Early Greek,Roman,and Christian Historiography Essay

Early Greek,Roman,and Christian Historiography - Essay Example To this extent, it is important to note that the writing of pre-modern history, often known as historiography, involved early historiographers writing about various civilizations that existed at their lifetime and even beyond (Bispham, Harrison, & Sparkes, 2006). In this regard, it is worthy to note that some of the major civilizations that the historiographers documented included the early Greek, Roman, and Christian civilizations. Due to the diversity of these civilizations, many historiographers adopted different approaches in pursuing the history of such civilizations (Mehl, 2005). This paper therefore, compares and contrasts the various approaches to the historical inquiry pursued by Greek, Roman, and Christian historians. Essentially, the early Christian Historiography incorporated a number of approaches that were unique to the civilization, as the historiographers at the time (Osborne, 2004). Perhaps it is important to commence by noting that all the Christian Historical materials must bear apocalyptic, universal necessity, and periodical significance, according to the Christian principles (Bispham, Harrison, & Sparkes, 2006).. Certainly, Christian historiographers take the approach of universal necessity in the sense that they attempt to describe the history of the world from the creation of man to the latest events in the Christian history (Marincola, 2010). This means that Christian historiography only goes to the universal extent of seeking the origin of the races and distribution patterns of such races. On the contrary, the Greco-Roman historiographers take a slightly different approach in the sense that it is more particular in describing the history of civilizations (Mehl, 2005). Instead of d escribing how civilizations and powers rose and fell, the Greco-Roman historiographers describe Greece and Rome as the nerve centres of all historical revolution. On the other hand, the Christian

The Road by Cormac McCarthy Essay Example for Free

The Road by Cormac McCarthy Essay The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a novel based in a post-apocalyptic world. It revolves around the life of a father and a son who are struggling to survive. Everything around them is destroyed, filled with ash and stripped of life yet the two continue to move south, towards the sea hoping for better days to come. Their lives are lived in a constant state of fear. Every day spent scavenging for food as they are constantly moving, trying to stay unnoticed and safe. In the world that they live in, survival is the only goal and the concept of morality has become non-existent. Cannibalism is the greatest fear as everyone is a predator. But in this â€Å"Barren, silent, godless† (4) world, where â€Å"the days more gray each one then what had gone before† (1) and where man is prey to man, the man and the boy hold their ground. They have not yet lost their sense of morality and refuse to resort to a lifestyle that many around them have adapted. To them certain acts are â€Å"intrinsically wrong† (O’Brien) and never justifiable. This way of thinking and ethical view resonates with the concept of moral absolutism. This philosophy, built on the foundations of Immanuel Kant’s belief that morality is the ability to act rationally, may be used as an explanation as to why the man and boy stick to their principles. Though, the two have very similar beliefs, the extent to which they follow and believe in them is different as the boy has stronger moral values. Therefore, under Kant’s philosophy, the boy in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is arguably a moral absolutist due to the upbringing and relationship between him and his father as they are both accountable to one another and have a relationship as strong as one between man and God. Absolutism or something that is absolute is a principle that is universally valid, and is viewed without relation to other things. Moral Absolutism is when morality is universally valid and certain principles are viewed without relation to other things therefore they remain absolute no matter what situation or context they are put it. As a result, moral absolutism outlines that certain acts are always immoral and are never justifiable regardless of the motivation behind them or the consequences of those actions. When analysing Kant’s philosophy on morality there are three aspects that need to be considered. Firstly, as mentioned before, moral principles are absolute and do not allow for exceptions. These principles are not questionable because if they are put into different contexts and hypothetical situations, this opens doors to potentially