they have to perform the duties of researcher educator, diagnostician, supervisor, consultant, administrator, social interventionist expert witness and may more. In providing may more services and exciting various roles often do the job professionally some ethical standards has to be formulated which can provide them the common set of principles and standards upon which psychologists build their professional and scientific work. To fulfill these requirements, American Psychological Association (APA) has formulated the Ethics code in 2002. It has been divided under ten major categories which are like some common issues like psychologists must take reasonable steps to minimize the misuse or misrepresentation; psychologists must adhere to ethical commitment first in case of conflict with law or regulations and try to resolve the conflict between law or rules governing legal authority with ethics; psychologist must stick to their ethi cs code in case of conflict between ethics and organizational demand or interest and to the extent feasible, resolve the conflict in a way that permits adherence to ethics code, psychologists must have the responsibility to resolve ethical violence and report these kind of violations to state or national committees on professional ethics or state licensing boards or appropriate institutional authorities and wherever possible cooperate in ethics investigations, proceedings and resulting requirements of the APA or any affiliated state psychological associations to which they belongs psychologists do not file or encourage any malaise or willful complaints but do not deny persons employment, advancement and admissions to academic or other programs, tenure or promotion, based solely upon their being subject of an ethics complaint. For clinical psychologists another area which is relevant and addressed for ethical standards is the competence. Psychologist must provide services, conduct re searches & teach within their areas of competencies. They must have adequate professional knowledge and understanding of the factors associated with age,

Implementation Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Implementation Memo - Essay Example Although the daycare bus runs to the elementary, they do not have a route running at the high school. The second possibility is to incorporate a daycare at the high school. A room for the children could be set aside with fully licensed daycare workers and the mothers to take care of the children. The mothers would have one hour classes and receive credit for home economics as an elective. This option is supported by the town’s school. The benefit is mothers and children will be at the same site during the day. Babies and children can ride in car seats on regular buses. Another benefit is breastfeeding mothers will have access to their children. The one hour classes a day in the nursery will also provide the teenagers with guidance on how to feed, clean, and take care of their babies. There are two groups who have voiced concern. The first is the PTA at the school. Their concern is unwed teenage mothers might influence the other girls to have babies. I disagree. If babies and toddlers are at the school, maybe regular girls without children can take the home economics class. These girls would soon realize how uncool and complicated having a baby can be. The second group that has voiced concerns is the First Baptist Church. They also feel this is setting a bad example. I would hate to remind them how many of their daughters are unwed and mothers. I would also like to point out that many of these mothers, now older did not receive an education. These women work low level jobs and live in poverty. Only a few without education have succeeded in marriage or career. They are the exception, not the rule. In the end, the federal grant allows us to have this program. The organization I have chosen will be the school system. This is the easiest choice for transportation and location. However, I believe this will be the best example on what it really is like for unwed mothers. It will also help the mothers with their high school

Conflict within an Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conflict within an Organization - Essay Example Inside and outside stakeholders, such as employees, management, and shareholders, however, competes over their share of the rewards and resources that the organization generates. To grow, change, and survive, an organization must manage both cooperation and competition among stakeholders (Gasparino & Raghavan, 2001; March, 1962). Organizational conflict is the clash that occurs when the goal-directed behavior of one group blocks or thwarts the goals of another. Conflict can be beneficial because it can overcome organizational inertia and lead to organizational learning and change (Coser, 1956; Robbins, 1974). When conflict within an organization or conflict between an organization and elements in its environment arises, the organization and its managers must reevaluate their view of the world. Conflict between different managers or between different stakeholder groups can improve decision-making and organizational learning by revealing new ways of looking at a problem or the false or erroneous assumptions that distort decision-making. For example, conflict at AT&T between the board of directors and top managers about the slow pace at which top managers were restructuring the company caused a radical change in managerial attitudes (Hymowitz, 2001; Bernstein et al, 2000). A new top-management team was appointed to increase the pace of change and to overcome AT&T's conservative approach. Similarly, conflict between divisional managers at IBM resulted in a major change in organizational focus, from a purely mainframe focus to a more consulting-oriented focus (Nugent, 2002). Beyond a certain point, however, conflict stops being a force for good and becomes a cause of organizational decline. Innovation is, of course, more or less impossible in such a setting. An organization in trouble spends a lot of time making decisions-time that it cannot afford because it needs to adapt quickly to turn itself around. Thus, although some conflict can jolt an organization out of inertia, too much conflict can cause organizational inertia: As different groups fight for their own positions and interests, they fail to arrive at consensus, and the organization drifts along; failure to change makes the organization go from bad to worse (Amason, 1996). At first, many organization theorists regarded conflict as wholly dysfunctional because it was believed to be the antithesis of cooperation. It was generally interpreted as a sign of a defective or an incomplete social structure. Therefore, early conflict theorists proposed that the appropriate response was the creation of structural mechanisms for dealing with issues that generate conflict. Committees, task forces, liaison roles, and many other forms of coordination were recommended for this purpose (Galbraith, 1977). The second phase of theorizing about organizational conflict developed around American organization theorist Louis Pondy's observation that, although conflict may be unpleasant, it is an inevitable part of organizing (1967). In Pondy's view conflict may still be regarded as dysfunctional, however, as a natural condition, conflict is unavoidable and should be accepted. This phase of study led to theoretical interest in the sources of conflict, and a search for understanding of its fundamental conditions. The natural view of conflict helped managers confront conflicts they could not alter

Parental Responsiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parental Responsiveness - Essay Example If any case a child gets difficulties in achieving what he or she demands, he or she cries for assistance. Therefore, it is the role of the parents or caregivers to react responsibly after a child cries and assist on what he or she wants. When children start schooling, they meet with peers. During that time, the child adapts other different behaviors. The peer pressure usually affects them more behaviors than those they acquired from their parents or caretakers. The behaviors include good and bad ones where bad ones are easier to adapt than the good ones. The bad behaviors become more challenging to the parents or caretakers while trying to control them from their children. The adolescent stage is where most of the children have a greater resistance in changing the code of behaviors (Staats, 2002). Most of the children who refuse to change their behaviors as guided by their parents or caretakers or teachers, they mess up with their lives as they become mature. At this stage, there are some who drop out from schooling and later regret in their lives. Psychoanalysis is the understanding of the psychological phenomenon and how to treat emotional disorders. Children psychoanalysis is a form of research and treatment involving the children in trying to help them in coping with the problems. The main goal psychoanalysis is to aid children together with their parents in understanding their behaviors and feelings and try to develop them back on track (Palombo et al, 2009). The therapy usually involves less play along with more talks while the children get older towards and into puberty. Parents or caretakers should assist their children mostly at the puberty stage. The method can be used in handling the situation where the mother does not understand the desires of the infant when he or she cries. In most cases a child cries when he or she becomes uncomfortable, hungry, tired, or wants to sleep. During

