Ten commandments of the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ten commandments of the environment - Essay Example This means striking a fair balance between respecting nature and not exploiting it to such an extent that it is depleted and ensuring that respecting nature does not completely restrict man’s ability to take advantage of technology. By taking this approach all living creatures benefit from the responsible conservation of the environment and at the same time benefits from the responsible use of modern technology. Question 3: Respect for the human person is preserved in advances in technology when we create and maintain harmony between the two. In other words we do not permit modern technology to dehumanize us. For example, social networking is one way of permitting responsible use of modern technology as it permits human interaction across borders in ways that were not possible in previous years. Friends and family separated by miles can maintain instantaneous communications on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Therefore technology can be used to close the social gap created by commercial and technological realties. Question 4: From the church’s perspective nature is a gift and therefore not something to be worshiped. There must be a distinction between worship and respect. Man was furnished with the â€Å"human intelligence and moral responsibility† to know to what extent the ecosystem can be altered so that its â€Å"order and beauty† is respected and at the same time ensuring that altering the ecosystem is done for the benefit of all creatures (Zenit Staff Writer 2008). Question 5: Reconciling ecological concerns with economic development mean engaging in what is commonly referred to as sustainable development. In other words, economic or commercial projects should take into account the damages that those projects cause to the environment and developing ways of production and use that preserve the environment. For instance

How Successful are Organizations Related to Assisted Suicide in the US Research Paper - 1

How Successful are Organizations Related to Assisted Suicide in the US Attempt to Polarize Public Opinion Through the Use of Language in Their Campaign - Research Paper Example In some European nations such as the Netherlands, euthanasia is accepted in some circumstances. The Dutch government has even discussed how physicians who agree to kill their terminally ill patients can be kept from being held responsible for their deaths. Over the past three decades, â€Å"American law in many states has given its citizens more rights over the events that take place in their own lives† (Amarasekara and Bagaric, 399). One of these rights is the right to determine when to discontinue medical procedures that will sustain their lives. The difference between euthanasia or mercy killing and the rejection of medical treatment has not been discussed at depth in public forums. Basically, the frequently used expression of the "right to die" mucks the distinction. In addition, the mass medias exposure of individual cases of euthanasia simply serves to distort the difference between public policy and a private act. There exists a distinct difference between â€Å"what a person might feel is practical in a particular case and what would really occur in the offices of physicians and other medical practitioners if euthanasia and assisted suicide became an accepted medical procedure† (Appel, 2). This topic is of the great significance as the public opinion polls, which always confront this issue by considering whether the members of the public think they will seek this way out if they were struck by a painful terminal illness, usually do not confront the issue of what it would mean if killing was made to be an acceptable practice that can be carried out by medical practitioners without fear of being prosecuted. Assisted suicide takes place when one individual helps another to take his or her own life, either by offering the instrument to commit suicide or by other basic steps. Euthanasia involves direct procedures, like a lethal injection, administered by one individual to end another individuals life.

Luminescence in Low-dimensional Nanostructures

Luminescence in Low-dimensional Nanostructures NANO AU RSY Luminescence in Low-dimensional Nanostructures: Quantum Confinement Effect, Surface Effect Whenever the carrier localization, at least in one spatial direction, becomes comparable or smaller than the de Broglie wavelength of carriers, quantum mechanical effects occur. In this limit the optical and electronic properties of the material change as a function of the size and the system is called a nanostructure. As the size is reduced the electronic states are shifted toward higher energy and the oscillator strength is concentrated into few transitions. Nanostructures are classified by the number of dimensions in which the carriers are confined or, alternatively, free to move. In case of confinement in only one spatial direction, the nanostructure is named a quantum well (QW). The carrier motion is frozen in one dimension but electrons and holes can still freely move over the other two directions. Therefore the QW is a quasi two-dimensional (2D) system. A structure which provides carrier confinement in two directions, allowing the motion along the remaining dimension, is calle d quantum wire (QWR) and it is a quasi 1D system. In the case of confinement in all three spatial coordinates, the nanostructure is denominated quantum dot (QD). QDs are 0D systems since the carrier motion is completely frozen. The physics of the quantum size effect relies on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle between the spatial position and kinetic momentum of a quantum particle. It is not possible to measure both the momentum and position of a particle to an arbitrary precision. The product of the standard deviation in space and momentum satisfies the uncertainty relation: à ¢- ³x.à ¢- ³p ≠¥ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ /2 (1.26) This equation means that the smaller is the carrier localization in the nanostructure, the larger is the spread in the momentum p, or, better said for semiconductor systems, in the crystal momentum à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ k. The energy may still be well defined, but the momentum is not well defined. In bulk systems, for states around the edge of conduction and valence band, the dependence of the energy on the wavevector k is quadratic, Where m* is the carrier effective mass. Following this equation, the spread in the momentum à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ k gives minimum kinetics energy to the localized particle. This is in contrast with the classical physics, where the lowest energy state in whatever potential corresponds to no kinetic energy. The uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics imposes a positive zero-point energy, which is approximately inversely proportional to the square of the nanostructure size. Therefore, the energy of theground state of electrons and holes in semiconductor nanostructures not only depends on the materials but also on the dimension of the confinement region. Nanostructured materials with a size range of 1-100 nm have been the focus of recent scientific research because of their important optical properties, quantum size effects, electrical properties, chemical properties, etc. The low-dimensional materials have exhibited a wide range of optical properties that depend sensitively on both size and shape, and are of both fundamental and technological interest. The ability to control the shapes and size of nanocrystals affords an opportunity to further test theories of quantum confinement and yields materials with desirable optical characteristics from the point of view of application. The exciting emerging important application of low-dimensional nanocrystals is in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and Displays. Recently, there has been much recent interest in low dimensional systems such as quantum well (two dimensional system), quantum wire (one dimensional system) and quantum dot (zero dimensional system). Optical properties of low-dimensional systems are substantially different from those of three-dimensional (3D) systems. The most remarkable modification comes from different distributions of energy levels and densities of states originating from the spatial confinement of electrons and holes. The simplest model for two dimensional (2D) systems is that of a particle in a box with an infinitely deep well potential, as shown in Figure 1.6. The wave functions and energy levels in the well are known from basic quantum mechanics and are described by: ÃŽ ¨n(z)=(2/Lz)1/2 cos ( nÏ€z/Lz ) (1.28 ) n = 1,2,3,†¦. (1.29) Figure 1.6: A particle in a box made of infinitely tall potential barriers In semiconductor quantum wells (two dimensional (2D) systems such as layered materials and quantum wells), both electrons and holes are confined in the same wells. The energy levels for electrons and holes are described by [1.8]: (1.30) (1.31) Where and are the effective masses of electron and hole, respectively If electric dipole transitions are allowed from the valence band to the conduction band, the optical transition occurs from the state described by nh , kx , and ky to the state described by ne, kx and ky . Therefore, the optical transition takes place at energy: (1.32) Where ÃŽ ¼ is the reduced mass given by ÃŽ ¼-1 = The joint density of states Ï 3D for the 3D for an allowed and direct transition in semiconductors is: (1.33) The joint densities of states for 2D, 1D and 0D systems are: (1.34) (1.35) (1.36) Where ÃŽ ¸ is a step function and ÃŽ ´ is a delta function. The sum of quantum confinement energies of electrons and holes are represented by El , Em and En ; where El , Em and En refer to the three directions of spatial confinement Obviously the physics of the nanostructures strongly depends on their dimensionality (Figure 1.7). In a semiconductor structure a given energy usually corresponds to a large number different electronic states resulting from the carrier motion. In a bulk material where the motion can occur in three different directions the density of states increases proportionally to the square root of the energy. In quantum wells the motion in the plane gives a staircase DOS, where each step is associated with a newstate in the confining potential. In quantum wires a continuum of states is still present, but strong resonances appear in the DOS associated with the states in the confining potential. Finally in quantum dots only discrete energy states are allowed and the DOS is therefore a comb of delta functions. The possibility to concentrate the DOS in a reduced energy range is extremely important for a large variety of fundamental topics and device applications. It is at the base of the quantum Hal l effect in quantum well (QW), of the quantization of the conductance in quantum wire (QWR), and of the single electron tunnelling in QDs. In the case of lasers the presence of a continuum DOS leads to losses associated with the population of states that do not contribute to the laser action. Conversely, the concentration of the DOS produces a reduction of the threshold current and enhances the thermal stability of the device operation. Clearly this property is optimized in QD structures. Due to the three-dimensional carrier confinement and the resulting discrete energy spectrum, semiconductor QDs can be regarded as artificial atoms. Figure1. 7: Density of states of three-dimensional ( 3D ) bulk semiconductors, a two dimensional ( 2D ) quantum well, a one dimensional ( 1D ) quantum wire, and zero dimensional ( 0D ) quantum dots. The most striking property of nanoscale semiconductor materials is the massive change in optical properties as a function of size due to quantum confinement. This is most readily manifest as a blue-shift in the absorption spectra with the decrease of the particle size. The blue-shift in the absorption spectra with decrease of particle size in semiconductor nanoparticles is due to the spatial confinement of electrons, holes, and excitons increases the kinetic energy of these particles. Simultaneously, the same spatial confinement increases the Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes. The exciton Bohr radius is a useful parameter in quantifying the quantum confinement effects in nanometer size semiconductor particles. The exciton Bohr radius is given by [1.8]: (1. 37) and an inequality holds. Here and are defined as: and (1.38 ) Where ÃŽ ¼ is the reduced mass given by are the effective masses of electron and hole, respectively. And also ÃŽ µ is the dielectric constant, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚  is the Planck constant. As the particle size is reduced to approach to the exciton Bohr radius, there are drastic changes in the electronic structure and physical properties. These changes include shifts of the energy levels to higher energy, the development of discrete features in the spectra (Figure 1.8). Figure 1.8: A schematic models for the energy structures of bulk solids, nanoparticles and isolated molecules. The quantum confinement effect can be classified into three categories: the weak confinement, the intermediate confinement and the strong confinement regimes, depending on the relative size of the radius of particles R compared to an electron , a hole , and an exciton Bohr radius , respectively. In strong confinement (R , ), the individual motion of electrons and holes is quantized and the Coulomb int eraction energy is much smaller than the quantized kinetic energy. The ground state energy is [1.8]: (1.39) Where the second term is the kinetic energy of electrons and holes, the third term is the Coulomb energy, and the last term is the correlation energy. In intermediate confinement ( ), the electron motion is quantized, while the hole is bound to the electron by their Coulombic attraction. In weak confinement ( ), the center-of-mass motion of exciton is quantized. The ground state energy is written as: (1.40 ) Where is the translational mass of the exciton Figure 1.9: Size dependence of band gap for CdS nanoparticles. In strong confinement, there is appearance of an increase of the energy gap (blue shift of the absorption edge), which is roughly proportional to the inverse of the square of the particle radius or diameter. For example, it can be observed from Figure 1.9 that the strong confinement is exhibited by CdS particles with diameter less than ~ 6 nm (R ~ 3 nm), and this is consistent with the strong confinement effect for particles with The luminescence dynamics in low-dimensional nanostructures also deals with the interaction of light with the material. The interaction of light depends strongly on the surface properties of the materials. As the size of the particle approaches a few nm, both surface area to volume ratio and surface to bulk atom ratio dramatically increases. The basic relationship between the surface area to volume ratio or surface atoms to bulk atoms and the diameter of nanoparticles can be seen in Figure 1.10. Figure 1.10: Surface area to volume ratio and percentage of surface atoms (%) as a function of particle size. It is observed that the percentage of surface atoms in corner and edge vs. Particle sizes display dramatic increase when the size is decreased below a few nm, whereas percentage of face atoms decreases. For particles of ~1 nm, more than 70% atoms are at corners or edges. This aspect is important because light interaction with material highly dependent on the atomic scale surface morphology. As in nanoparticles, a large percentage of the atoms are on or near the surface, therefore, surface states near the band gap can mix with interior levels to a substantial degree, and these effects may also influence the spacing of the energy levels. Thus in many cases it is the surface of the particles rather than the particle size that determines the optical properties. Optical excitation of semiconductor nanoparticles often leads to both band edge and deep trap luminescence. The size dependence of the excitonic or band edge emission has been studied extensively. The absence of excitonic or band edge emission has attributed to the large non-radiative decay rate of the free electrons trapped in these deeptraps of surface states. As the particle size becomes smaller, the surface to volume ratio and hence the number of surface states increases rapidly, reducing the excitonic emission. The semiconductor nanoparticles exhibit broad and Stokes-shifted luminescence arising from the deep traps of surface states [1.25 – 1.27].

