Beijing Olympics 2008 - Operations Quality and Performance Free Essay Example, 2500 words

The infrastructure needs of the Olympics have been extensive. In fact, about 37 stadiums and venues (Business Today 2010) had to be developed for hosting the various events of the Olympics. In addition, the emphasis had to be given on the training needs of the athletes. About 59 training centers were built (Business Today 2010) for ensuring that the athletes participated in the Games would have access to advanced training venues. The impressive stadium, Bird s Nest, had reached a cost of $450 million (Business Today 2010). All stadiums, venues, and facilities developed for the Olympics were carefully designed so that they can fully respond to the needs of athletes and the public (Business Today 2010). In this context, as of its quality, the infrastructure used in the Olympics of Beijing can be characterized as excellent (Business Today 2010). The preparation of the Olympics of Beijing has been based on the Beijing Olympic Action Plan. (Beijing 2008, Olympic Games). The specific pl an shows all phases of the relevant project. In this way, the monitoring of the project has become easier. We will write a custom essay sample on Beijing Olympics 2008 - Operations Quality and Performance or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now In addition, this plan would prove that the activities that take place in the context of the Olympics are fully aligned with existing laws and ethics. The following issue should be highlighted: The preparation of the Olympics could be considered as aligned with the local and international legal rules and the athletic standards related to such projects. Still, the actual criteria used for deciding on the funds required for these Games could be possible reviewed, as of their alignment with ethics. Investing a quite high amount of funds for preparing and developing an event that could not pay back the investment made cannot be characterized as ethical behavior. In fact, today most of the venues developed for the Beijing Olympics are of no use (Wen 2012). No plan has been announced for the management of these venues in the future, a fact that leads to concerns in regard to the ethical standards used for the preparation of the above Games.

Sylvia Plath Research Paper - 2682 Words

I Have No Wit, I Have No Words, No Tears Sylvia Plath’s life story could be considered tragic as she was monopolized by a severe depression yet expressed her sorrows through enlightening words in her many poems. The death of her father when she was only eight years old commenced her lifelong despondency and insecurities. In the poem â€Å"Daddy†, she speaks of how she never fully understood him and blames him for the emptiness she feels without a father. As time moved on, Plath discovered her writing talent while excelling in school (Harmon). Although a story of hers was welcomed by Seventeen Magazine her senior year of high school and she received two scholarships to attend Smith College in Massachusetts and was accepted to notable†¦show more content†¦In the poem â€Å"Lady Lazarus†, Plath speaks again of her distrust of men. It is also a biblical reference to Lazarus in a negative way as he is referred to as a Nazi, similar to her comparison to her f ather. The need to prove her own sexuality and that of all women in society is common in Plath’s feminist writing. â€Å"But the poet addresses the same societal forces that direct this practice, forces intent on silencing a woman’s ability to articulate her sexual nature† (Stricker). She believes it is unfair that women cannot express their sexuality without being judged in society and she makes out to change that. â€Å"Here the poet refers to the thumb directly as a sexual being. the ‘dirty girl’ of many parents’ nightmares is the daughter who is promiscuous, or maybe a girl-child who simply enjoys sex† (Stricker). Also pertaining to women, she constantly discusses how men assume authority in life and she seeks to change this with her words from the poem â€Å"Lady Lazarus†. â€Å"Out of the ash / I rise with my red hair / and I eat men like air† (Plath). In â€Å"Never Try to Trick Me With a Kiss†, a pessimisti c Plath is utterly disgusted with men as she is finished with being pushed around. Towards the end of her life, she reclaims her voice and the voice of all women with her empowering words. As Sylvia Plath was depressed for the majority of her life, death and suicide permeate herShow MoreRelatedSylvia Plath ´s Three Stages1081 Words   |  4 Pagesmight be? I am he, the creation of Sylvia Plath. I am the persona and the protagonist of the poem, ‘Insomniac’. This poem was written in May 1961, four months after the miscarriage. During this period, Plath was diagnosed with acute insomnia and was pregnant. The elapsed time of this poem is from darkness to daylight respectively to each stanza. It can be said that this period from darkness to daylight is a representation of a long period of time for Sylvia Plath, stretching months. The poem can beRead MoreThe Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath1211 Words   |  5 PagesSylvia Plath Research Paper Title The Bell Jar place[s] [the] turbulent months[of an adolescent’s life] in[to] mature perspective (Hall, 30). In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath uses parallelism, stream of consciousness, the motif of renewal and rebirth, symbolism of the boundary-driven entrapped mentally ill, and auto-biographical details to epitomize the mental downfall of protagonist, Esther Greenwood. Plath also explores the idea of how grave these timeless and poignant issues can affect a fragileRead MoreBook Summary Of The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath1528 Words   |  7 Pages Book Summary. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath was published in 1963. It is an autobiography that is said by some to correspond to the author’s life. Throughout this research paper, I fully agree that this is an autobiography of Plath’s life, but will get into why further into the paper. With this in mind, the protagonist, Esther Greenwood, travels from Massachusetts to New York as a guest editor for a magazine. Esther loves poetry. Knowing this, Esther is staying with eleven other girls at a hotelRead MoreMutilating Self Into Spirit: Sylvia Plaths Poems.4131 Words   |  17 PagesSylvia Plath’s poems: Translation of the self into spirit, after an ordeal of mutilation. Introduction of the poems and the essay: * â€Å"Daddy† Sylvia Plath uses her poem, â€Å"Daddy†, to express intense emotions towards her father’s life and death and her disastrous relationship with her husband. The speaker in this poem is Sylvia Plath who has lost her father at age ten, at a time when she still adored him unconditionally. Then she gradually realizes the oppressing dominance of her father, andRead MoreAn Evaluation of Nature Poetry in Reference to Plath, Huges and Keats.1876 Words   |  8 Pagesown analysis of my selected poems. The first poet I want to look at is Sylvia Plath (1932-1963). Plaths work intrigues me, as does her life. After losing her farther at the age of eight, she suppressed her inner feelings and instead of reaching out to other people for comfort, she isolated herself with writing as her only expressive outlet. Then remarkably, Sylvia Plath had a poem published when she was only eight. Plath continued prolific writing through high school and won a scholarship to SmithRead MoreA Courage’s Attempt to Take Her Life back in Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"Daddy† 1991 Words   |  8 PagesSylvia Plath a highly acclaimed twentieth century American poet whose writings were mostly influenced by her life experiences. Her father died shortly after her eighth birthday and her first documented attempt at suicide was in her early twenties. She was married at age twenty-three and when she discovered her husband was having an affair she left him with their two children. Her depression and the abandonment she felt as a child and as a woman is what inspires most of her works. Daddy is a majorRead MoreThe Bell Jar2368 Words   |  10 PagesResearch Paper: The Bell Jar, By: Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is a work of fiction that spans a six month time period in the life of the protagonist and narrator, Esther Greenwood. The novel tells of Esther’s battle against her oppressive surroundings and her ever building madness, this is the central conflict throughout the narrative. After coming home from a month in New York as a guest editor for a magazine, Esther begins to have trouble with everyday activities such as reading,Read MoreAnalysis Of Sylvia Plath s Life1797 Words   |  8 PagesSylvia Plath was born in 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts. She wrote her first poem at the young age of 8  ½. that poem was displayed in The Boston Traveller. When she first began writing, she wrote about general topics, nature, and scenery, but as time went on and with more experience, her poems acclaimed more depth. Plath loved writing, and in an interview with Peter Orr, Plath once said ‘I don t think I could live without it. It s like water or bread, o r something absolutely essential to me. I findRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Mirror `` By Sylvia Plath And `` The Yellow Wallpaper ``1193 Words   |  5 Pagesart 1: In my ENGL220 class, we have been reading a different kind of literature works. Different literature stories have struck a responsive chord in readers’ hearts. Two of literature works â€Å" Mirror † by Sylvia Plath and short story â€Å" The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman both shows female’s oppressive living in patriarchal society and control by men. In the poemâ€Å" Mirror†, in the 20 century, the society influence women should care about how they look and they feelRead MoreThe Link Between Creativity and Bipolar Disorder, Annotated Bibliography854 Words   |  4 Pagesdisorder is a popular assumption. The fact that many creative people, including Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Leo Tolstoy, and Sylvia Plath, suffered from some kind of mental disorders triggers that idea. Psychologists have been interested in this contingent link for decades. In this paper, after defining both terms, I examine three articles that report the results of the research concerning the potential relationship between creativity and bipolar disorder. Paulus Nijstad (2003) defined creativity