Service Operations Management - Celebrity Cruises Case Study

Service Operations Management - Celebrity Cruises - Case Study Example Celebrity Cruises has an ambiguous strategy for marketing that lacks focus in attracting new customers and improving the loyalty of previous customers. First, celebrity Cruises must start by identifying clear marketing positions to source for additional potential customers. Secondly, their customer service is also failing them. Additionally, their services are getting old and need to be revitalized to attract new customers. Finally, their product also lacks consistency. To deal with these issues, Celebrity Cruises must alter its marketing strategy to place more emphasis on customer service. Pricing also requires to be changed to emphasize upgrades with added value rather than dollars off discounts. Finally, the employees need to be re-trained in customer service provision. Background The Chandris Group started celebrity Cruises in 1989 in Greece, originally as a shipping company. The company merged in 1997 with Royal Caribbean International to form the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in order for the two companies to target their particular market segments, the parent company decided to separate the two brand companies’ operations and marketing. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ... However, given the highly competitive nature of the cruise shipping line industry, the marketing strategy employed by celebrity Cruises is, at best, indistinct since it finds it difficult to find ways of creating and maintaining customer loyalty while also working towards increasing revenues. Problem Statement Celebrity Cruises is in possession of a marketing strategy, which is ambiguous and that has no focus on attracting customers and fumbles with increasing or improving customer loyalty. Analysis Celebrity Cruises needs to develop aspects of their operations, as well as transform them if they are to increase their market share (Vogel et al 22). First, celebrity Cruises must start by identifying clear marketing positions to source for additional potential customers. While Celebrity cruises has done a commendable job in appealing to their prospective customers, their marketing initiatives still require to be fine-tuned and implemented. Celebrity cruises needs to be able direct their efforts at marketing towards the correct market segment, which, in this case, is the multi-generational market and baby-boomers market. Baby boomers make up a large population of United States with one-fourth of the population in the US being aged between forty two and sixty in 2006 (Vogel et al 24). Celebrity Cruises is also missing out by choosing not to market to the people in the thirty to forty age bracket. While this has the ability to alienate the older crowd who like travelling on cruise ships, there will be some classy ones in this generation who are already used to dining in fine restaurants and knowledgeable in theater etiquette. For this generation

General Management - George David Essay Example for Free

General Management George David Essay George David has been CEO of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for more than a decade. During that time he has received numerous accolades and awards for his performance as a CEO. Under his leadership UTC, a $343 billion conglomerate whose operating units include manufacturers of elevators (Otis Elevator), aerospace products (including Pratt Whitney jet engines and Sikorsky helicopters), air conditioning systems, and fire and security systems, has seen earnings grow at 10–14 percent annually—impressive numbers for any company but particularly for a manufacturing enterprise. According to David, a key to United Technologies’ success has been sustained improvements in productivity and product quality. The story goes back to the 1980s when David was running the international operations of Otis Elevator. There he encountered a Japanese engineer, Yuzuru Ito, who had been brought in to determine why a new elevator product was performing poorly. David was impressed with Ito’s methods for identifying quality problems and improving performance. When he was promoted to CEO, David realized that he had to lower the costs and improve the quality of UTC’s products. One of the first things he did was persuade Ito to work for him at UTC. Under David, Ito developed a program for improving product quality and productivity, known as Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE), which was subsequently rolled out across UTC. The ACE program has been one of drivers of productivity improvements at UTC ever since. Early in his tenure as CEO, David also radically reorganized UTC. He dramatically cut the size of the head office and decentralized decision making to business divisions. He also directed his accounting staff to develop a new financial reporting system that would give him good information about how well each division was doing and make it easier to hold divisional general managers accountable for the performance of the units under them. He then gave them demanding goals for earnings and sales growth and pushed them to improve processes within their units by implementing the ACE program. At the same time David has always stressed that management is about more than goal setting and holding people accountable. Values are also important. David has insisted that UTC employees adhere to the highest ethical standards, that the company produce that have minimal environmental impact, and that employee safety remain the top consideration in the work-place. When asked what his greatest achievement as a manager has been, David refers to UTC’s worldwide employee scholarship program. Implemented in 1996 and considered the hall-mark of UTC’s commitment to employee development, the program pays the entire cost of an employee’s college or graduate school education, allows employees to pursue any subject at an accredited school, provides paid study time, and awards UTC stock (up to $10,000 worth in the United States) for completing degrees. Explaining the program, David states, â€Å"One of the obligations that an employer has is to give employees opportunities to better themselves. And we feel it’s also very good business for us because it generates a better workforce that stays longer. † David states that one of his central tasks has been to build a management team that functions smoothly over the long term. â€Å"People come to rely upon each other,† he says. â€Å"You have the same trusting relationships. You know people; they know you. You can predict them; they can predict you. All of that kind of begins to work, and it accelerates over the tenure of a CEO. If you have people bouncing in and out every two to three years, that’s not good. According to Sandy Weill, former chairman of Citicorp and a UTC board member, David has the right mix of toughness and sensitivity. â€Å"When somebody cant do the job he’ll try to help; but if that person is not going to make it work, that person wont be on the job forever. † At the same time Weill says, â€Å"He does a lot of things that employees respect him for, I think he is a very good manager. Even though David is demanding, he can also listen—he has a receive mode as well as a send mode. †