infinite number of revisions and subtle qualifiers, and leaves one in a moral mess that Kant thought he was clarifying. (Rousseau) Secondly, Kant believed that all human beings are intrinsically important and that one should always respect the intrinsic worth of rational beings (Weilenberg). Therefore it is wrong to treat others as instrumental means for one’s gain (Josephson Institute). Thirdly and finally Kant contributed to the rule of Universality, which is that one should only act in a way that they believe would be appropriate if it was applied universally. Meaning that if one believes that an action is moral, would it remain moral if everyone around them was to act in that way. The rules and principles outlined in Kant’s moral philosophy and the basics of moral absolutism are visible in The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The man and the boy follow this belief system but as mentioned before, the extent to which the boy follows or believes in them is much different than the man. The man refers to himself and his son as the â€Å"good guys† and as outlined in Weilenberg’s essay they follow a moral code. This code consists of primarily never resorting to cannibalism, to not lying or stealing, helping others and never giving up (Weilenberg). These principles are very similar to those outlined in Kantian moral philosophy. All rational beings should be respected and should not be used for one’s own gain. Therefore cannibalism is never justifiable and helping others is a moral principle that must be followed. Throughout the novel, the man and the boy face many life threatening situations and it is during these situations that their level of morality is either weakened or strengthened. The first example of this would be when the man and the child encounter a man who has been struck by lightning but the man convinces the boy that it is not beneficial for them to help even after the boy’s urging (50). The man is ignoring principles and is focusing on his or their own good which goes against Kantian philosophy but even at this point the boy tries to convince his father otherwise. At another instance the boy responds to his father by saying, â€Å"If you break little promises, you’ll break big ones† (34) just as Kant argues that justifying one action opens up doors for an infinite number of possibilities which goes against absolutist principles. One of the main issues in the novel is cannibalism. The society in this post-apocalyptic world has in a way accepted cannibalism because of the threat of starvation but the man and the boy promise one another that no matter what the situation, they will not resort to it as the boy states, â€Å"We wouldn’t ever eat anybody, would we? .. No matter what? † and the father reassures his son by repeating, â€Å"No. No, matter what. † This is the fundamental statement that shows an absolute moral. Therefore they are arguably following Kantian philosophy and abide by moral absolutism. The man and the boy are living in a world where morality does not exist; as a result of this one many question the motivation behind the man and the boy’s moral standing. Though everyone around them has lost all sense of humanity, the two still follow certain principles. Early on in the novel, the man says, â€Å"If he [the boy] is not the word of God God never spoke†(5). Though this, it can be inferred that the man sees God in his son. He sees a superior being and a higher truth in his son. The man’s life surrounds around his son’s survival and he is his one and only motivation. Same applies to the son, as they both rely and trust in one another. Not only is The Road a tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic world but it is also the tale of the bond between father and the son and how strong this bond can be. The father preaches absolute morals to his son and they are both accountable to one another. This, is arguably the reason as to why the man and the boy hold absolute morals and values. In God and Moral Absolutes, Mathew O’Brien argues that once the existence of God is ruled out, it is impossible to demonstrate that there are moral absolutes. This argument can be looked with a different perspective. Though, the concept of God is not as strong in the man or the boy’s life their moral standing is very strong. Here the existence of God is ruled out but the bond between two people exists and as a result of this bond the father and son continue to live by their values. Also after the father’s death, the son continues to spiritually communicate with his father but it is stated, â€Å"He tried to talk to God but the best thing was to talk to his father † (286). Here, it may be argued that the bond between father and son was much stronger than that of man and God.