Essay --

Many people here in America are hardworking and resourceful, but an insecure economy can have a long-lasting effect on a diverse group of people. One of the greatest manifestations of this is the inability to consistently afford a healthy diet. In a report by done by researchers in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ‘in 2011, 14.9 percent or 17.9 million people in America were food insecure (Coleman-Jensen, Nordic, Andrews, & Carlson, 2012).’ Although many different organizations such as the â€Å"Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,† or the SNAP food stamp program has set out to eradicate hunger, by giving assistance to low income participants, to help them afford food, it does still exist in many different people’s lives, at one point or another. While many other underdeveloped countries have harder times with hunger, many of them, due to socioeconomic difficulties, hunger still causes many problems for different people in America. Hunger, by definition is: â€Å"A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat (Oxford dictionary, 2013),† and is usually a direct result of poverty and the ability to afford food. Although hard to believe, hunger is an issue that is very sensitive to many people here in America, because it signifies shame to many, from a social standpoint. But statistically, having the national median income of roughly 53,000 dollars annually (United States Census Bureau, 2013), shows that the economy can be very burdensome to many people sometimes, with having added expenditures, like cable and cell phone bills along with your daily gas, electricity, and water bills, and can sometimes overwhelm some people and leave them with empty pockets. For example, Mississippi’... ... Poverty is known for having some well noted, negative outcomes to those dealing with the issues they are facing. There are many who suggest, that being poor causes people to commit crimes; either out of desperation, or bad-mindedness, some people are thought to break the law. Many people ignorantly assume that criminal activities are some ways poor people in urban areas, survive, and that the underprivileged people are the main cause of the majority of crimes. While there are higher instances of crimes in urban areas, it is only because there is a much larger population compared to that in rural or suburban communities. â€Å"The Federal Bureau of Investigations† data consistently shows a steady decline in all major criminal activities since the 1990s, mainly due to, more structure in both the law and police systems in America (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2010).

