Task 1B Essays - Linguistics, Syntax, Language, Fiction, Narratology

Task 1B Although many students do not like their teachers especially math teachers, however, there is always a teacher that is not like the others. According to these three texts these students want their teacher back. In this text, I am going to compare these three texts regard to type of text, language and formality. Additionally, I am going to conclude my text with the impression I got of Mrs Woodholme. In my opinion, the first text is written in an informal style. In this text writer uses slang and contracted forms. Like they are writing a message to someone. she uses what we call "street English". For example, "jst wanna say u woz a gr8t teacher". instead of just wanted to say you were a great teacher. The writer use of language is one that points out that this text is an informal text. Another thing is the writer does not use pronouns. For example, they wrote "hrd ur retiring". Instead of "I heard you were retiring". In addition, she finished it with just her first name. However, text number 2 is written in a formal style. The text starts with dear sir. Even though this formal letter is not directly to Mrs Woodholme. It is natural to assume that this letter is for the principle or the head of the school. Reading this letter, I personally get to learn much more about Mrs Woodholme. From the first text I have learned that Mrs Woodholme is a math teacher but in text two the writer Alan Baxter get a little deeper in what type of teacher she is. He says that she is a unique, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and humorous and her most essential quality is her ability to see a positivity in every student. The writer's use of language is the first thing we recognise when we think of formal letters. This writer uses well-structured English. This letter is divided into two paragraphs. Where the first paragraph tells us readers what type of person the teacher was and in the other paragraph he says that she will be missed. And finishes his text with yours fait hfully and his full name. Readers get to know the teacher and see how much her students loved her. Text number 3 is also written in an informal style. This informal letter is written directly to Mrs Woodholme. I can see that this letter is written in informal style by just reading it once because in already the second sentence the writer used a contracted form "it wasn't" instead of "It was not" and "funny stuff" instead of " funny things". In fact, the way Alice choose to finish her text is an example how to write an informal letter. Her use of language is an oral way. This text is only just one paragraph. However, we can see how appealing Mrs Woodholme was to this writer, she even wants become a teacher. Throughout reading these three texts I have learned that these students like their teacher. In my opinion I think that Mrs Woodholme is an incredible teacher. She makes me think of one of my own teachers. In every class, there is that one teacher every student like. And it is because you feel it is very easy to talk to them and tell the everything, that is the impression I got of Mrs Woodholme reading these texts. Task 2B SOCIAL CONTROL IN AN INFORMAL AND FORMAL STYLE social norms and law vary between societies, belief system and communities. As a 16-year-old Muslim black girl living in a foreign country, believe me I know what I am talking about. Every day more than 100's of thousands of immigrants leave their countries some of them legally others illegally. But with such a big desperation for a better life people seem to forget about the laws and the social norm that country has. Today countries are deporting refugees such as the US. But in the news, these refugees are being referred to as migrants. People who had to flee their country because of prosecution, war and violence the united nation's definition of refugee. When native person sees a foreign it is so easy for them to judge and tell them "go back to