The History Of Baggage Handling Systems

The History Of Baggage Handling Systems What was to be the worlds largest automated airport baggage handling system, became a classic story in how technology projects can go wrong. Faced with the need for greater airport capacity, the city of Denver elected to construct a new state of the art airport that would cement Denvers position as an air transportation hub. Denvers new international airport was to be the pride of the Rockies, a wonder of modern engineering  [1]  . It was almost twice the size of Manhattan and about 10 times the breadth of Heathrow. The airport can handle the landing of three jet planes simultaneously even in bad weather. The airports baggage-handling system was even more impressive than its girth. The coal-mine like cars ran along 21 miles of steel track. 4,000 tele-cars routed and delivered luggage between the counters, gates and claim areas of 20 different airlines  [2]  . A CNS of some 100 computers connected to one another and to 5,000 surveillance cameras, 400 wireless receivers and 56 bar-code scanners coordinated the safe and timely arrival of every baggage. At least that was the plan. The airports baggage handling system was a critical component in the plan. By automating the baggage handling, aircraft turnaround time was to be reduced to as little as 30 minutes. Faster turnaround meant more efficient operations and was a cornerstone of the airports competitive advantage. Despite such noble intentions the plan promptly thawed as inefficient estimation of the complexity of the project resulted in swelling problems and public mortification for everyone involved. The inauguration of the airport got delayed by 16 months because of the problem. Expenditure to maintain the empty airport and interest charges on construction loans cost the city of Denver $1.1M per day throughout the delay. Of the numerous awkward gaffes along the way one was an unplanned demonstration of the whole system to the media. It elucidated how the system crushed bags, expelled content and how two carts moving at high speed retorted when they bumped into each other. When opening day finally arrived, the system was just a silhouette of the actual plan. Rather than computerizing all 3 concourses into one stand-alone system, it was used only in one concourse, by a one airline and only for flights which were outbound. Rest of the baggage handling was implemented using standard conveyor belts and a tug and trolley system that was entirely manually operated. This was hurriedly built when it became absolutely clear that the automated baggage handling system was never going to achieve its purpose. Although the offcuts of the system survived for 10 years, the system never worked properly and in August 2005, United Airlines announced that they would forsake the system completely. The maintenance costs of $1 million per month considerably exceeded the monthly cost of a manual tug and trolley system. BASIC MODE OF FAILURE Like all other failures the problems can be observed from numerous vantage points. In its humblest form, the Denver International Airport (DIA) project botched because the key decision makers could not analyze the complexity of the project with perfection. As intended, the system was one of the most complex baggage system ever endeavored. There was an exponential growth in the complexity of the project as it was almost ten times larger than any other baggage system. The heart of the complexity was a problem related to what is known as line balancing in project management terms. To adjust system performance, empty carts had to be circulated around the airport ready to carry fresh baggage. With more than 100 pickup points, the algorithms necessary to anticipate where the empty carts should wait for new bags epitomized a hideous dream in the mathematical aspect queuing theory. This failure in anticipating the number of empty carts required led to a delay in the picking up of baggage an as a result of which the system performance slide downhill. One of the main reasons of delayed initiation of the project was failure to recognize the complexity and the risk involved. Based on the original project schedule, this delay left a little over two years for the service agreements to be signed and for the system to be designed, developed, tested and implemented. The closest analogous projects although much smaller and simpler, took two years to implement. Given the dramatic increase in terms of size and complexity, implementation the Denver system in two years was an unmanageable task. As a result of the erroneous estimation of the complexity of the baggage system, the efforts required were also underestimated. That meant that without comprehending it, the Project Management team had calculated the baggage system as the critical path of the whole airport project. To meet the airports scheduled opening date, the project needed to be accomplished in just two years. This obviously was inadequate time and that miscalculation resulted in the project being exposed to gigantic levels of schedule stress. The other succeeding problems were most likely a result of (or aggravated by) shortcuts opted by the team and the mistakes committed by them as they desperately tried to meet the schedule. KEY DECISIONS THAT LED TO DISASTER Till now what has been discussed has made the basic mode of failure pretty clear. But to reach the heart of the problem and what could have been done to differently, we need to understand how the important decisions were made which eventually hampered the whole project. Project failures typically involve a number of faulty decisions, but