J Edgar Hoover

In Washington DC Parents Anne Merle and Dickerson Analogy Hoover Sin filed until he was 43 Competed in debate team (against women voting and the abolition of death penalty) Nicknamed speed (stutter) and was applauded by his cool and relentless logic Father suffered from mental illness and was institutionalized â€Å"Instead of sympathizing†¦ Wasn't kind o his father†¦ Couldn't bear imperfection least of all in the humans around him especially those who he was closest too† Summers Education Bachelor of Laws from George Washington University Law School in 1916 Masters ofLaw in same university 191 7 Early Work When he was 18 he accepted his first Job; an entry level position as messenger In the orders department In library of Congress Interest lay In areas with access to Immense amounts of Information â€Å"This Job†¦ Trained me In the value of collating material. It gave e an excellent foundation for my work in the FBI where it has been necessary to collate infor mation and evidence† J E. Hoover Clerk at Justice Department July 1917 Hoover Joined Justice Department as a clerk on legal staff 1917 Wilson had given the Justice Department authorization to apprehend and detain enemy aliensHoover exempt from conscription with Job Put in charge of gathering information of enemy aliens By late 1917 with spreading of Marxism due to Russian Revolution Hoover began monitoring radicals and communists who supported Bolsheviks Library Job helped him In organizing Information â€Å"He made sure he was valuable to the people above him† Sue Responded Character Puritanical â€Å"He was a tyrant about other things. There was still a strong streak of the puritan in him† Gentry Importance of a good name Concerned about good name (himself/DOS) â€Å"In Washington, during the Harding Administration, the DOS had become known as he Department of Easy Virtue.After a time Hoover simply said he work for the government† Gentry Dedicated profes sional â€Å"Scrupulousness and loyalty to superiors† Thermals and Cox â€Å"Hoover gave every evidence of being a dedicated professional† Thermals and Cox â€Å"Hoover convinced Stone of the Bureau's Improved professionalism† Thermals and Cox Hover's Attitude TO work Long hours Fastidious Collected ‘ever growing files' Obsessed by files and how to exploit them â€Å"Hover's own genius was not in innovation but in recognizing good ideas and finding ways to implement them† Theories and Cox Rise To Power Under Attorney Generals A.Mitchell palmer 1919-1921 Hoover appointed as special assistant to Attorney General General A Mitchell Palmer instructed Hoover to establish the General intelligence Division Aimed to crack down on the growing momentum of US radicals, socialists and communists arising from Russian revolution Known as ‘radical division' Core of anti communist crusades Collected incrimination information June 2nd 1919 Anarchists mailed ex plosives to 36 prominent business magnates following may day riots These were successful across 12 cities including Palmers home In response theDepartment of Justice decided on a massive round up of foreigners (32 cities) Hoover the Bureau of Investigation's resident expert on aliens was put in charge Hoover was given carte balance by Palmer to bring the bombers to Justice and round up all radicals Hoover used his filing skills to record info, including hearsay, rumor and fact on individuals on 450 000 index cards By October 1919 he had collected 60,000 names of people who allegedly radical and potentially dangerous organizations â€Å"He helped develop a card system on individuals and organizations and collected this information to scientifically study people who are radicals† Responded 7th November 1919 was chosen date for nationwide raids After arresting thousands of suspects, 249 radicals sent to Ellis Island for processing Deportees included 51 anarchists, 184 members of FOUR and 14 aliens Hoover and boss saw it as a resounding success for Justice Department of Justice handed 3000 blank warrants 2nd January 1920 Further raids took place and agents under Hover's supervision entered homes and organizations Arrested over 10,000 people over 33 cities Raids saw many innocent people being treated terribly by agents (beaten, deprived f food, contained in horrible cells, forced false confessions) Public outcry â€Å"Lawless acts of a mob† senate condemned â€Å"FBI had no place in immigration matters † Theories Hoover â€Å"wrote himself out† Responded â€Å"Hoovers files were very self protective as much as they are possible tools for aggression† Claire Potter Harry M. Daugherty 1921-1924 â€Å"He made himself indispensable to the new attorney general† Gentry Had established congressional base of his own Hoover flooded Daugherty with memos and intelligence on radical activities On 22nd August 1921 the new director of the Bureau William J. Burns appointedHoover assistant chief and in charge of 346 investigators Harlan Fiske Stone 1924-1925 Herbert Hoover recommended hiring Edgar to run Bal Stone dissolved KID and prohibited Bureau wire tapping â€Å"The activities of the bureau are to be limited strictly to investigations of violations of law' Stone Stone wanted to reduce size of Bureau by hiring more professional agents â€Å"Unlike Daugherty and Burns, Hoover gave every evidence of being a dedicated professional, which point had been repeatedly emphasized by Stone† Theories December 1924 0 Stone ended his prohibition and appointed him permanent erector â€Å"A man of exceptional intelligence, alertness and executive ability' Stone Why Hoover Remained in Power He belonged to no political party (never voted) He demonstrated loyalty to superiors He was highly qualified for his role Director of the Bureau Reshaping Hoover accept Job with certain conditions: Bureau divorced from politics Promo tions only based on ability (not seniority or nepotism) Bureau was only responsible to attorney general â€Å"He came to an agency known for its apathy and corruption and transformed it into the most sophisticated and best know investigatory agency in the world† PhillipsHoover instructed by Stone for the Bureau to only investigate violations of federal law and to reduce staff by firing incompetents and only lire people with legal or accounting backgrounds â€Å"[Stone was] impressed by Hover's industriousness and success in recruiting higher quality agents and imposing more rigorous standards of performance† Theories Hoover imposed discipline and accountability through chain of command Divided country in 53 unequal parts with office in each with special agent in charge (SAC) To ensure compliance and Inspection Division was created Hoover created standardization of work practices Printed form for interview reports Dress code similar for all agents Agents became intercha ngeable Follow of rules and instructions of Hover's Manual of Investigations Hoover modernizes National registry of finger prints Training course for new agents (assisted with public image which was at all time low in 1924) In 1932 he opened the Bureaus first crime lab Extensive filing system was used New powers 1934 Congress passed 9 crime bills now under federal Jurisdiction Agents could carry guns and make arrests Kidnapping made Federal Offence after Lindbergh case 1933-34 CERN-en wave Frank NashKnown as most successful bank robber in USA during ass's On 17th of June 1933 he was murdered along with 4 law enforcement agents in a gangs attempt to free him from his prisoner status Union Station, Kansas City Massacre George â€Å"Machine Gun† Kelly Gangster in prohibition era Nicknamed for favorite weapon Most famous crime was kidnapping businessman oil tycoon Rescuer in July 1933 and getting $200000 ransom Rescuer and Kelly both left considerable evidence for FBI investigati on and he was arrested in Memphis on 26th September 1933 John Dillinger Bank robber during depression era His gang robbed 24 banks and 4 police stations Escaped from Jail twice Charged but not convicted with murder of Indiana police officer Eventually shot by Purview' men and Purview received mass amounts of publicity for this angering Hoover who eventually made him resign Charles â€Å"pretty boy' Floyd Bank robber His criminal exploits gained a lot of media coverage in asses Killed by policeman Part of Kansas City Massacre Bonnie and Clyde Outlaws and bank robbers during depression era with their gang Their exploits caught attention of public About a dozen bank robberies but Clyde preferred smaller stores and petrol stationsGang killed police officers and several civilians Ambushed and killed by police officer in 1934 Creepy Carpi's Alvin Carpi's was part of Carpi's-Barker gang The gang were one of most notorious during the asses Killed anyone who got in their way even innocent b ystanders Spent 26 years in Electoral Prison Ma Barker Mother of several criminals in barker gang Was killed in shoot out with FBI Hoover described her as â€Å"the most vicious, dangerous and resourceful criminal brain of the last decade† Lindbergh Case 20 month old toddler of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped from home n East Mammal New Jersey on 1st of March 1932 Over 2 months later his body was found near the home death by electric chair Bal used their lab to compare ransom notes with Heptagon's handwriting Bal conducted illegal searches on Heptagon's home Used this case as example of their successes in modern scientific policing FBI Response â€Å"The whole of the Bi's main thrust was not investigation but public relations and propaganda to glorify its director† Sullivan Hoover chose to systematically eliminate the glorified gangsters who were defaming the government and its laws During the rime wave the public bean to understand the greater need for federal law enforcement to deal with localized crime issues This led to further acts becoming federal offences (see rising power) Hoover In The Media A comic strip depicting Hoover was sanctioned by him, it reflected his venture into popular culture and the shift in the publics perception of federal police work Public becoming increasingly interested in Hover's private life (eating habits and home life) Hollywood interpreted Hoover in gangster film in 1935 and his FBI agents were known as government men or G-men 65 movies in 1935 made positive reference to FBIAll these movies, comics and radio from time demonstrated the US societies acceptance of the growing role of FBI and its positive role in shaping society Projected them as the good guys Reporters hyped up their image in praising articles Walter Trojan 0 spread writing with elements of high conspiracy in FBI and wrote particularly about incompetence and negative aspects of Hoover and Bureau Role Of FBI Dung Roosevelt Chosen atto rney general was Homer Cummings Cummings published a public enemies list that directed against crime wave Hoover left to own devices since Cummings didn't FBI under attack from conservatives 0 FBI associated with new deal and growing power of federal governments Investigated American Nazis and right-wing critics â€Å"Hoover now welcomed Roosevelt initiative as providing formal presidential authorization for radical investigations† Theories â€Å"FBI expanded tremendously in authority, Jurisdiction and size during Fads first 2 administrations† Gentry In 1936 FED instructed Hoover to keep him informed of all fascist and communists in USA (subversive activities) FED wanted Hoover to discreetly provide this informationHoover used this to increase his surveillance and his ‘Custodial Detention List' people who should be rounded up in event of war By 1939 Hoover revived his General Intelligence Division Hoover established a school to train linguists Secret intelligence Service Created in 1940 Collected information about German espionage activities in central and south America Censorship Arranged to have all mail open from certain individuals Filed information for personal use (without president or attorney general knowing) The ZOOS and Donovan William Donovan appointed by FED to head the Office of Coordinator of Information later named the Office of Strategic Services (ZOOS)) Granted the power to gather information from overseas ZOOS reported directly to Roosevelt Hoover saw Donovan as threat to power so launched investigation in attempt to discredit him Hoover wanted to expand FBI Jurisdiction to be the only US intelligence agency in world Hoover lobbied for ZOOS to be disbanded after war FED wanted FBI and British Intelligence to have close relationship but Hoover found the British to support Donovan ZOOS eventually wound down but FBI didn't get to expand into foreign intelligence OtherWithin 72 hours of Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941 the FBI arrested 4000 Japanese, German and Italian aliens Mass internment of more then 70,000 Japanese American citizens â€Å"The war helped his reputation as America's Watchdog – always alert and on guard† Denned and Dixon Post War â€Å"Hoover was more powerful than tan the presidents he served† Painter Harry S Truman 1945-1953 (D) Didn't have good relationship Truman didn't want personal contact, only though attorney general or aide Truman fired Donovan and abolished ZOOS Consequently Hoover suggested expanding FBI overseas (Truman had no intention of his) Truman tried to cut back the FBI budget in 1946 and limit power White House leak Someone in white house leaked information to press about talks between Harry Hopkins and Stalin Truman turned to Hoover to discover culprit FBI set up series of wire taps Republican party had control of congress Truman barred congressmen from FBI files Hoover ignored ban and leaked information to congressmen who wanted to advance anti-communist cause (information acquired illegally) Communism and Spies â€Å"Make America a great and decent place to live in† Hoover Hoover wanted to show angers of communism and that Truman wasn't equipped â€Å"Communism in reality is not a political party, it is a way of life, an evil and malignant way of life† Hoover Hoover convinced there was a communist conspiracy to overthrow government Senator McCarthy Accused some of the most influential Americans of being communists â€Å"if there is one communist in the state department, that's one too many' McCarthy McCarthy used Hoover as a source of information to support accusations Hoover used McCarthy as tool to advance his regressive agenda McCarthy was getting out of control 0 began to Ritchie Eisenhower for being to soft on communists McCarthy revealed letter from army Hoover denied sending the letter Hoover ended McCarthy career whilst preserving own In 1954 Hoover complained to president that McCarthy was im pending the Ibis investigations of communists 0 Hoover cut McCarthy off from any FBI support McCarthy fell quickly and the senate voted to sanction him â€Å"Hoover didn't like him, because McCarthy had supplanted the FBI director as the nations chief enemy of communism† Delilah Dwight D Eisenhower 1953-1961 (R) Good relationship â€Å"He gave Hoover anything he could have wanted† Powers Hoover sided with Eisenhower (5 star general in oval office) when McCarthy was hunting out communists in army Mafia Denied existence of crime organization claiming they were disconnected groups which local police could deal with Mafia involved in gambling and horse racing which Hoover partook in It is believed his denial stemmed from mobsters (Costello) who gave him tips on fixed races â€Å"No one would ever know how many raced I had to fix for that bastard† Frank Costello â€Å"Hoover was in our pocket, he was not someone we needed to fear† Carmine Lombardi CONTINENTAL Counter intelligence program established 1956Aim to infiltrate and disrupt activities of communist party in US Series of covert and often illegal projects conducted by FBI 85% of CONTINENTAL resources were used on infiltrating and disrupting suspected subversive groups Other 15% used on marshalling white hate groups Directives issued by Hoover Methods used: infiltration, psychological warfare, harassment, extra-legal force, illegal surveillance John F Kennedy 1961-1963 (D) Kennedy reappoints Hoover as director Good relationship with Kennedy (long term relationship with father) Robert Kennedy was new Attorney General (boss) Tense relationship Bobby wanted to fight organized crime Hoover maintained there was no national crime syndicate Clashed in view of Afro-Americans and civil rights Assassination of JEFF Hoover called bobby to deliver news There is evidence that FBI had information on both Oswald and Jack Ruby which they failed to pass on to secret service or Warren commission Hoov er ordered some key files in FBI Dallas office to be destroyed LB] asked Hoover to complete report Lyndon B Johnson 1963-1969 LB] waved compulsory retirement age for Hoover â€Å"the nation cannot afford to lose you† LB] Hoover was extremely loyal to LB]FBI used to collect political information on Lbs. enemies and to disrupt activities of any groups LB] saw as threats Hoovers inability to change with time was damaging Life magazine cover â€Å"emperor of FBI† Social Unrest â€Å"Civil rights movements grew under Johnson and Hoover saw it as a threat to the American way of life he knew and loved† Denned and Dixon â€Å"Hoover directed massive investigations of radical violence and he forestalled more violence by disrupting and destroying murderous Klan† Powers Hoover used CONTINENTAL to fight these Martin Luther King Hoover installed illegal wire taps and had king under surveillance (revealed king paving an affair) â€Å"King was the most notorious liar i n the country' Hoover As king rose in stature as a black leader, the FBI increased surveillance â€Å"That's when Hoover starts playing not law enforcement but manipulator of the societies processors† Blakely Hoover initiated campaign to deter people from associating with King Hoover forced to take case of assassination in 1968 (largest manhunt FBI history) Richard M Nixon 1969-1974 â€Å"Onion's staff considered Hoover a tired old relic who lived entirely in the past† Beardsley Series of leaks regarding North Vietnam 0 led to protests Nixon asked Hoover to find source of leak and gave information of suspects Radical student groups taken over university and set off bombs FBI unable to control Source of tension between Hoover and Nixon 1971 a citizens commission of FBI broke in FBI office in Pennsylvania Stole hundreds of documents of surveillance and wire tapping of suspect groups Public outraged 0 senator Kennedy called for Hoover to resign Hoover dismantled CONTINENT AL and kept low profile Nixon asked Hoover to resign but Hoover refused Nixon froze out Hoover Death 2nd of May 1972 (77) White house immediately tried to find is private filesHis secretary Helen Candy (1918-1972) hid them in her office then his basement, then destroyed Nixon delivered eulogy Significance and Evaluation Bal instruction manual Bureau chain for command Personal efficiency records Fingerprint registry 1924 â€Å"Centralization of fingerprints, famed FBI laboratory, scientific analysis†¦ Branded him as the father of modern day law enforcement† Delilah Agent education 1928 Crime laboratory 1932 â€Å"Hoover gave America on of the world's greatest law-enforcement organizations† Denned and Dixon â€Å"FBI internationally respected for its competence and efficiency' Painter FBI & Hoover In Media G-men Magazines Comics Hollywood Homosexuality?Finding the â€Å"real† Hoover Little known of real life Hoover had few friends Hoover ordered destruction of files 3 sets of files Official and confidential 0 contained derogatory information on private lives of presidents, congressmen, senators, government employees and famous people (only ones left) Personal and confidential Bureau files â€Å"The issue of whether or not Hoover and Tolstoy were intimate is not only superficial but a smokescreen to hide Hover's gross dereliction of duty and hostility to the deals he was sworn to protect† Rosenberg Evaluation Super patriot Portrayed himself as patriotic hero saving USA from gangsters, Nazis, communists, Klan Took credit for making FBI internationally recognized Questions of surveillance and deceit during dictatorship *Dover reflected the assets and liabilities that flow from one person having so much power† Denned and Dixon The FBI Book – Max Allentown 1850 Exposes FBI activities Includes claim Hoover was secretly aiding HUGH Hoover attempted to prevent publication and denied claims Had agents go to bookshops and ask not to sell Got Journalists to write unfavorable reviews Commercial failure but useful for historians Sensationalism Journalists in early ass claimed FBI was a kind of Gestapo Hoover might have taken bribes from millionaires Some claimed Hoover ignored warning from British about pearl harbor â€Å"Hoover was a homosexual and a transvestites†¦ Was being blackmailed by the mafia† Summers â€Å"He became a symbol of violations of civil liberties and hostilities to civil rights, and that is a tragedy because there was great potential in that man† Powers â€Å"His legacy leaves a great deal to be proud of and a great deal to be ashamed of† Powers