Netflix Strategic Analysis Essays

Netflix Strategic Analysis Essays Netflix Strategic Analysis Paper Netflix Strategic Analysis Paper Netflix | Strategic Analysis (Nov 2007)| | Netflix, the online subscription-based DVD rental service aimed to better satisfy customer in a way competitors didn’t, customized and personalized service with unlimited monthly rentals from a great variety of film offerings. Now they want to leverage their strengths to enter into the Video on Demand market| | | 9/18/2009| | 1 1 3 3 6 7 Table of Contents 1. Netflix Strategic Analysis 2. Netflix vs. Blockbuster: Comparative assessment of strategic differences 3. Netflix Competitive Advantage 3. 1 Home video industry Positioning Perspective 3. VRIO Perspective 4. Video On Demand (VOD) – Strategic Advantage i 1. Netflix Strategic Analysis Netflix, an online subscription-based DVD rental service aimed to better satisfy customer in a way competitors didn’t, with unlimited monthly rentals from a great variety of DVD offerings and personalized service. Netflix created a distinctive value proposition by understanding customer needs and competition offerings; Netflix found the sweet spot to align the firm’s capabilities with the customer needs in a way that competitors could not match them, creating unique activities to deliver to that gap(1). To take the movie rental to the next level, Netflix used the internet instead of rental stores and offered service only to DVD users while rental stores were still renting VHS. The combination of internet and DVD technology made competition irrelevant, by reaching in an untapped market, Netflix expanded existing industry boundaries and reached for the blue ocean(1). Netflix started building their offering from customer’s frustration such as narrow diversity of films and stressful return due dates which implied late fees. Netflix was able to hold large amounts of inventory in their warehouses without having the physical space constringency of a rental store, added convenience of delivery and the unlimited monthly rentals of a subscription model, and using technology for customization and personalization of their service. Leveraging best practices from internet retailers (ebay, Amazon) helped Netflix to identify characteristics that were most appealing to internet customers (2). Understanding what customer valued allow Netflix to strengthen their critical success factors. . Netflix vs. Blockbuster: Comparative assessment of strategic differences. 1 Blockbuster focused their strategy on impulse rental customers, while Netflix focused on customers that desired selection and for which watching movies was a way of entertainment. While Blockbuster business relied on newest release (70% of revenue came from hit movies) (2) they kept a narrow variety of movies and their financial success depended highly in ma ximizing the rental of those hit movies in inventory. To be able to increase utilization, the movies had a return due date and late fees would be applied if returned after. Netflix business model promoted lower profile films, while working in new relationships with studios to lower cost and quicker access of new releases (only 30% of revenue came from new releases)(2). Netflix continued making deals with movie producers and acquiring movies to enlarge the diversity and size of their DVD library; simultaneously applied the subscription model which allowed customers to reach an unlimited amount of movies per month (keeping three at a time). Blockbuster scope was to expand geographical coverage nationwide, owning most of their stores (80%) and franchising the rest (2). Netflix had a similar geographical goal, creating more distribution centers (inexpensive warehouses) improving upon its national wide coverage and reducing delivery time. Using technology to develop a recommendation system and personalized their service, Netflix had established a strong market position with a large and solid base of subscribers by the time Blockbuster entered the online movie rental business. Blockbuster had the power of high retaliation and leverage from their already established brand and existing products, so they integrated its online model with its traditional store business, eliminating late fees, copying Netflix business model and under-cutting price to gain market share, but still it did not offset their loss of revenue by 2005. 2 Blockbuster was too confident in their brand and their reach that failed to see the threat from the online rental business, meanwhile Netflix took advantage of their slow entrance to build a market and leverage on growing technology (DVD) that took off really quickly. The strategy canvas shown in Figure 1 captures how Netflix’s strategy differs from Blockbuster’s and their areas of differentiation. Netflix shifted their focus to alternative new offerings, building on critical success factors that could not be matched by Blockbuster, even when they entered the online video rental. Figure 1. Strategic canvas of home movie rental 3. Netflix Competitive Advantage 3. 1 Home video industry Positioning Perspective 3 To understand Netflix’s positioning in the home video industry offering of movies in the comfort of the home it is useful to employ Porter’s 5 forces framework to identify the gap they are filling and their strengths and weaknesses. Threat of Entry: To be able to start up a home video business would require a significant investment capital. Although the required capital for infrastructure could be medium to low (open a store and do minimum amount of marketing), it could be expensive for new entrants to invest in movies to create the necessary inventory, especially without relationships with movie studios and producers. Also retaliation could be expected from larger players if the new business poses a threat. For a possible entrant, high differentiation (for example convenience or diversity) would be necessary to be able to succeed. The threat of entry would be considered medium to low, but Netflix saw the opportunity to get into the industry by highly differentiating themselves to be able to compete. Threat of Substitution: Alternatives to the home video industry would be: first, movie theaters, expensive and lack the convenience of watching the movie in the comfort of the house. Second, to watch a movie through commercial television, it takes longer time to be available and is interrupted by commercials. Third, to watch movies through the internet, on the computer; it may be convenient, but not comfortable. Also, a customer always has as an option not to spend their free time watching movies. The substitutes are weak until technology allows for easy, quick and cheap movies to be downloaded through the internet and transfer to the TV. The threat of substitution is low. 4 The power of buyers: The source of dissatisfaction of customers comes from the narrow selection of movies and the rental due dates resulting in late fees. It becomes expensive for those who are volume customers and have to pay large amounts of money. But buyers have low switching cost as there are several options for renting movies, despite this fact, individual customers do not hold bargaining power over the price of products in this market since one customer’s decision to buy the service or not will not affect the overall market at all; similarly one customer’s dissatisfaction will not influence other