within those many mistakes, some specific key decisions are the generators of the sequence of proceedings that eventually lead to catastrophe. Key Decision 1 An alteration in tactics At the beginning of a project strategic decisions are made that set the projects track. In the case of DIA, a tactical blunder was made that caused flip-flop to be made part way through the project. Before requesting for bids for an integrated system in the middle of 1991, the DIAs Project Management team had expected that individual airlines would take care of their own baggage handling activities. In 1991, the DIAs Project Management team altered their strategy and realized that an integrated baggage handling system needed to be built. This forced them to take back the responsibility from the individual airlines and carry out the whole project themselves. This alteration of strategy arrived only about two years prior to the airports scheduled inauguration date. This timing of the decision played a major part behind the unnecessary schedule stress that the project was exposed to. Although the decision made sense in the way that only one integrated system would be there with the entire responsibility on the DIA authorities, the timing of the decision was not proper. This led to a delay in start of the integration project. They got two years less time to finish it. The significant point that the airports Project Management team failed to see was that the change in technology required an analogous change in the organizational accountabilities. The failure to identify that change signifies a planning failure that happened during the start of the project. Overall, the mistake made was a failure to associate the airports overall business strategy (the aim of having one of the worlds most competent airports) with the sub-strategy of building the baggage system. Key Decision 2 The decision to continue What is even more surprising is that in spite of knowing that there was insufficient time, both DIAs Project Management team and BAE wanted to go ahead with the full-scale project. Before entering into the BAE contract, there were at least three clear suggestions that the project was not feasible in two years time: Breier Neidle Patrone Associates report clearly showed that the complexity was too much for the system to be built efficaciously. The three bids received pointed out that none of the vendors could have developed the system in time before the opening date. Munich Airport warned that a much simpler version made for them took about two years to be built and around another 6 months to get rid of the bugs. BAE initially did not choose to bid for the project, but the Chief Engineer of DIA directly talked with them and managed to convince them by stating the amount of prestige that was involved with such a large scale project. Many from inside the BAE raised their concern regarding the complexity of the system to be developed and the lack of time. But all the expert advice was ignored and they went ahead with the project with a development time of 2 years. Many factors may have led them into that trap and likely issues that may have influenced the decision making. Other than the Chief Engineers perspective and BAEs interests there were other factors or beliefs which made the whole project start. Both sides would have acknowledged that they were working within a constricted timeframe and the pressure to move rapidly might have caused them to put due-diligence to one side. The inherent belief that such a large airport would not function effectively without an automated system. As a matter of fact, the airport is functioning effectively with a manual system in place. Key Decision 3 The timeline, budget and scope Deciding on the timeline, budget and scope of the project is a critical issue and even more critical is committing on them to your customer. BAE did exactly that to the DIAs project management team. The decision to give a firm promise to scope, schedule and budget transmitted substantial risk onto BAEs shoulders. This clearly shows that the top management of BAE was not at all aware of the amount of risk that they were handling. BAE and the DIAs Project Management team made an additional mistake during the consultations. They excluded the airlines (who were key stakeholders) from the negotiations. Excluding stakeholders from discussions of key project decisions is always a trailing strategy. Key Decision 4 Acknowledgement of the alteration requests BAE and DIAs Project management team could not escape from the stakeholders pressures. Although they decided during negotiations that no change requests would be entertained, they had to accept them as the pressure was on them to meet the stakeholder needs. The stakeholders in this case being the airlines, which they ignored during the original negotiations. Some of these requests forced them to make significant changes in portions where they thought work was already completed. Incorporating these changes had other troubling repercussions. They failed to realize the effect these changes might have and how they would increase the complexity of the whole system. Although some people thought about the effects, their voices did not seem to have reached the higher decision making authorities. There was big communication disarray. Key Decision 5 Treading an alternate path A public demonstration of the project was given to the press sometime in 1994 and it was a major embarrassment. It exposed all the flaws of the project and the Mayor immediately ordered for an external consultant to be hired. Mattias Franz of Logplan Consulting of Germany was asked to look into