Adulthood Paper: American Beauty Essay

According to Berk, 2012, â€Å"Middle adulthood, which begins around the age 40 and ends at about 65, is marked by narrowing life options and a shrinking future as children leave home and career paths become more determined. In other ways, middle age is hard to define because wide variations in attitudes and behaviors exist.† American Beauty is a movie created by director Sam Mendes in the late 1990s. The movie focuses on the character Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40’s going through an intense midlife crisis; he’s grown cynical and is convinced that he has no reason to go on. Lester’s relationship with his wife Carolyn is quite dysfunctional, while Carolyn works hard to make it seem as if she has full control of her life, she is going through her own crisis as well; feeling empty and desperate (MSN Entertainment, 2013). Although American Beauty focuses on other characters as well, including Lester and Carolyn’s teenage daughter Jane, Jane’s shallow friend Angela, the next door neighbor Colonel Fitts, and his son Ricky; this paper is mainly going to focus on Lester Burnham, his adulthood, and life transition. The purpose is to discuss how the main character can be viewed from a biological, cognitive, and psychosocial perspective. The paper will also discuss how the main character copes with biological changes as a result of aging, what changes occur in the family composition and lifestyle of the character, how the character copes with the idea of death, dying, and any theories on â€Å"the afterlife†. Each character within the movie has their own idea of what path they need to take to achieve happiness and what choices will lead them there. Lester is quite impulsive and makes many choices that lead him down the path of destruction. The first event that leads Lester into a midst of horrible decisions is discovering that Angela (Jane’s friend) has been lusting over him. They begin an odd and secretive relationship revolved around sexual desires. In the midst of this Lester quits his job that he had been working at for nearly 14 years and finds a new career within a fast food restaurant. He begins smoking marijuana, working out, and buys a red Pontiac Firebird; showing desire to turn back the biological process to obtain his youth again. These actions and choices Lester has been making would lead anyone to suggest that he is going through a midlife crisis. According to Bestic, 2012, â€Å"A midlife crisis represents that state when the human mind gets in conflict with the inner self. It is a natural process that results from one or more transitions in life.† From the biological perspective Lester is going through this crisis because he is in conflict with himself. His marriage is not healthy, he does not like the physical changes brought on by adulthood, has an unsatisfactory job, and finds boredom in his lifestyle routine. From a cognitive perspective Lester shows that he is well aware of what is going on around him at all times. Because he is the one who is narrating the story he tells the audience what all the other characters are up to, mainly in concern to his daughter Jane and wife Carolyn. However, he is for some reason well aware and can process situations going on with the neighbors while the neighbors cannot even comprehend what is going on in their own lives. He is quick to figure things out, and has great concepts behind some of his erratic solutions to his life’s problems. While he may not necessarily understand why his and his family’s life is on the road to destruction, he knew that things were definitely changing. Because of Lester’s midlife crisis it could be assumed he was also going through depression and feelings of carelessness. His relationship with his daughter Jane is not very great; in fact Jane claims to hate Lester. It is also quite obvious that Lester and Carolyn’s marriage was deteriorating, and Lester seems to not care much about any of the relationships in his life. According to Cherry, 2013, â€Å"Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important for developing strong relationships. Those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression.† This clearly describes why Lester has faced the problems he has in his adulthood because of his lack of personal identity. Cherry, 2012 goes on to say, â€Å"During the generativity versus stagnation stage we continue to build our lives, focusing on our career and family. Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world.† Mostly, Lester acts as a child stuck in an adult life, getting more depressed as the show goes on that adult life is just not turning out to be fun. He loses his job, he has not had sexual relations with his wife in a very long time, his marriage was falling apart, and he just was not finding his life very fulfilling any longer. Because of Angela, who acts as a type of stimuli for Lester, makes him realize that aging should not be the end of his life. This is when he begins to show his wife who is boss, and that he is not going to let her nag at him any longer, begins working out, smoking marijuana, leaves his job for one that will provide less responsibility, and behaving in other matters such as an adolescent or young adult would. Before Lester’s midlife crisis one would think that the Burnham family was the typical happy suburbia family. The family composition drastically begins to change once Lester begins his midlife crisis journey in search of himself and happiness. Instead of taking the orders around the house, he begins giving them. Lester and Carolyn begin to go their opposite ways although still living together, and Jane continues to be a normal teenager (angry, insecure, and confused). It seems as though the family becomes more individualistic, everyone doing their own thing, rather than as a unit. Jane does not like her father, and Carolyn’s hate toward Lester continues to grow until the end of the movie. Lester makes a statement in the movie saying, â€Å"I could die in my sleep and I would not be the only one happy.† One could assume that Lester is welcoming of death because either he has just accepted that eventually he will die, or he just dislikes his life so much that death would be a better alternative. In conclusion, middle adulthood comes with its’ own trials and tribulations. Depending on how an individual has developed in previous stages of their life can determine how they will respond to the transition of adulthood. There are many perspectives including biological, cognitive, and psychosocial theories that conclude how individuals develop and adapt during these transitions. There are many changes that occur during adulthood that can affect the family composition, how the individual copes with biological changes as a result of aging, and how they perceive the idea of death and dying. Lester Burnham is simply a prime example of what it is like for a man in his mid 40’s to go through a midlife crisis during his middle adulthood transitions. References Bestic, V. (2012). What is a midlife crisis: Understand the urge to start again. Retrieved from http://psychologicaldisorderscenter.com/what-is-a-midlife-crisis/ Cherry, K. (2013). Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories MSN Entertainment. (2013). American beauty: Synopsis. Retrieved from http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-synopsis/american-beauty.3/

The History of Apple Computers

The History of Apple Computers Before it became one of the wealthiest companies in the world, Apple Inc. was a tiny start-up in Los Altos, California. Co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, both college dropouts, wanted to develop the worlds first user-friendly personal computer. Their work ended up revolutionizing the computer industry and changing the face of consumer technology. Along with tech giants like Microsoft and IBM, Apple helped make computers part of everyday life, ushering in the Digital Revolution and the Information Age. The Early Years Apple Inc.- originally known as Apple Computers- began in 1976. Founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked out of Jobs garage at his home in Los Altos, California. On April 1, 1976, they debuted the Apple 1, a desktop computer that came as a single motherboard, pre-assembled, unlike other personal computers of that era. The Apple II was introduced about a year later. The upgraded machine included an integrated keyboard and case, along with expansion slots for attaching floppy disk drives and other components. The Apple III was released in 1980, one year before IBM released the IBM Personal Computer. Technical failures and other problems with the machine resulted in recalls and damage to Apples reputation. The first home computer with a GUI, or graphical user interface- an interface that allows users to interact with visual icons- was the Apple Lisa. The very first graphical interface was developed by the Xerox Corporation at its Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the 1970s. Steve Jobs visited PARC in 1979 (after buying Xerox stock) and was impressed and highly influenced by the Xerox Alto, the first computer to feature a GUI. This machine, though, was quite large. Jobs adapted the technology for the Apple Lisa, a computer small enough to fit on a desktop. Spiderstock / Getty Images The Macintosh Computer In 1984, Apple introduced its most successful product yet- the Macintosh, a personal computer that came with a built-in screen and mouse. The machine featured a GUI, an operating system known as System 1 (the earliest version of Mac OS), and a number of software programs, including the word processor MacWrite and the graphics editor MacPaint. The New York Times said that the Macintosh was the beginning of a revolution in personal computing. In 1985, Jobs was forced out of the company over disagreements with Apples CEO, John Scully. He went on to found NeXT Inc., a computer and software company that was later purchased by Apple in 1997. Over the course of the 1980s, the Macintosh underwent many changes. In 1990, the company introduced three new models- the  Macintosh Classic,  Macintosh LC, and  Macintosh IIsi- all of which were smaller and cheaper than the original computer. A year later Apple released the PowerBook, the earliest version of the companys laptop computer. Getty Images / Getty Images The iMac and the iPod In 1997, Jobs returned to Apple as the interim CEO, and a year later the company introduced a new personal computer, the iMac. The machine became iconic for its semi-transparent plastic case, which was eventually produced in a variety of colors. The iMac was a strong seller, and Apple quickly went to work developing a suite of digital tools for its users, including the music player iTunes, the video editor iMovie, and the photo editor iPhoto. These were made available as a software bundle known as iLife. In 2001, Apple released its first version of the iPod, a portable music player that allowed users to store 1000 songs in your pocket. Later versions included models such as the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch. By 2015, Apple had sold 390 million units. serts / Getty Images The iPhone In 2007, Apple extended its reach into the consumer electronics market with the release of the iPhone, a smartphone that sold over 6 million units. Later models of the iPhone have added a multitude of features, including GPS navigation, Touch ID, and facial recognition, along with the ability to shoot photos and video. In 2017, Apple sold 223 million iPhones, making the device the top-selling tech product of the year. Under CEO Tim Cook, who took over Apple after Jobs death in 2011, the company has expanded, releasing a new generation of iPhones, iPads, iMacs, and MacBooks, along with new products such as the Apple Watch and the HomePod. In 2018, the tech giant became the first U.S. company to be worth $1 trillion.

Courage in War essays

Courage in War essays Courage in war is a very difficult phrase to attach a simple definition to. As far as I am concerned, it describes an emotion or feeling of fear and bravery in the mind, heart and soul of soldiers. Many opinions exist on what courage in war really is. In the following, I will attempt to define it. James Boswell, an author in the 1700s, wrote in The Life of Johnson of a conversation regarding the courage of soldiers in war. In this conversation, one man asks of courage and if its not acquired. The response he is given suggests that separately soldiers lack courage, but together, such as in times of war, they collectively possess it. SCOTT. But is not courage mechanical, and to be acquired? JOHNSON. Why, yes, Sir, in a collective sense. Soldiers consider themselves only as parts of a great machine. (Boswell 384) William Shakespeare, the famous writer of poetry and English plays, wrote about the idea of courage for the sake of honor in act four, scene four of his famous play, Hamlet. In this scene, Hamlet is in a soliloquy about the Norwegian princes decision to engage the forces. The prince made this decision knowing that in doing so it is very possible that the Norwegians will lose thousands of men. However, the Prince feels it is for an honorable cause, so he is willing to lose those men. Witness this army of such mass and charge Led by a delicate and tender prince, Whose spirit with divine ambition puffd Makes mouths at the invisible event, To all that fortune, death, and danger dare, Even for an egg-shell. Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument, But greatly to find quarrel in straw When honors at stake. (Shakespeare II 59) Many questions come to mind in such a scenario. Is honor even worth the courage that defends it in such a situation? Can the defens ...