The Functions Of Reservations Tourism Essay

The Functions Of Reservations Tourism Essay Reservation is a process of booking and blocking rooms in advance for the prospective guests. It is the hotels ability to equate the guests inquiry with the room availability. Approximately 70% of room sales business comes from reservations. Various reservation records are maintained so that the reservation section is able to provide the guest with efficient service and also deal with the guest inquiries regarding room availability, rates, discounts, food plans and services and facilities offered. 1. Ensures room on arrival :- A guest who makes prior reservation is ensured of the required type of room, no of rooms for his entire stay in the city. This saves him from the difficulty of finding accommodation on arrival especially during peak seasons when most of the hotels are full. 2. Budgeting As he is informed of the tariff at the time of reservation, he is able to budget his holiday or tour, taking in account the amount he spends on his stay, food, entertainment etc. 3. Other facilities:- The guest is ensured of certain facilities offered by the hotel which can be confirmed by making the reservation e.g. sightseeing tours, business center offering secretarial services, entertainment etc. He is also able to give the hotel address to his associates for any meetings, correspondence transfers to and from the hotel. (II) Importance for the HOTEL 1. Prior reservation gives the hotel an indication of the level of business likely to be encountered during any particular period. The reservations manager knows the amount of business ensured during that period from the confirmed reservations. It enables him to forecast future revenue generation and take necessary action to improve the amount of revenue expected. 2. Guest satisfaction The hotel is able to plan its activities and be prepared to receive an expected guest. They are able to provide the necessary services and facilities like security, transfers, preference of rooms to known guests, providing compile entries and any particular service asked by the guest at the time of making the reservation. 3. The front office manager is able to make the necessary decision regarding the no of walk-instant that can be accommodated on a particular day. Rooms requiring be repairing or taking off for redecoration can be blocked during the slack period as shown by the reservations. The no of rooms to be blocked for such purposes will also be determined according to the expected guest arrivals. 4. Scheduling of staff Hotel staff may be scheduled more accurately to void under staffing or over staffing problems. FUNCTIONS OF RESERVATIONS 1. Taking reservations for hotel rooms This is the main function. They receive and process the requests for bookings from prospective guests and after checking the various charts on the room availability position for the required dates the booking may be confirmed. In case the room availability position is negative, alternate accommodation is suggested and alternate dates may be offered. 2. Information regarding various services and facilities may be given if asked for. It may be volunteered when alternate room and dates are suggested. 3. Amendment of booking Guest wishing to change the type and no of rooms and/or dates of stay booked earlier would be amending their booking. This is also done through the reservations department. 4. Cancellation This releases more no of rooms for sale for the dates specified and reservations must keep track of this in order to sell the rooms to other guests. SOURCES OF RESERVATION 1. FITS:- Free Individual Travelers/Free Independent Travelers. DEIT Domestic Free Individual Traveler. FFIT Foreign Free Individual Traveller 2. GIT:- Group Inclusive Tour. Always has 1 group leader who remains in contact with the hotel. 3. COMPANY / CORPORATES:- Hotels get a lot of bookings from companies or corporates at CGR-COMPANY GUARANTEED RATE. They are given special discounted rates as well as additional privileges. The hotel should make sure that the Co. is able to pay the bill check the credit standing of the Co. 4. GOVERNMENT:- Also a source of booking for the hotel. (Both Central and State Govt.) 5. EMBASSIES:- All diplomatic offices and officials. 6. TRAVEL AGENCIES / TRAVEL AGENTS:- Smaller in operations. 7. TOUR OPERATORS:- They have tie ups with many local travel agents work on a much larger platform, helped by travel agents. 8. AIRLINES:- Can be clubbed with company but that is not done since the kind of discounts and business given by airlines is different. 9. OTHER HOTELS OF THE CHAIN:- Sister hotels of the concerned property also become sources of booking. 10. COMPETITORS:- Cases like walking a guest. 11. REFERRAL GROUPS:- Groups such as UTELL and LHW provide business to their member hotels. 12. CRO (CENTRAL RESERVATION OFFICE):- It can be in the hotel itself or can be another booking office. 13. CRS (CENTRAL RESERVATION SYSTEM):- Entire chain of hotels is connected to the CRS. CRO is one of the chains. 14. GDS (GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM):- Set up by airline companies. They fly across the globe and here require an efficient system for managing database. The hotels require a similar system, so they subscribe to GDS. GDS helps to maintain the reservation network of different hotels. GROUP RESERVATION Reservations of rooms form the largest percentage of business of a large hotel. Out of this total business the group business is maximum in many hotels. Hence the hotels getting their maximum revenue from the group business should be extra careful while dealing with group reservations. GUARANTEED RESERVATION This kind of reservation is which the hotel does not have to worry about the loss of room revenue even in the event of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"no showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ of the guest. The guarantee can be given by a company for a company guest, or by credit card Company for a guest paying by credit card or by travel agent for travel agency bookings. So the hotel is assured about the business and the guest is assured about the room since the room for such reservations will not be released at the time limit but will be blocked till the end of the day. Walk In This is a very common term. This term refers to those guests of the hotel who arrive without any prior notice or reservation in the hotel. These guests arrive at the hotel hoping that there will be some room available for them. The hotel has to be very careful while dealing with the walk-ins. If the guest is paying by cash, then it is preferable for a hotel to ask for some advance from the guest. The advance should be sufficient enough to cover at least one night stay and some extra expenditure in the hotel. Such guests should be referred to the lobby manager and authorization should be taken from him on the registration cards of such guests. It also important to inform the other revenue centers about the PIA (Paid In Advance) or Cash only guests. These guests will not be allowed credit for any services or amenities provided to them. The desk agent should try and sell higher priced rooms to such guests . CONCLUSION The above mentioned are the types of reservation and the sources of reservation in hotels. Reservation may help the guest for the booking of rooms in advance.

