Change and Culture Essay Example for Free

Change and Culture Essay To adjust to greater competition and pressures of obtaining increased organizational efficiency and cost containment, many organizations have begun to examine strategies related to restructuring and downsizing to maintain organizational viability. These processes have included mergers and acquisitions, and redefining occupational roles of workers within the organization. Consequently, successful management of the structural change process can be daunting and overwhelming if not handled in an organized and thoughtful process. Those who are responsible for the process must recognize the barrier that may be hindrances to conception and implementation of the change process These barriers include: (a) lack of concise and coordinated planning/goals, (b) resistance to change within the organizational workforce, (c) failure to consistently evaluate the progress of the proposed change within context of the entire system, and adjust methodology as necessary. Thus, in order to achieve a balance between achieving organizational goals and addressing the uncertainty that may occur in the workforce, organizational leaders are tasked with the responsibilities of finding creative means to facilitate the mandated objectives while at the same time finding vehicles to maintain adequate levels of employee satisfaction and productivity in order to facilitate the ability to service their respective consumer base. It is the purpose of this paper to re-examine the fictional organization created in the week number four Culture Case Study I, and determine the means to facilitate a redesign in workforce brought on by a mandated reduction in work force. This paper will examine the concept of the universal worker as part of the proposed redesign, with further evaluation of the communications and organizational process that will have to be implemented in order to facilitate successful achievement of administrative goals and employee adoption of their new roles. Case Study In an attempt to achieve increased cost containment, six months after the merger of Charles Drew and Florence Nightingale Hospitals, the managerial hierarchy has proposed a significant reduction in workforce. Subsequently, a decision was made that the best way to facilitate continued safe patient care was to redesign the patient care delivery workforce. As recommended by the administration, the initial proposal for redesign was that of the universal worker. As understood, the paradigm of the universal worker would allow remaining employees to be cross trained in different job duties; thus, allowing more flexibility in staffing and personnel assignments (web. Answers. com, 2011). Through examination and implementation of the concepts of the universal worker, along with consideration of other strategies, the thought is that assigning additional duties to remaining personnel would allow continued adequate delivery of many support services. Past experiences in attempt to implement this type of change has proven to be met with resistance by personnel, and difficult to implement when introduced at other organizations; nevertheless, the administration has charged the mid-level management team with successful achievement of the proposed redesign in order to meet organizational objectives. The Change Process When beginning the process of job redesign within this organization, it will be important for those who are responsible for implementation of the change to understand the overall mission and goals of the organization and the global ramification of the change within the institution. It will be important to understand that a change in one area can have either a positive or negative impact on other areas within the organization (Leadership and Motivational Training, 2012). Thus, in viewing the potential upheaval that a reduction in workforce can create, and the subsequent potential for feelings of job insecurity that may be experienced by the remaining workforce, it will be important to allay these fears and allow enhanced empowerment of employees being affected by this process. This can be facilitated through inclusion of employees in the redesign process (i. e. implementation of work teams) and establishment of clear channels of communication within the system. Managing this process of job redesign and change can be successfully implemented through the initiation of a defined process to guide the change and an assigned change leadership team (Resnick, 2012). Through this process not only will the affected employees be allowed to have input to the process that will affect the their individual stake in the organization, they will also have the opportunity to implement substantial and lasting change for the overall system and the culture of then organization. As described by Peter Senge in his postulates regarding organizational culture, this inclusion, empowerment and open communication among those in leadership and front-line employees will work to facilitate what he described as the learning organization and systems thinking (Smith, 2001). Inclusion of work teams into the change process, and the subsequent implementation of the cross training of employees into various departmental roles, the concept of the universal worker among the care provision staff will allow the reshaping of the organization into one that has the flexibility to adapt to the rapid change that may be incurred, and foster an atmosphere of collegiality – where people are continually learning to see the whole together (Smith, 2001). Measuring Processes and Expectations Post Redesign  Once the redesign process has been completed it will be very important to implement measures to review the process of performance and if the predetermined goals of the change are being met. Since employees will potentially be relied on to increase performance and acquire additional employment duties, it will be important to examine how the implementation of change will impact employee satisfaction. It can be said that if an organization can meet the need for a satisfying work environment, then the employee will have a greater propensity to be more motivated and productive. As a consequence the satisfaction will have a greater correlation to improved outcomes and patient satisfaction. Examination of outcomes can be achieved through the â€Å"utilization of the creation of a balanced scoreboard-or dashboard- of the key internal and external measures that provide a comprehensive view of the organizations performance, with as much insight as possible regarding the implication of the change for the future† (Resnick, 2012). Examples of these tools