customers significantly. The level of dissatisfaction with the service would promote a widespread response in the presence of a differentiated product that is more convenient and satisfactory for customers. Netflix â€Å"invested in things that were strategically relevant to customer satisfaction potential† (2) taking advantage of discontent of the underserved customers which increased buyers’ switching cost and decreased the buyer power. The power of supplier: High up-front investment is necessary to be able to acquire films. Without direct relationships with major studios, the industry depended on a small number of movie distributors to acquire the movies with little or no discount increasing the supplier power. Netflix built relationships with major film producers to decrease the up-front cost of new releases by splitting additional revenue; they were able to acquire more movies in a timely manner to satisfy demand. â€Å"As Netflix built its film library, it grew in importance as a distribution channel for many small and independent film studios† †¦ â€Å" Netflix acquired the distribution rights to certain independent films through its Red Envelope Subsidiary†(2). All the actions taken helped Netflix to both decrease the supplier power while increase their movie selection. The mail delivery system had also a major role as Netflix’s supplier. They highly depended on USPS for the success of their model (delivery and return of movies in a timely manner). Netflix took advantage of the declining first class mail industry and strengthen their relationship with USPS, receiving discounts while working on an efficient plan to expedite deliveries and returns and improve customer satisfaction. 5 Rivalry: The home video industry had been highly populated by small and large players with little differentiation offering, basically commodity service in a larger and smaller scale. Blockbuster had been the leader for a long time and smaller â€Å"mom and pops shops† did not present strong competition. The rivalry could be considered medium. As industry grew in a constant pace, more people demanded a wider selection with more convenience; this allowed Netflix to get into the industry with a differentiated product that allowed them to succeed. 3. 2 VRIO Perspective Netflix initial strategic advantage was based on differentiation from using the internet to select the movies, their unlimited monthly movies from the subscription based system with no late fees, the wider inventory of movies and the use of mail for delivery, very different from Blockbuster’s offering. It was a good strategy over the short term, but it only gave Netflix a temporal competitive advantage as anybody could copy what they were doing. To build a sustainable competitive advantage Netflix dedicated a lot of resources to make their offering unique; this helped them to further differentiate themselves. This strategy leveraged the value proposition of convenience and selection by personalizing their offering and building strong relationships between their system and their customers, their intent was to increase customer retention, offering features that customers could not find at any competitor, and that would be too difficult for a competitor to copy. Netflix invested in technology that allowed them to get to know customers using surveys, movie reviews and monitoring rental trends. All this permitted Netflix to give customers accurate recommendation of movies based on customer likes while having a queue of movies that would be shipped to them on priority basis. Using their core strengths and building rarity and difficulty of imitability, as observed in the VRIO analysis in Table 1, Netflix customer data base and personalized offering allowed them to have a sustainable competitive advantage in delivering home video entertainment. 6 Table 1: Netflix critical success factors – VRIO break down | Resources| V| R| I| O| | Physical| | | | | | | Technology| * | * | | * | TCA| Logistics| * | * | | * | TCA| | Geographical reach| * | | | * | | | Wide selection| * | * | * | * | SCA| | Brand| * | * | | * | TCA| | Convenience Easy access| * | * | | * | TCA| | Customer database| * | * | * | * | SCA| Organization| | | | | | | Knowing customer| * | * | * | * | SCA| | Recommendation| * | * | * | * | SCA| | Subscription| * | * | | * | TCA| | No late fees| * | * | | * | TC A| | Relationship with studios| * | * | | * | TCA| Human| | | | | | Team commitment| * | * | * | * | SCA| TCA – Temporary Competitive Advantage (Strength and distinctive competence) SCA – Sustainable competitive Advantage (Strength and sustainable distinctive competence) 4. Video On Demand (VOD) – Strategic Advantage While Netflix â€Å"believed that the DVD rental market would remain healthy for years in the future†(2), they also recognized, just as they did when entering the DVD market, the need to take advantage of the fast pace growing technology and enter the VOD market in its early stages in order to maintain ts superior â€Å"position as a giant in the media industry†(2). Unlike Blockbusters’ response when Netflix first appeared with a product so different from theirs, rather than seeing the new offering as an option that would appeal only to a niche market(2), Netflix acknowledged the VOD offering as a service that would benefit the mass market needs(2). 7 VOD presents two main challenges, the first is the hardware requirements to allow connectivity between the computer and television, adopting streaming offering would allow Netflix to establish in the VOD market while waiting for the technology to develop. The second is â€Å"the current limitations in available content† (2). Adopting the VOD business as a separate service could hurt Netflix’s â€Å"wide selection† image making it difficult to satisfy its wide range of customers. While Netflix must continue pressuring the studios to let them have more available films in VOD, choosing the option of integrating a streaming online video feature in their core offering, would allow them to build on their current differentiation strengths: unlimited monthly rentals from a great variety of movies and personalized service. New customers interested in the VOD offering would also enter in the data base helping further growth of Netflix’s customized and personalized system while taking advantage of their variety of DVD movies still not available through VOD. In the initial stages, both DVD online rental and VOD would complement each other. It would be expected for the streaming online video feature to increase popularity while overcoming the technical challenges of VOD. At the same time, the DVD rental business would be expected to decline. This strategy would help them transition effectively in the market. It will be easier to convert its customer from DVD’s delivered movies to VOD rather than acquiring new customers from scratch. Finally, integrating the current offering with the streaming online video while leveraging from their distinctive competencies, ultimately will give Netflix a sustainable competitive advantage â€Å"to allow for the best home video viewing for its customers† (2). References (1) W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, â€Å"Blue Ocean Strategy: From Theory to Practice† California Review Management, 2005. (2) 8 8 7 7 Willy Shih, Stephen Kaufman and David Spinola, â€Å"Netflix†, Harvard Business School, November 19, 2007.