Controversy Of Coca Cola Company In India Commerce Essay

Controversy Of Coca Cola Company In India Commerce Essay This case study states the controversy of Coca Cola Company in India because of the allegations of CSE (Centre for Science and the Environment) which stated the presence of high levels of pesticide in 12 cold drinks in and around Delhi. It analysis the controversy to how the stakeholders were affected and also recommends the different strategies that could have been used to tackle the situation in a better way. This controversy is the biggest crisis in Coca Cola India which affected the company in a big and negative way. CONTENT Introduction..3 Analysis.3-4 Stakeholders theory.5 Recommendations..6-7 Conclusion8 References9 INTRODUCTION Coca Cola Company is the worlds largest beverage company with manufacturing, distributing and marketing of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates around the world. Coca Cola brand and formula was bought by Asa Candler in 1889 who integrated the Coca Cola Company in 1892. Coca Cola offers almost 400 brands in more than 200 countries. CSE had a press release which stated some 12 cold drink brands in and around Delhi contained a deadly cocktail of pesticide residue in it. The tests were conducted by the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory which found 12 cold drink brands containing pesticide residue exceeding the global standards by 35 times (Sanjeev Gupta 2003). Since the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has an unclear and indeterminate standards for pesticide residues, CSE used the European standard for maximum acceptable limits for pesticide in package water. The pesticide that has been found is harmful for the human body, which were known to cause cancer, birth defects and severe damage to the immune system, nerves and reproductive systems. All these aspects, social, environmental, ethical and political, are affected and each play an important part in the whole crisis in Coca Cola (India Kaye- Jennifer 2005). ANALYSIS Many of the scientists have been arguing that the pesticide which is a by-product of Indias agriculture industry, leaked into the groundwater which Coco Cola uses for the manufacturing of the drinks. Most of the industries in India are required to meet an acceptable amount of pesticide allowed but when tested; the level was far more than the acceptable level (Coco-cola in India. 2012). In a matter of only 2 3 weeks the sale of Coca Cola dropped by 40 percent. The President and CEO of Coca Cola India, Sanjiv Gupta denied the allegations made by CSE and also stated them to be unaccredited and misleading. They even challenged the credibility of CSE and their results and plan to make the data public. On one hand the tests done by CSE, resulted in the exceeding presence of pesticide in those 12 samples but on the other hand when the government did the tests, it found no unsafe level of pesticide which was stated by the Minster of health and family welfare (Indian Resource Center 2012). CSE disputed the testing and stated that both the results cannot be right. Later Coca Cola hiked the prices by 15 percent in India giving the reasons that the hike in prices will cover up the increase in raw material, the cost of distribution and also the effect of the false pesticide accusation which led to a decline (Brady, D 2007). This uproar also crossed across to the United States where the University of Michigan stopped the sale of Coca Cola products along with universities like New York University, Rutgers University New Jersey and Santa Clara University California which also stopped the sale of Coca Cola products. All these universities had a 1.4 million contract with Coke. In India, Coca Cola teamed up PepsiCo on a campaign to prove that their products were safe and they also issued a combined statement in the crisis through ISDMA (Indian Soft Drinks Manufacturers Association). They also stated that the customer safety was their priority and that the soft drinks which are manufactured in India fulfil the international as well as the national norms and regulations (Indias cola crisis bubbles up 2003). Coke was under a lot of pressure by the protestors, who even attacked the shops in Delhi which sold Coca Cola products. The Indian Supreme Court also pressurized the company to reveal the secret recipe which has been kept a secret for almost 120 years, so that more testing could be done. States like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh banned the Coca Cola products and wanted a nationwide ban (Amelia Gentleman 2012). Sales dropped by 40 percent and also the Coca Cola Bottling Company stock went down by 5 percent. This is arguably the biggest controversy in Coca Cola Company in India (Reynolds, J 2007).Coke concentrated more on arguing the allegation made by CSE of the pesticide charges instead of concentrating on getting back the support of the customers, especially in India. This caused a backfire as stated by Richard.S.Lewick who specialises in crisis management. All this led to the main concern of winning back the support of the consumers, quality issue, environmental issue and political is sue (Fraser P. Seitel 2010). THE STAKEHOLERS THEORY MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES INVESTORS COCACOLA COMPANY SUPPLIERS LOCAL COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT CUTOMERS CONSUMERS The table below states the degree of importance and the power of influence of each stakeholder individually: STAKEHOLDERS DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE POWER OF INFLUENCE Employees 5 4 Investors 5 4 Suppliers 5 4 Management 5 5 Consumers 5 4 Customers 5 5 Government 5 5 Local community 4 3 RECOMMENDATIONS I hope the following recommendations and strategies will help Coca Cola rebuild its image and reputation in India to increase sale of Coca Cola products, improve the ratings and also earn back and regain the trust of the people in India. Internal recommendations: The first priority should be to re examine the testing amenities and update the water purification system throughout the plants in India since the company dedicates to offer healthy and refreshing products (Earth Talk 2012). The employees should also be regularly updated on how the crisis is being administered. A mandatory bi monthly meeting should be held which will brief on the lab results, procedure and the new policies. A toll free 800 number can be created where the customers can call and ask the operators with any questions they might have and want cleared. External recommendations: Immediately after the CSE allegations and the press release of high level of pesticide in Coca Cola products, the President and CEO of Coca Cola India should have held a news conference addressing the issue and assuring the public that the company is dedicated to offering high quality product and that the Coca Cola independent tests have resulted in the support of the standards set by the European Economic Commission (EEC), and the officials also should take care of not admitting to the guilt but assuring that the company is dedicated and loyal to the safety of the people and always keeps on researching on improving all the products. The company should also have increased the transparency by making the lab results public on quality control etc., on their website. Instead of attacking the CSE for the allegations made by them, joining forces with them would help a lot in solving the problem which would avert the loss of customers in India and also around the world. Coca Cola Company could also have stated that the tests done by CSE, was done by a third party. The company could have been less offensive which would make the public believe that the company is taking this matter seriously and they do care about the health and safety of the public (Nandlal Master,  Lok Samiti  Amit Srivastava 2008).   Another recommendation can be a case of DENIAL i.e. Coca Cola India can just ignore the allegations made by CSE. Coca Cola being a powerful brand could deny the allegations, by just ignoring it because eventually after a while the people will forget about it. This is a simple alternative but it can also backfire because the reporters are known to criticise and make an issue through media. Even though the NGOs are small, but the public trusts them more which could turn out to be a disaster for Coca Cola. Just as in the case of Belgium, a couple of years earlier, Coca Cola India could arrange a PR campaign which would help them regain customer loyalty. In the case of Belgium, the company there arranged a PR campaign in which vouchers, products were being delivered to the house and offered which worked for Belgium because it only consists of 4.4 million households which is comparatively less to that of India. So the PR campaign plan has to be tailored to reach out to the people in India. It can also show and demonstrate that Coca Cola is not just a huge greedy company which concentrates only on profits but is a global citizen which also gives back to the people of the community. This strategy will also help build an image which will show the company as to being responsible both socially and environmentally. Coca Cola India can go green and create a green logo which can be put up and stamped in all the bottles and cans of the soft drinks products so when the people buy the product they have an assurance and a satisfaction that the product is safe. This will not only show that the product is safe for consumptions but also that it is not harmful to the environment. A regular taste testing could be organised in the urban and rural communities so that the people themselves could give feedbacks on the quality of the product and as to how to make it better. This can also include community services with the people cleaning the river, streets, ponds etc (Cokes crime in India 2004). When the improvement in the quality is made the public will automatically start working in behalf of the company to restore and promote the product while the company continually keeps on the quality of the product and the public safety as their priority. CONCLUSION It can be assured that the recommendations and strategies mentioned above will prove itself to be socially and environmentally responsible which prioritizes the safety of the public in providing safe and delicious soft drinks which will eventually lead to the sustainability of Coca Cola India.co and its profit. The crisis spotlights on the factors and commodities like clean drinking water, which cannot be taken lightly and is a serious matter which needs to be made a priority and the quality of the product should continually be examined and updated. The transparency of Coca Cola India was also questioned. The analysis of the crisis regarding socio- ecological and political changes, all are covered here as in the government taking a stand, environmental measures and public safety (Desertplace 2009). Coca Cola India learnt a lot of things from this crisis as to making public safety their priority and not neglecting the main issues which concerns with the safety of the consumers and als o the environment.

You Will Always be in My Heart :: Love Letters Dating Email Relationships

Dear Anthony, I just wanted to thank you for all that you have done for me. I don't think you realize how much you inspire me and I am so proud of the person you've become and are still becoming. I understand you've been through a lot and you haven't made the best choices, but I can see that you have grown. Truthfully, I've known from the first time I met you to now, that you were a strong person. You are so full of wisdom about life that when you speak I could stay there forever and listen to your open mind, for it is peaceful and inviting. Anthony, you have become my awakening, you have helped me see things in a brighter way, happier, and more enlightening way. I was once drowning from my own fears, completely cynical about love, hope, and security. I used to think that no one understood me and never would. Then one day before I knew you personally, you came into my thoughts and I wasn't sure why you were there. Suddenly I felt reassured and a smile was brought to my face. I believe deep down that I loved you then. When I got to know you better a year later I realized I wasn't alone and that something inside of you was what constantly brought tears to my own eyes. I went through a time in my life where I felt worthless and unloved and I continuously searched for happiness. I wasn't getting along with my family, and my friends were all hating each other, leaving me in the middle, stressfully trying to pull things together. You made me laugh and forget everything that was going on. That year you became my escape, my survival. I don't think I could have made it through as strong as I did if it weren't for you. Anthony, I thank you for all the fun times we have spent together even if they were short lived. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that you must have been an angel sent by God to help me grieve and become a strong willed woman because no one has ever been able to help me see the light like you could. Clouds of darkness shadowed over me no matter what anyone else would say, but you made me smile with just your presence. You didn't have to say a word; everything was okay when you were beside me.