could include utilization of employee satisfaction surveys, provision of strategically placed employee eedback boxes to solicit employee input to parameters for ongoing improvement, and implementation of employee councils to examine how to best meet the needs for improving overall workplace satisfaction and employee morale. With completion of the tools for review of performance, the organization will have a balanced understanding as to how the implementation of the job redesign has impacted organizational goals and desired outcomes -i. e. decreased attrition rates of employees, decreased sick leave utilized, increased patient safety and patient satisfaction scores – (Ugboro, 2006) . Creation of a Learning Organization As the paradigm begins to change in the organization, and implementation of change becomes manifest within the organization, it will be important to foster structures that will provide for a cohesive and well-rounded workforce. As a result, it will be important that all employees have a thorough understanding of what is meant by a learning organization, and how this concept will be imperative e to the ongoing success of current and future change. As described by Peter Senge, the learning organization can be viewed as a structural environment in which the employee is empowered to create the outcomes that they truly desire. In this type of environment, the employee is allowed the room of creativity to redefine not only themselves within their organizational role, but also the organization itself. This paradigm shift differs from the previous downstream constricted organizational structures in that it moves the process for acquiring new organizational traits and skills from learning a means of survival to one that embraces learning that enhances the capacity to create and innovate (Smith, 2001). As such, this paradigm allows progress of the employee to have a greater role in obtaining self-actualization through growth of objectively understanding how change and the end-results of proposed change will affect the organization and the system as a whole. Additionally, it changes the view of management from one of overseer, to one of fostering learning opportunities and helping employees develop systemic understanding (Smith, 2001). In relation to the mandated job restructuring that will take place within this merged organization this change will be facilitated through the creation of interdisciplinary teams of care providers that will comprise the teams that will be responsible for the redesign of the care delivery model. In context of the proposed reduction of staff, it can be assumed that the employees affected by the ensuing change will be instrumental in facilitating this change if allowed to be part of the redesign of priorities and duties. Consequently, with each group bringing their individual and collective spheres of knowledge, there will facilitation of the exchange of ideas, expansion of personal mastery, enhancement of mental models, and a building of a shared vision. All of which are characteristic of the described learning organization. In this case, enactment of the concept to the universal worker will require cross training of employees into potentially new areas of responsibility, or areas in which personal mastery has not been achieved. As such, training can be perceived by employees as a measure of the organizations commitment to them. Subsequently, training is one of the most powerful vehicles for an organization to create change. As stated by Resnick (2012), â€Å"First, it builds alignment to the desired change. Second, it provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to implement the change. Third, it creates the opportunity for cross-functional communication in the implementation of company-wide initiatives†. As this process evolves, management can ensure that continual educational opportunities exist for employees to grow technically and professionally in their respective duties. As these opportunities are allowed, evaluation of individual mastery should be evaluated and opportunities for individual employees to become mentors or resources for fellow employees should be encouraged. By facilitation of this process of collaborative self-management, satisfaction within the process will be enhanced and peer-to-peer sharing can take place. This will allow greater cohesiveness among the teams and a greater sense of inclusion among all team members. As stated by Smith (2001), â€Å"when teams learn together, not only can there be good results for the organization, members will grow more rapidly than could have occurred otherwise†. Measurement of Individual Satisfaction Measurement of individual employee satisfaction can be facilitated through many means. Standard traditional measurement tools could include employee surveys, employee feedback solicitation, and input gained during annual performance reviews. Although these means may allow the management team to gain greater insight to employee satisfaction with change, they are primarily founded in anecdotal response, and may be difficult of quantify. Thus, alternative measurements of satisfaction can be employed. These include monitoring of employee retention rates, review of utilization unscheduled employee leave, and patient provided satisfaction surveys. As indicated by Plowman (2009), â€Å"many studies suggest that the cost of turnover is on-and-a-half times an employee’s salary, when considering recruitment, selection, and training costs. Therefore, to monetarily measure the impacts of reduced turnover, one can calculate the expected cost of replacing employees who chose not to leave as a result of increased employee satisfaction†. Furthermore, enhanced patient satisfaction and outcomes may have a direct correlation to enhanced satisfaction in that increased individual productivity may be a sign of an employee who has taken ownership of his or her role in relation to change. Conclusion In today’s environment of organizational change, and redefining of traditional job functions and roles, it is imperative to create new paradigms within the organizational structure. Along with the changing responsibilities for employees, management must provide the means to promote atmospheres of renewed learning and assist the empowerment of employees in actualizing the larger systemic needs of the organization, and their role in the facilitation of making lasting change. Successful implementation of these concepts, along with meeting the needs for maintaining employee fulfillment and satisfaction will be essential for the economic longevity of all business organizations that provide essential services to the public.