Are Leaders Made or Are Leaders Born Free Essays

The age old question. Are leaders made or are they born? My belief on this – I believe that a leader is made, not born. Why do I say that? Before going further, lets be clear on one distinction – when we say a leader is made, it does not mean that someone can be taught to become a leader by attending leadership courses. We will write a custom essay sample on Are Leaders Made or Are Leaders Born or any similar topic only for you Order Now While it helps, it is not enough. Warren Bennis (a leading leadership researcher) believes that one cannot be taught to become a leader but one can learn to become a leader over the years through life and work experiences, through mentors, personal reflection, etc. What is a leader by the way? For the purpose of this discussion, lets define it as someone with formal leadership authority in an organization. There is another form of leadership which is not about the position, but a quality, but we will not delve into that for now. Marcus Buckingham wrote a very interesting and widely informative book called â€Å"The One thing you need to know†¦ about Great Managing, Great Leading and Sustained Individual Success†. It’s a great read – I highly recommend it.In it he proposes that a leader is born, and not made because of two characteristics which are only peculiar to leaders. These 2 characteristics are innate and are part of one’s personality and therefore, one cannot learn to develop such character traits. The first trait is optimism or having an optimistic outlook, always focusing on the possibilities. With this disposition, one believes that challenges can be overcome and they can forge ahead. The second trait is what he calls ego or self-assurance. Another term that comes to mind is self-efficacy.A person with this trait has a strong belief in himself. Self-assurance is not the same as being optimistic, although you can see that being optimistic helps and reinforces one’s sense of self-belief. What is important to note about self-efficacy is the belief that one can control one’s destiny, not whether one actually can or is successful in controlling what happens. Even if he doesn’t have the answers now, he believes that he would be able to overcome the problem, by marshalling whatever resources, creativity and connections available to him. The confidence comes from within and he truly believes that come what may, regardless of what life throws at him, he is able to handle it. Are leaders born or are they made? The question is, are these 2 traits really innate and cannot be developed? Marcus Buckingham believes so but I beg to differ. I believe that we are not only highly adaptable and flexible, but have the potential to do anything if we set our minds to it. Sure, genetics play a part and you can’t change that, but what’s more important and makes the difference in our long-term success accomplishments is our mindset. The research of Dr.Carol Dweck lends strong support to this. People with a growth mindset (versus a person with a fixed mindset) believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities. In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them.They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. Dr Dweck proved that they’re wrong. This is another book (it’s called Mindset) that I highly recommend because it truly has the power to change the way you look at yourself and others! So, what this means is that qualities like optimism and self –efficacy can be developed if one adopts a growth mindset. For example, if I’m aware that I am not optimistic enough and tend to think of the downside more often than the upside, I can learn to become more optimistic because I know doing so helps strengthen that leadership trait in me.As a side point on the topic of optimism, evidence from decades of research by Dr Martin Seligman shows that people can learn to be optimistic. The topic is examined in great depth in his bestseller â€Å"Learned Optimism† – another excellent book I would recommend as well. In summary, I would reiterate that while there are natual born leaders, leaders can indeed be â€Å"made† or developed if one adopts a growth oriented mindset. How to cite Are Leaders Made or Are Leaders Born, Papers

Charles Dickens hard times Essay Example For Students

Charles Dickens hard times Essay Charles dickens was very caring person he was a man who felt very strongly about such tings as utilitarianism and industrialisation as he lived in the time period were Britain was industrialised. He lived in London Britain from 1812 to 1870. He wrote hard times to show his views on these matters in 1854. Due to the circumstances in his life he wrote the book to show his personal experiences and help them know more about the thing he had seen. Dickens was man who cared, he was a philosopher who cared about humans and was interested in their relationships and how people were treated. Chapter 1Â  In chapter 1 of hard times we can see that Gradgrind is like the parent who is too strict, he wants to teach the children facts and nothing else. He wants to drain out the childrens imagination and replace it with hard cold facts rather like himself. Gradgrind seed the children as machines that he can program to do as he wishes, because of the kind of person he is he feels that they need nothing else in life but facts. Dickens does this to show what it was like at this time. In the novel Dickens uses the words in a linguistic way by repeating the word facts repetition of this word show that Gradgrind was only set to facts. Dickens really wants to get this point across a lot as he was trying to inform us as the readers about reality throughout his novel. He also uses literary terms to make the novel have more feeling and better descriptions such as when he says the emphasis was helped by the speakers hair which bristled on the skirts of his bald head, a plantation of firs to keep the wind from shining on its surface all covered in knobs, like the crust of a plum pie. Chapter 2Â  In chapter 2 the text starts to really show what it is about, we start to see what Gradgrind is like and what he is like at his model school around the students, we also see how Gradgrind views his students. Firstly we are introduced that Gradgrind is a man of reality! This relates to our previous knowledge of the characters as a man of fact. This is shown in an example of Gradgrind being like a cannon loaded to the muzzle with facts, and prepared to blow them clean out of the regions of childhood at one discharge. We can also see how Gradgrind detests fiction by the way he exclaims that sissy should not have flowers on a carpet which would be walked on, as she would not walk on them in reality. We then go on to see Gradgrinds modal pupil Bitzer. Bitzer is the model pupil of Gradgrinds model school. He is in the story to show how Gradgrind alters the minds of the children, in many ways Bitzer is like Gradgrind but not in physical appearance. For instance Bitzer has light colour hair and blue eyes. Another feature in chapter two is the interrogation of sissy dupe by Gradgrind, in this interrogation Gradgrind is asking sissy dupe lots of questions about horses and other things which he calls facts but are really just his opinions on the matters. Gradgrind tries to pressure, his students into having the same opinions as him. In the novel it describes Gradgrind as a bomb full of facts about to explode, this shows that he is trying to force facts into his pupils brains just like a bomb, also it shows that he is so full of facts that he cant keep them all in and he is about to explode because of all the building up of facts. Dickens shows that he is naturally interested in illustrating that fiction cannot be excluded by doing all he can in the novel to prove Gradgrind is wrong he feels that we all need facts and fiction in our life, Dickens feels that it is not normal for the equilibrium to be distorted like this. .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f , .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .postImageUrl , .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f , .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:hover , .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:visited , .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:active { border:0!important; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:active , .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1b0be81c208c887695c1a583fb2ed96f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Advanced Theory of Poetry EssayDickens uses mono-syllabic language to help emphasise certain things one example of this is when Gradgrind says what I want is facts. Dickens uses this kind of linguistic terms to create a sense of urgency in his tone. We see that Gradgrind wants disparity to force facts into his pupils. At the point sissy dupe were interrogated Gradgrind uses certain language as to help describe Dickens opinion, such as when he says girl number 20, give me your definition of a horse this shows that Gradgrind tries to pressure sissy and this shows that Gradgrind is a fact filled strict old man. Chapter 3Â  In chapter three we learn more about Gradgrind by seeing were Gradgrind lives and about his child hood, we also learn more about his children tom and Louisa and the experiences they have and how dickens describes these things. Firstly we see that Gradgrinds home stony lodge is very much like Gradgrind it is cold, boring and emotion less in the text it also says that the windows were similar to his eye brows, like big dark caves hanging over his eye. In chapter 3 we also learn more about Gradgrinds children tom and Louisa, Gradgrind educated his children only on facts just like he does with his pupils at his model school, they were not allowed to go out and play like normal children, instead they were confined to their studies were they were told to find fascination in books and facts as playing and fun was not factual enough for Gradgrind and had no real point to it.

Florence,Italy Essays - Renaissance Painters, Giftedness

Florence,Italy Florence is located in central Italy. Florence was built on both sides of the Arno River, which causes flooding from time to time. Florence has many hills there hills which cause a very changeable type of climate with the help of the Arno River. Summers are hot and humid, and winters cool and wet. There are many advantages to having the city where it is at. The city was about 145 miles northwest of Rome, which is an important city to trade with. The Arno river gives Italy easy access to water and trade from the river to the Meditarian sea. The hills of the city offered some protection from outside invasions. Florence started out in 59 B.C. as a colony for soldiers for the Roman armies . In the 3rd century Florence became a provincial capital of the Roman Empire and a prosperous commercial center. In the medieval centuries, Florence was occupied by outsiders, first by Ostrogoths in the 5th century, then by Byzantines in the 6th century, and then by the Langobards. From the late 10th century onward Florence prospered, and, under the rule of Countess Matilda of Tuscany (1069-1115) In 1293 Florence adopted a constitution that required frequent changes of office to make sure that no group or individual could take over it(once every two months) During the 12th and 13th century the political as well as economic powers grew. Florentine woolen cloth industry and of banking grew. Since there was a balance between the leading merchant families, Florence was ruled by its guilds, which were divided into seven major guilds and a number of minor ones. The city's podesta, or chief magistrate and police chief, could be selected only from the major guilds. Right before the middle of the 14th century, Florence had become a metropolis of about 90,000 people, which made it one of the great cities in Europe (with Paris, Venice, Milan, and Naples). But, in 1348 the Black Death struck, killing half the people. And also the bankruptcies of the Bardi and the Peruzzi a couple of years before the Black Death had also brought down the city, and it never fully recovered from these disasters. Successful merchants and bankers, such as Cosimo de' Medici and Giovanni Rucellai in the 15th century, were able to reshape politics and culture in Florence. The French Medicis, which was an Italian family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737, (except from 1494 till 1512 and from 1527 till 1530). they had four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married the royal families of Europe. There are many great universities and academies in Florence, such as The Crusca Academy, which is an Italian literary academy founded in Florence in 1582 to study Tuscan, which was the literary language of the Italian Renaissance. The Platonic Academy, started out as a group of scholars in mid-15th-century Florence who met under the leadership of Platonic philosophy Marsilio Ficino to study and discuss philosophy and the classics. And also the University of Florence dates founded around 1859. There were also many great people (artists, inventors, scientists....) that came out of Florence. One of them was Leonardo da Vinci, he was a great artist, yet was so more then just an artist, he was a painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, inventor, designer, and engineer. Among Leonardo's most famous paintings were The Mona Lisa, and The Last Supper. He made many accurate drawings and sketches of human organs. Another famous person from Florence was Michelangelo who is considered to be the greatest living artist in his lifetime and now he is one of the greatest artists of all times. A lot of his paintings, sculptures, and architecture are among the most famous in existence. He thought of himself primarily as a sculptor. He is famous for painting the Sistine Chapel and doing David. Florence was at this time regarded as the leading center of art, producing the best painters and sculptors in Europe, and there was great competition among artists The city was, however, less able than before to offer large commissions, and Florentine artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Leonardo's teacher, Verrocchio, had moved away for better opportunities in different cities.

Billie Holiday Quotes

Billie Holiday Quotes Billie Holiday, a popular and tragic figure in jazz, was a gifted singer with an amazing voice and talent whose personal life was chaotic and troubled. Selected Billie Holiday Quotations I never hurt nobody but myself and thats nobodys business but my own. Im always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where Ive been. Youve got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn bodys sermon on how to behave. Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know whats more than enough. If I dont have friends, then I aint got nothin. Dont threaten me with love, baby. Lets just go walking in the rain. Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on. You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation. Sometimes its worse to win a fight than to lose. Singing songs like The Man I Love or Porgy is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck. People dont understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it. I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. Thats all I know. If Im going to sing like someone else, then I dont need to sing at all. You cant copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means youre working without any real feeling. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was six years old. In this country, dont forget, a habit is no damn private hell. Theres no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country its the worst kind of hell for those who love you. All dope can do for you is kill you... the long hard way. And it can kill the people you love right along with you. About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.