Visa CMPP para mdicos cubanos y otros profesionales

Visa CMPP para mdicos cubanos y otros profesionales La visa CMPP se concedà ­a a mà ©dicos y otro personal sanitario cubano que trabajaban en una misià ³n internacional fuera de Cuba. Este era uno de los programas migratorios de Estados Unidos que aplicaba sà ³lo a cubanos. Con fecha del 12 de enero de 2017, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos decidià ³ poner fin a este programa al igual que a la polà ­tica de pies secos, pies mojados. CMPP eran  las siglas en inglà ©s del Programa para Profesionales Mà ©dicos Cubanos. Esta visa, que  a pesar de su nombre no era  realmente una visa sino un parole, tenà ­a reglas estrictas que habà ­a que conocer para evitar quedar en situacià ³n problemtica, es decir, como un desertor para los cubanos y sin visa para los estadounidenses.  ¿Quià ©nes se podà ­an  beneficiar de CMPP? Se debà ­an  reunir todas las caracterà ­sticas siguientes: Ser ciudadano o nacional cubanoEstar trabajando o estudiando como profesional mà ©dico en un tercer paà ­s en una misià ³n bajo la direccià ³n del gobierno de Cuba.No estar afectado por ninguna de las circunstancias que convierten a una persona en inelegible o inamisible para ingresar a Estados Unidos. Es decir, no aplicaba a los mà ©dicos que estaban por ejemplo, como turistas en Venezuela o en otro paà ­s.  ¿Quià ©nes eran  profesionales sanitarios para estos efectos? Entre otros, los siguientes: Mà ©dicosParamà ©dicosEnfermerosEntrenadores deportivosFisioterapistasTà ©cnicos de laboratorio  ¿Y quà © pasaba con los familiares? Bajo el programa de visas CMPP los  familiares  de los mà ©dicos que la solicitaban  podrà ­an tambià ©n beneficiarse y viajar legalmente a Estados Unidos con determinadas condiciones. Para empezar, eran  familiares a estos efectos el cà ³nyuge del personal mà ©dico que aplicaba y tambià ©n sus hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os. Nadie ms. Si estos familiares estaban  fuera de Cuba acompaà ±ando al profesional, se podà ­a considerar aprobarles un parole al mismo tiempo. Sin embargo, si estaban  en Cuba, habà ­a que esperar a que el beneficiado de una visa CMPP ingresara a los Estados Unidos y una vez aquà ­ podrà ­a reclamarlos.    ¿Quà © pasa con las personas que han solicitado  la visa CMPP pero todavà ­a no tienen respuesta? Ahora ya no se pueden solicitar ms, pero el personal que las solicità ³ y est pendiente de su aprobacià ³n podrn seguir con dicha tramitacià ³n.  ¿Quà © pasa desde el punto de vista migratorio cuando se ingresa a USA? Una vez en Estados Unidos, al aà ±o y un dà ­a se podr solicitar la tarjeta  de residente permanente. Mientras no se obtiene y se est en esa tramitacià ³n, no salir de Estados Unidos sin un permiso que se conoce como advance parole.   Una vez que se obtiene la residencia, que tambià ©n se conoce como green card y  con el transcurrir de los aà ±os, se puede solicitar la ciudadanà ­a americana  mediante el trmite de la naturalizacià ³n. El problema de la revlida del tà ­tulo de mà ©dico una vez que se llega a Estados Unidos Los mà ©dicos cubanos, al igual que todos los que obtuvieron sus tà ­tulos universitarios en un paà ­s distinto a los Estados Unidos, deben examinarse para acreditar su titulacià ³n y asà ­ estar capacitados legalmente para trabajar como mà ©dicos. Y en la actualidad esto est resultando ser un problema por dos razones principales. La primera es el alto costo de los exmenes de la ECFMG y de USMLE, que son organizaciones privadas encargadas de gestionar los test. En la actualidad, es necesario aprobar 4 exmenes. Y, en segundo lugar, el altà ­simo conocimiento de inglà ©s que se requiere. Y es que hay que contestar a ms de 400 preguntas en un tiempo limitado, lo que complica la obtencià ³n de la revlida a profesionales cuyo lengua materna no es el inglà ©s. El efecto principal de estas trabajas es que a pesar de que en la actualidad existe en los Estados Unidos un dà ©ficit de aproximadamente 65,000 mà ©dicos y de que los profesionales cubanos llegan al paà ­s con documentos que les permiten trabajar, muchos de ellos acaban desempeà ±ndose profesionalmente no como mà ©dicos, sino como auxiliares, despuà ©s de obtener las debidas licencias. Los mà ©dicos cubanos recià ©n llegados pueden contactar con Solidaridad sin fronteras (SSF) en Hialeah, Florida, ya que es una organizacià ³n conocida por brindarles ayuda para navegar y entender estos problemas burocrticos. Puntos bsicos de CMPP Desde que se creà ³ el programa de CMPP en 2006, segà ºn datos oficiales del Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), ms de 7,000 mà ©dicos y otros profesionales sanitarios cubanos han obtenido esta visa. De hecho, se han producido solicitudes desde 65 paà ­ses. Si bien la aproximadamente la mitad de las peticiones se han realizado en Caracas, ya que la misià ³n sanitaria de cubana en Venezuela es de considerable tamaà ±o. Otras embajadas activas en la emisià ³n de estas visas son las de Colombia y las de Curacao, donde los solicitantes proceden de la vecina Venezuela. El nà ºmero de beneficiados ha aumentado recientemente, y asà ­ en el à ºltimo aà ±o fiscal un total de 1,663 profesionales obtuvieron la CMPP. De interà ©s para los profesionales mà ©dicos Los profesionales sanitarios que se desempeà ±an fuera de los Estados Unidos se preguntan frecuentemente cunto ganan sus colegas aquà ­. Este es el  sueldo  medio de enfermeras en Estados Unidos.  Incluso  ganan ms los mà ©dicos, aunque hay variaciones segà ºn especialidad. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Cloud Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Cloud Computing - Essay Example Cloud computing is arguably the most popular emergent computing paradigm of the last decade (Hayes, 2009) and a technology at the peak of the Gartner hype cycle (Schonfeld, 2008). Cloud Computing aims at reducing the costs associated with management of hardware and software resources by shifting the computing infrastructure from on-site to on-network through the use of a variety of technologies that offer everything as a service under what could be generalized as â€Å"XaaS† (Rimal et al., 2009). X here could refer to software, platform, hardware, infrastructure, database, business, framework, organization and so on. One of the major challenges for the proponents of cloud computing has been to clear the confusion over the definition of cloud computing. Geelan (2009) analysed definitions from 21 cloud computing experts and none of them provided a unified definition as they all seemed to focus on different aspects of the cloud. To remove confusion with regards to what the cloud is in this research, we shall use the definition proposed by Vaquero et al. (2009) in this paper. Vaquero et al. (2009) built upon the work of Geelan (2009) and additional definitions from other experts to arrive at the definition below: Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or services). These resources can be dynamically re-configured to adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by a pay-per-use model in which guarantees are offered by the Infrastructure Provider by means of customized Service Level Agreements (SLAs) (Vaquero et al., 2009, p.51). ... One of the major challenges for the proponents of cloud computing has been to clear the confusion over the definition of cloud computing. Geelan (2009) analysed definitions from 21 cloud computing experts and none of them provided a unified definition as they all seemed to focus on different aspects of the cloud. To remove confusion with regards to what the cloud is in this research, we shall use the definition proposed by Vaquero et al. (2009) in this paper. Vaquero et al. (2009) built upon the work of Geelan (2009) and additional definitions from other experts to arrive at the definition below: Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources (such as hardware, development platforms and/or services). These resources can be dynamically re-configured to adjust to a variable load (scale), allowing also for an optimum resource utilization. This pool of resources is typically exploited by a pay-per-use model in which guarantees are offered by the Inf rastructure Provider by means of customized Service Level Agreements (SLAs) (Vaquero et al., 2009, p.51). 2.0. Pros and Cons of Cloud Computing To appreciate the advantages of cloud computing and to analyse its disadvantages we have to first comprehend the different modes of delivery of this new paradigm. Each of these forms of delivery offers different advantages and disadvantages to different businesses. Cloud computing allows delivery of computing resources as services in the form of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS) depending on the level of abstraction that the client desires. 2.1. Infrastructure as a service Under IaaS, instead of

St. Jude's Children Research Hospital Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

St. Jude's Children Hospital - Research Paper Example These organizations range from government bodies, insurance companies, charities to religious authorities. However, in United States of America, there is no universal health care system. The health care system in the US has always been under debate. In such a scenario, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is one of its unique kinds whose main aim is to perform vast clinical research in the quest of finding new treatment options and providing free medical care to children (Sisk, Elizabeth, Clare, Belinda, and Shawna). The research hospital was funded by independent individuals as well as organizational charities. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is not only one of the largest charitable hospital’s in United States but also among the pioneers in cancer research. St. Jude Children’s Research hospital treats the children from United States as well as from other parts of the world. Above all, the families in the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospita l do not have to give any money for the treatment of a disease that they cannot afford ("St. Jude Children Research Hospital†) The organizational structure of St. Jude research Hospital is run by highly effective team from different disciplines of health care system. The whole team is proactively dedicated to increase the work efficiency and developing Quality Improvement plans. St. Jude Children’s Research hospital leadership is very focused in monitoring the survival rate after the treatment. Within the hospital St. Jude Research Hospital has a Research Community that focuses on the survival rate of the patients. They have set different committees at organizational levels that perform their respective roles which are as follows, Steering Committee: Is the higher management committee that includes the leaders of investigators, head of the projects and chief executive officers. Their main role and duty is to