Iraq (Cultures of the World) | Book

Iraq (Cultures of the World) | Book Introduction Hassig and Al Adely argue in their book known as Iraq: Culture of the world, that Iraq has been a major discussion featured in news all over the world in the last ten years of the 20th century and in the early years of the 21st century. Its ancient history has fascinated and owed many though triggering the international community to have many negative reactions. In ancient days, Iraq was known as Mesopotamia meaning â€Å"land between two rivers-the Euphrates and the Tigris† with Arabs, Sumerians, Turks and Babylonians contributing to the prosperity of the country. This has made Iraq to be known as â€Å"the cradle of civilization.† They later discuss Iraqs climate, geography, fauna, governance, economy, flora and the countrys history as discussed below. Geography Iraqs geography is made of mountains in the north, marshland on river banks and deserts in the south. The Iraq terrain is rugged seen in the citizens who live in poverty and war though still holding to their religion, beliefs, customs and interests. The countrys geographical location is in the south western region of Asia. Iraqs fertile land is found between the two rivers which has supported agriculture for many years. Although besides the lands fertility, the countrys topography and vegetation is changing drastically with west and southern parts changing into deserts and the north transforming into cold mountainous regions. There are steppe desert plains towards the west. This makes the place to be scarcely populated due to the rocky terrain plus the harsh climatic conditions. The northern foothills region receives abundant rainfall thus producing a lot of grain for the country. The foothills have many archeological sites like the ancient city of Assyria. The northeastern mountains are inhabited by many people due to its fertile land for pastures and the favorable cool climate. The later is also the land with richest oil fields. Although, being remote, the mountains act as a shelter for criminals and rebels. Climate Iraq is discussed to have unreliable climate. The north experiences freezing cold winters and very hot summers; the west is a desert thus dry; eastern sides are tropical thus humid. Iraq is a dry country. Averagely, the countrys summer temperatures range from 24to 43 degrees Celsius while 4 to 16 degrees Celsius in winter. It receives little rainfall, approximately 130cm per year. The rain evaporates quickly making the country to depend on irrigation for cultivation. Rarely the country experiences destructive floods. Flora The country has a variety of vegetation due to the different climates experienced. Examples of trees growing in the high altitude are alpine plants, oak trees, juniper and hawthorn. The vegetation grows sparingly due to the elevated salt concentration and the unfavorable climate. The country has desert flora which survive in the hot summer and thrive in the in spring after rainfall. Dates are also grown many parts of Iraq. The plant is referred to as â€Å"the plant of life† due to its many uses. It is used to make a variety of dishes, the palm is used for weaving and date pits are ground to create a beverage. Fauna The country has little fauna in relation to its size. Mostly, individuals keep camels as they survive very well in deserts. They require little water for survival and can travel long distances. The deserts have a variety of nocturnal animals. The Euphrates and Tigris provide a habitat for fresh water fish. Iraq has many cities examples are Baghdad, Basra, Mosul and Kirkuk. Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, grew from a small village which had become the heart of traditions and education. Right now, it is the center of government with many industries i.e. oil industries and food processors. The city was greatly affected by the gulf wars. Their bombs targeted armed forces and administration buildings mainly the governments. Currently, the city is being renovated. Though, this process is being slowed by international permits that stop countries from supplying Iraq with building materials. History Iraq has the best history. It is believed to be the root of civilization in 3500B.C. An example is the cylinder seals found there. They were pressed into clay and used to create signatures. The city built ziggurat which are pyramid shaped temples that made weapons and measuring gadgets. The authors also talks