Case 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 3 - Assignment Example In several situations such as missing employee motivation; customers’ dissatisfaction or for that matter when a change process needs to be initiated, it becomes imperative to apply EI knowledge for favorable outcomes. EI play an important role in developing remarkable leaders because empathy, assertiveness, and interpersonal relationships are the key factors that any leader must have in order to create organizational development. Specific actions are needed to enhance the use of EI frameworks in the organization; moreover, EI can be taught and promoted within the organization. EI can be a developmental experience for all, no matter what role he or she occupies. All decision makers within the organization need to understand the importance of EI and must be trained for enhancing their effectiveness in the organization. For the reasons mentioned above, EI needs to be linked with leadership competency models because EI provides a complete roadmap so that leaders can reach to their full potential. Critique Only a couple of years back, intelligence quotient (IQ) was considered everything while measuring the leadership ability. As organizations began expanding keeping focus on customers’ needs, it was soon realized that human resource plays a pivotal role in success and failure of the organization because firms now operate in a fiercely competitive arena. Organizations need not be just efficient but effective too. It is the effectiveness that provides competitive edge over competition in the market place; moreover, certain leadership qualities are essential for making the organization effective. And EQ or EI defines how effective the leadership is in managing the organizational workforce to achieve organizational goals. Roger Pearman has rightly pointed towards certain characteristics that a manger or leader needs to demonstrate. Apart from having some of the known qualities such as integrity, a vision to see beyond, and ability to communicate, they also exhibit some of the unique traits and skills that form an integral part of their compelling leadership style. These traits are essential to deal, manage and motivate workforce in the organizational for desired outcomes. These traits are measured in terms of emotional intelligence (EI) that decide leaders' empathy towards workforce; their ability to inspire and motivate employees at all levels for achieving organizational goals; problem solving capacity; resolving intradepartmental conflicts and so on. Self regulation, motivation, social skill, empathy and self regulation are cornerstones of EI. While social skill brings persuasiveness and effectiveness in bringing change, empathy imparts cross-cultural sensitivity. Ability to motivate is an important trait found in leader but self-awareness and self-regulation are extremely important traits that speak about leader’s openness to change. It is not appropriate to define EI in terms of weaknesses and threats. If EI assessment is not a simple exercise than that is only because it is relatively a new branch of estimating human strengths and therefore, it is obvious that limited experts are available to estimate and facilitate EI processes. Similarly, any new branch of knowledge is going to make people scare for the reason of natural inertia that prevents them to explore something new; however, simply because of this reason it cannot be classified as threats. Being a proven science, it provides a sure

About positive message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About positive message - Essay Example The grooming of the workforce is a win-win situation. It is a strategy which will not only benefit the organization but it will also help the employees to improve their market worth which can be cashed on later. There are some rules and regulation while taking any course. These rules and regulations must be followed by the employees so that they can get maximum benefits without any hindrance. Employees are entitled to receive scholarship for those courses which are related to their current job. Initially the courses are being offered for the permanent employees however we also believe that our temporary workers will try to work hard to get the status of permanent employee so that they can also make their market worth through these courses. Tuition fee is considered as one of the major chunk of any study. Therefore the organization has already made an arrangement for it and we hope that employees will make the arrangement for other expenses like books and stationary at their own expense. Grade ‘C’ will be considered as a mandatory requirement for the reimbursement of approved applications of the employees. Temporary employees can take some benefits from the scholarship after the completion of their probationary period with the company. Employees interested in under-graduate programs will be better of since the undergraduate programs are not taxed as per the rules of the taxation. There are very few organizations that care about the workforce to such an extent. However we also believe that these facilities are not only benefiting the employees but such a grooming is also enhancing the goodwill of the organization. We believe that employees should consider it as a life time opportunity and try to give maximum time to their courses after the completion of their work. Work experience can not benefit alone. Many HR managers expect that employees should keep themselves up to date with the latest developments related to their field. For example if

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol Essay

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol. II (Cengage) hereafter AO - Essay Example In the year 1789, the assembly passed the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen. This declaration was a result of the direct consequences of what was taking place in France during this period. This declaration was important during that time since it help in annulling the right of the nobles to demand tithes, taxes and labor from peasants who were working on their family land. This was a great step in the liberation of man and the fight for human rights. This declaration was partly inspired the revolution that was taking place in America at that time (Andrea and Overfield 254). Unlike the declaration in America that â€Å"all men are equal†, the declaration made in France stated, â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The distinction in society may be founded only upon the general good†. This declaration left room for racial prejudice to take place. It stated that despite man being free there will always be a social difference. During this time, the blacks were mistreated for social purposes and were not fully given their rights in the society. Even though they were facing mistreatment from the general French public, the black French population had the right to resist the oppressions as this was provided by the declaration. The period of revolution and declaration of the right of man was volatile/ most of the churches were closed and priests were being hunted down. Politics at this time had taken a different twist and idea of persecution of the Catholics as well as the Protestants began. Several churches were closed, and others converted to temples for fear of persecution. The church was not safe no more. In respect to human rights and dignity, there was the abolishment of the water wheel and introduction of the guillotine. It is no coincidence that the universal declarations of the rights of humans, the European Convention for the human rights protection and the first treaty of the communities in Europe have their origins

Is Class Still Relevant in a Modern Society?