Comparing the Flood and Creation in Ovids Metamorphoses and Genesis Es

"Where did man come from? Where did time begin? Who, or what, created all things?" These are questions that mankind has sought to answer from the beginning of existence as it is known today. Many stories and fables have been told and passed down from generation to generation, yet two have survived the test of time and criticism. The Biblical account in Genesis, probably written by Moses around 1500 B.C., and the story of creation and flood in Ovid's Metamorphosis, written somewhere between 8 and 17 A.D., have weathered the criticism and become the most famous. The Genesis account, however, may be the most prominent of the two accounts. Within these accounts, are many similarities, as well as differences, which make these two writings well respected, while holding their own in the literary world. Though both accounts of the creation and flood are well respected on their own, when compared side to side, they are drastically different. Ovid's purpose for writing the creation story is geared more towards explaining creation as it happens, in his opinion, whereas the Bible stresses the fact that the God of the Hebrews is responsible for the world's existence today. Overall, Ovid is very detailed in explaining the formless mass, creation of the earth, waters and land metaphorically. The Biblical account seems to be more plain, simple, and organized; not spending time on intricate detail. There seems to be no specific time frame for creation in Ovid's writing, whereas, the Bible states that it takes God six ... ...mal species. As one can see, when comparing each of the accounts of the flood and creation in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Genesis, there are some very similar actions or events that take place in each of these accounts, while separating themselves a great deal by putting emphasis on very different messages. It is because of these variations in writing and technique that each of these poems have acquired and maintained the respect they truly deserve through many years of evaluation and criticism. Works Cited New American Standard Bible. Nashville, TN: Broadman 1977. Ovid. Metamorphoses. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard Mack. 5th edition. New York: Norton 1987. 549-560.

Complexities of Dr. Martin Luther King Essay -- Civil Rights

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s impact on the civil rights movement was nothing short of monumental. To say anything less may be considered sacrilege in the history of the United States. King’s liberal and Christian upbringing, comfortable and educated childhood, and his theological education all played a large part in his contributions to civil rights in America. Perhaps one of his most sustained acts was his ability to represent the plight of African American rights while simultaneously portraying a palatable character to White America. In addition to leading various civil disobedience campaigns, he served as the movement’s main â€Å"strategist, theorist, and symbol maker† while also becoming the â€Å"movement’s chief interpreter to white Americans.† Stewart Burns actually goes so far as to suggest King, early on, realized his destiny was to be both a black Moses, delivering his brothers from the injustice of Jim Crow, as well as a Christ-like figure, offering equal measures of love, compassion, and forgiveness. This of course caused him to be disliked and criticized amongst some of the more nationalist and militant black leaders of the time, but inversely, allowed many Americans to sympathize with the movement’s main goals. Perhaps one of the best pieces of evidence showing King’s ideology is found in his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† written in April of 1963. In it, King writes a response to other black civil rights leaders. He responds to the consensus that his current activities may be â€Å"unwise and untimely.† King rebukes this sentiment, outlining many important tenets of his belief structure, including the connection between all human beings, his non-violent civil disobedience strategies, his extremist love, and most import... ...Chicago, Black Southerners, and the Great Migration. University Of Chicago Press, 1991. Howard-Pitney, David. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents. First ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. Kennedy, Randall. â€Å"Martin Luther King’s Constitution: A Legal History of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.† Yale Law Journal 98 (1989 1988): 999. King, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther. â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail.† Martin Luther King Jr. Online, April 16, 1963. http://www.mlkonline.net/jail.html. Mikelson, Thomas J. S. â€Å"Cosmic Companionship: The Place of God in the Moral Reasoning of Martin Luther King, Jr.† The Journal of Religious Ethics 18, no. 2 (October 1, 1990): 1-14. Sturm, Douglas. â€Å"Martin Luther King, Jr., as Democratic Socialist.† The Journal of Religious Ethics 18, no. 2 (October 1, 1990): 79-105.

Midterm Review for Book Creating Effective Group

Interdependence: each part relies on one another Synergy: sum of the parts is greater than the whole 2. Mutual influence: implies cause and effect are interchangeable. 3. Adaptation: an individual will change or the group as a whole will adapt to situations presented such as behaviors differences, culture differences, situational differences, skill differences, etc. 4. Equiflnality: there are multiple ways to accomplish the same goal, not Just one right way. One person can go one way; one person can go another and meet at the same end. 00What does systems thinking entail?The idea that all the parts of a group or organization are ultimately connected to one nother and hat low leverage change can shift large structures within an organization. 00What are the three basic needs that Schutz suggests motivate individuals to become members of a group, and what does each need entail? Inclusion: feel accepted into the group Control: feel some influence on the outcome Affection: feel needed and appreciated in the group 00What are the four phases of Fisher's model of group development, and what does each phase entail? . Orientation: getting to know one another, primary tension stage 2. Conflict: differences of opinion come up, secondary tension stage 3. Emergence: Focus on shared understandings, come to some agreements, establish yourself as a group 4. Reinforcement: make your decisions and implement them development theorizes, and what does each track entail? 1. Task Track: Where somebody does a task that further develops them as a unit 2. Relational track: building the relationships 3.Topic track: what are we trying to do in the first place? *Does not go in a linear fashion. 00What does the multiple sequence model of group development suggest about how group development happens? Some groups invest more time on the task track than on the relational track and ice versa. It doesn't have to go in order either. They move back and forth all along the track. You can go ahead wi th the task before the relationship is developed whereas with Fisher's model you could not.Know, recognize the definition, and be able to apply or express the significance of the following terms and concepts: Dyad: 2 people System: collection of interdependent parts arrayed in such a way that a change in one of its components will effect changes in all other components Synergy: sum of the parts is greater than the whole Task Dimensions: writing and turning in reports like suggesting on better traffic flow or construction on school days Social Dimensions: building interpersonal relationships â€Å"Kay calling Ray a dumbass† tells us that they can Joke, greeting someone *Individual roles: putting own interests before matters of the group Norm: rules that regulate behavior, things you should or shouldn't do Implicit norms: Implied Explicit norms: written out Conformity: follow the norm Clarifying the norm: making sure you understand the rule Challenge the norm: offer alternative s to the norm, question the norm primary tension: getting to know one another, orientation secondary tension: differences of opinion coming up, conflict Chapter 2: 00What does openness to self-discovery entail, and why is it important for small group communication? To know yourself- your strengths as well as your weaknesses, your beauty as well as your ugliness- is helpful in getting to know others. To be open to yourself is the first step in being open to others. 00What does accepting yourself entail, and why is it important for small group communication?You are less likely to look for other group member's approval if you accept your own strengths and weaknesses. If you accept yourself, and are comfortable admitting our weaknesses, we are more likely to accept imperfections in others as well. communication? Silencing our Judgment, condemning our mind for a while and listening to others, even if their ideas are opposite of ours. It means we overlook differences and seek similarities . Without this, interactions in groups can be rigid, intolerant, and blaming. following terms and concepts: Old learning: any idea we have about ourselves and who we think we are. The majority of these ideas come from others. They can come from the media.They tell us what who we should be and what we should want. Decompression time: taking a break from the busy every day routine for a few minutes to be alone, catch your breath, and collect yourself, making you a cheerful person again. Chapter 3: OOIn what ways is communication a learned behavior? By the age of five, most of our adult language and basic communication patterns have been established. However, throughout the rest of life, people can learn new ways of speaking, listening, and interacting with others. 00What four principles of verbal communication does FuJishin suggest to keep in mind when working in groups? It is symbolic It is governed by rulesIt defines and limits It lets us create 00What five principles of nonverbal c ommunication does FuJishin suggest to keep in mind when working in groups? It is continuous It conveys emotions It is more universal than verbal communication It is multichanneled It is ambiguous OOHow do individuals' backgrounds influence the processes of encoding and decoding? The personal history, as well as personality, gender, race, age, knowledge, experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions influence his/her communication experience. Culture changes how people communicate and respond. Receivers don't lways give feedback and the sender is okay with that whereas in our society when that happens we think people are ignoring us. 00What are the four levels of communication, and what does each level entail?Surface talk – small talk Reporting Facts – not getting too personal, verifying facts; â€Å"things that Just are. † Giving Sharing feelings- Really opening up 00What does Tannen suggest about men's and women's conversational strategies in her book You Just Don't Understand? Women speak and hear a language of connection and intimacy, while men speak and hear a language of status and independence. ollowing terms and concepts: Controller- takes control of everyone Blamer- blames everyone else when something goes wrong Pleaser- pleases everyone Distractor- Joking around Ghost- doesn't do anything Communication: transactional process in which communicators attempt to influence and are influenced by others