about the countries golden age and the foreign conquest. Iraq was then declared an independent kingdom in October 1932. The country was later faced with problems internally and with neighboring countries. In the late 1940s, the country faced economic crisis caused by worldwide shortages and the mass exodus of Jews to Israel from Iraq. This was also as a result of World War II. In 1991, there was an Iraq-Iran war which drastically affected their economy. Hussein and Al-Sabath family governing Kuwaiti disagreed on various issues. Oil fields lied in their border causing them to quarrel since 1958. Overproduction of oil by Kuwait to recover money to pay their loaner, lowered oil prices which also affected Iraq. Later, Hussein organized groups to attack Kuwait causing the Al-Sabath to exile to Saudi Arabia. United Nations reacted by sanctioning economic approval on Iraq that the country could not export their oil. United Nations created military troops by December 1990 which used force to vacate Iraq troops from Kuwait. Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait and thus United Nations organized to attack Iraq. This affected Iraq as the war claimed 100,000 lives of Iraqis. Government The country had dictatorship governance since 1979 during Saddam Husseins reign. The weapons used against Iraq affected them. Weapons made of poisons that could spread through water and air was used against Iraq. Iraq planned a terrorist attack and later attacked United States in September 2001. This has been causing quarrels between the two countries up to date. U.S government prepared to attack Iraq, although people who took part in the first Gulf War II were against it. Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, was producing mass destruction weapons which the U.S government targeted to destroy. The second gulf war began on 19th of March, 2003 when the U.S government planned missiles to a palace that was believed to have Saddam Hussein and his family hiding. The bombers targeted Iraq cities that are scarcely populated to avoid massacre and destroying the infrastructure. However, they were met by organized guerrilla opposition that was very fierce and this resistance never materialized. The U.S Special Forces planned and with the backing from the Kurdish militias they took over the oil fields in the north. Tikrit, Husseins hometown was taken by the U.S troop and Iraqis celebrated his down fall. The main agenda of the war was to replace Saddam Husseins dictatorship rule. Desperation of the Iraqis caused them to rob museums, institution and citadels of their leaders. The Iraqis who had flown from the country started to go back to the country and declaring themselves leaders in both religious and political fields. There was no clear governance. U.S assigned their factories to re store the destroyed infrastructure. Citizens built hope for brighter future in 2003 after the collapse of military authoritarianism. Iraq developed into a sovereign state from the association of countries authorized by British government on 3rd of October,1932 and transferred its leadership from an Alliance of Provisional Power to Iraq government on 28th of June,2004. Thus the government has a parliamentary democracy type of governance. Economy Iraq claims to have 143 barrels of crude oil and in 2009 it signed a major production deal with international oil companies. The country has set a target of 2.2million barrels for 2011 after the steady rise in shipments from the Kurdish region. Conclusion In conclusion, Iraq as a country has fantastic geographical and archeological sites with variable climate. The harsh climatic conditions experienced has made the country to depend on irrigation for agriculture and has also minimized the types of animals domesticated by Iraqis i.e. most of them keep camels. The country is portrayed to be rich with oil though being devastated with the recurrent war and bad governance. Globally, renaissance of producing oil and gas in Iraq would help reduce oil prices globally. This would assist in increasing oil quantity after the sharp worldwide depression that occurred in 2008-2009 which led to a steady increase in its price. Iraq has the possibility to become one of the worlds chief oil manufacturers given its vast oil resources. Overpowering rebels in the Middle East of Iraq has helped Iraq which is now progressing. This book explores Iraqs geography, past, government, wealth, citizens, and traditions.