Is Class Still Relevant in a Modern Society? The question of whether ‘class is still a relevant concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain has two components to be analysed, firstly is class still and do social divisions exist in Britain? The results of this research indicate yes to both questions, that although class and the nature of its existence have changed since Marx, Weber and Durkheim’s eras, it is very difficult to get past the important and definite existence of class and social divisions within Britain today. Neo-Marxists, neo-Weberians as well as functionalists and other theorists analysing it from a post-modern, post industrialisation perspective support this opinion. Class itself is a concept that has been traditionally hard to define and continues to be so. As Bradley states in Fractured Identities (1996, p. 45), ‘class is everywhere and nowhere’. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. It has a shifting identity with few definite physical signs or markers to monitor. Part of the difficulty to define it categorically is that it involves many terms and viewpoints: class awareness; class consciousness; class imagery; class interest; class position; contradictory class location; false consciousness; middle class; petite bourgeoisie; proletariat; status; stratification; underclass; working class, the list is extensive. As Bilton et al (1987, p. 36) states: ‘Structures where economic relationships are primarily called class societies, and in these cases we refer to the different unequal groups as classes. There is considerable despite over the precise definition of this term, but we shall use class to refer to a group sharing a similar position in a structure of objective material inequalities, produced by a particular system of economic relations characteristic of a particular mode of production.’ (Bilton T, et al 1987, p. 36; Bradley 1996, pp. 45-6). Analysing class has historically formed a set of debates, emanating from the initial positions taken by theorists such as Marx and Weber, this debate has continued with neo-Marxists and neo-Weberians. In Class and Stratification. An Introduction to Current Debates, Rosemary Crompton (1998) suggests there is now a movement that involves a split between those who study class structure and mobility using statistical research and those who focus on class formation and consciousness by using historical or ethnographical approaches. This conflict has resulted in a stalemate of sorts where some sociologists have lost interest in the importance of social class. While anthropologists, historians and sociologists identify class as a social structure emerging from pre-history, the idea of social class entered the English dictionary approximately in the 1770s. It is valuable for this reason that any changes that may have been made since its induction should be evaluated. (Bradley 1996, pp. 45-6; Taylor, 1999, pp. 97-8). Marx saw class categories as relating to the ownership of property, and production relationship. He founded a revolutionary concept in social order – communism, in a communist state there would be no stratification. The two groups were the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production, and the proletariat the workers. He believed this relationship was based upon exploitation and conflict. Marx predicted a revolution in which the proletariat would defeat the bourgeoisie and share ownership of the factories equally between themselves. Although this did not occur in Britain, it did in Russia, in 1917. The proletariat revolted and all means of production fell into public ownership, forming a socialist state. This was close to Marxs ideological dream of communism. However, ownership despite being equal still existed and there was divisions still existed, some people had better, more highly respected, jobs than others. There was still inequality and competition. (Albrow, 1999, pp 155-9; Bilton T, et al 1987, pp 27-8). Weber was influenced by Marxs work but disagreed with his theory, he thought it was too deterministic. Being a structuralist, he believed people were shaped by the society in which they lived and capable of social action. He also disagreed with Marxs theory on stratification. Marx based his view of class structure on ownership of the means of production whilst Weber believed it was dependant on life chances. Life chances depended on wealth and skills; the upper class had the most advantageous life chances, and the poor (e.g. the unemployed, elderly and homeless), the least; economic situation, market situation, status and political party could determine class. Whist Marx split society into two distinct classes; Weber saw that social structure was more complex. The four main strata he identified were the upper class, the middle class, the working class and the poor/underclass. However, within these groups, were other, more subtle divisions, which depended on a number of variables incl uding differences in income, opportunities for upwards mobility, security of employment, language, life-style and social estimation of others. However, Weber perceived class as somewhat different, he believed that class consciousness was essentially conditional –that consciousness could occur depending upon circumstances. He acknowledged, as Marx believed, that classes and social groups were likely to experience conflict in attempts to gain status honour or class movement. (Taylor, 1999, pp. 99). Neo-Marxists come in many varying forms, but they share a common acknowledgement of the importance of gender/sex divisions. Nevertheless, it was still placed less important than class divisions under a capitalist society. Consequently, they thought the primary basis of exploitation in society was class, not gender. This implies that capitalists have more power over workers than men have over women, not an uncontroversial view. Issues of race and ethnicity were also viewed as less important than class. Functionalists take the view that social stratification is both essential to the running of society and inevitable. They believe that all social phenomena exist because they have a positive function to fulfil. Durkheim, a functionalist, described society as a living organism in which different organs with specific functions such as education, work, and government are inter-related. According to Bilton et al (1987), ‘the education system is a vehicle for developing the human resour ces of an industrial nation.’ (Bilton T, et al 1987, p. 308; Swingewood 2000, pp 137-140). In Class and Stratification, Crompton challenges the claim that class is dead and is in fact very much alive. In the vein of this belief, Goldthorpe and Wright critically examine ‘post-modern’ theories of ‘post-class’ societies, as well as the most recent contributions of quantitative sociological approaches. It is argued that despite their theoretical differences, the work of these two authors has been undergoing a process of convergence in recent years. Crompton analyses how the death of class is the contemporary increase in the event of social and material inequality. Definitional difficulties of class are only one aspect of the decision by many sociologists to question its relevance. Cromption explores social inequalities including gender and the feminisation of the middle classes, the significance of recent changes in work and employment, consumption and citizenship. (Bradley 1996, pp. 59-62; Crompton 1998, pp. 113-5) In most modern industrial societies, including Britain, the system of social stratification is fluid through generations or perhaps in their own lifetime, people can move up or down the social scale. A number of modern thinkers have tried to define what makes a particular ‘social class’. Is it accent, surroundings, occupation, income, wealth? If we simply spoke only about class as it was first defined and existed since Marx/Weber times we would not taking into account societal changes such as the increase in unemployment, health care crises, resulting in a concept of society that has always existed yet, become more prevent and occupied: the underclass. It seems that any social divisions that may exist stem from the pretext of social class and its restraints and the difficulty to move from one class to another is problematic. (Bilton T, et al 1987, 308). Thatcher’s Conservative Party did not believe in the concept of society, rather than society had no existence outside of individuals. Her party’s main aim was to reduce the role of the state in the economy, through various means such as the privatisation of British Rail, council houses and the introduction of poll tax in 1989. She advocated strong welfare reforms and created an adult Employment Training system that included full-time work done for the dole plus small top-up, based upon the a US workfare model, called the ‘Social Fund’ system. It placed one-off welfare payments for emergency needs under a local budgetary limit, and where possible changed them into loans, and rules for assessing jobseeking effort by the week, were breaches of social consensus unprecedented since the 1920s. All very strong and harsh steps only seeming to increase the already obvious class inequalities and difficulties in British society. By 1990, opposition to Thatchers polici es on local government taxation, her Governments perceived mishandling of the economy -especially the high interest rates which were undermining her core voting base within the home-owning, entrepreneurial and business sectors, as well as other factors finally made her and her party seem increasingly politically vulnerable. Her rein was over, yet her affect on British society remains strong and well-felt by general society. So it seems given all the variants and backgrounds that we have discussed that class divisions still exist and thus are still very relevant. The old saying the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer certainly was true of Thatcher’s era (Taylor, 1999, pp. 111-3; Albrow, 1999, pp 56-7; Margaret Thatcher: 2006). The Rowntree Report in 1995 exposed that unemployment rates in Britain were rising high and more rapidly than in any other industrial country – a very worrying finding, that unemployment, insecurity and deprivation were still very much prevalent in the working classes. Examining the existence of the underclass leads us to the question of whether it is a convenient label, and a powerful rhetorical label, as Marxists argue, or is it a post-industrial phenomenon? Considering that we are analysing British society post-industrialisation, this is an interesting question to ponder. Some theorists believe that it is a term that victimises and blames people and keeps them in their socio-economic spot without the opportunity or resources to move. (Fincher, R Saunders, P, 2001, p. 21; Bradley 1996, p 46; Taylor, 1999, pp. 113-5). To answer our original question of whether class can still be used as applicable concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain, the answer is most definitely yes, but it has changed from the days of Marx and Weber and initial sociological conceptualisation. It seems that to analyse this process highlights the parts of society that may be disadvantaged through their social class or class immobility. Awareness is an important part of the process of changing and at the very least, compassion and societal responsibility. Bibliography Albrow, M, 1999, Sociology: The Basics. Roultedge, London Bilton T, Bennett, K, Jones, P, Stanworth, M, Sheard, K Webster, A 1987. Introductory Sociology. Macmillan Education Ltd, Hampshire. Bradley, H, 1996. Fractured Identities. Changing Patterns of Inequality. Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Crompton, R, 1998. Class and Stratification. An Introduction to Current Debates, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Erikson, K, 1997, Sociological Visions, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Inc, USA. Fincher, R Saunders, P, 2001, Creating Unequal Futures? Rethinking Poverty, Inequality and Disadvantage. Allen and Unwin, Australia. Giddens, A 1993. Sociology, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Taylor, S, 1999, Sociology: Issues and Debates, Macmillan, Great Britain. Swingewood, A 2000. A Short History of Sociological Thought, 3rd Ed, St Martin’s Press, New York. Psychological/Sociological Paradigms, retrieved 7th April 2006, from:Â  http://webpages.marshall.edu/~carter12/eda705a5.htm. Wikipedia, April 2006, Margreat Thatcher, retrieved 11th April 2006, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher

British Settlement in American Continent and Regionalism :: Geography History Historic Essays

British Settlement in American Continent and Regionalism Describe how settlement patterns set-up the regionalisms of the United States. Throughout history, people from cultures around the world have come to America seeking a new life or a change from their current conditions. They may have come to avoid persecution, to avoid overpopulation, or to attempt to be successful in an entirely new world from the life they formerly knew. As the immigrants arrived, some found that their dreams had been attained. Conversely, some found that the New World was not as fantastic as they were led to believe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an influx of British citizens arrived on the shores of America. The arriving British population came from a particular area of Europe, but there was distinct individuality within the group. The diverse British immigrant population would be the first of many groups to add cultural variety to the United States population, for which America continues to be known today. After reading Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fischer, it is apparent that the four major British groups arriving from 1620 to 1776 and their patterns of settlement would shape the development of American regionalisms known throughout the country. Four major British groups immigrated to America within a span of less than two hundred years. Although they all migrated from the British Isles, each had a distinct set of standards and a very set culture carried from the other side of the Atlantic. Not only were the people of early America diverse, so were the motives for which they migrated to the New World. The Puritans arrived from 1629 to 1641. This group was a culture devoted to the Bible and following its every word. Because of their extreme beliefs, they had been persecuted in England. Their goal in America was to create a Promised Land based on their beliefs. They moved from the eastern sections of Britain known as East Anglia and settled in New England, primarily in Massachusetts. The Puritans' influence shaped the New England image to how it is known today. For example, the pattern of settlement of small towns in the New England region was carried over from those of eastern England. These towns were centralized along a main road, with a few farms or homes outside of the village. Even today, this type of town is well known throughout Massachusetts and the other New England states. Another example of well-known New England characteristics concerns their food preference.