Krysztof Kieslowski

IntroductionKrysztof Kieslowski‘s genius germinated as a truly original and thought provoking film director was deeply influenced by the presence of Communism in Poland,. Later to join the ranks of the world’s greatest filmmakers, Krysztof was quoted as saying asking questions about our existence was more important than being concerned with political reality ; â€Å" why get up from bed ?!† – If one was not at all concerned about the metaphysics of things. In this context his fascination towards the parameters of memory and complexities of survival developed and was later manifested in his works.The land of his birth, Poland, was the background for many of his movies. He shifted his focus from documentary reality as a filmmaker working in his country. The gaze of his camera shifted from documenting reality to the probing the inner life of human beings, deeply affected by their reality in different ways.   The oeuvre of Kieslowski straddled over many conce rns. Two of his recurring themes were the persistence of memory and survival amidst the harsh realities of life. Death and violence was a feature of life in communist Poland.Every vestige of idealism was stripped away in the wake of mind numbing regimentation and the murder of freedom and humanity – almost reducing people to bare survival level.   On a spiritual level the characters in Kieslowski’s works seem to agonizingly grope their way forward out of this darkness.Each in their own way resolve a dilemma of existence, to find reunion, stark truth, even death, happiness and yet the films never work their way to some artificial conclusion – ambiguous as life is, in fact. An examination of the director’s projects will throw up evidence of these recurring themes. Yet, the films are never completely pessimistic, even if some might go deep into the dark side of human nature or seem to be concerned with erotic obsession. Thus in one hand it magnified memory or the reconstruction of memory and on the other hand he juxtaposed the manifestation and complexities of survival.However, the director was himself a very warm person who simply felt that depicting fictionalized reality was simply a better, if oblique, way to show reality. One tends to get an impression from the whole body of work that a lot is being said in the films but very subtly. Of course, helping Kieslowski was his immensely talented cast who seem to draw every shade of feeling out in films as diverse as No End and The Double life of Veronique.   On the face of it nothing very much seems to be happening in these films.   It is all subtle emotional underplay and a strongly controlled interplay of human conflicts and deeply moving responses. (Dollard, 89-92)Two of his films are representative of the aforementioned themes: Three Colors: Blue and Decalogue 2Three Colors: Blue (1993)‘Blue’ is a work of such intensity that one is eternally grateful that Juliette Binoche plays Julie Vignon De Courcy, the protagonist of the film with such a fine texture of emotions.Blue is the Polish director’s penetrating and highly involving work on loss and freedom and is also the dominant hue of his film. It is also part of a trilogy, Red, White and Blue the director made.A bluish candy wrapper in a small girl’s hand, reflects, sunlight through a car’s window; the next shot cuts to a leaking pipe, hinting at the imminent accident involving the car. Julie Vignon is the only survivor in the accident, which kills her daughter and husband. Fortunately for viewers, the car crash is heard not seen. The rest of the incident is shown in fragments and slivers of shattered glass. This reflects the state of the injured Julie in hospital.Extremely painfully she recollects the incident in fragments. The fragments hint at her life so far. She is the wife of a well known musician. The husband has been lately rumored to have run out of original ideas for composition – his scores are said to have been penned by his wife. Julie seems to fighting these memories off almost as if they cause great suffering. She seems to find it difficult to survive.Through these initial terse cuts , Kieslowski draws us wide eyed into a private world of pain and suffering mad acute by lingering memory   this is a devastated world , and very subtle action depicts this . Dialogue would be utterly contrived in this situation. A typical approach would be to take the path of resolution of this pain shown in quick recovery. True to his commitment, the director does not make it so easy. In the hospital, Julie attempts suicide by an overdose of pills but does not really go all the way – she survives.   Here there is a further ‘hardening’ of the situation. (Lamb, 243-245)After her release from hospital, Julie wants to kill herself off psychologically by withdrawing from the world. Her grief in fact, is so intense that she can ne ither cry nor even feel.   Yet, her body language reveals that she is still in great pain. Her mouth quivers as she watches her family’s funeral on television and her daughter’s casket. She visibly goes limp as she approaches her husband’s study. This is depicted with an economy which truly emphasizes the slow build up of grief.   She withdraws herself completely from the world around her and shifts from the family’s country estate to an apartment, in her maiden name. She wipes out all traces of the past, even of her family except a few slivers of glass. Reflections in glass are a persistent device used in the film – meant to convey the distance Julie is creating for herself and her memories.But the distance Julie wants to create cannot really stave off her past, try as she might; her reaction is to further withdraw into an enigmatic silence. At this point, her husband’s business partner, Olivier, searches her out and offers to complete her husband’s unfinished symphony as a tribute to his memory. Here is the working out of a cathartic device. The audience would find it relieving to have Julie come out of the prison of grief and re attach to the world.The resolution of the film’s mesmerizing tone of grief is toward a brighter shade. Blue is the color of grief but Juliet’s slow emergence back into personal peace helps to overcome this. Olivier’s role is cathartic meant to bring a closure. Towards the end of the film, she decides to collaborate on finishing her husband’s symphony and gives off the family’s country estate to her husband’s mistress. (Fletcher, 188)Losing everything can be freedom too.DECALOGUE 2Decalogue was a series of ten I hour films, each based on one of the Ten Commandments. The work was however, no rendering of the Biblical story but a reframing of the commandments to contemporary Poland. Each sin attributed to a particular moral lapse in each of t he ten films. These films offered Kieslowski the convenience of working with some of his favorite themes and some new ones.   They obliquely refer to Kieslowski’s religious concerns but in a way totally in synch with the director’s typically understated and subtle style. They are tightly made and form a work of considerable cinematic importance.The central theme of Decalogue 2 is of the purest moral dilemma. Dorota’s husband is seriously ill and in hospital. What she needs to know from the doctor is whether he will survive or not. She is pregnant by some one else and if her husband survives, she will abort the child .If he dies, she will keep the child.The doctor denies any knowledge of her husband’s prognosis saying he doesn’t clearly know how to answer her.   The doctor’s story is then told in flashback and we find that his family has been killed in a World War 2 bombing raid.   His tragic loss in the past and his memory of it makes him conscious of another life at stake. Here we have a clear glimpse of the director’s humanity and his strong convictions as a person even when working or dealing with a lot of abstraction in his films. The doctor’s dilemma is;  Ã‚   should he tell her the husband will be well thus making Dorota abort the child? In the end the doctor‘s brilliant answer will help to save two lives (Dorota’s and the child’s).The film is embellished like the others in this collection with the many small details that help build up the situation in a one hour film – details that keep audiences involved in the story unfolding. The film reveals that the doctor lives in the same apartment block as Dorota, walks to work. There are scenes involving Dorota’s smoking which obviously increases the danger to her.The theme of survival is cleverly shown in scenes where a bee tries to draw itself out of a bottle on a table in the husband’s hospital bed, makin g the connections to the issue of the fragility of life and strong survival instincts at work both within the film and in living beings. Human beings seem to be longing for contact or withdrawing in their own private world. Meaning is ambiguous in these films: there are the sub themes to consider – violence, chance, fate, and destiny.   Dream sequences are an extension of memory giving us a glimpse of the depth of anguish or obsession which different in the human beings. (Kar, 145)Rather, as his other creation like The Double Life of Và ©ronique, the films take on a life of their own with individuals in a society, in a state, in a family. More is happening to these characters than the films makes apparent. The director does not observe from the wings but probes deep in to what makes human conflict, what goes on in their minds. Thus the aspects of memory and complexities of survival become evident again and again.ConclusionThroughout the latter part of his career, Kieslowsk i reveals a streak of pessimistic humanism. The works show a fascination for the inner life of human beings and a spiritual quest for the meaning of existence, with carefully structured camera compositions and an almost sparse narrative. The deeper truths lie beneath the surface of reality and the unraveling of it is as unpredictable as life – the creator does not contrive situations to fit his view. However, he remained loyal towards his belief of greater truth regarding memory and complexities of survival. (King, 126)Works Cited:Dollard, John; Krysztof Kieslowski looks into Tomorrow. (New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 2006) pp 89-92Fletcher, R; Art: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowing. (Mangalore: Howard & Price. 2006) pp 188Kar, P; History of Cinema & Market Applications (Kolkata: Dasgupta & Chatterjee 2005) pp 145King, H; Art Today (Dunedin: HBT & Brooks Ltd. 2005) pp 126Lamb, Davis; Cult to Culture; (Wellington: National Book Trust. 2004) pp 243-245