What Are the Options If I Dont Want to Go to College

What Are the Options If I Dont Want to Go to College As senior year commences and your friends discuss college applications and plans to continue school, it might feel uncomfortable to admit that you’re not making the same plans. Finding the courage to say I dont want to go to college can be a difficult task for many reasons. First, society generally believes that attending college is the best way to launch your career, find employment and achieve your goals. Second, college is such a second nature path following high school that the next obvious question will be, â€Å"what will you do instead?† This isn’t an easy question either. Why Students Pass on College Before we begin, let’s break down some of the reasons why you may be against going to college at this time. There a number of reasons why students and college graduates don’t want to attend college. Financial issues Perhaps you think that college is too expensive. If this is the case, it’s important to remember that there are a number of financial aid resources, including scholarships and grants that aren’t just reserved for valedictorian and individuals with perfect grades. Many college students also work their way through school to afford education and minimize debt. Low grades Sometimes students don’t want to attend because their grades are low and college feels too difficult, or they don’t believe they have a chance of being admitted. Universities of all shapes and sizes have tutors, counseling programs and more to help students overcome any educational hurdles they have so they can find success. There are also options to begin at a local community college so you can build up a track record to transfer to a school of your choice. Separation anxiety Finally, you may think college is a waste of time, or something that will force you to leave family and friends. If this is true, remember that college has many real-life benefits, including benefits that aren’t job-based. And if you are certain that you don’t want to go far to school, you can choose an institution nearby or consider an online program. If you’ve thought these reasons over and are still sure that you don’t want to attend, and that your reason is valid, here are some things you can do! What Are My Options If I Dont Go to College? Although you may know that college is not the right choice for you at this time, there’s no obvious bullet point of options you can turn to as an alternative. This list is here to help you choose some positive and realistic options to attending college. Start a Business This is a great time to pursue an idea or skill that you have on your own. There is no requirement to have a four-year degree to start your own business. Maybe you’re great at photography, farming, cutting hair, or have a new tech idea. As long as you are passionate, learning good business skills and willing to commit to the idea this can be one of the best decisions that you make. Start Working There are a number of places that you can find employment even if you do not possess a college degree. This is particularly good if you doing a gap year and not sure if you will want to attend college at a later date. Working builds important skills, helps you to provide for yourself and will allow you to save money. Volunteering Consider joining a volunteer organization where you can learn about the world, travel and devote your time to a good cause that is important to you. Many young people find their career and callings through volunteer work. Join the Military The service is a great way to not only give back to your country, but achieve a career and experience after college. There are a host of opportunities within each branch of military that may be right for you. Enroll in a Technical School Enroll in a technical school or join a fellowship to learn a trade that you can work with or pursue in another way. How to Tell Parents That I Dont Want to Go to College? Once you’ve made this decision, you might be wondering how to tell your parents. Though it is likely to be an unpleasant conversation, its better to start it as early as you can. Remember that they will support you whatever you decide, so dont be afraid to tell them the truth. BE HONEST Honesty is the most important thing and having a plan is also key to making the conversation productive. SHOW YOUR AWARENESS Explain your reasons for not wanting to attend college and stress that this decision does not have to be a permanent one, that you can choose to attend at any time. In fact, older college students often have more success because they are more mature. SUGGEST ALTERNATIVES As you express these desires, be sure to present your alternative plan so they know you will still be productive with your time and desire to accomplish things as an adult. COMPROMISE It will help them to respect your decision and support you along the way, even if your choice comes as a shock. Understand their concern and come to a consensus that works for your entire family. Final Takeaway As you can see, choosing not to attend college is still as much work and takes just as much decision making going to college, but it can be worth your while if you plan it properly! Create a valid plan for yourself and be confident in your decision! Own it and you will find great success in whatever you choose to do.

E-commerce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-commerce - Research Paper Example However, the key challenge has been the fraud and general security issues this affects both the buyer and the seller. Businesses run the risk of phishing attacks before they can transact any business. This is costly for them as a business, but it is inevitable to avoid further losses in future. The customer is the most vulnerable to fraud and security risks the common security issue is hacking of their credit card. My paper seeks to explore deeper into these problems (fraud and security), effects on e-commerce, and ways of improving the security of the business to both customers and the sellers. The recommendations to be made can be used by authorities to make changes in the trade for its success in the future. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Since the introduction of e-commerce fraud and security issues are a serious blow in the business, of all other issues that people around the globe have had to put up with, fraud and security issues have dominated. Discussions have previou sly been held to try and bring a lasting solution but with little success. Of all cyber crimes in the world, fraud accounts for 3% which is a substantial margin compared to other small offences committed through internet. Garner Group on the other hand estimated that around 1.06% of the total online transactions are fraudulent as compared to the 0.6% (Reynolds 2004). Both statistics above translate to a lot of money loss, which affects clients and sellers of goods or services. Effects and impact of security and fraud in e- commerce are worrying, by year 2003, it was estimated that 1.8 billion dollars would be lost (Debjan 2005). Once one is a victim of security and fraud in e- commerce, majority fear and their perceptions changed. Many fear that they may lose their money again... Since the introduction of e-commerce fraud and security issues are a serious blow to the business, of all other issues that people around the globe have had to put up with, fraud and security issues have dominated. Discussions have previously been held to try and bring a lasting solution but with little success. Of all cyber crimes in the world, fraud accounts for 3% which is a substantial margin compared to other small offenses committed through the internet. Garner Group, on the other hand, estimated that around 1.06% of the total online transactions are fraudulent as compared to the 0.6% (Reynolds 2004). Both statistics above translate to a lot of money loss, which affects clients and sellers of goods or services. Effects and impact of security and fraud in e- commerce are worrying, by the year 2003, it was estimated that 1.8 billion dollars would be lost (Debjan 2005). Once one is a victim of security and fraud in e- commerce, majority fear, and their perceptions changed. Many fe ar that they may lose their money again especially if they lost a lot of money previously.Literature review below has the research and view of people who have done research e-commerce in the past. The literature has a lot of information and data regarding the proposal.E-commerce touches many people’s lives around the globe, a million e-businesses, are registered and operation on the internet, interacting with a billion people both buyers and potential buyers, through trillion interconnected intelligent devices.

International Trade and Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Trade and Technology - Assignment Example It can be seen that countries that have the resources and capacity end up benefitting from the ideas originating from the other nations that have weaker intellectual property protection (Roos, 2008). However, such countries also stand better chances for development since their ideas can be improved to come up with valuable products. Countries need weak intellectual property protection when they are still in the developing stages and they do not have the resources to turn their ideas into valuable product. This will help these countries to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) that can boost their economies (Haydam, 2001). On the other hand, countries that have vibrant economies need stronger intellectual property protection in order to protect their interests. 2. The World Trade Organization (WTO) in partnership with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are specifically concerned with setting parameters for and directing the economic policies of governments around t he world (Haydam, 2001). In other words, WTO is responsible for facilitating trade among different nations and making sure that fair trade practices are upheld. However, the main issue with WTO is that it determines the amount of debt a country can get from international monetary organizations like IMF and World Bank. Developed countries enjoy an unfavourable advantage compared to developing countries which entails that they have an upper hand in various trade deals. The key element of The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is mainly related to protection of property rights. The technical barriers to the agreement involve the fact that less developed countries are often found at the receiving end since they may lack the technology and equipment to transform ideas into meaningful products that can be traded in order to boost their own local economies. As a result of the fact that developing nations may not have sufficient equipment to develop v arious products, they end up giving in to countries that have the resources which may not bring the anticipated results. 3. In most cases, the host country benefits from the international migration of scientists and technologists from poorer countries to wealthier countries. These people would boost growth and development in the host countries where they will get the opportunity to get jobs that suit their qualifications and skills. Warhurst (2008) suggest that migrant workers especially in developed countries positively contribute to their economic development. However, the main problem is that migrant workers are poorly remunerated since the host countries would also be intending to take advantage of them. Apart from failing to get salaries that are not commensurate with their skills and qualifications, the migrant workers will significantly contribute to the development of the host countries. Their knowledge and skills would be used to develop other countries while their own coun tries continue to lag behind in terms of development. Therefore, it can be seen that the host countries, developed nations in particular are the winners in as far as the aspect of skilled migrant workers is concerned. The original countries where these people come from are losers as a result of skills flight. The people who are supposed to carry out research and development project in the country

Issues and Challenges in Integrating Information Technology into the Essay

Issues and Challenges in Integrating Information Technology into the Curriculum - Essay Example As a result, ICT and its capability in improving student performance have been marginal as well. How then, should these new technologies be implemented by teachers in order to successfully integrate them into the curriculum As this essay will argue, the successful integration of information technology into the curriculum requires a paradigm shift from the teachers perspective, together with their acquisition of the technical skills required to use ICT, and a good support system from the school to create a contextually relevant environment that will make teachers more receptive in using new technologies and encourage learning from students. As Jonassen, Peck, and Wilson (2003) claim, ICT today is not simply a medium where information is transferred, but a tool that students learn with, assisting the learning process itself. At the very least, one could infer that ICT is changing the nature of education today - from the school, to its curriculum, each facet of education is being revised to cope with the fast development in ICT in an effort to effectively integrate such new technologies (Williams and Price, 12). However, it is imperative to note that the implementation of ICT is just a single aspect within the larger context of school reform. Thus, it is important to understand that school reform today, insofar as ICT is concerned, places emphasis not just on quantifiable outcomes, such as an increase in the amount of ACT available in schools, but on the quality of learning experiences for students - the degree that ICT enriches students' learning experiences (Godfrey, 2001, p.15). Unfortunately, most teachers do not fully comprehend such relationship between ICT and education. According to a study conducted in Australian schools, the purpose of ICT in the curriculum continues to be ill defined and poorly understood by teachers (Fifoot, 2000). An implication of such is that ICT causes frustration among teachers, which eventually forces them to abandon it altogether. If not, they just end up using it ineffectively, as a tool to substitute typewriters and calculators, for example. Using ICT in such ways do not only waste valuable investments made for the improvement of learning, but it can also have negative effects in the student's learning process because it leaves them incapable of integrating ICT effectively in their daily lives as well. Teachers, therefore, need to know how to use technology to successful use it in the classroom. However, it is imperative to differentiate between knowing how to use technology for its sake from knowing how to use technology for the sake of improving student learning (Fishman, et. al, 2001). As Tiene and Ingram (2001, p.xv), puts it, teachers "need to expand their awareness of ... educational technologies [and] the critical issues associated with the effective utilization of these technologies." Aside from understanding ICT implementation within the context of school reform, it is also imperative to understand the changes and trends surrounding ICT and school reform. Grabe and Grabe (2004, pp.35-39) outlined this shift in terms of changes in student and teacher roles,

Efficiency Wages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Efficiency Wages - Essay Example Regarding a model of costly labor turnover, Stiglitz1 writes, firms are likely to pay too high wages. But it should be emphasized that it is possible that the competitive wage is too low. Since the 1970s, the persistently high unemployment rates in many industrial economies have made more and more economists believe that involuntary unemployment is one of the major stylized facts of modern economies. Therefore, a satisfactory macroeconomic labor model should explain well such a stylized fact. The efficiency wage theory has in recent years generally been regarded as a powerful vehicle for explaining why involuntary unemployment has persisted in the labor market. In constructing a business cycle model, "a potential problem of the efficiency-wage hypothesis is the absence of a link between aggregate demand and economic activity"2. Hence, until Akerlof and Yellen (1985) presented the near-rational model, efficiency wage theories still left unanswered the question of how changes in the money supply can affect real output. In macroeconomic theory, the wage is simply regarded as the amount of money that employees receive and is assumed to be exactly equal to the average cost of labor to employers. In practice, the components of wages are more complicated than the simple economic setting would suggest. There exist some gaps between the amounts that trading partners pay and receive. For example, the actual average cost of labor to employers is equal to the wage that employees receive after the addition of hiring and training costs, firing (severance pay) and retirement (pension) costs, various taxes and insurance fees, sometimes traffic and housing outlays, and so on. Some of these costs, especially taxes, insurance, and traffic fees, are set by the process of political negotiations. The resetting processes relating to these costs are always time-consuming and controversial in modern democratic societies, and these costs are not as flexible as other components of wages determined by competitive markets o r monopsonists. Since some components of wages are always inflexible, partial rigidity of wages is thus a realistic specification for economic modeling. When we recognize that wages have the property of partial rigidity, it is logical to expect that money nonneutrality will hence result. The basic tenet of the efficiency wage theory is that the effort or productivity of a worker is positively related to his real wage and firms have the market power to set the wage. Therefore, in order to maintain high productivity, it may be profitable for firms not to lower their wages in the presence of involuntary unemployment. The main reasons that are provided for the positive relationship between worker productivity and wage levels include nutritional concerns3, morale effects4, adverse selection5, and the shirking problem6. The shirking viewpoint proposed by Shapiro and Stiglitz (1984) is the most popular version of the theory. Its essential feature is that firms cannot precisely observe the efforts of workers due to incomplete information and costly monitoring; equilibrium unemployment is therefore necessary as a worker discipline device. I thus adopt a shirking model as the analytical framework of this paper to examine the effects of partial rigidity of wages. The earliest theoretical work on efficiency wages