Hobbes and kant Essay Example for Free

Hobbes and kant Essay The first humans on earth were primative clans that stuck together. As time developed so did the mind of the human. As the minds of humans started to expand, society developed and so did its many other aspects. One of those aspects is the social contract. A social contract are theories that try to explain the ways in which people form states and/or maintain social order. The notion of the social contract implies that the people give up some rights to a government or other authority in order to receive or maintain social order through the rule of law. It can also be thought of as an agreement by the governed on a set of rules by which they are governed. Two theorists that had very strong views on the social contract were Thomas Hobbes and Immanuel Kant. Although both of these theorists believed in a social contract they both had different views on what it exactly meant. Hobbes was a different kind of philosopher that had a very pessimistic view on humanity. In Hobbes’ book the Leviathan, he believed that humans were naturally nasty creatures and needed to be regulated in a society. For Hobbes one thing he also believed in was Utilitarianism, which is the desire for pleasure that drives our actions, basically, the most useful choice for your benefit. Hobbes had a theory that was called â€Å"the state of nature†, which in the eyes of Hobbes was life for humans before any kind of laws or governments. He says that the state of nature is a violent place with no lows. In the state of nature there is no business, no account of time, buildings, and there is always danger around the corner. For Hobbes the â€Å"state of nature† was a savage place that could only be fixed by laws, there is only peace when there is no war and no war is a place with laws. Hobbes came to the conclusion that humans cant live in groups without law. Hobbes was Lopez 2 someone who thought that too much liberty was a bad thing for humans. Hobbes would say that the â€Å"state of nature† is because too much liberty. This is why Hobbes believed in the social contract, a sovereign must be established to regulate on the population. In Hobbes version of the social contract there must be a commonwealth or common state in which all citizens can feel safe. Citizens must feel safe in the common wealth in order for success and it’s the responsibility of the sovereign to make sure it is successful. Yet another important variable of the social contract is the consent of the mass. You must have â€Å"consent† from the governed in order to have a commonwealth. Hobbes does not believe in free will so when he says, â€Å"consent† what he really believes is that the commonwealth will happen regardless of the individuals consent or not. But with giving consent the governed must realize that they are giving up certain liberties and freedoms. One of them being that they can not question the authority of the sovereign to rule, cant kill the sovereign, and/or protest his will. The liberty of the commonwealth is altered because they must now live a certain way in order to live in it. The liberty of the governed is limited to the sovereigns view of liberty. Hobbes also believed that humans had reason. In order for this to happen humans need reason. Reason separates humans from reasonless animals. Humans have reputation, humans know private and public boundries, they can persuade and lie, and use that reason to make them a better liar. Once there is a commonwealth man is turned artificial. Kant’s version of the social contract is a bit different from that of Hobbes. For Kant the sovereign must recognize the original contract as an idea of reason that forces Lopez 3 the sovereign to give his laws in such a way that they could have arisen from the united will of a whole people and to regard each subject, insofar as he wants to be a citizen, as if he has joined in voting for such a will. This original contract, Kant stresses, is only an idea of reason and not a historical event. Any rights and duties stemming from an original contract do so not because of any particular historical provenance, but because of the rightful relations embodied in the original contract. No empirical act, as a historical act would be, could be the foundation of any rightful duties or rights. The idea of an original contract limits the sovereign as legislator. The consent at issue, however, is also not an empirical consent based upon any actual act. The set of actual particular desires of citizens is not the basis of determining whether they could possibly consent to a law. Rather, the kind of possibility at issue is one of rational possible unanimity based upon fair distributions of burdens and rights in abstraction from empirical facts or desires. Kant also believed in cosmopolitan right or ideal. Kants particular discussion of cosmopolitan right is restricted to the right of hospitality. Since all peoples share a limited amount of living space due to the spherical shape of the earth, the totality of which they must be understood to have originally shared in common, they must be understood to have a right to possible interaction with one another. This cosmopolitan right is limited to a right to offer to engage in commerce, not a right to demand actual commerce. A citizen of one state may try to establish links with other peoples; no state is allowed to deny foreign citizens a right to travel in its land. Settlement is another matter entirely. Kant is strongly critical of the European colonization of other lands already Lopez 4 inhabited by other peoples. Settlement in these cases is allowed only by uncoerced informed contract. Even land that appears empty might be used by shepherds or hunters and cannot be appropriated without their consent Cosmopolitan ideal is an important component of perpetual peace. Interaction among the peoples of the world, Kant notes, has increased in recent times. Violations of cosmopolitan right would make more difficult the trust and cooperation necessary for perpetual peace among states. The categorical imperative is the central philosophical concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Introduced in Kants Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, it may be defined as the standard of rationality from which all moral requirements derive. According to Kant, human beings occupy a special place in creation, and morality can be summed up in one ultimate commandment of reason, or imperative, from which all duties and obligations derive. He defined an imperative as any proposition that declares a certain action (or inaction) to be necessary. Kants is similar to the social contract theory of Hobbes in a few important characteristics. The social contract is not a historical document and does not involve a historical act. In fact it can be dangerous to the stability of the state to even search history for such empirical justification of state power. The current state must be understood, regardless of its origin, to embody the social contact. The social contract is a rational justification for state power, not a result of actual deal-making among individuals or between them and a government. Another link to Hobbes is that the social contract is not voluntary. Individuals may be forced into the civil condition against their consent. Social contract is not based on any actual consent, one might say the voluntary choice to join a society. Since the social contract reflects reason, each human being as a rational being Lopez 5 already contains the basis for rational agreement to the state. A substantial difference between Kant and Hobbes is that Hobbes bases his argument on the individual benefit for each party to the contract, whereas Kant bases his argument on Right itself, understood as freedom for all persons in general, not even just for the individual benefit that each party to the contract obtains in his or her own freedom. Hobbes and Kant had similarities and differences but for both the ultimate focus of the social contract was for a sovereign to rule over a society for the good of the commonwealth. Both theorist had different views on the aspects of the social contract. Hobbes believed that too much liberty causes humans to be ruthless and unjust in the â€Å"state of nature†. And the only way to break from the â€Å"state of nature â€Å" was to get a sovereign to rule and regulate. While, Kant believed in rights themselves and the cosmopolitan ideal. Both of these theorist were respected in their day along with their theories. The social contract is still a concept that exists today and could even be applied to our own country but the bottom line is that there will always have to be a social contract between state and population weather anyone likes it or not.

Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action Essay -- Papers Quota Ra

Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action Discrimination in employment has been an issue that has plagued our society throughout history. At the turn of this century it was acceptable to advertise job openings and specifically state that people of a certain race, color, religion, gender, or national origin "need not apply". A lot has changed over the last 100 years. The proverbial "pendulum" has swung in the direction of federal protection of certain people, but the problem now is that it has swung too far. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act states that it is unlawful for an employer "to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin†¦" 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a)(1). This law was enacted in an effort to set right the wrongs of the past and instill equity in the workplace; yet a new set of wrongs and social injustices have been created. This newly created set of wrongs and injustices are referred to as reverse discrimination. Reverse discrimination is discrimination against a majority class, and is ever increasing in public-sector employment. Social Equity and Affirmative Action Affirmative action was instituted to redress the social inequities of past discrimination in employment against what became known as a 'protected class' (women and minorities). The goals of affirmative action plans are to increase the representation of historically disadvantaged people in the workplace equal to their representation in the corresponding community and relevant labor market. This formula is how affirmati... ...regardless of skin color or gender, feel the same effects: a brick wall placed between them and their constitutional right of prosperity and equality. Over the last hundred years our societal values (in employment) have swung from an anything goes mentality to the other end of the spectrum, the era of "political correctness" where you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Uncertainty prevails. It is apparent, though, that the proverbial "pendulum" is in an evening-out process and trying to find middle ground. Discrimination is discrimination regardless of what type of form it takes. There is truly only one kind if discrimination and that is where an individual's rights are infringed upon due to traits in which they have no power to control. Each and every one of us deserves to have the right to freedom and equality given to us by our forefather's.

Comparison of Themes: Exercise of Free Will Essay

The stories of Odyssey and Alchemist were brought into existence in two different periods of time and place; however, there are significant similarities that could be seen from the stories, in which one of these is the expression of the free will of the two main characters. In the story, both Odysseus and Alchemist were placed in a difficult situation that compelled them to act based on their philosophical view that guided them through the course of their journey. Free will produces determination. The best expression of free will is being unwavering in his decision. In the stories, Odysseus and Santiago went into a journey for the dream they most desired to achieve. At first, Odysseus had to be deceptive not to reveal his true identity in order to restore his kingdom and family; while Santiago had to experience being swindled during his journey to get his treasure. Free will is a manifestation of beliefs. The strategies made by the two characters are contradicting in views yet revealing their true conviction. As a warrior himself, Odysseus knew a lot of tactics to oust his enemy; thus, by hiding his identity, he was able to overthrow the suitors in the palace. While Santiago passively accepted his ordeal for he knows in that way, he could get what he desired most. Free will molds characters. The best decision is in most cases undergoes difficult process that molds character. Odysseus and Santiago had learned patience and courage, which brought them success in their endeavor. Indeed, the most desirable means to get something in life is exercising free will that manifests true self and conviction. However, the result may be desirable or undesirable but all depends on one’s philosophy in life. Decision making therefore requires careful planning founded on one’s belief and value system. Reference The Alchemist Summary/Plot Review. LitSum. http://litsum. com/alchemist/ The Odyssey: Themes, Motifs and Symbol. SparkNotes. http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/odyssey/themes. html