Edith Wharton Essay -- Literature

Edith Wharton once wrote, â€Å"Life is the saddest thing next to death (Johnson and Zimmerman).† She is also said to have been â€Å"among the first American writers to gain a sense of the world as an evil place (Johnson and Zimmerman).† Edith Newbold Jones was considered to be a â€Å"product of New York City† (Johnson and Zimmerman) and was born on January 24, 1862 (a day she tried to keep secret (â€Å"Edith Wharton Biography† bookrags.com)) in the wealthier side of New York City. It is said that â€Å"her privileged lifestyle lead to many of her finest works (â€Å"Edith Wharton†).† However, even though her last name was Jones, there was a slight suspicion that her tutor growing up was her real father, and Edith believed this (â€Å"Edith Wharton Biography† bookrags.com). The ever-popular term â€Å"Keeping up with the Joneses† is also â€Å"a phrase coined about Edith Wharton’s family (â€Å"Edith Wharton†).† Edith Wharton was born just a few years before the end of the Civil War. When it ended in 1865, many things began to change for everyone, and that was one thing that Wharton’s family strongly disliked—changes (Johnson and Zimmerman). Therefore, in 1866, her family traveled to Europe and visited Italy, Germany, France, and Spain (Johnson and Zimmerman), and this was where â€Å"she spent much of her childhood (Johnson and Zimmerman).† In fact they stayed there for about six years after the war (â€Å"Edith Wharton Biography† Bio.) In 1872, she and her family came back to New York, but they spend their summers away from the city in Newport, Rhode Island. Then in 1873, Walter Pater publishes his â€Å"Studies in the History of the Renaissance (Davis â€Å"Timeline†).† This is an important fact because in her novel The Age of Innocence she writes, â€Å"Newland Archer prided himse... ...053&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w>. Johnson, Doug, and Phoebe Zimmermann. "Edith Wharton, 1862-1937: Wrote Novels of the Young and Innocent in a Dishonest World." voanews.com. Voice of America, 2007. 15 Feb 2012. . Lewis, R.W.B. â€Å"A Writer of Short Stories.† Edith Wharton. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Naipaul, V. S. "A review of 'Of Age and Innocence'." New Statesman 56.1447 (6 Dec. 1958): 827. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk. Vol. 66. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resource Center. 27 Feb. 2012. . Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence. New York: The Modern Library, 1948, â€Å"A Note on the Author of The Age of Innocence†- 68.

Rotten dot Com :: essays research papers

I have to say rotten dot com is not my type of website, but it did catch my attention. Even if you are disturbed or not attracted to something, you should give it a chance. You never know what to expect especially when you see, "Rotten dot com collects images and information from many sources to present the viewer with a truly unpleasant experience" on the main page. The content of the site is different than any other website that I have seen, but the form and layout is very common among websites. Rotten dot com actually reminds of a newspaper's layout. On the main page there are several links, some on the left side, and some going down the bottom of the page. These links can be related to the subtitles of newspapers which lead you to the inside story. Being that the website is easily viewed and understandable, rotten dot com is a very well designed website. All the links show what topics can be viewed. Then after clicking on the specific link you want, a header page is opened. For example, if you click on the link "Celebrity Morgue", you will see a page with two skeletons on it, and the title overlapping them. Below the title and skeletons is a list of people who you can view dead bodies of. Under the photos of the bodies, there are brief descriptions of how each individual person died. Another one of these links is called "famous." The famous link takes you to a page similar to the Celebrity Morgue page, where there are several sub links on the page. With these links you can view rare photographs. Some of these photos contain Richard Nixon meeting Elvis Presley, and a picture of David Duchonovy almost nude, which appeared on the cover of a European magazine. Another picture is of Nancy Reagan sitting on Mr. T's lap, as he is dressed like Santa Claus. As I previously stated, the form of this website is extremely basic. It contains a lot of links to other pages, which consist of a few odd and disturbing photos. Each page contains a few cartoon pictures, which describe and are related to that specific title of the page. A nice link to click is the "mug shots" link. You can view and take a look at famous actors', criminals', and professional athletes' mug shots. Some mug shots that I think are good are Pee Wee Herman because he got arrested for masturbating, Charles Barkley because he broke a man's nose in a bar fight, and Al Pacino as young hoodlum growing up in Brooklyn.