We do not have a language to represent female killing Essay

We do not have a language to represent female killing - Essay Example Women aggression and violence is not tolerated in many societies as it deviates from the womanhood. Much stereotyping arises with the women violence and killing cases and media has taken advantage of the cases to report what is not. Involvement of women in violence is associated with lesbianism which is said to be change towards masculinity making women more like men and can do anything men can. Women violence and criminality is unique and unnatural under the natural womanhood and is associated with change towards masculinity and attracts much media attention, which may have an impact in the judicial process which seems biased against women. The Changing Trends Women involvement in criminal activities, violence and even killing has always remained an imagination but it seems it has turned to be a fact. In the twentieth century, several cases involving women aggression and violence were reported and included the Papin Sisters in 1933, Aileen Wurworns in 1989-1990, Stacey Wigginton in 1989 and Sanna Sillanpà ¤Ãƒ ¤ in 1999 were reported. In all these cases, women were involved in violence which led to death of some people. It is interesting that men were the majority victims in all these cases. The society takes the case of women killing differently compared to the cases involving men. Berrington and Honkatukia (2002) confirm that women involvement in crime is exceptional and unnatural. In an interview, Dr Lizzie Seal, the author of the book Women, Murder and Femininity confirms that women who kill are not natural women and they can be called failed women in the society. She goes on to explain that women are nurturing and gentle in nature. In that case, a woman killing is in total contrast to their natural characteristics (Taylor, Seal and Westmarland, 2011). The deviance to get to that level is surprising according to the expectations of women. In any society whether it is in the developed country or under developed, women are expected to be just women with well defined roles. Roles of women include looking after the house, taking care of children and most importantly complimenting the man especially in the white middle class. In this case, women are care givers and nurturers by nature as stated above. The traditional social role of women put them in a situation in which they could not engage in criminal activities. However, the society has been opening up and the roles of women are changing from the traditional social and home roles. These changes are the reasons women are now involved in criminal activities as Rosenblatt and Greenland (1974) explain. According to them, the new changes can easily create opportunities for women to be involved in criminal activities, violence and killing. However, the idea of women killing has not been accepted by many. Most people in the society keep wondering what can inspire women to kill other people. Several theories have been drawn to explain this idea. One theory which is stated in many books states that women can only kill when they have changed in their bodies. In this case, their bodies change to be like those of men. Men bodies are masculine and their traditional roles allow them in some way to kill, though it is not allowed by law. Therefore, a woman would have to be masculine to be able to kill. Barak, Leighton, and Flavin (2007 p.114) point out a women can kill when

Marketing Plan for Ellens Stardust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Plan for Ellens Stardust - Essay Example Other aspects of the marketing mix have been discussed in details in this section. This coupled with the offering of traditional American delicacies and retro music is likely to boost performance of the business. The section covering action budget plans has shown that nearly $5 million can be spent by the business as marketing expenses. The detailed break-up of the components has also been provided. The section on the contingencies plan discussed the additional measures that can be adopted if the original planning is not realized. Finally, the section on evaluation and monitoring elaborates on various steps that can be adopted by Ellen’s Stardust Diner so as to monitor the marketing plan. Few techniques that has been pointed out includes return on investment, market share analysis, customer attitude tracking, market expense to sales ratio and last but not the least, analysis of sales figures. Ellen’s Stardust Diner is among one of the best themed dining restaurants based in New York City, which appeals to customers of all age groups. The business has come a long way since being established 27 years ago (Ellen’s Stardust Diner, 2013). The analysis of macro environment of the business has revealed that healthy eating habits promoted by the UK government and commitment towards reduction of waste products of the industry might entail greater operational costs. UK is slowly recovering from the recession; and as fast food restaurants perform better during sluggish economic performance, the business gets to experience greater opportunities. London West End has a similar cultural taste to that of New York and this improves the scope of opportunities for the restaurant (Petusevsky and Whole Foods, Inc, 2010). As the population in this place has a tendency of eating outside, the diner can afford to capitalize on it. London West End houses health

We do not have a language to represent female killing Essay

We do not have a language to represent female killing - Essay Example Women aggression and violence is not tolerated in many societies as it deviates from the womanhood. Much stereotyping arises with the women violence and killing cases and media has taken advantage of the cases to report what is not. Involvement of women in violence is associated with lesbianism which is said to be change towards masculinity making women more like men and can do anything men can. Women violence and criminality is unique and unnatural under the natural womanhood and is associated with change towards masculinity and attracts much media attention, which may have an impact in the judicial process which seems biased against women. The Changing Trends Women involvement in criminal activities, violence and even killing has always remained an imagination but it seems it has turned to be a fact. In the twentieth century, several cases involving women aggression and violence were reported and included the Papin Sisters in 1933, Aileen Wurworns in 1989-1990, Stacey Wigginton in 1989 and Sanna Sillanpà ¤Ãƒ ¤ in 1999 were reported. In all these cases, women were involved in violence which led to death of some people. It is interesting that men were the majority victims in all these cases. The society takes the case of women killing differently compared to the cases involving men. Berrington and Honkatukia (2002) confirm that women involvement in crime is exceptional and unnatural. In an interview, Dr Lizzie Seal, the author of the book Women, Murder and Femininity confirms that women who kill are not natural women and they can be called failed women in the society. She goes on to explain that women are nurturing and gentle in nature. In that case, a woman killing is in total contrast to their natural characteristics (Taylor, Seal and Westmarland, 2011). The deviance to get to that level is surprising according to the expectations of women. In any society whether it is in the developed country or under developed, women are expected to be just women with well defined roles. Roles of women include looking after the house, taking care of children and most importantly complimenting the man especially in the white middle class. In this case, women are care givers and nurturers by nature as stated above. The traditional social role of women put them in a situation in which they could not engage in criminal activities. However, the society has been opening up and the roles of women are changing from the traditional social and home roles. These changes are the reasons women are now involved in criminal activities as Rosenblatt and Greenland (1974) explain. According to them, the new changes can easily create opportunities for women to be involved in criminal activities, violence and killing. However, the idea of women killing has not been accepted by many. Most people in the society keep wondering what can inspire women to kill other people. Several theories have been drawn to explain this idea. One theory which is stated in many books states that women can only kill when they have changed in their bodies. In this case, their bodies change to be like those of men. Men bodies are masculine and their traditional roles allow them in some way to kill, though it is not allowed by law. Therefore, a woman would have to be masculine to be able to kill. Barak, Leighton, and Flavin (2007 p.114) point out a women can kill when