Shareholder vs Stakeholder vs Market Failure’s Model

Business and ethics are often considered as opposite ends of a magnet, one in the means of seeking profit and other with the common assumption of refraining from profit maximization; so the question become is business ethics really an oxymoron? The usual perception of business ethics is very poor and pessimistic as many corporate executives say one thing yet do another. Although the maximization of self-interest and profit seeking is what drives the economy forward, but how should one’s actions be justified, is it ok to do as you wish as long as the law permits?Business managers along with other professionals have sets of ethical codes laid out and are to be followed. There is the bar set in place to monitor the practices of each individual lawyer; medical association for doctors as they perform medicine; and a ring to be worn to constantly remind the engineers of their professionalism and the potential consequences of their work (Heath). Managers on the other hand do not have an association to oversee the decisions they make, whether they are permissible by law or meet the moral obligations.However not having the standards on paper does not mean there aren’t any to be followed. In order to make justification for the type of behaviours business managers have and to outline the appropriate actions they should take, many ethical theories have been developed since. There are three that best represent the key perspectives in this matter; Friedman’s Shareholder theory, Freeman’s Stakeholder theory and Heath’s Market Failure Model of business ethics (Heath).Each of them is the pillars of which many other theories are based on but have very different and opposite views. The Shareholder theory suggests that manager has fiduciary duties to the shareholders only and must maximize profits as long as the law permits. The Stakeholder theory on the other hand suggests that managers have fiduciary duties to all stakeholders whom are positive ly or negatively affected by the decisions of the firm; shareholders are only of the stakeholders and their benefits cannot account for all.The making of one group’s benefits can only be made in conjunction of making all other stakeholders better too; shareholders are no more special than the suppliers, customers, employees and communities. Both the Stakeholder and Shareholder’s theories are biased towards different ends, one suggesting profits to be maximized for one group while the other stating that profits should be common good for all. Furthermore, the Market Failure Model of business ethics comes in between the two, yet containing arguments of both but in revised versions.I will argue in this paper that the Market Failure Model is the one that best describes the causes and effects of the business environment we have today and the role ethics play within it. First, an extraction and analysis of the Market Failure Model will be conducted and be used to explain why it is the best fit for the current business environment and ethics. I will then explain the shortfalls of the Shareholder and Stakeholder theories and why they lack considerations on a broader scope. Market Failure Model Market failure is the situation when the competitive market fails to provide an efficient outcome.In order for an efficient allocation of resources, there must be the absence of externalities, symmetrical information between buyers and sellers, insurance markets, and utility maximizing agents whom are rational when making decisions (Heath). However in the real world, the above conditions are rarely met and thus the idea of a perfect market becomes only ideal in theory but impractical in reality. In response to such failure in the market, two corrective phenomenons exist. The first being the creation of corporations which is organized in a system of hierarchy.Managers have fiduciary duty to follow legal as well as moral constraints to achieve profit maximization for members in the hierarchy, in this case the shareholders. Moreover, in order to achieve the highest profits for anyone in the market, they will need to compete in prices as well as product innovation. Many historical scenarios has proven that competition leads to economic advancements where without it would result in economic stagnation. China and India had been communist states in the past where there were minimum price competition and product innovations, the government had full control and attempted to effectively allocate resources.However such intervention only led to full economic stagnation and poverty for its people. By the late 80s, both the Chinese and India government returned control to the market itself where competition for profit resumed and thus the economies began to advance and has brought prosperity upon its people. This not only proved profit seeking, price competition in the market is rather healthy for the economy but also concluded that government interventions in the market can create unneeded deadweight loss.The second response to Market Failure involves preservation of the market transaction and is subject to legal and regulatory constraints (Heath). In a competing market, there are various strategies firms may take to maximize their profits. Strategies that involve only of lower prices, better quality and product innovation that would exist in perfect completion are referred to as preferred strategies whereas the ones involving pollution, misleading advertising, sale of products with hidden defects are called non-preferred strategies (Heath).From the Market Failure’s perspective, the ethical firms will refrain from using non-preferred strategies even if they are allowable by the loophole of the law and regulations. These firms seek non-preferred strategies because they bring easy and quick forms of profits, but it is also short lasting. â€Å"Misleading advertising stands to false advertising as deception does to fraud† (Heath). When firms adopt misleading advertisement for its products, it will bring short term profits before consumers realize they are being deceived.However when consumers do acknowledge the unethical behaviours of the business, they will switch products and by the word of mouth spread unfavourable comments of the firm; thus in the long run, such business behaviour is not practical as bad reputation leads to loss of sales and eventual closedown of operations. Profit seeking often bears negative conceptions due to the frequent exploitation of the market and flaws of the legal and regulatory systems.These firms fail to consider the moral obligations they must also endure. The analogy between â€Å"orporate social responsibility† and â€Å"Good sportsmanship† effectively compares and applies such concept. Having good sportsmanship does not only include not breaking the rules of the game but also refraining from exploiting the loopholes and flaws of the regulations. Taki ng basketball for example, unavoidable physical contact will occur during the game; however one should avoid purposely injuring other players just to win.Although certain teams do adopt such tactics like those firms using non-preferred strategies to make money, but most top ranked teams along with the most reputable firms still win by applying only of the preferred strategies. Attack on Shareholder’s Theory Milton Friedman’ Shareholder theory argues that there is a fiduciary relationship between the managers and shareholders; managers by all means possible and permissible by law, must maximize profits (Friedman). However recent corporate scandals proof otherwise.The case of Enron for example, where corporate CEO and president along with other top executives engaged in a sequence of deception behaviours to achieve the maximum profit, not for shareholders but for themselves. Even on the verge of bankruptcy, these top managers froze the shares held by common shareholders so they could sell out all their shares while everyone else will suffer the drop in price. This proved the willingness to break the law never mind moral obligations, in order to maximize the self-interests of the managers themselves.It is mistaken to trust the strength of the fiduciary relationship between managers and shareholders where the shareholders are without protection. One may argue that shareholders can simply fire the irresponsible manager, but as Enron proves, these managers can easily cheat shareholders without being found out until it is too late. Another shortfall of the Shareholder theory is the inconsideration for others who are also affected by the firm’s decisions. Lockean argues that shareholders are entitled to the profits as employee deserves their wages, but it is unconvincing because it only defines the legal obligations but not the moral (Heath). We have no legal obligation to give but do not mean we have no moral obligation to give to charity†( Heath) This quote from Heath suggests that even though it is not by law that we must be moral and has concerns for other, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t any moral and ethical codes to be followed. Attack on Stakeholder Theory The Stakeholder theory compared to the Shareholder theory argues that managers have fiduciary duties to everyone who are affected by decisions of the firm, including suppliers, customers, employees and many others (Freeman).It is true that consideration for these stakeholders are important when making business decisions however it doesn’t mean managers have fiduciary duties to all. Managers in corporations are trusted directly of property rights of shareholders with no alternatives and minimum protection against uncertainties. Suppliers, customers, employees and other stakeholder on the other hand have the ability to choose whether they are to be affected by the corporation.If suppliers refuse to agree to conditions and prices offered by firm, they may wish to supply to other firms instead; when customers refuse to pay for certain products or cannot agree to values (values referred to the corporate operations and its effects in the society) offered by the firm, they may choose not to purchase it’s products; and lastly employees may choose to resign from his position when conflict of interest and ethical concerns occur or may blow the whistle and expose the wrong doings of the firm to the public.Each group of stakeholders have their own alternatives in dealing with managers decisions and do not have property rights already invested and paid to managers for the outcomes of their performance thus they cannot be considered as having fiduciary relationships with managers. The major flaw of the stakeholder theory is that it assumes the stakeholders are not capable of making their own rational decisions and has left the responsibility of their wellbeing in the hands of others.The second shortfall of the Stakeholderà ¢â‚¬â„¢s theory is its short-term and narrow scope view of the matter and failed to consider the long-term strategies of the firm and wellbeing of the people. Walmart has been growing exponentially in recent years, but has also been experiencing much negative publicity like poor wages and benefits for its employees. When worker aren’t paid enough, the most common solution they seek is from the managers raising their wages.However most of these workers fail to realize they are only being paid according to their skill sets, rather than holding the managers and corporation responsible they should instead reflect on themselves and obtain higher education or more specialized skills to be worthy of their pay. If workers demand two or three dollars increase of their wage, they also need to consider the overall effects on the firm and not just themselves; it is not about a little more on one person’s pay cheque but the effect of thousands of workers and the incremental costs t hat a firm will bear.The market is competitive in nature, when firms fail to make profits, it will cease in existence in the long run. When the firm becomes bankrupt, all employees will lose their jobs and whom should be held responsible for that? Conclusion In conclusion, all three theories share different views of business ethics and the role of managers should take in it. Shareholder theory argues managers have fiduciary duty to shareholders only and should seek to maximize profits as long as it’s legally permissible; Stakeholder theory states managers have fiduciary duty to all stakeholders and must make ecisions so when certain stakeholders are made better off, the others involved must also be better than their original state. Both of these theories tries to outline what behaviours managers should take on a biased perspective yet fails to fit actual economic and market characteristics. Heath’s market failure model on the other hand suggests that managers do have f iduciary duties to shareholder only but should make decisions meeting their moral obligations as well, meaning adopting strategies that best benefit the firm and the society in the long run.Certain firms may donate to charity because they feel morally responsible or perhaps to cut taxes or simply for publicity; however in the overall wellbeing of the society, intentions matter but results matter even more. Firms that adopt non-preferred strategies will eventually break laws or be publicly criticized, will suffer losses in sale and be eliminated by firms applying preferred strategies because the market works to correct itself of its failures. Bibliography Heath, J. (n. d. ). Business ethics without stakeholders.In F. Allhoff & A. Vaidya (Eds. ), Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology (pp. 110-126). Peterborough: Broadview. Friedman, M. F. (n. d. ). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. In A. Allhoff & A. Vaidya (Eds. ), Business in Ethical Focus: An Antho logy(pp. 65-69). Peterborough: Broadview. Freeman, E. F. (n. d. ). A stakeholder theory of the modern corporation. In A. Allhoff & A. Vaidya (Eds. ),Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology (pp. 69-78). Peterborough: Broadview.