Lobbying in the European Union

The European Commission has four main rules: 1. Proposing new legislations to the Parliament and the Court. It is important that these proposals are aimed to defend the interest of the Union and its citizens, and not only for specific countries or industries. 2. It is responsible for supervising the budget under the watchful eye of the Court. It also has to manage the policies which are adopted by the Parliament and Council. 3. They have to make sure that the law in every European country is properly applied. 4. Representing the EU on the international stage. It makes sure that the member states can speak with one voice (Europa.eu, 2009). Explain why the system of Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) in the Council of Ministers has become more important in the decision-making process Assuming a measure is opposed by Britain, Italy and Ireland, which together wield 23 votes, these have more power than smaller countries. Since a blocking majority consists of 26 votes, the power of Denmark or Finland (each with three votes) to determine the Council's decision on the measure becomes infinitely greater than Luxembourg's (with only two votes). A small country can exert enormous leverage on its larger colleagues when it can use its votes to transform an existing coalition into a qualified majority or blocking majority (Peterson and Bomberg, 1999, p.51-52). Why and how has the role of the European Parliament become more significant in the decision-making process The European Parliament works aside the Council of Ministers to make decisions, therefore Parliament amendments are now influenced by the European Parliament in the decision-making process. It is more involved under two procedures, co-decision and cooperation with the Council of Ministers. This procedure was introduced by the EC Treaty of Maastricht and was largely expanded by the Amsterdam and Nice alteration of the TEC. Now the procedure is applied to practically all important matters (Europedia, 2009). With the cooperation procedure, introduced in the SEA, the Council becomes more influenced. If the EP has different opinions to what the Council proposes in a specific legislation, further discussion and modifications can be undertaken. Today this procedure will only be applied in limited areas of economic and monetary unions. Under the co-decision procedure now fall the vast majority of EU legislations that were introduced by the Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice Treaties. In this procedure the EP has more power to veto against some decisions from the Council. If they can not agree with each other, the legislation will fail to exist (Bomberg E. and Stubb A., 2005, p. 59). To what extent will changes to decision making procedures outline in the Lisbon Treaty (2007) improve the legislation process within the EU Firstly, it generalises the qualified majority voting in a normal legislative process. Secondly, the weight of the votes will change in the Council and significantly simplify the system of qualified majority. From the 1st of November 2014, the qualified majority has to be at least 55 % of the members of the Council, including a minimum of fifteen of them and representing Member States involving a minimum of 65 % of the inhabitants of the Union. A blocking majority must have a minimum of four Council members, and the qualified majority will be reached. The new voting system values the fairness of Member States as each one has one vote in respect of the first decisive factor and the second criteria is the population size of a country. The third criteria which must be noted is that 15 Member States in support of the proposal – is unnecessary (Europedia, 2009). Current decisions about roaming fees and the services directive demonstrate how the European Parliament's membership guides take decisions, which are in the interest of the European citizens. Henceforward, the European Parliament will have the same power as the Council of Ministers in many areas. Regarding the agricultural policy, the Parliament will be able to contribute to it. The EP will therefore take part in all aspects of the EU budget. The national Parliament will play a role prior to the acceptance of EU legislation and will be adept to force the Commission to modify draft EU-legislations. It will be a milestone to bringing the EU nearer to its citizens (TheEuros, 2007). In what ways do lobbying groups contribute to the policy process in the EU and why are they significant for business In 2008, there were 15,000 lobbyists and 2,500 lobbying organisations in Brussels. In the EU, the Lobbyist usually drops into one of three major groups: industry associations, regional representations and non-governmental organisations / interest groups. Interest groups and industry associations focus on influencing decision-making processes for the benefit of their members, while also gathering and disseminating useful information. In distinction, regional lobby groups stand for regional and local authorities within EU Member States, they do not focus on direct lobbying, but on networking, informing and marketing their regions all the way through the EU machinery (Stevenson, 2008, p.1). One of the most important issues in front of interests groups is the hanging balance of power between European Institutions. Enlargement of qualified majority voting in the Council take the veto power from Member States in some economic areas, the co-decision process gave the European Parliament a bigger role in decision-making and the power to reject legislation that the Council favours. Interest groups style alliances in order to give the issue a true European dimension and perspective. The EU today manages important policies such as the Common Agriculture Policy, telecommunication, the negotiation in the World Trade Organisation, food safety, public health and transport. Business groups account for almost two-thirds of all Eurogroups (Lehmann, 2003, p.5-21). Lobbying is significant for the business, because the firms can influence on the government's decisions. Levi Strauss & Co. for example, relies on Guatemala for materials such as textiles. In 2001, the U.S. government denied Guatemala duty-free status for its imports due to the Latin America government's decision to adequately implement labor laws. This would have increased Levi Strauss's costs, so it had a clear business interest in dominating, â€Å"Rather than lobby the U.S. government to retain Guatemala's preferential trade status† the author writes, Levi's choose to attack the cause of the problem: the Guatemala's lack of labour laws. The result: Guatemala put into operation stronger labor laws as a result it continues to have protected trade status with the United States (Is ‘Lobbying for Good' CSR's Missing Link?, 2009).