Umass Dartmouth Reflection

I am currently on year six at Umass Dartmouth, and thus far it has been quite the journey. I have been a commuter for all six years and my experience hasn't been too enjoyable. If I could restart my college experience I am not sure if I would not even put this school as a possibility. I have experienced some positive experiences at this school, but the negative aspects definitely outweigh the positive. However, this current semester has really changed my view on the University. Umass Dartmouth's campus is definitely unique.One thing that has always bothered me about Umass Dartmouth is the look of the buildings. The outside and inside of the buildings definitely help to impact the negative feeling I get about the campus. The campus is so gray looking that it makes me feel somewhat â€Å"gray'. The classrooms are very uncomfortable regarding seating, temperature, and desk space. One positive aspect of the campus is the layout. Personally as a commuter student I really like the â€Å" ring road† effect. I feel it makes the campus really navigable.A big negative when I think about Umass Dartmouth is how I feel as though a large majority of the staff does not care about the students. I have had many experiences ith different departments of the school being very rude to me in different situations. I feel as though the advisors at least should be interested in your wellbeing at this school, but even with most advisors I have had awful experiences. I have switched majors a few times so I have experienced many different advisors.Not every employee of the university has given me a negative experience. I have had a few professors who I felt were very dedicated to making sure I was learning and understanding the material. This is an aspect that I feel is very important, so I am rateful to have had the experience to be taught by some very educated, caring professors. The core business classes that I started taking as an operations management manger were a very good b ase to my major. The classes really helped to give me a broad understanding of different business areas.The class sizes for these classes were medium sized which I thought was perfect for these types of classes. Most of the professors I had for these classes I felt taught me the material very well. However, I did come across one or two professors that I feel really did not benefit me at all. I really find it unfortunate there are professors in this university who do not teach the material well at all. At the end of a semester looking back at a class and feeling like I can take close to nothing from it really frustrates me.I feel as though the university should really be monitoring the classes and spectating them. So far the operations management major required classes have been very good. The sizes of the classes are perfect. I have found all my classes very interesting, and felt the material is being taught very efficiently. I have learned more this semester than any other semester at Umass Dartmouth. One thing that I really have enjoyed this semester is the amount of class interaction. I have experienced a lot of class discussions and have done a lot of presentations.I absolutely hated presentations at much more confident in giving presentations and participating in class discussions. Another part of this semester I have enjoyed regarding my major required classes was a recent trip I took toa manufacturing plant that one of my professors setup. I felt this was extremely beneficial. Being able to actually go toa real life plant and see concepts being used in real life really opened my eyes, and made me really excited to raduate and start my career to apply concepts I have learned.My experience at Umass Dartmouth started out negative, but as I continued through it seemed to start to improve. This current semester has really impacted me positively. I feel as though these operations management courses are really starting to prepare me very well for my career. I really feel as though Umass Dartmouth's campus is a very big negative for myself as well as for other students. If they Just added a little more color to every building it would really help to improve the atmosphere!