The Use of Theatre in Mexican-American Culture Essay Example for Free

The Use of Theatre in Mexican-American Culture Essay Latinos are currently the largest minority group in the United States, and Mexican-Americans are the largest group within the Latino population. It may be unfathomable for the younger generations to think of the Mexican population in the United States as a silent minority group; however, it was not until after World War II that we see a rise in Chicano nationality and identity movements. What was the role of the theatre in this discovery of identity, and how did the theatre give social voice to this formerly unheard group? The clearest answer to this question can be found through the Teatro Chicano movement, Luis Valdez’s character El Pachuco in Zoot Suit and the performance art pieces and writings of Luis Alfaro. The name El Teatro Chicano is actually a blanket term used to describe an entire theatrical movement by the Mexican-American population in the United States. Established in 1965, Luis Valdez’s El Teatro Campesino (literally, Farmworkers’ Theatre) was the most famous of the Chicano Theatres; however it was hardly the only participant within the movement. In 1971 there were over 25 groups that defined themselves as Chicano Theatres (Huerta 15). The basic guidelines of El Teatro Chicano were simply to be a community-based movement committed to exposing social issues and injustices within the barrios, or hyper-segregated Mexican neighborhoods. The mission of Teatro Chicano was based on the understanding of the ancestral Mayan concept of â€Å"In Lak’ech†, which states â€Å"you are my other me, so I must respect you as I do myself. † The foundation of Teatro Chicano not only traced back to the Native American ancestors of the Mexican-American community, but it also sought to use this ancestry to restore a sense of identity and to encourage Mexicans in the United States to hold onto their roots (Huerta 16). Unlike other theatre and social change movements, El Teatro Chicano was not really interested in injustice as a whole, but rather injustice from the vantage point of the Mexican-American. The specificity of the movement also helped to distinguish the Mexican identity from a general marginalized group identified by the blanked term of ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’ to a unique faction with a personalized perspective (Huerta 15). There has been little research done on teatros other than Teatro Campesino, most likely due to the fact that El Teatro Chicano was not a very organized or professional movement. Pieces were often performed outdoors, on street corners or in other high traffic areas. Little concern was given to production quality because the content of the message was the primary focus (Kanellos 65). Valdez felt there was a want for more unity and communication between participants as well as a need for more training of Chicano performers in El Teatro Chicano, so in the summer 1971 he held the first meeting of El Teatro Nacional de Aztlan, or TENAZ. The workshop was considered a â€Å"success†, and 15 participants were taught different Teatro ‘techniques’ and swapped ideas for topics and themes for new performance art pieces (Huerto 14). Ironically Valdez, the founder of TENAZ, was eventually excluded from the workshop because he was criticized for creating works that were too ‘spiritual’ and that avoided the real issues of poverty, employment and discrimination (Elam 116 – 117). The fundamental performance utilized by El Teatro Chicano was the acto, a term coined by Luis Valdez. Actos are performance are pieces that are used to â€Å"inspire the audience to social action† and put emphasis on the social vision (Broyles-Gonzalez 25). While they were usually scripted, they were never actually written down and performers often took a lot of artistic license with the pieces (Broyles-Gonzalez 22). The actos performed by various Teatros Chicanos often faced serious opposition, even by members of the Mexican community. In an effort to remain ‘true to reality’ the actos often contained extreme profanity, coarse subject matters and graphic violence. It was not uncommon for Teatro Chicano performers to be thrown out of venues because of the vulgarity of the actos, so performers constantly struggled between the choice of softening the pieces for the sake of the audience or remaining true their perception of the social reality (Huerta 17). Though it may have lacked in unity and professionalism, the El Teatro Chicano helped to instill pride in the Mexican identity and spur discussion of injustice and social action. In his essay Concerning Teatro Chicano, J. A. Huearta states: â€Å"Teatros are converting Chicanos who used to be ashamed of their heritage; teatros are bringing socio-political realities to the people in a way they cannot ignore; teatros are educating people† (Huerta 18). During his work with El Teatro Campesino, Luis Valdez was commissioned to write Zoot Suit by the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. The play would tell the story of the racially biased trials of the Sleepy Lagoon Murders, where seventeen pachucos, Mexican gang members, were convicted of first-degree murder, and the Zoot Suit Riots that ensued due to the verdict (Jacobs 27). Through much opposition from the Anglo-dominated theatre world, the play debuted at the Taper, made its way to Broadway in 1979 and was later made into a film in 1981. Much of the opposition to the play was due to the unwillingness to change the character of El Pachuco, the prototype of the 1940s Mexican gangster and Valdez’s personification of the Chicano identity (Kanellos 97). In an interview soon after the release of the film Zoot Suit Valdez commented on the character of El Pachuco: â€Å"He is the rebel. The recalcitrant rebel who refuses to give in, who refuses to bend, refuses to admit that he is wrong. He is incorrigible. And the way that the Pachuco appears in the film and in the play makes a very strong statement. The stance is almost ideological, even cultural; it’s mythical. They know then, the Anglo critics†¦that what this figure represents is a self-determined identity; it comes from its own base. That’s been my argument all along through my work; that we have our own fundamental base from which to work† (Kanellos 98). To Valdez, the idea of the Pachuco was not to glorify the lifestyle of the 1940’s gangster (which many accused him of doing), but rather find an archetype within whom the Mexican-American community could find their identity. The pachuco refused to assimilate to the dominant white culture, and while he may inhabit some extreme character flaws, Valdez finds his struggle for identity worthy of acclaim (Kanellos 101). Valdez also argues that he presents both good and bad sides to El Pachuco, as to not present him as a villain or hero, but rather and â€Å"abstract person† who acts as a sort of â€Å"internal authority† for the Mexican-American (Kanellos 98). The pachuco is clearly seen as the symbol of Chicano identity in the second act of Zoot Suit. El Pachuco stands before the court and is stripped of his zoot suit, the representation of his new identity, and is reduced to nothing but a loin cloth, the representation of his ancestral Native-American identity (Valdez Act II, Scene 6). Despite the persecution, El Pachuco still refuses to give into the dominant culture. It is clear that Valdez sought to instill ideas of pride and heritage within the Chicano community through his character of El Pachuco, but his plight did not go unopposed, even by members of his own racial community. Along with the disdain held for the lifestyle of the pachuco, Valdez was also criticized for marginalizing women through the â€Å"machisimo† or male domination of his plays (Jacobs 28). In Zoot Suit and other Valdez plays women’s roles were restricted to four characters: mother, grandmother, sister and love interest. Women also strictly fell into the category of â€Å"good woman† or â€Å"bad woman† and never had the character complexity or struggle like that of El Pachuco (Broyles-Gonzalez). In her article Elizabeth Jacobs writes: â€Å"†¦Valdez promotes an exclusively male version of events and a perspective reflecting the essentializing tendencies of movement ideology which dichotomized a ‘monolithic’ male Chicano identity in response to Anglo-American domination† (Jacobs 29). It seems that though Valdez was attempting to fight the dominant group by creating a sense of identity for the Chicanos, he arguably did so by marginalizing another minority group. To this criticism Valdez has been cited as saying, â€Å"Anytime that a new identity is created, it emerges as a power that is raw, terrible and disgusting to some, and glorious to others† (Kanellos 99). A more recent example of the use of theatre to spur social change for the Mexican-American community can be found in the performance art pieces of Luis Alfaro. As seems to be a common thread linking Chicano theatre, Alfaro’s pieces have the tendency to disturb audiences with their subject matter and/or physical performance, but do not seem to be quite as offensive as the actos performed by El Teatro Chicano members. Through his writings Alfaro advocates â€Å"throwing one’s identity in the face of others, making oneself fabulous, daring to tell the truth, to tell one’s own story† (Bonney 296). In his piece entitled Abuelita Alfaro speaks from the perspective of a ten year old boy with an extreme disdain for his Abuelita (grandmother). As the piece continues it becomes rather obvious that Abuelita stands as a symbol for old Mexican heritage and tradition. He shows a bloody finger and tells of a time when his Abuelita stuck it in her noting that I was â€Å"the only way that Abuelita knows how to stop the bleeding† (Bonney 298). He later shows a bloody finger on his other hand and tells how other Latinos are afraid to touch his wound, alluding to the idea that they are afraid he is infected with HIV because he’s gay. He ends the piece by how he wishes for Abuelita in these times of â€Å"plague†¦loss†¦sorrow†¦mourning†¦and shame† (Bonney 298 299). This comparison between the Abuelita, or the Mexican culture and heritage of old, who embraces him even if the manner seems simplistic and crude and the modern Latino community who rejects his wounds serves as a more subtle call to the Mexican community to embrace one another as their ancestors did (much like the afore mentioned Mayan concept of In Lak’ech). In another performance peace entitled Mu Mu Approaches, Alfaro consumes an entire box of Twinkies while a voice over tells a story of the rejection of â€Å"Mu Mu†, another woman who seems to stand for Mexican heritage and culture. (Bonney 299 – 300). Both the words of Alfaro’s piece and the gluttonous consumption of an entire box of Twinkies, a very â€Å"American† food, convey the dangers of over assimilation and neglect of one’s heritage. While Alfaro’s theatrical pieces definitely contribute to the establishment of a Chicano identity, he does not fall directly in line with the movement of El Teatro Chicano or that of Luis Valdez. Alfaro’s pieces often rejected oppression and marginalization in general; he did not only concern himself with the struggle of the Mexican-American. The lack of continuity could be attributed to many different things, but I think it is important to note that Alfaro’s homosexuality could be a reason for his apparent deviation from the mission of El Teatro Chicano. Both the Teatro movement and Luis Valdez have received extreme criticism from both feminist and gay rights groups, and were even called â€Å"homophobic† by some (Elam 32). There is no present research linking Alfaro’s sexual orientation and his divergence from El Teatro and Luis Valdez; however the connection does seem possible. There is no denying that theatre has played a significant role in giving a social voice to the Chicano community as well as creating a distinguished identity for them in the United States. However, there also is no denying that the highlighted theatre movements are not without weaknesses, some more striking than others. El Teatro Chicano devoted itself entirely to the Mexican population, but in some ways it may have promoted the same type of ethnocentrisms that it was created to fight. Luis Valdez tried to create a sense of pride an identity for the Mexican-American through his character of El Pachuco, but it was arguably at the expense of the women of the Chicano community. Luis Alfaro’s performance pieces, while not without flaws, seem to have progressed some from those before him. Perhaps, as stated before, this has something to do with his sexual-orientation, or perhaps it is simply due to the natural evolution of learning from those who have gone before you. Alfaro’s work gives hope that future Mexican performers, writers and directors will develop even farther down the path of social enlightenment, and that perhaps one day oppressed communities will be able to find liberation without the marginalization of someone else.