the matter  [3]  . Based on his report, the Mayor scraped the project and ordered for the building of a manual trolley system at an additional expenditure of about $50M USD  [4]  . Although the Mayor took a very intelligent decision, it revealed another major flaw with the project. By the time the Mayor took action, the project was already 6 months behind schedule and had missed a number of opening dates. The missed opening dates and the tragic demo indicate that those at the top echelon actually had almost no clue about the true status of the project. A project of such size and complexity should always have an external consultant or expert looking after it throughout the whole developmental and implementation phase. Some other failure facts While the inefficient estimation of complexity, absence of planning, fruitless communications and lowly management oversight drove the catastrophe, the project underwent many other difficulties that multiplied the problems. Some of those issues were inevitable, but others were most probably a consequence of the time crunch the project was facing. Among the additional issues that impacted the project; Failure of Risk Management Throughout its developmental and implementation phases the project faced a number of technical problems for which they had not accounted for. These things aggravated their already haphazard situation. Such problems were likely foreseeable had the team a little bit more attentive on risk management activities. Again possibly as a result of the time crunch under which they were working, suitable risk management tactics seem not to have been developed. Change in Leadership In 1992 The Chief Engineer died. He was the systems de facto guarantor and his death left the project deprived of much required leadership. According to reports, his interim replacement lacked the in-depth engineering knowledge essential to understand the system. The replacement manager also had to take care of his previous duties and it stretched him to the limits. Issues with Architecture and Design A number of reports specify that the there was an inherent problem with the design that was chosen. It was unnecessarily complicated and prone to bugs. Some of the issues were: There were more than 100 individual PCs in the system. They were all networked together. If any one of the PC failed, there could have been an outage, as there was no automatic backup taken of the data. As the nature of the design recommended a distributed structure, (with PCs scattered around the different areas), it added to the trouble of solving problems when they came up, The worst thing about the system was its inability to detect jams. So, whenever a jam occurred, it kept piling on more and more baggage and thereby worsening it. Again time crunch could have been a reason for the design problems. In such a situation people settle for the first design or solution they can think of. That is exactly what would likely have happened. In addition time crunch often forces teams to concentrate on the happy path design without spending time on devising strategies to counter the problem or make the system fault tolerant. Conclusion The DIA catastrophe is a prototype for failure a lot of other IT implementation projects have followed. As with so many other failures, DIA suffered from; The inefficient estimation of complexity An absence of proper planning resulting in consequent alterations in strategy Extreme schedule pressure Absence of due diligence Committing to public and customer in the face of enormous risks and uncertainty Inefficient management of stakeholders Communication gaps and collapses Design not failsafe Inefficient risk management Failure to understand the repercussions of change requests Absence of management oversight While the above facts denote contributors to the letdown, there is one single problem that existed in the center of it all. For a project to be successful people need to make effective decisions and that requires a number of elements. The main two elements are expertise and knowledge. None of the teams involved in developing the DIAs baggage handling system had prior experience of a developing and implementing system of this magnitude. That lack of knowledge, along with the fact that advice from experts was habitually ignored, is the epicenter of the fiasco. The original planning decisions i.e. to go ahead with a single airport wide integrated system (in spite of being too late to do so) and the firms votive commitments to scope, timeline and budget all represented decisions that were made by people who did not possess the required knowledge. The miscalculations resulting from those choices were the sparks that kindled the fire. Often we have to face situations which we have never faced before and do not know how to proceed without risks. The success or failure of such a situation depends on the way we react to it. The step should ideally be recognizing the situation and its nitty-gritties, but the whole DIA project management team and BAE managers failed to do so. Had they acknowledged their absence of knowledge and the ambiguity they were facing, measures could have been taken to reduce the uncertainty. One of them could have been taking suggestions from experts who had some kind of previous experience in that kind of projects. The cheerful side of the story is that in Feb 1995 DIA did ultimately open and in spite of using a large manual trolley based system, proved to be a great success  [5]  . The apprehensions of a manual system being too slow for and airport like DIA and would result in increase in the turnaround time of the aircrafts, was never proved.