Television: the Undiscovered Drug

Television has brain-washed the majority of our youth. The first thing I hear as I get home are TV mumbles. I open the door and to no surprise there is my younger brother in full motion on the coach, hand in remote, flipping through channels. My brother could not be any more of a coach potato. He watches TV all day and night. I refer to him as the human TV guide. So much endless television can dull our minds, take away time from completing important activities, and has exposed us to a world of violence. First off, Television has dulled the mind of our youth easily.Youths today are used to having their information passed to them on a silver platter. Not as many teens like to read anymore because it involves too much work. My brother hates to read, not only because there are words involved in that activity, but also because it is now impossible for him to visualize the world presented within the book. It is also impossible for him to focus on a book because of the short attention span he has developed, and reading books just takes too much time for him. Television presents the world to him, a different world every thirty minutes, which holds his attention. Similar article: Teenagers’ Leisure TimeThis now leaves him no mental work to do, except to decide which channel he would like to watch. Because watching television requires no mental work, the brains of the adolescents that watch television are not stimulated enough. This may lead to a slower learning process, which would then explain my brother’s inability to memorize the multiplication table. Second, Television consumes time youths should be dedicating to more important and more essential things in their lives. Television takes away time that should be devoted to homework.When my brother gets home from school, he will immediately flip the television on, leaving his homework for later. When he finally decides to do his homework, the television will remain on, and he will sit on the couch with his books propped up in front of him, giving it only half of his attention. Homework takes longer to complete, and it probably will not be his best work since only half of his co ncentration was focused on it. Television also takes time away from quality family time. Most adolescents do not have a strong family connection.Families whose only time together is at the dinner table will waste precious quality time with their heads turned towards the television. The youth of today lose the strong morals and values they can get when spending time with their family. Television can even take away time from friends. When I spend time with my friends, I like to talk with them or go out. When my brother spends time with his friends, they spend the whole day watching the television. Their conversation revolves around what they are watching on the television. Most teens have the majority of their day devoted to the television. Lastly,Television has exposed a world of violence towards our youth causing them to be apathetic towards situations. Many television shows make at least one of the three aspects, violence, drugs, and sexual immorality, a normalcy. Adolescents of to day model their behavior after characters who live in world of violence, and they do not realize that what they are doing is wrong because to our youth, whatever they see and hear on television is right. For example, my brother has become a lot less sensitive towards all his friends at school. He thinks its okay to laugh if somebody gets hurt accidentally even if it could be serious.Or abruptly scream nonsense! He also believes its okay to manipulate people as long as he gets his way. Violence on television is glamorised and styled, and watching it does not hurt. So maybe this contributes to my brothers way of thinking their is no consequences. It is pretty short sided to blame everything on television because my brother should know what is â€Å"right† and what is â€Å"not† but how can he be really sure when television glorifies all sorts of violence? In Conclusion, When television was first invented, its purpose was to bring the family together and perhaps present a way in which we could receive information faster.In modern times, the television has managed to affect our youth in various ways we would not have imagined. The family gathering concept has disappeared. We have accomplished a faster way to transmit information, but it was a little too much information a little too fast for the wrong audience. I suppose my brother chooses to react this way because he is already too accustomed to being a coach potato. Television has taken over our way of life and we must stop the effects it has had on our youths and our society before it is too late.

American During its longest war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American During its longest war - Essay Example Thesis statement: America’s wars on poverty and Southeast Asia relate in the sense that social legislation slowed down because Johnson’s government did not have enough economic power to deal with domestic poverty. The military spent a majority of the budget on the Southeast Asia war. America underwent several encounters during its longest war. With this new convention, Social Security and welfare were born. These programs were part of social legislation in the United States. In the process, insuring the jobless, helping senior citizens and the blind directly, and payments to orphans or absentee fathers were the duty of the government (Murrin, Johnson, McPherson, Fahs, Gerstle, Rosenberg, and Rosenberg 989). In 1966, Johnson managed to construct a Congress that settled on domestic war, as well as the progress it made towards its fulfillment. Even so, incidents in Southeast Asia started to outshine Johnson’s national accomplishments slowly (Murrin, Johnson, McPherson, Fahs, Gerstle, Rosenberg, and Rosenberg 991). For instance, finances Johnson intended on combating poverty in the United States began redirection to the Vietnam War. Conservatives in Johnson’s administration slandered him for his national policies and liberals for his aggressive position on Southeast Asia. When America’s war in Vietnam became mostly violent in 1965, Johnson made them the topic of his secretly recorded and annotated transcriptions. Johnson discusses consecutive developments of the United States’ connection with the Vietnam War. These developments changed an assisting and advice-giving military effort into a radical, complete American war (Murrin, Johnson, McPherson, Fahs, Gerstle, Rosenberg, and Rosenberg 998). Between 1964 and 1965, a series of congressional decisions to take serious military action in Vietnam simply Americanized the Southeast Asian conflict. These decisions range from the events of the Tonkin