How Effective Korean Air Hr Strategy Is Management Essay

How Effective Korean Air Hr Strategy Is Management Essay This report discusses the details of suggested HR scorecard for Korean Air that shows how effective HR strategy is crucial for the successful achievement of its own strategic goals with appropriate measurement system HR Scorecard. Development process began with a clear statement of the companys strategy and operational goals with a strategy map showing the causal linkages in the value creation process. As next steps of process, workforce competencies and behaviors and strategically relevant HR system policies and activities are identified to create HR scorecard and the process concludes with presenting suggested HR scorecard with measurement. >During analyzing HR system and the organization, some points to be improved were emerged and these are mentioned with recommendation. If the HR concerns are solved, the company will be more resilient to face external environment with competitive workforce. HR Scorecard helps employees know and understand the organization strategic goals, encour age them to have skills and responsibilities in accordance with the goals, and guide them to achieve goals with measures. To make measurement system, the cooperation of HR managers and line managers for choosing proper metrics is very important. As strategies and goals are changed, the metrics and measurement system of HR Scorecard should be updated to be an effective and influential tool for strategic success. ii I. INTRODUCTION Many CEOs agree with the concept People are the most important assets and the fact that the companies with more effective HR management systems outperform their competitors, however, HR function and influence on companys performance are difficult to measure. Besides professionalism in Human resources are challenged to take a more strategic perspective and HR professionals are requested to prove Human resources are competitive advantages with measuring HRs performance corresponded with corporate strategy and its contribution to the company. Effective HR measurement system shows a clear and consistent view of how the company can implement its strategy in the organization and how HR can contribute to companys success with discovering and solving current HR problems. To start with defining corporate strategy of Korean Air, it will be evaluated how HRM play a strategic role, produce core values and interrelated with every level in the organization for achieving companys strategic goals using creating its own HR scorecard. II. BACKGROUND OF KOREAN AIR 1. Company overview Korean Air is an international airline headquartered in Seoul, Korea. As Koreas first private airline in 1962, it has grown into the worlds largest air cargo carrier and the thirteenth largest airline in the world. According to World Air Transport Statistics, Korean Air is the worlds largest commercial airline cargo operator since 20041. and was rated as the best airline in Asia for the third straight year, having the best business class on routes to Asia in 2009. 1 2. Corporate Vision and Mission Keeping with its vision To Be a Respected Leader in the World Airline Community, Korean Air is committed to provide best service that customers can value and trust and make a corporate culture that encourages innovation upon their mission Excellence in Flight 2). 3. Major Business Processes Passenger service takes the biggest part, however, cargo service gives the company considerable profits with a reputation as the largest international air cargo carrier. Korean Air has developed catering, maintenance, and unusually for an airline, an aerospace manufacturing business with researches and development programs for general aviation craft, military trainer and satellite since 1976 3). The aerospace division generated revenues of $470 million in 2008 and employs a little over 2,500 staff.4) 1) Business Review 2) (As of 2008) [Unit: Hundred Million Won, 1 US Dollar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 1,150 Won] 2) Operating Results 2) (based on 2008 IATA standards) 4. Structure Korean Air reorganized a corporate structure with new promotions for divisional responsibility management in 2003. It offers flexible management for planning, budget, recruiting and other key functions to all divisions. Every head of divisions would take a firm responsibility for outcomes and be appraised based on achievement.5) 2 a) Employees 2) (Total: 18,600, As of January 2009) b) Organization chart 2) 5. Business strategy Korean Air takes improved business strategies to implement corporate missions as below. 1) Globalization: To be ranked as global leading carrier with globalized manpower, service, and brand image. 2) Knowledge management : Encouraging learning and continuous improvement. 3)E-Business: Introducing more e-Commerce solutions and constructing upgraded Intranet for training and fast communication. 6. Relationship with external entities 1) International competitors : Business travelers who still consider Singapore Airlines with its young fleets and strong branding and Cathay Pacific which has a superior hub location due to its geographical proximity to China as superior in service and quality to Korean air.6) 2) Global airline alliance SkyTeam: Korean Air is a founding partner in SkyTeam, the worlds second largest airline alliance of eleven members and three associate carriers and expands its operations by code sharing and seat trading.7) Recently, Korean Air helped Uzbekistan airway and Garuda Indonesia to be joined.8) 3 III. HR SYSTEM AND THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF HR IN KOREAN AIR 1. HR system of Korean Air 1) Job Grade system Job Units are divided largely as Administration, Engineering, Cockpit crew and Cain crew. 9) Administration and engineering units operate a Course system for training and application purposes. Each unit has job grade scheme organized differently for every job unit and course to fortify expertise competencies. 2) Development training system à ¢-   Training organization Korean Air has developed and operated various training programs.10) Human resources development department and center take a charge of establishing training plans and integrated education. Professional training organization offer enriched education. As an implementation of Ubiquitous learning, Cyber campus is used. à ¢-   Training programs The training programs are prepared for each job grade and divided as Management development training, global competency training, job skills improvement training, and organization revitalization training. 4 3) Appraisal system 11) The appraisal system is based on measuring a contribution to company and individual work competency including performance, job aptitude and leadership. As Total analysis with giving feedback, they use appraised data for granting differential rewards or training and development. 4) Compensation and welfare system 12) Korean Air provide incentives, benefits (housing, medical and education support and culture leisure benefits) and favors such as discounted tickets and easier ticket purchase as a privilege of being with airline. 2. The Strategic Role of HR in Korean Air The long term strategies of Korean Air can be defined as follows; à ¢- ² To be ranked among top 10 international passenger airlines Developing new routes and reinforcing SkyTeam network Heighten global image awareness with excellent quality service and culture sponsorship 1) Korean Air will reopen the route to Saint Petersburg and launch Irkutsk, Russia this year. When Tunxi international airport in China opens this March, a route will be put on Huang Shan line. It is planned to expand a route network to Central Asia, Europe and Africa and extend the number of destination cities to 140 cities by 2019 through SkyTeam. To attract more customers, more investment for ordering A380 Airbus fleets and changing new luxury and upgraded seats for all classes is drawn from revenue. 13) 2) As global cultural sponsorship, Korean Air tries to cultivate different type of brand image. Korean Air sponsored the multimedia guide at the Louvre Museum in Paris and Russias State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 2008. It is spread out to the British Museums new set of handheld Multimedia Guides.14) 5 à ¢- ² To make China its biggest Market Korean air has strategic relationships with China Airlines and China Southern Airlines and makes an effort to expand it more with other Chinese airlines. Routes to Guangzhou, Dalian, Weihai, Yantai, Changsha and Shenzhen were added and its route network has covered 19 Chinese cities with more than 150 flights. It is one of the most expansive networks in the China among non-Chinese carriers and chosen as The best foreign airline in China. 15) Korean Air established a Chinese-only counter China Express in Incheon International Airport and began its operation to enhance convenience for a growing number of Chinese tourists.16) For brand awareness, outdoor billboards in Kunming, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou were built. Book donations to poverty schools and inviting children in earthquake damaged cities to Jeju island are one of its social responsibility activities in China.17) à ¢- ² To be a leading air cargo carrier Korean air made a contract to create Central Asian logistics hub with Uzbekistan government and Navoi airport in 2008 with cooperation from Hanjin Transportation Co., Ltd. (ground transport) and Korea Airport Service (airport ground handling). 18) By 2013, constructing an airport infrastructure and attracting investments from global logistics companies will be kept up. Whole project is planned to be finished by 2018. In China, cargo terminal in Tianjin will be completed until the end of 2010 for activating the market.19) HR Strategic roles for these major strategies All strategies are global related and to achieve these goals, it is necessary to recruit manpower with international competency and train its employees with various and differential programs per position as long term system. 1. Recruiting As the demand of international professional staffs for conferences with SkyTeam and developing Chinese market is increased, fluent English speakers, China regional experts and MBAs with proper educational backgrounds are highly needed to improve business competiveness. Common recruitment is by internet, headhunters, employment agencies, internal sources and college recruiting. 2. Training : Korean air operates Global online education system around 50 branches in the world. The systems handle the hands-on skills of reservation, ticketing, customer service, transportation, maintenance, and language study. Yet, it is needed to be more practical and wide ranged for employees to solve their problems encountered at work. 1) Foreign languages: New flight attendants take 4-week training included correcting pronunciation and aviation English and Japanese at cabin crew training center. Every employee depends on online education system afterwards. 6 2) Management knowledge: Customized MBA courses developed with Seoul National University for executives are offered. Manager level complete AMS courses which cover specialized knowledge of air transportation industry and management theories.20) 3) Overseas regional specialists: To enlarge global network, area specialists are indispensable. 1 year of Overseas services- short term international assignment for senior managers and managers is executed to send them to foreign branches for experiencing local languages, cultures and operating systems. New employees go to Mongolia as volunteering activities to plant trees for desertification for brand image and giving opportunities to look around the Mongolia as a next market. 3. Corporate culture: Korean air has reformed hierarchical culture which caused serious accidents as creating a central clearinghouse for monitoring and investigating safety reports and audit findings so that all divisions are ordered to share and coordinate data. In 2009, Koreas Ministry of Gender Equality signed an agreement with Korean Air to promote a women-friendly corporate culture and support career possibilities for women. 21) 7 IV. HR SCORECARD OF KOREAN AIR Step 1: Define Business strategy 21C leading global airline with globalized human resources, services, and brand image To be ranked among top 10 international passenger airlines To make China its biggest Market Leading air cargo carrier Step 2: Value chains of each division Step 3: Outline a strategy map and identify the strategically required organizational Outcomes Strategy map 8 Outcomes 1) More customers choose Korean air because of excellent service and flight convenience. 2) Korean air will leap to global brand not restricted to an airline in Korea. 3) Empowerment and teamwork will help to be a Learning organization. 4) Improved revenue is expected owing to transport increase of passengers and cargos Step 4: Identify the Required Workforce Competencies and Behaviors Speaking good level of English, Chinese or other languages to deal with foreign customers and doing business with international companies Fast operation based on participation and empowerment immediate feedback, open communication Service-oriented and committed employees for attracting and retaining customers Top management who educated with efficient and practical management knowledge Continuous trained maintenance and engineering manpower for safety Creating a powerful corporate brand with full understanding competitors and the future direction of company.22) Deepened knowledge about other countries to start or have projects with. Professional service training force for satisfying every needs of passenger service Step 5: Identify the Strategically Relevant HR system Policies and Activities 1. Inspiring allegiance to the company and raising morale 1) Setting up firm policies of compensation and benefits for motivation Specify pay per performance, rewards, recognition, retirement, family friendly benefits, time off with pay, maternity leave and safety health protection programs. 2) Rewarding individuals and teams, team development 3) Encouraging organizational commitment, job satisfaction and job security 2. Professional training schemes for cabin and customer services Reinforcing on-line and OJT programs, participation in related seminars of experts, comparison with those of competitors, refined grooming and etiquettes. 3. Provide segmented and enriched education for required job skills and the knowledge improvement of all level from in or outside. University-industry collaboration for academic programs Arrangement of related reputable institutes to short term education Job rotation for internal training by superiors Increasing overseas dispatch for studying languages and cultures Support to study abroad for highly performed employees. 4. Recruit right employees Select candidates with language proficiency, proper educational backgrounds and global experiences under conditions of detailed job description and specification for reduction training costs and fast adaptation to the organization. 9 Step 6: Design the HR Scorecard Measurement System Applied assessing measures for HR activities about workforce competencies and HR systems for HR scorecard are as follows; Assessing HR system 24) 10 Step 7: Periodically Evaluate the Measurement System It is hard to manage all of HR systems with interrelated metrics as the organization is bigger and its business is diversified. Currently Balanced scorecard, a computerized model, help top management track and monitor HR data with marketing and finance metrics for companys strategic success. With establishing customized software system (refer to http://www.activestrategy.com or http://senalosa.com), it is expected to have improved effectiveness for updating and evaluating HR information periodically. Yet, it should be implemented on the premise that creating Scorecard team to select and validate measures and collecting data with cooperation of all departments. 11 V. Conclusions and Recommendations 1. Conclusions Below suggested HR scorecard process of Korean Air shows how the scorecard measures the organizational outcomes, workforce competencies and behaviors and HR system policies and activities aimed at implementing the corporate strategy 21C leading global airline with globalized human resources, services, and brand image. Basic themes are 1. Create service-oriented workforce, 2. Provide enriched training for global competency, and 3.Raise morale and create positive corporate culture. For example, the theme Create service-oriented workforce is implemented from Recruiting and selection. The metrics for recruiting can be chosen among No. of applicants per sources; No. qualified applicant/position, proportion of employees selected based on validated selection methods. After selecting, the step would be moved to Training and appraisal with related metrics. Outcomes also can be measured upon 3 major tiers of customer responses, international corporate image, and inner communication derived from the strategy. 12 With metrics for each process combined with strategic goals, HR performances can be objectively and quantitatively. It is easier to see and check from the start to the final purpose of company increased revenue from the point of view of HR. The scorecards will be a more efficient tool to evaluate HR system when proper measures are added, refined and connected as the organizations strategic goals are achieved and developed. Besides, periodically revising the HR Scorecard help HR managers assess how well it supports the organizations strategy implement efforts. 2. Recommendations Despite aggressive strategies to grow, Korean air hasnt been identified as distinctive global airline. Among business travelers who still consider Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific China as superior in service and quality to Korean air. HR should play a pivotal role for reinforcing employee development one of an organizations competitive advantages more than ever because the competencies will be determined as Human resources with definite strategic goals ultimately. 1) Training Foreign languages and academic learning Company puts a huge energy to China market so speaking Chinese is another challenge. Furthermore their English proficiency is still rather below compared with Singapore airline, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways as Asian airlines. It is important to create competitive environment with rewards or punishments through taking a test regularly and prepare for efficient language learning system with qualified teachers and teaching methods. Speaking languages with proper level is not accomplished within short period so it should be planned as long term schedule or to save relative costs, hiring international manpower at the first step should be considered. 2) Corporate culture: Chronic top down and secretive management style due to primogeniture and reluctance to outsiders is one of organizational factors in Korean Air to be improved. The solution of safety concerns and increasing customer expectation of broad and excellent services is satisfying employees as internal customers. Research has long shown that accidents and poor service quality are rooted primarily in social aspects not technology such as inferior management, decision making, teamwork, employee motivation or communication, can translate into loss of customers, market share, organization assets and, above of all, life. 26) High quality service is principal for differentiating among airlines and influential in customer choice. HR need to check whether the company has positive corporate culture encourages innovation, improvement and responsibility of each employee. Supervisors open door policy for communication, treating employees with respect and dignity can be a start. 3) Appraisal and compensation Fair compensation with appraisal will strengthen the organization. Regular in-house training for the system by HR department will be helpful for understanding and participation. Compensation should have its own schemes to prevent further grievances. Fairness of salaries and promotions should be kept because pay equity is connected to job satisfaction. 13 These three HR factors should be complemented with validated measures and implemented into HR scorecard soon for achieving strategies efficiently. HR managers need to cooperate with line managers to select effective measures for evaluating required HR activities and revise HR scorecard as the strategies are changed. It is important to have a comprehensive human resources measurement policy which enables to collect consistent information relevant with overall business strategy. With a solid HR metrics program, HR management can make business decisions that are based on facts and use the exact figures to support company performance. *Word count: 2,933. 14 Notes 1) International Air Transport Association (2008), World Air Transport Statistics. 52nd ed. Canada: IATA. 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