buy custom The Countrywide Financial Corporation essay

buy custom The Countrywide Financial Corporation essay The Countrywide Financial Corporation was founded in 1969 by Angelo Mozilo and David Loeb. Angelo Mozilo was the founder and chairman of the corporation. He is also thought to be behind the collapse of the company. In 1969, David Loeb founded the Countrywide in New York. Its intention was to create a nationwide lending firm specializing in mortgage loans. The company proceeded to open retail branches in California and by 1980 they had 40 branches in eight states. The company grew in leaps and bounds and saw it attain a loan origination of 2.2 million totaling to $408 million with 661 branches spread in 48 states. In the year 2008, the company was acquired by Bank of America for $4 billion. Its market value rose to $24 billion in 2006, but in 2007 it rapidly fell, when it emerged that the countrywide mortgages that had been during housing boom were overly risky and was faced with the risk of default. The company set pace on reforms that protected lenders from risks related to loan default. It also led to protection of borrowers with low income from exorbitant interest rates. Was the U.S. federal governments in 1932 intervention in the market for home ownership desirable? How did the creation of Fannie Mae in 1938, Ginnie Mae in 1968, and Freddie Mac in 1970 expand homeownership and shape lending practices at banks and other mortgage lending ?rms? Basing on the achievements realized it is clear that the intervention by the U.S government in the market was desirable. The creation of the Federal Home Loan Bank, for example, gave a provision on which lending to financial institutions is short-term prompting the desire for additional funds for home mortgages. The 1934 National Housing Act promoted homeownership. This is because it provided a system of insuring loans that protected default by borrowers. The creation of Fannie Mae facilitated secondary markets for mortgages. This was issued through guidelines of FHA program. This gave an opportunity to lenders who operated privately. This enabled private lenders to come up with a large count of FHA loans. Furthermore, due to the reason that loans could be sold in the secondary market. Another reason is that the borrower did not have to hold the loan until the loan term elapses. It also meant that another new loan could be created every other time the lender sold enormous loan bundles to secondary market inventors. Fannie Mae also bought mortgages that conventionally conformed to mortgages from the lenders. The reconstituting of Fannie Mae to trade publicly as a government sponsored enterprise saw its activities wiped out from the budget of the U.S federal government and moved its government insured portfolio, FHA mortgages, to corporation, which the government kept under total control. This was later known as Ginnie Mae. However, it remained in custody of Fannie Maes balance sheet. Th chartering of Freddie Mac facilitated the pooling of conforming loans, and came up with securities that were backed by mortgages (MBSs). These were sold as pooled shares on loan to the investors. The yield on interest for these security agencies lay between the U.S Treasury and AAA corporate. This obligation reflected low security risk. The MBSs development widened the secondary market for loans meant to be mortgaged. The reason being that the investors could buy portfolio of loan share other than buy intact portfolio loan. The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac value to capital share in the market was equivalent to the MBSs obligations and debt guarantee of implicit government of the U.S. It is also important to note that, the Federal Charter demanded that they aid the residential mortgages through the secondary markets. It also obligated them to fund families whose incomes were low or moderate. They were also required to consider mortgage funding geographic distribution. This entailed finance on mortgage for geographic sectors that seemed undeserved. Another benefit that comes along with package of MBSs is that its mandate is to appraise the credit history of the borrower, and guidelines to establish the financial capability of the borrower in meeting the obligations of debt. This is important in establishing the probability of the borrower defaulting. This facilitated the growth of market of mortgage. Also the bolstering of loan program by the Veterans Administration led to zero down payment and reduced interest rates on loans. The housing burst of bubble in the year 2007, when the economy of the United Sates started weakening with the decline in demand for housing caused prices on homes to plummet. The appreciation in prices of homes almost coming to an end saw most of their properties go down. The equity position that was negative led to mortgage balance, which in turn led to fair market value of most of properties. The intervention, therefore, was desirable. This is because most of the issues that affected lending were deliberated on. It led to streamlining of mortgage business. It went along way in ensuring that the lenders were protected from risk that may arise. The borrowers too were not left behind as this ensured that no borrower was discriminated against based on race or geographical locations. The rate on interest towards the borrowers was also fully addressed by the enactment. Why did the U.S. Congress enact the Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Depository Institution Deregulation and Monetary Control Act, and the Housing and Community Development Act? Was this legislation effective in expanding homeownership? Did the governments promotion of subprime mortgages and high loan-to-value (LTV) subprime mortgages create additional risks for lenders and the holders of mortgage backed securities (MBSs) or collateralized debt obligations (CDOs)? In order to answer why the U.S Congress enacted the Community Reinvestment Act, it is important to note the reason for enactment. Sources indicates that the CRA and HMDA were enacted after the social activists group started pointing to the statistics that showed that FHA and lenders were involved in the systematic discrimination that was of race. This was directed to minority consumers who leaved in low income neighborhood. This practice was termed as redlining. The activist mobilized the Carter administration and Congress of the United States to come up with this enactment to curb this social injustice in lending and housing. The depository Institution Deregulation and monetary control addressed the concern on lenders who showed the sign of low income redlining of neighborhoods from their disclosures. However, the lenders defended this evil by pointing to the risks associated with loans made to low income earners, employment histories that were not stable, inadequate funds to enable them to make a down payment, or high debt to income levels. The acts, therefore, were enacted to address the concern by wiping out caps on interest rate and giving the lenders the opportunity to highly charge, or subprime rates to borrowers of higher risk. The Housing and Community development act of 1981 set goals for lenders borrowers of low income and gave an opportunity to FHA borrowers with credit records that are not perfect to access loans on mortgage with 90 to 95 percent LTVs. In the year 1995, the administration of Clinton increased the LTV subprime loans causing the CRA to increase home ownership for the Americans who in one way or another were not able to acquire mortgage loans through the conventional criteria of underwriting. The subprime mortgage created an additional risk to the lender. The reason being that-: the lender did not need the borrower to demonstrate how capable he is to repay the loan. The lender granted the borrower with low credit score, a high debt to income level, or a small down payment. The increased MBSs appetite on Wall Street, the brokers of mortgage expanded their net sales to entail requirements on documentation that was relaxed and limited or impaired the history on credit. This lending technique ensured that many borrowers accessed the loan. However, this could impact negatively on the lender incase the borrower defaulted in repaying. It is also important to know that the crisis of S L facilitated mortgage business unbundling. The origination of mortgage and servicing of loans led to a split. It led to pushing of most originations of mortgages into secondary markets as debt which is collateralized known as Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). The ability of originators of mortgage to sell mortgages that were newly recorded as MBSs led to an increase of mortgage originators. The less strict nature of lending poses a risk on the side of the lender incase of default by the borrower. Buy custom The Countrywide Financial Corporation essay

Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace

I manage a collision/mechanic repair center for my father. After many years of trial and hardship I am proud to say we operate a very positive productive business. It was not easy to get to this point. Honestly what really helped us get to this successful point was learning my employee’s individual personality and needs, as well as finding my own. So this paper is a perfect opportunity to explain my situation. I will start by describing each employee. In our mechanic shop we employee two older men. The first man has been employed with us for just a little over ten years. He is not the better of the two mechanics. He is a little slower getting jobs done, Some of the jobs take a second time around to get them right. However h e is without a doubt the most dedicated employee we have. He comes in early and will work as late as needed. He will do whatever is asked of him. He is genuinely a very kind hearted man. Our other mechanic, how has been employed with us for almost 25 years is a perfectionist. He is fast and makes very little mistakes. He, on the other hand works from eight to five everyday, nothing more. They have a pretty good working relationship despite their different personalities. After all they have worked together for years. We have four employees working in the body shop. The first employee is our painter. He has been employed with is for eight years. He is well known in our community for his excellent painting skills. He loves to talk, joke and is very outgoing. He makes our working environment very positive and fun. The second employee is my uncle who is our body man. He very rarely talks and sticks to himself most of the time. He does only what is expected of him. He is very good at his job. The third employee is our other body man who is a longtime family friend. He works extra hard and will work on anything that is put in front of him. He is basically very easy going and easy to get along with. The third employee ... Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace I manage a collision/mechanic repair center for my father. After many years of trial and hardship I am proud to say we operate a very positive productive business. It was not easy to get to this point. Honestly what really helped us get to this successful point was learning my employee’s individual personality and needs, as well as finding my own. So this paper is a perfect opportunity to explain my situation. I will start by describing each employee. In our mechanic shop we employee two older men. The first man has been employed with us for just a little over ten years. He is not the better of the two mechanics. He is a little slower getting jobs done, Some of the jobs take a second time around to get them right. However h e is without a doubt the most dedicated employee we have. He comes in early and will work as late as needed. He will do whatever is asked of him. He is genuinely a very kind hearted man. Our other mechanic, how has been employed with us for almost 25 years is a perfectionist. He is fast and makes very little mistakes. He, on the other hand works from eight to five everyday, nothing more. They have a pretty good working relationship despite their different personalities. After all they have worked together for years. We have four employees working in the body shop. The first employee is our painter. He has been employed with is for eight years. He is well known in our community for his excellent painting skills. He loves to talk, joke and is very outgoing. He makes our working environment very positive and fun. The second employee is my uncle who is our body man. He very rarely talks and sticks to himself most of the time. He does only what is expected of him. He is very good at his job. The third employee is our other body man who is a longtime family friend. He works extra hard and will work on anything that is put in front of him. He is basically very easy going and easy to get along with. The third employee ... Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace I manage a collision/mechanic repair center for my father. After many years of trial and hardship I am proud to say we operate a very positive productive business. It was not easy to get to this point. Honestly what really helped us get to this successful point was learning my employee’s individual personality and needs, as well as finding my own. So this paper is a perfect opportunity to explain my situation. I will start by describing each employee. In our mechanic shop we employee two older men. The first man has been employed with us for just a little over ten years. He is not the better of the two mechanics. He is a little slower getting jobs done, Some of the jobs take a second time around to get them right. However h e is without a doubt the most dedicated employee we have. He comes in early and will work as late as needed. He will do whatever is asked of him. He is genuinely a very kind hearted man. Our other mechanic, how has been employed with us for almost 25 years is a perfectionist. He is fast and makes very little mistakes. He, on the other hand works from eight to five everyday, nothing more. They have a pretty good working relationship despite their different personalities. After all they have worked together for years. We have four employees working in the body shop. The first employee is our painter. He has been employed with is for eight years. He is well known in our community for his excellent painting skills. He loves to talk, joke and is very outgoing. He makes our working environment very positive and fun. The second employee is my uncle who is our body man. He very rarely talks and sticks to himself most of the time. He does only what is expected of him. He is very good at his job. The third employee is our other body man who is a longtime family friend. He works extra hard and will work on anything that is put in front of him. He is basically very easy going and easy to get along with. The third employee ...

Application for the Use of Human Research Participants Essay

Application for the Use of Human Research Participants - Essay Example Signed materials can be submitted by mail, fax (434-522-0506), or email (scanned document to irb@liberty.edu). Signed materials can also be submitted via regular mail or in person to our office: Campus North, Suite 1582. Please be sure to use the grey form fields to complete this document; do not change the format of the application. You are able to move quickly through the document by using the â€Å"Tab† key. Note: Applications with the following problems will be returned immediately for revisions: 1) Grammar/spelling/punctuation errors, 2) A lack of professionalism (lack of consistency/clarity) on the application itself or any supporting documents, 3) Incomplete applications. Failure to minimize these errors will cause delays in your processing time. II. BASIC PROTOCOL INFORMATION Protocol Title:  ?UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO DID NOT COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL  Principal Investigator (PI): Richard Warner Wieringo Professional Title:  Sch ool/Department: Liberty University School of Education Mailing Address: 125 Woodgate Court APT 2C, Charlottesville, VA 22901 Telephone: (434) 251-2255 LU Email: rwweringo@liberty.edu Check all that apply:  Faculty  Graduate Student  Undergraduate Student  Staff This research is for:  Class Project  Master’s Thesis  Doctoral Dissertation  Faculty Research  Other (describe):  Have you defended and passed your dissertation proposal?  Yes  No  N/A If no, what is your defense date?  Faculty Advisor: Verlyn Evans, Ed.D, Chair  School/Department: Liberty University School of Education Telephone:  LU Email:  Non-key Personnel: Name and Title:  School/Department:  Telephone:  LU Email:  Consultants: Name and Title: Dr. Russ Yocum School/Department: Graduate School of Education Telephone: (434) 592-5462 LU Email: ryocum@liberty.edu Liberty University Participants: Do you intend to use LU students, staff, or faculty as participants in your study? If you do not intend to use LU participants in your study, please indicate â€Å"no† and proceed to the section titled â€Å"Funding Source.† If yes, please list the department and classes you hope to enlist, and the number of participants you would like to enroll.  No  Yes   Department Class(es) In order to process your request to use LU participants, we must ensure that you have contacted the appropriate department and gained permission to collect data from them. Please obtain the original signature of the department chair in order to verify this. Signature of Department Chair Date Funding Source: If research is funded please provide the following: Grant Name (or name of the funding source):  Funding Period (month/year):  Grant Number:  Anticipated start and completion dates for collecting and analyzing data:  III. OTHER STUDY MATERIALS AND CONSIDERATIONS Does this project call for (more detail will be required later): Use of voice, video, digit al, or image recordings?  Yes  No Participant compensation?  Yes  No Advertising for participants?  Yes  No More than minimal

Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relationship - Essay Example on to jobs as service crew at two ice cream parlors and later on transferred to a travel agency as an accounting assistant and travel agent at the same time. I did all this to help my mother who is the only close family member with me here in America. My father passed away some years ago and all my determined efforts are both to help out my mother and prove to myself and perhaps to my late father that I can make it out on my own. My job at the travel company entailed a lot of accounting work and was happy this is so because it closely correlated with my college degree. My fluency with both Chinese and English together with a third language was really a big help in my job with this casino-related travel company where I got to meet lots of people, greatly improved my marketing and selling abilities, enhanced my people skills and most importantly, gave the needed practice to boost my self-confidence. This job also gave me the much-needed work experience which was all more valuable as it related to what I am pursuing in college. Hardships I had encountered made me a stronger person and I hope this will help make me realize my full potentials. I am ambitious and totally focused on my life goals; probably also because I am a woman. If a person will ask me why I strive so hard, I will perhaps answer it is because I am a woman and I need to prove to myself and everybody that I can do the same job even better; that I can also accomplish great things when given the chance. I consider this opportunity to study in the United States as a rare once-in-a-lifetime chance which I will obviously not just squander away doing inconsequential things. I dream big and aspire for bigger things to come. At the moment, I had temporarily given up my job to concentrate on my studies and I intend to fully achieve my dreams by totally focusing on it for the time being. I also know that sometimes it is harder for a woman to get ahead in this society despite some progress towards gender

Formation of a Legally Binding Business Contract Essay - 3

Formation of a Legally Binding Business Contract - Essay Example It is important to consider what constitutes a valid offer. There are various statements which seem like offers but actually not offer. A distinction must be among offer, invitation to offer, an invitation to treat. Jess advertised a second-hand van for sale on a car trade website for  £2650. This is not an offer but a mere invitation to offer. This means that if anyone shows interest in the van, Jess reserves the right of refusing to sell it. As seen in the given case, Mr. Powell showed interest in the van but Jess told him that she would sell it if any other customer came before him. The interest shown by Mr. Powell was the actual offer but it was not accepted by Jess. Jess agreed to sell the van to him but she qualified her acceptance by saying that she would sell the van to any customer that came before him. A qualified acceptance is not a valid acceptance which is why they did not have any agreement yet. Mr. Powell told Jess that he would pay  £450 in advance if she did not sell the van to any customer for three days. Normally, when general offers are made, the offeror is not bound to keep the offer open for any particular offeree. However, when an offeree agrees to pay a consideration for keeping the offer open for a certain period, the offeror becomes bound to keep it open for the stipulated period as seen in Dickinson v Dodds. Mr. Powell has obtained a promise with the consideration of  £450 from Jess that she would keep the offer to sell the van to Mr. Powell open for three days. Now Jess and Mr. Powell have an agreement that is separate from that of selling of the van. Another important fact is that Jess’ invitation to offer turned into an offer during this negotiation. It is because anyone could have made an offer to Jess before she promised to keep her offer open.