Ethics Handbook Essay

We chose you as an employee of Company X because we see you as a valuable person who can contribute to the same priority. As a team member of Company X, are goals are clear. Through public respect, responsiveness, and accountability as our core values, we are able to remain leaders in the industry. The success of our company is dependent on you, our stakeholders, and our customers. We take great pride in our reputation in the industry and continually monitor ourselves for ways we can improve business for our clients, stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public, both local and national. Our reliability is measured through our commitment to delivering service with integrity and through honorable conduct. Because we are at the forefront of public service, we are judged on our choices and decisions. Our reputation is based on the public’s view of our commitment to ethical business practices and our respect for society. As an organization we aim to maintain active engagement in ethical behavior that promotes social responsibility in everyday practices. This is where you come in as an employee. We encourage all employees to actively participate in community outreach and events that foster both your own growth and the growth of social values. Company X will reward this activity if accompanied with ethical decision making by increasing promotion opportunities and/or allowing this experience to be counted in your job description. If you are interested in this opportunity, see Human Resources for a list of approved community outreach opportunities. Company X Values It is the policy of Company X to embrace ethical behavior through clear communication of the laws, rules and expectations that are defined in this code of ethics. In addition, Company X values accountability for good ethical choices and socially respected behavior. We rely on every member to evaluate their own behavior and conduct respectable business through solid every day decision making. Ethics are not fixed, and subject to interpretation through each and every interaction between everyone involved. Because value s and ethical decision making can be challenging, Company X wants to take some of the pressure off the complexities of making difficult ethical decisions. Therefore, this manual provides directives used to evaluate and interpret best practices in the business environment. In addition, these policies and all regulations including administrative actions, apply to all staff  members, contractors, and volunteers and are strictly enforced (see section Member Misconduct).The manual also contains fixed principles, mandatory training, resources for questionable situations, ethics mentor, anonymous hotline, and resources for situations that may be questionable. A signed copy of this manual will be placed in all member’s personnel file and will be used as reference for future use. Please be sure you understand these policies and procedures before you sign the document. We begin by outlining and defining the standards of social and ethical conduct. In addition to standards of behavior, training is outlined. Training is mandated to all staff employed by Company X. Additional training and resources are offered throughout the year in respon se to the changing needs of the industry and social issues and will be announced semi-annually. Principles of Behavior and Conduct No member, contractor or person acting as a representative shall: Discriminate against clients, coworkers, stakeholders, Accept monetary compensation, services in trade or benefit from any interaction directly or indirectly related to the services provided by company x if the value is determined to be at or above $30. Engage in, use or create an appearance of using official capacity to influence clients stakeholders, or other members for personal or professional gain. Knowingly make statements or take action that is untruthful or can be reasonably determined to be untruthful. Engage either directly or indirectly in political campaigns, nor engage in political conversation with anyone while acting in capacity of Company X business. Retaliate against any member who comes forward with claims of ethical violations. Retaliation is mandatory termination of employment without further warning (see section Member Misconduct). All members contractors, or persons acting as a representative shall: Report all incidents of violations to the Ethics Office. Interact and promote personal integrity, honesty, fairness and confidence in compliance with all laws, rules, policies and regulations both internally and externally. Maintain confidentiality in all interactions. Written, verbal, email, phone. Avoid inappropriate associations with clients or client representatives. Engage, actively encourage and support community involvement through support and reassurance in wrap-around service delivery. Utilize efficient use of resources in such a way that minimizes the impact to the environment (energy and materials). Report suspected, potential, or clear violation of ethical misconduct. All members in the chain of command are held to the same standards. Contractors, and any individual acting in a capacity to officially represent Company X are also required to carry out all actions with an intent to promote public trust, integrity, and confidence. From team members to corporate leaders, we expect the same set of principles through a set model of best practices. Best practices is recognized by asking yourself is this decision going to cause harm to someone, is this situation going to violate law or company policy, is my action going to violate stakeholder values, or compromise my position within my job role? Best practices will help us all to remove some of the risks we might face in everyday decision making by communicating set values, social responsibility and ethical standards for all members. Because best practices is subjective, training and resources will be available to provide leadership and mentoring. We encourage open discussion when personal values and ethi cs might cause conflict or confusion. As a condition of continued employment, mandatory ethics training is provided and monitored (see monitoring ethics section below). Ethics Training Leadership teams attend annual ethics training. Training includes skills to monitor and mentor lower staff. As a result, members can be confident that management is able to provide guidance and support for most ethical decisions. In order to communicate Company X’s policies, values, and changing trends in legal and social ethical issues formal training is required. Company X models this by providing training. As a result, all staff are required to complete the following formal training: In the first month of employment, all staff will go through instructor led training targeted toward individual and group acknowledgement of legal situations, ethical dilemmas, social responsibility and reporting requirements. This interactive training will present scenarios in which employees will make decisions whether ethical violations may or may not have occurred. Independent trainers with local management will evaluate answers and offer answers to difficult scenarios. All staff will take a yearly instructor led course on the history of civil rights and one follow up interactive on line course which presents current social, business and ethical issues in industry. General managers will receive value based ethics training  tailored from annual risk assessment data. The goal is for managers to set modeled behavior and create positive influence. Company X sponsors an annual Industry Standards Town Hall meeting. We value transparency and company input from all of us and our intentions are to provide all of us the opportunity to go over changing social issues, our previous year’s successes and failures, and what can we do to support the values of Company X, our clients, and community partners. Our company will be closed on this day while each of us enjoy a paid day to come and participate in this interactive get together. Member Misconduct Company X recognizes ethical conduct is not always easy to define. We value fairness and strive to provide impartial judgment based on facts and data. All reports of violations are reviewed and judged by an independent review board who will at determination of reported violations, determine consequences and refer cases for criminal prosecution if necessary. Consequences for violation of ethical misconduct will be strictly enforced. Company X has zero tolerance for unethical behavior. Informal and formal offenses will be forwarded to the Ethics Committee for record keeping purposes. Informal counsel for misconduct not related to any act of gross misconduct. This is the preferred method for first time offenses. Formal counsel is written report placed in member file for duration of one year. Two written reports within one year that are found to be validated through investigation will result either in unpaid suspension or immediate termination. Unpaid suspension. Gross negligence results in immediate termination and will be referred for criminal prosecution. Monitoring Auditing and Reporting Video monitoring in central locations where customer interactions will be supervised by an independent contractor. This is to protect you as an employee, protect customer interactions, and protect the interest of Company X. All computer and resource use by all employees is subject to monitoring and will be strictly enforced. IT managers have unlimited access to company owned property. Due to the potential time sensitive situations that may arise, no notice will be given prior to IT management accessing company computers. Team members personnel files will be maintained and include reported violations. These files will be analyzed for trends that can be traced back to departments, leaders, hiring practices, or substandard training. The Ethics Office, and Human Resources do not require your written consent for  release of information related to ethical violations. Semi-annual audits will be conducted on all departments within Company X by the Ethics A udit committee: Anonymous hotline reports will be compiled and reported to the Ethics Audit committee. Plan for Evaluating and Improving the Ethics Program After Implementation. The final results of all data compiled by the Ethics Office will be submitted to Corporate Leadership Committee who will analyze the results in order to evaluate potential changes to Company X’s ethical inventory. Data will also be collected from hotline calls, imposed ethical violations, and employee suggestions. This data will be measured against all complaints, judgments, and lawsuits both within Company X and the industry and be used to revise program standards. Data will also be analyzed and evaluated for ethical issues that need to be integrated in to future training and resources for staff. All staff will complete annual on line â€Å"How Are We Doing?† surveys. Focus groups tailored to each department’s group dynamic will analyze the data and make formal recommendations to the Ethics Office Staff, community and stakeholder input will be collected and analyzed for social and ethical value. The Ethics Office will compile the results from all departments and present the evidence to CEOs and senior management. Middle management and supervisors will be included in the final findings. Training will be adjusted and targeted to cultural, legal, and ethical risk factors. Positive yearly ethical performance evaluations, focus group opportunities, and promotional opportunities will be tied to annual employee review. Help and Resources Here at Company X we recognize that some ethical situations may be complex or blurred. Additionally, we recognize that the difficult decision to come forward with information against coworkers may prevent reporting incidents that need investigation. Furthermore, ethical decisions are often confusing and require complex decision making. We are here to help. Furthermore, if you have questions about your own decisions, questions about an incident, or just want to ask questions, we want to support you. For this reason, we provide an anonymous phone line that allows members to report violations, present questions and trouble shoot challenging scenarios. Ethics Office 360-555-1212 staffed by trained ethics officer. Anonymous hotline 360-555-4242 State Office of Ethics 1-999-555-2323 Federal Office of Ethics  1-777-555-7878 We provide annual reports of imposed ethics violations and the penalties imposed. Here is the link to www.companyx/ethics/reports.com I have read and understand the policies and ethical standards set for Company X. I am aware a signed copy of this policy will be placed in my team member personnel file.