Intercultural Communication Essay

Comparison of the light that Catholicism was held in a century ago and its close correlation to the current treatment of Islam as a threat to the US is an important lesson learned from ‘Islam in America’. The close correlation and its replication in history considering that Islam is trying to expand in the US is an eye opener that makes one reconsider his position on the role played by Islam in terrorism and other vices that have been labeled as being closely related to the Islam faith. Another lesson that has been brought out by the article is the fact that more Arabs are Christians. Muslims, Arabs and injustice against America have in recent time been portrayed as being one and the same. Reading the article develops a clear collaboration between what can be considered wayward Islam and Arab Christianity in engaging in acts that are subversive for either Koran or bible dictates. The extreme differences that exist between different Islam groups are also brought out. To any one outside Islam the differences that exists in beliefs thus actions of Muslims and the development that have happened within Islam cannot be developed without having access to such eye opening information. Ida B. Wells, what a woman she was! Surprisingly I had never had of her existence even under black history catalogues. It is amazing how the influence of Wells was inspirational to the development of a number of organizations and uprisings that championed for equality yet her contribution has not even been documented by many writers and literatures. Another lesson from reading the article on her contribution to the liberation of African Americans is that President Lincoln actually placed an ultimatum for southerners to surrender or else lose their slaves. This version of American history is a realization of events within history that have carefully been concealed from the current generation to hide the dismay and inhumanity that past leaders currently held in awe as being great founders of America were involved in. Why is understanding history Important? Understanding the history behind a culture is important in developing a clear picture of events in the current society. Culture is considered a development from history that unluckily is in varied versions (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007); having a deeper understanding of experiences that define a community is thus important in objectively analyzing the different versions and coming up with a personal image. Moreover, without seeking an understanding of history the systems that have been placed to hide the truth may negatively affect one’s perception of events without and within his community (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007). Without understanding the differences that led to the development of different Muslim sects and the fact that they are of different ideologies one may be affected by the negative image that has been created by the media of Islam and terrorism. Without understanding the fact that America has historically been repulsive to entry of new religion one may be duped into believing that controversies surrounding Islam in the current society are a new development in American history. Abraham Lincoln and other great have had considerable effects on the current image of America. Realization that such a great could have made an absurd statement like ‘ surrender now or lose your slaves’ develops an appreciation of the fact that American leaders have had flaws and are not as perfect as modern literature portrays them to be. Appreciation of the role played by individuals whose names are not imprinted in American history or even black history in development that have been attained by African American is developed by Ida Wells’ biography. This develops an appreciation of the effects that individual can have on communities and even generations. Role in Competent Multicultural Communication Perception greatly affects the levels of efficiency that can be attained in human communication. Irrespective of the diversity that has been developed by forces of globalization the history of an individual whether formal or informal will always affect the perception he develops of others (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007). A multicultural communicator must be aware of his culture and the effects that it has on his cognition and others’ to ensure effective communication. An understanding of the differences that exist between cultures and therefore values is important in prior determination of areas of conflict in any given communication. Such information or knowledge is vital in addressing conflict areas in the best way possible. Management of conflicts that are inherent of communication between two communicating parties is affected by appreciation of their perception of each other. Addressing myths like it was the case in demystifying the role played by lynching in reducing African Americans’ role in raping white women and developing a clear difference that exists between Arabs ad Muslims is important in dealing with the negative effect that such have on intercultural communication. Language is part of a culture and unless intercultural communicators are appreciative of the differences in culture thus history has on perception (Martin, & Nakayama, 2007), conflicts in communication and even derivation of meaning that is core to communication becomes constrained.

Four Major Principles that Define the Collaborative Organization in 2013

Four Major Principles that Define the Collaborative Organization in 2013 Abstract The world of business is ever evolving as new factors come into play with time. Traditionally, most businesses would focus on making profits and everything else regarding the business’ operations would take second priority, but today, numerous multibillion-dollar corporations have worldwide reach.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Four Major Principles that Define the Collaborative Organization in 2013 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The emergence of various factors has lead to the evolution of business management and development practices. Jacob Morgan, in his book, The Collaborative Organization, discusses the importance of collaboration in corporations and mentions some factors that affect businesses with regard to emergent collaborative tools. However, particular to the discussion in this paper is his mention of four principles that define collaborative organizations in the present era. Th e principles include a technological push, the demand-pull principle, the aspect of a demographic kick, and organizational transformation mechanisms. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of each of these principles by applying views from other authors to provide balance to the discussion. The Four Major Principles The Technology Push One of the main topics in Morgan’s book, The Collaborative Organization, is the issue of technology and its effects on the operational activities of businesses today. He highlights dissemination of information as one of the core applications of the internet by stating that employees use the Internet as a means of sharing information amongst them and with the management, thus ensuring that the organization works as a team even though each individual has his or her own specific role to play (Morgan, 2012). Technology has evolved at a faster rate than was the case fifty years ago. The development of the Internet, mobile phones, and other communi cation tools has changed normal business operations and strategic planning. The two tools have made communication faster and access to information easier. Guy Klemens (2010), author of the book, The Cellphone, gives a perspective of how much the cell phone has changed communication and its importance by giving an example of how the device has transformed business even in third world countries, with people viewing it more as a necessity than a luxury item. Morgan (2012) expresses the same view regarding the use of the Internet as a collaborative tool in business organizations. He explains that the Internet is one of the most important technological tools that companies apply, for both communication purposes and strategic management.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Daniel Goleman (1998), the creator of the mixed model of establishing emotional intelligence, which is one of many theories on effective management, states that teamwork is essential in any organization for the development of social skill, and thus an important ingredient for a successful company. He adds that good managers should formulate policies that foster teamwork through the enhancement of communication and creation of relationships in the work place. Goleman’s theory suggests that employees with good relationships and strong ties are more likely to improve the productivity of a company. He adds that a company has better chances of synchronizing the operations of its employees in a manner that creates alignment with the company’s goals when the employees have good working relationships (Goleman, 1998, P.56). T. J. Allen, author of Managing the Flow of Technology (1977), presents ideas that support this theory by stating that employees that work more than thirty meters apart from each other reduce collaboration, hence negatively affecting communication. T he author explains that employees who work closely together communicate more thus sharing ideas that positively affect the productivity of the company. For instance, it is easier for one employee to ask for help from another if they have a good relationship as opposed to employees who rarely talk to each other. Mark Granovetter, the author of The Strength of Weak Ties (1973), presents a contrasting idea from that shared by Goleman and Allen. Granovetter presents the ‘weak ties’ or ‘bridges’ theory, which suggests that employees with weaker ties are more productive than those with stronger bonds. He likens ties between individuals to bridges by stating that they are weak structures that provide useful links between two points. According to him, two employees with a strong bond between them are likely to think and act the same way in various situations and depend on each other for solutions to problems. However, due to their constant interaction, such employe es are likely to experience the same difficulties in similar situations and are of little or no use to each other in terms of solution generation. In contrast, employees with weaker ties have different approaches to problems thus bringing an aspect of objectivity to solution generation (Morgan, 2012). Morgan supports this theory by adding that weak ties are easier to develop and take less time thus presenting an individual with the option to create as many as possible, within and outside the organization.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Four Major Principles that Define the Collaborative Organization in 2013 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He explains that such ties are easier to make through technological tools such as social media avenues like Facebook and Twitter over the Internet. Weak ties, according to Morgan, foster innovation, help in developing existent ideas, and prevent monotony through interact ion with several different individuals at a time (p.14). Jacob Morgan (2012) considers it noteworthy that although it would be wise for companies to use the Internet and other forms of technological tools for collaborative purposes, companies should weigh the negative risks that the tools present against their benefits. One of the risks that Morgan highlights in the application of the Internet tools is the possibility of distribution of confidential information to parties not authorized to access it. It is easy for employees to leak out trade secrets and other confidential company information whether intentionally or not. This aspect creates the necessity for companies to control the use of the Internet tools, as is the case in China. The government banned the use of Facebook in China as a way of ensuring productivity at the workplace. Secondly, companies that apply the use of the Internet tools have to ensure that they develop structures for the improvement of alignment in various departments. As companies expand, especially for those that merge with others and multinational corporations with subsidiaries all over the world, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain efficient communication structures. The use of the Internet tools brings with it the problem of controlling and filtering information appropriately within various departments. Lack of proper structuring is likely to lead to a chaotic situation and loss of valuable income. It is thus the prerogative of every company to ensure that the collaborating tools they use present as many advantages as possible at minimal risk. Demand-Pull The second principle that applies in the definition of collaborative organizations is demand-pull. The concept of demand-pull explains how inflation starts. The basic mechanism in this theory is that when demand for goods and services is higher than the supply, companies employ more people in order to increase production. However, increasing the labor force causes an i ncrease to the price of production for goods and services, which companies transfer to consumers by increasing the price of goods. The ultimate result of the process is inflation, an aspect that affects company policies through the formulation of mitigating mechanisms. In order to ensure that company productivity remains high when facing the demand-pull problem, most companies result in specialization, producing the goods they are best at and leaving the rest to other corporations. At an organizational level, the application of specialization takes the form of employment of employees with different skills to work in the same organization.