Jacob Lawrence Essay

1.0 Background Jacob Lawrence, one of the most important artists of the 20th century and best known for his series of narrative paintings depicting important moment in African American history was born on 7th September 1917 in Atlantic City (pbs.org, para. 1). He spent a portion of his childhood life in Pennsylvania after which his parents separated in 1924. Jacob and his siblings went with the mother to New York and settled in Harlem. He was introduced to art at his teen age when his mother enrolled him in Utopia Children’s center which provided an after school art program in Harlem. By 1930’s he could participate in the art programs at the Harlem Art Workshop and the Harlem community art centre, where he got a chance to meet leading American artists of the time such as Augusta Savage and Charles Alton, the director of Harlem workshop at the time and who later became a professor of art at Howard University (pbs.org, para.1). Having trained as a painter at the Harlem workshop inside the New York Public Library’s 113 5th street branch, and despite being much younger than   most of the artists and other writers who took part in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s, Lawrence was a force to recon with (Hughes, para.2). He was not interested in the type of idealized and fake primitives of blacks otherwise referred to as the Noble Negroes in art Deco guise, as they were usually produced as an antidote to the stereotypical racists. He gained confidence particularly from Alain Locke, who was a Harvard trained artist and also the first black Rhodes scholar in America. Locke strongly believed in the pieces of work done by blacks, as it could speak explicitly to African-Americans while still embodying value as well as self critical powers of modernism. Precisely, Locke believed that, â€Å"There is in truly great art in no essential conflict between racial or national traits and universal human valu es† (Hughes, para. 2). 2.0 The work of Jacob Lawrence Lawrence became well known at the age of 21 years when he did his â€Å"Toussant L’Ouverture Series†, a 41 painting collection that depicted a successful rebellion by the Haitian slaves. Three years later at the age of 24, his work became the first from an African American to be included in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art (Lawrence, para. 1). Lawrence therefore considered himself to be both an artist and an educator. He used his art to tell stories about the black American history as he felt that this was being overlooked in the teaching of history in America. For instance, Lawrence did a forty panel series which he called â€Å"The Life of Harriet Tubman† who in the 1800s had helped many slaves in the north to free through an Underground Railroad (Sernett, pp. 218). From his childhood, Lawrence had been steeped in stories about movement and migration and therefore with encouragement from Locke, he worked hard to get historical background and related facts right. Months of research in the Schomburg Collection of the Public Library which is the chief archive of African American life and history in New York, saw the realization of his other piece of work, â€Å"Migration Series† which could help trace the mass influx of African Americas from the south to the North as a result of World War I. The two series are known for use of detailed titles and creative images to create narrative history of events (Lawrence, para. 2). Additionally, the series are notable for lack of language use. The author was in no way a propagandist. He however advocated for front social realism which was at its peak in America at the time as evidenced by labor camps, prisons, deserted villages, city slums and race riots which were mainly his subject matter. Lawrence attributed his success to his black experience which was his heritage, more so as far as black Americans struggle to secure independence and justice was concerned. Even during adult hood, he extended this theme to include all human struggles for liberty, and although each of his paintings evidenced his sense of humor as well as human pain and misery, they offered hope for the human condition. In 1937, Lawrence secured a two-year scholarship to the American artist school, where he studied with the   Wilson, Philip Riesman and Eugene Moreley before marrying one of the pupil of Savage who was also a west Indian painter, Gwendolyn Knight in 1941.This scholarship took him out of Harlem but he still maintained a close contact with the community which was the focus of his work as evidenced by his work â€Å"Street Scene Restaurant†, â€Å"Street orator†, â€Å"Interior† and â€Å"Interior scenes† which were shown in 1938. Other notable work that was done by Lawrence were a 32 painting series, â€Å"The Frederic Douglass† and the 22 panel   series that he painted while on honeymoon in 1941. In the explosive 1960s, Lawrence painted what most critics have called his work of â€Å"Protest† in favor of civil rights struggle in the South. In one of his paintings, â€Å"The ordeal of Alice†, he showed a black girl dressed in white trying to get into a newly desegregated school in the South but demonic tormentors attack her with arrows in a scene that is common only with religious martyrs. In the late 1960s though, Lawrence progressed from portraying racial injustice into showing racial harmony. At this time he did his series, â€Å"Builders†, which showed both whites and blacks working together in building projects, scenes which could be interpreted to mean rebuilding the society. Despite the changing trends, both political and in artistic field, Lawrence remained true to his own original and creative path until his death in June 9, 2000 (Sernett, pp. 82). 3.0 His work compared with others A comparison between the work of art done by Jacob Lawrence and that of other artists of his time reveals a lot of difference, with most these differences inclined to Lawrence’s outstanding. While most of the artists, especially those doing watercolor paintings like him, are usually inclined to beauty and elegance, Lawrence was different. Even the most recent artists such as Thomas Deir, despite making  Ã‚   the highest sale of $ 10,000 in the Waikiki gallery, do not seem to belong to the same school of thought with Jacob Lawrence (hawaiiart.com). The work of Lawrence, despite bringing out beauty, also carries some real life meanings as far as human life is concerned. The â€Å"Toussant L’Ouverture Series†, for example is a series that is not only elegant but also carries success. Depicting a successful rebellion by slaves, especially at the time when slave trade and slavery accompanied with a lot of other human misery was rampant, the painting can be said to carry more than Thomas Dier’s   â€Å"Mokulua Milky Way   valued at   over $2000† as far as   human values and relevance   is concerned (hawaiiart.com). Other renowned artists such Judy Abott or Michelle Amatrula, though recognized for making huge sales from their pieces of work, do not address contemporary issues like Lawrence does. The other artist who could in away compares to Jacob Lawrence is Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904) who is particularly known for his Luminists landscape particularly of the storms and marshes in South America as well as still life paintings. Martin Johnson Heade (originally Heed) was equally a talented artist of the nineteenth century. He is remembered for   his flora, fauna and landscape paintings that do not only have a rich effect of color and light but could also portray some poetic sentiments. Lawrence however still appears to outweigh Heade in what can be drawn from a critical analysis of their work. Put in simple terms, while the work from both artists share beauty, Lawrence has some educative aspect injected into his work. By all definitions, Lawrence was better than most of the other artists of the time as evidenced by the numerous awards and credit that goes to his name. In 1974, the Whitney Museum of American Art held a major retrospective of the work done by Lawrence which later resulted to his election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1983, while in 1977, he received an invitation to paint during the inauguration of Jimmy Carter. In May 2007, the White House Historical Association bought Lawrence’s â€Å"Builders† shown below for $2.5 million at auction. This painting today hangs in the white House Green Room (Crehan, para.5). 4.0 Conclusion Jacob Lawrence is probably one of the best artists that ever appeared on the face of earth. His work reveals a rare talent that he recognized and exploited fully. Despite being a black American, he beat all odds to become one of the best artists of the 21st century while the plight of fellow black Americans remained a dear concern to his heart. This is what his work addressed.  Jacob Lawrence is no doubt a legend whose life deserves recognition by and over generations while his artistic work will continue to demand respect over centuries.

Workplace Inequity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Workplace Inequity - Essay Example That may make them more satisfied with their "work" in the short run, but their performance certainly didn't improve. Each and every organization is faced with people challenges. How do you get public moving in the right direction Start where they are. The first step is to provide feedback to employees from their current point of view. That is where Inscape Publishing comes in. For nearly 30 years Inscape guides have been first choice for research-based self-assessments. They've helped over 30 million people worldwide progress performance, increase job satisfaction and value differences (Hines, 1990). Through out summary of our database is presented here on the basis of all responses. First of all we sort 250 responses by gender and therefore we conclude that in gender distribution males has less contribution than the females that is approximately 38%; similarly the female percentage observes approximately 62% regarding this database. According to table we can easily observe the percentages of participants in each department, and conclude that administration department having maximum percentages as well as human resource having least percentages of selected employees. According to this table, we can observe that the mean overall satisfaction by gender having greater percentages in female category, that is 4.3187 mean satisfactions and for males its 4.1874 mean satisfaction according to job satisfactory level with their jobs. So we can say that there is very slight difference in terms of mean overall satisfaction by gender. If we choose a person at random from this database: - What is the probability that this person will be between 22