Late for work essays

Late for work essays I was late for work again, as I walked into my office my boss saw me and told me that if I am late for work any more this month that he is going to have no choice but to lay me off. So as you can tell I was in a very crappy mood. After work I went to the local bar to let off some stress but there was my boss. He was sitting 2 seats away from me at the bar. I knew that if he saw me sitting there that I would here a lecture all night long. So I had a genus idea, I would go to him and say hi, talk to him and I listen to the long lecture about how me being late affects my performance at the office. And slip him some pills in his drink buy a prostitute a prostitute to fuck him while I took pictures. This was the smartest idea I ever thought of. At least I thought it was. When I went to sit next to him he was already very hammered. He told me that I looked great in my penguin costume. I thought to myself this is going to be easy. He went to the bathroom and I saw my chance, I slipped a pil l in his drink. Little did I know some random guy slipped a pill in my drink thinking that the drink belonged to the sexy girl next to me. So we where both fucked up and wasted we went to the office singing songs and yelling random things. It was 12:00 and we were completely without logic. Next thing I know I wake up around a circle of people with my boss shouting More, More in his dreams. The circle of people where all my co-workers. As I got up and walked away some one shouted Well at least he is on time ...

Remember the Simple Days of Reading

Remember the Simple Days of Reading Reach back in your memories, and remember how you read books. As a chid, as a teen, as a young adult, then now. Which book, when you see the title again, springs a memory back to life, reminding you how intensely you fell into that story and didnt want to climb out? I built a tree house for my grandsons second birthday. Yeah, I know its a little over-the- top nuts, but I designed it and had it built so its a place hell retreat to long into college. Right now its all about climbing the stairs and peering at the tree limbs and over at the chickens. In a few years, itll be about Swiss Family Robinson, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or something along the line of Maximum Ride. Im running power to it in the future so that, yes, he can drag his laptop up there and maybe even spend the night, maybe bring his friends along. While I have a selfish motive, that of having him around more, I did it because what kid hasnt wished for a tree house? On Facebook, I showed pictures of the house (see one at the top of this newsletter cool, huh?), and was dumbfounded at the 200+ responses from adults. Men and women who recalled their tree houses, or pined over never having one. So I asked them why theres such an attraction to tree houses? Privacy, a place to read, a place to write, a place to feel closer to nature. If we reach back again in those reading memories mentioned earlier, thats what we wanted from the time we could read Dick and Jane books. Its an escape into our deep, true selves, gifting ourselves with permission to reach far. That is what a book is supposed to do. Sometimes, in our frenzy to learn how to publish, or our yearning to make money, we forget that feeling were supposed to be offering to readers. Maybe we need to climb up into a tree house to remember.

Children's book (in Spanish) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children's book (in Spanish) - Essay Example Tras pensar y pensar sobre las consecuencias que desatarà ­an sus acciones en contra de los colonos espaà ±oles, pensà ³ en cuà ¡les serà ­an los pasos que tomarà ­a para que las personas que vivà ­an allà ­ sufriesen lo menos posible. Esta decisià ³n de pelear contra sus invasores (los espaà ±oles) no fue fà ¡cil ya que no serà ­a una accià ³n pacà ­fica como la que Mahatma Gandhi, un gran là ­der de la India realizà ³ contra Inglaterra en el siglo XX. Gandhi le propuso a su pueblo, una guerra pacà ­fica contra los invasores de su paà ­s. Pelear contra Inglaterra (otro paà ­s colonizador) de forma pacà ­fica no fue fà ¡cil pero lo logrà ³. Esto fue un gran hecho en la historia ya que no hubo derrame de sangre. Por el contrario, pelear contra los invasores (los espaà ±oles) de Venezuela y de los otros paà ­ses cercanos de Sur Amà ©rica, querà ­a decir, pelear a sangre frà ­a, ya que los espaà ±oles no cedà ­an su estadà ­a de estar ahà ­. Los espaà ±oles querà ­an a Venezuela y a otros paà ­ses como mà ¡s territorios en el nuevo continente de Sur Amà ©rica y bajo su poder. En 1819, Bolà ­var formà ³ un grupo llamado el Congreso de Angostura y fundà ³ la Gran Colombia. Venezuela, Colombia, Panamà ¡ y Ecuador formaban parte de la Gran Colombia. Simà ³n Bolà ­var logrà ³ independizar a Colombia, Venezuela, y Perà º, aunque su mayor sueà ±o era que Sur Amà ©rica fuese libre. Espaà ±a estuvo en la Guerra de la Independencia espaà ±ola contra los franceses y hubo una liberacià ³n de las colonias en Sur Amà ©rica pero al abandonar los franceses a Espaà ±a, todo cambià ³ para ser igual que antes. Los espaà ±oles siguieron con las conquistas de las colonias sur americanas que ya eran independientes. Volvieron las tropas, los barcos de guerra y el transporte, la artillerà ­a, las armas y las municiones. Como consecuencia hubo muchas muertes. Como consecuencia a los abusos, muertes y atropellos de parte de los espaà ±oles,