Violence in the NBA Essay Example for Free

Violence in the NBA Essay Violence in the NBA is spontaneous as well as erroneous. Due to its competitive and physical style of play, players usually get involved in altercations which eventually lead to a free-for-all brawl which is unbecoming of a sport that is known to produce gentlemen of finesse and prestige on and off the court. Each ruckus is always in focus of the meticulous and keen eyes of the media as well as the public. Arguably, it is reflective of what the sport of basketball wants young fans to emulate without the violence of course. Yet violence within the league is rampant amidst the guide of game officials, which are always on the forefront of any untoward incident that tends to spoil the spontaneity and momentum of the game. Due to the spontaneity that is in the nature of the sport, nobody can predict may it be a fan or a referee whenever an imminent brawl is about to take place. Some basketball analysts say that this aspect of the game is what draws fans from all walks of life to the game itself. Violence is exciting as much as athleticism is. Thus, making the sport of basketball a game where masculinity is exemplified and where violence is considered a norm. Players display fits of anger and sparks fly which sometimes involve irate fans. In most recent memory, â€Å"basketbrawls† were instigated by young and raw players which are considered the future of the NBA. Basketball is more than a game of brawns. It is a sport that is fueled by strong emotions that lead to spontaneous violence. Basketball Officiating: Boon or Bust? Being a referee in the NBA is not â€Å"a walk in the park† job at all. Referees are expected to have a rational and sound judgment in every call they make. Each decision of a referee is a crucial part of his job and whenever he makes a call or decision, not only players will react but fans will retaliate in every call as well. Referees are not highly considered to have a vital role in the NBA yet they act as a shock absorber in every loophole that the game has. They are always lambasted by players and fans alike yet they are there to stabilize the pace of the game and performing the task of mandating the rules of the game. Some might say that they are simply doing their job for the betterment of the game but recently there has been an official that was involved in a gambling issue over at Las Vegas. With this in mind, some fans have really lost their complete trust on referees. And fans don’t really care about referees or game officiating at all, fans flock the arenas to watch their home team win and not to be victimized by mediocre officiating. Fans have meticulous and keen eyes when it comes to bad calls as much as referees are also sharp on making calls on players. However, some decisions made by a referee are not favorable to a home team which creates a ruckus among the fans, this happens whenever a call is made and fans don’t like it which results to an unpleasant feedback among the fans. At some instances, fans sometimes instigate â€Å"basketbrawls† and before the referees know it some guy has a fist on his face already. This creates a self-defeating image for the NBA. Remember that this is not ice hockey or football where athletes wear protective gears that will protect them from imminent injuries that result from abrupt and unexpected altercations during the game. An example of â€Å"bad† officiating happened recently when rookie Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks unintentionally hit Toronto Raptors guard T. J. Ford when the latter was driving towards the basket. This created an eclectic plethora of feedbacks around the league. For the fact that Ford has been hampered with injuries since he entered the league which some experts say that Horford’s foul wasn’t intentional yet it was made one because Ford is frail and has a history of serious injuries. Now, this is not objective officiating per se, Basketball is a contact sport and it’s a reality as well as a conviction that is shared by players. Reputation and a player’s salary is always at stake in every call a referee makes. Though Horford was fined and suspended for a couple of games, the Atlanta Hawks rookie showed sportsmanship by visiting and attending to Ford at the hospital, a deed of a suspended player which does not usually happen and simply shows how some kids in the NBA show class and finesse which is good for the image of the league. Hoopsworld. com correspondent Jason Fleming has this to say about the incident: â€Å"But does anyone out there think Horford intentionally tried to hurt Ford? He felt horrible about it after it happened and even went to the hospital to spend time with Ford in Atlanta. He explained the foul, too, to anyone who would listen after that game on Tuesday. † (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1) When it happened with a minute and a half left, we were still down by eight [92-84], Horford said. He got the steal. I just tried to go and block the shot. When he went up, I went up too. He tried to use the rim and I thought he was going to stay on [one] side so I went up and tried to hit the ball and I hit his head. † (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1) He just made a good move and fooled me. Horford said. (Fleming,J. 2007. p. 1) â€Å"That quote has been seen repeatedly. And, if you ask the Raptors, they also wont say it was intentional. Heck, even T. J. Ford understands it wasnt intentional. † (Fleming,J. 2007. p. 1) It wasnt a dirty play at all, Ford said. I think I just kind of tricked him with the move and he got caught in a bad spot. Hes a good kid. I told him Im not holding anything against him. (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1) â€Å"During those hours in the hospital, where Horford talked to Ford, it was Ford picking up Horford. I know that Horford feels awful about it, Colangelo said. He spent a couple of hours at the hospital with (T. J. ) last night and, true to T. J. s form, he was probably doing more of the consoling. I think the kid (Horford) was pretty shaken up about it. He felt awful. I dont think there was any intention to do harm. (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1). â€Å"So, with these multiple accounts of no intent of harm on the record, again, why did Al Horford receive a one-game suspension? Is it because of how bad it looked? Is it because of the fragility of Ford given his past issues with his neck and spine? Is it because this could have been much worse than it was? Honestly though, thats going to be true going forward too. No matter what anyone says, basketball is a contact sport. Sure, contact is regulated by the calling of personal fouls, but players get fooled all the time. To be real clear here, this is no different than a player going for a steal on a dribble and accidentally hitting the player with the ball in the groin. It happens. Fouls are called. Basketball moves on. Sometimes players have to leave games with injuries. † (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1). Basketball Fans versus Athletes Basketball is inherently a physical and competitive sport. Suffice to say that the sport exudes hints of violence due to the physical nature of the game. Yet sometimes the physicality of the game goes overboard and results to chaotic brawls which include players and fans alike. At some instances, these spectators are usually the linchpin to instigate basketbrawls. The heat of the game overwhelms everyone in the stadium and before you know it beer bottles, stadium paraphernalia and other objects are being thrown at the arena and add more tension in an already brewing commotion among players. There are numerous instances that players are overwhelmed by their emotions and retaliation is always imminent on the part of these players. We have to consider that due to the competitive nature of the game, these athletes have high testosterone levels that result in extraordinary aggressive behavior. Which leads us to a behavioral disorder called Intermittent Explosive Behavior which is imminent in these athletes. Intermittent explosive behavior is described as a disorder as having extreme expressions of anger and uncontrollable rage which is inappropriate to a certain situation. George Orwell, author of the book Shooting an Elephant: The Sporting Spirit has this observation about the role violence plays in every sport aside from basketball: Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting. (Orwell. 1950. ). This quote tells us that no sport has an inherent sense of fair play. And every sport is fueled by athleticism and sportsmanship camouflaged by arrogance as well as a certain sadistic nature in terms of watching it for the sake of the gratification brought about by violence. In the NBA, there are numerous basketbrawls but nothing compares to the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl that happened on November 19, 2004 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan, The incident that is better known as â€Å"The Malice at the Palace† sparked a myriad of negative feedbacks from the media to the public. This was arguably the most notorious basketball incident in recent memory since the â€Å"Bad Boy Days† of the Detroit Pistons of the late 80’s. The incident generated repercussions throughout the league and legal authorities as well. The incident involved Indiana forward Ron Artest and Detroit center Ben Walllace. Wallace was on his way for a fastbreak lay-up when Artest abruptly grabbed the former with his two arms causing Wallace to fall in an awkward manner. Wallace then retaliated by shoving Artest causing the latter to almost hit the bench. After this, chaos followed and players from both teams left the bench to join the fray and Piston fans joined the ruckus as well. Punches were thrown be it player against player or player against spectator. It was an embarrassing moment for the NBA and generated speculations about the conduct of players in the league. Each player in the NBA was placed under public scrutiny and is considered responsible for each deed he commits on the court as well as off the court. Sadly, media attention focused on Ron Artest which was suspended for a season, there was a debate regarding Artest rushing to the stands to hit a fan who threw a cup of beer on him, commentators said that it was not a valid excuse to rush to the stands and retaliates in order to hit the fan. The media heavily blamed the players for instigating the melee which was a huge upset for the entire league. Speculations of hooliganism in the league were fueled by the incident and Piston fans were placed in close public scrutiny. The Pistons had defeated the Pacers in a tight Eastern Conference Finals series five months prior to the incident, which eventually paved the way to their first championship since the Bad Boys Era. The game on November 19 was televised nationally on ESPN as well as locally on select Michigan television stations including Detroits NBC affiliate WDIV-TV (Channel 4) and statewide across Indiana through the Central Indiana bureau of FSN Midwest (which was later spun off to FSN Indiana), would be the first rematch between the two rivals since the Eastern Conference Finals. And emotions found its way to run high on either team (Wikipedia Pistons-Pacers Brawl. 2004. p. 1). Let us take a closer look on what transpired after the infamous incident: Players and spectators who were part of the incident are deemed to be subjected to criminal charges and will be thoroughly investigated by The Auburn Hills Police Department as well as the Oakland County Prosecutors Office. Two spectators filed and claimed monetary damages. The final legal actions of the incident for those involved may take months to determine (Wikipedia Pistons-Pacers Brawl. 2004. p. 1). â€Å"On November 30, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca announced that he will seek charges against all players involved in the melee. † â€Å"Whoever was involved in fisticuffs will be charged, regardless if they were wearing a jersey. Its obvious there were several Pacer players and fans that dealt blows. †(Wikipedia Pistons-Pacers Brawl. 2004. p. 1). When Basketball Rears its Ugly Head Players are always at risk whenever they display unruly behavior on the court yet most players dont really care about the consequences that will be brought about by such behavior. Players dont really care about consequent suspensions as well as fines for their misconduct. Players are not really concerned that they are being watched by people around the world and each action they make is a mirror image of the NBA. These athletes are only there to perform their best because that what they are paid for and does not really mind if they are playing â€Å"prison rules† basketball in a prestigious league such as the NBA. What is surprising about the violence which is apparent in the NBA is that people couldnt care less about it. Arguably, NBA afficionados are used to the competitive and physical style of play wherein players thrive upon. And whats contradicting is that these players are deemed responsible for their actions on the court yet sometimes they themselves enjoy a little fistfight once in awhile. Since the incident in Detroit which was called â€Å"The Malice at the Palace†, some basketball analysts bluffed that having a resident psychiatrist in every team in the NBA will help each player as much as a physical condition trainer helps a player with regards to physical health, so why not consider mental health as well? One of the most penalized game altercations after the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl would be the Knicks-Nuggets brawl which happened on December 16, 2006 which resulted to the suspension of seven players from both teams and a fine of $500,000 dollars each. The fine was arguably stiff due to the fact that Commissioner Davide Stern was trying polish the leagues image since the Pistons-Pacers brawl. The altercation started when Denver guard J. R. Smith was on a fastbreak and was about to dunk when suddenly New York rookie Mardy Collins strangled him when he the former was in mid-air causing Smith to fall hard on the floor. New York guard Nate Robinson rushed to them then pushed Smith in order to break the fight. The three players were surrounded by the team mates and officials who were trying to restrain the altercation. Yet this didnt help restrain the imminent on-court fight which was further escalated when Denver forward Carmelo Anthony strangled Robinson. At this time, New York forward David Lee was holding back Smith but the latter broke free and tackled Robinson then slammed Smith on the courtside resulting spectators and media to depart from the scene. Again, chaos overwhelmed the hardwood and more fighting followed. More pushing and shoving followed as well then eventually cooler heads prevailed and order was restored. Yet the seemingly restrained fight was inflamed again when Anthony made a cheap shot on Collins, The Nuggets star sucker-punched the Knicks rookie which had Knicks players chasing after him while he was leaving the court (Wikipedia Knicks-Nuggets Brawl. 2006. p. 1) The media has speculated that Knicks General Manager and Head Coach was the main culprit for the brawl which generated the notion that was Thomas dire attempt to revive the physical and rough brand of play which was reminiscent of the Detroit Pistons â€Å"Bad Boys Era† for him to inspire his team and give them the confidence boost they need in order to overwhelm a sense of inferiority against upper echelon teams. Criticisms surfaced as well due to the fact that Commissioner Stern didnt hand Thomas a suspension for his verbal provocation on Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, telling the latter not to enter the paint which suggested that the Knicks were planning mayhem right at the start of the game itself. Denver Head Coach George Karl said that this was a mediocre attempt on insulting his friendship with former Knick coach Larry Brown who was fired by Thomas and had a tumultuous relationship with after Browns departure from New York (Wikipedia Knicks-Nuggets Brawl. 2006. p. 1) George Karl was furious the next day and made a harsh comment on Thomas saying: â€Å" Thomas made a bad situation worse. Hes a jerk for what hes trying to do. My team has blown 10-point leads, 11-point leads with two minutes to go. I watched Utah blow a 12-point lead to Sacramento two nights before that with four minutes to go in the game and youre telling me that Im running the score up? Hes an asshole † (Karl. 2006) The comments made by Carl was scrutinized and criticized by media men speculating a brewing bad blood between Carl and Thomas which dates to Thomas firing of Larry Brown who happens to be a close friend of the Nuggets mentor (Truehoop. com. 2006. p. 1) With this in mind, violence in the NBA does not start from players alone. One cannot help on being skeptic on how coaches think and manipulate their players. In the aftermath of this Knicks-Nuggets brawl, speculations on coaches surfaced on how they motivate as well as manipulate their players. Specially players who are raw and new to the league. Prior to this incident, New York Knicks GM and Head Coach Isiah Thomas was being accused already to display provocative tactics as well as unruly behavior among these are: ? The pre-season game versus New Jersey Nets on October 27 was glimpse of things to come. Thomas confronted Nets assistant coach Tom Barisse after a potential on-court brawl that resulted from a hard play which involved a Nets player and three Knicks players. Nets head coach Lawrence Frank didnt acknowledge or responded to the bickerings of Thomas. Thomas exclaimed that: The better teams dont like when the teams on the bottom give them a hard time Sometimes they get a little upset with that. We have to give them a hard time and I hope they dont take it personally. (Thomas. 2006) ? In a game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 11, Thomas appeared to instigate a fight against Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, which Bowen accused Thomas of yelling at his players to â€Å"break his foot! † In retaliation how Bowen used his legs on when Knicks guard was attempting a jumpshot. Other than that, Thomas started shouting match against Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Thomas said: I was trying to stoke a little fire. We were playing three games in four nights against a pretty tough opponent in a getaway game. We were almost ready to pack our bags. (Thomas. 2006. p. 1). He later mentioned his Bad Boys Era in Detroit and exclaimed that if ever someone tried that on him, â€Å"I would murder him† (Thomas. 2006. p. 1) Thomas actions and innuendos were unbecoming of a hall of famer and a team general manager. This lead to a bevy of feedbacks about his conduct not only as a team official but a person as well. Perhaps this was a result of the job pressure he was receiving from the media and fans who wanted him out in New York. Thomas was considered to bring the unfavorable atmosphere in Madison Square Garden. Final Analysis The imminent violence that thrives in the NBA will always be part of the game. People have to accept the fact that every sport will be dealt with the consequent physicality and relative competitiveness that is a crucial part of every sport that is played. The NBA should do its part in assessing each brawl accordingly so as to be fair to the players. Players have should be responsible for their actions on court and off court as well. Its a good thing that the league has started having a dress code in order to polish the image of its players. Yet it doesnt end there and players should always carry with them a sense of sound conduct amidst the strong emotions that is always at play during games. Sportsman-like rivalry coupled with a sense of camaraderie will always overwhelm the hint the ugly notion of prison rules basketball. But players will always be true to their game which comes along with their passion for the game that makes the notion of violence a norm in each game played. References Fleming, J. 2007. Horford’s Suspension Unfair. p. 1. Retrieved December 13,2007 from Hoopsworld. com Levesque, J. 2004. Violence part of NBAs history. Retrieved November 23,2004 from Seattlepi. com Celizic,M. 2004. Fans as much to blame as players. Retrieved November 22,2004 from MSNBC. com Wikipedia. 2007. Violence in Sports. Retrieved December 20,2007 from Wikipedia. com Wikipedia. 2007. Pistons-Pacers Brawl. Retrieved December 22,2007 from Wikipedia. com Wikipedia. 2007. Knicks-Nuggets Brawl. Retrieved December 26,2007 from Wikipedia. com ESPN News Services. 2007. Raptors guard Ford injured after flagrant foul in victory. Retrieved December 11,2007 from ESPN. com Orwell, G. 1950. The Sporting Spirit, Shooting an Elephant. p. 153 New York: Harcourt, Brace, Co.