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The use of experts and specialists ensures that the company gets quality results from each department without having to apply additional funds for training programs. Although the use of specialization as a strategy is cost effective, Morgan (2012) notes that the involvement of people with different skills working towards the same goal requires a high level of collaboration. Steven Covey (1994), in a discussion of his time management matrix for effective management, notes that in order to improve and maintain high productivity, good managers should foster the creation of relationships amongst employees. The essence of this is the improvement of communication and aversion of crises due to differences in objectivity and goal orientation. Covey suggests the use of team-building activities and discussion forums in improving teamwork and encouraging the dissemination of information in the work place (Covey et al., 1994). However, Covey’s theory is restricted to the work environment while Morgan (2012) takes a more holistic view in his discussion. Morgan explains that by applying the use of the Internet tools, employees are able to connect and align their goals to the company goals without having to bother with the creation of strong ties, which take unnecessary time to develop. An additional advantage with the application of the Internet tools is that it allows employees in a corporation to link with others in other corporations, fostering innovation and enabling the generation of solutions that would otherwise be unavailable to employees who depend on colleagues for problem solving (Morgan, 2012, p.49). Additionally, companies have the opportunity to outsource goods and services from professionals all over the world at cheaper rates, lowering the cost of production and creating the residual effect of generating competitive prices. This makes a company’s goods and services attractive to consumers and increases the company’s profit levels. The th ird advantage Morgan notes with the Internet, as a collaborating tool is that it eases the possibility of a company to expand its market potential. Through links with people from other regions, marketing of goods and services is easier and has a far-reaching effect in economies that are more receptive to products that a company has to offer. The Internet tools provide a cheap market research option for companies looking to expand into other countries. For instance, a company located in a country undergoing inflation would benefit immensely from exploration of markets in other regions through social sites, as a response for the proposed goods or services is instant. Therefore, depending on the budget at the time, the company may decide to open a subsidiary in the target market or opt to sell goods and services online as a way of testing the market and establishing the success rate. Demographic Kick On 20 October 2011, the global population hit the seven billion mark and according to an online article by Rajesh Kumar of USA Today (2011), surveys by the United Nations showed that the population is likely to rise to eight billion by 2025. Jacob Morgan (2012) states that such rapid changes in the population are bound to affect corporate structures both positively and negatively. For instance, high increase in population usually leads to less availability of resources per individual. As a coping mechanism, most regions experience changes in cultural practices sometimes having residual effects on economic structuring in a country. For instance, in the 1960s, Abu Dhabi was a state with a low population and less than average economy. Although the state had oil, its benefits were dismal to the population. Most of the families near the Persian Gulf practiced fishing and subsistence farming, occasionally getting a little income from ocean pearls. However, with the manufacture of synthetic pearls and border disputes with Saudi Arabian neighbors, the economy continued to de teriorate until the reign of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Zayed implemented policies that allowed expatriates to work in the state and generate revenue for the government to take care of its people. Today, more than 80% of the population in Abu Dhabi comprises expatriates, with the citizen population totaling a mere 10%. The increase in population created a positive change in the economy by attracting investments from multinational corporations. These corporations have to ensure that their policies allow them to remain competitive and provide goods and services that suit the region without compromising on productivity (Federal Research Division, 2004). Another way that demographic changes affect corporate structuring is through changes in consumption trends. Companies have to ensure that their policies adapt to constant changes in consumption trends for goods and services. A good example of how population changes affect consumption trends is the fast food industry. A de cade ago, most fast food companies produced products that were mainly luxury items as people preferred to make their own food. However, as the population rose, so did the demand to make more money for sustainability. This aspect is one of the factors that have seen drastic growth in the fast food industry. High population provides for a large labor force and a decline in wages. As prices of goods remain the same or higher, most people have to work for longer hours therefore reducing the time they have available for tasks such as preparing meals. The fast food industry has capitalized on this fact by making fast food products available at affordable prices. Most people now find fast foods as an easier cheaper option in comparison to healthy foods that require prior preparation. Thanks to dissemination of information and collaboration structures, fast food companies now have subsidiaries all over the world. MacDonald generated great controversy when it first opened a branch in China, with residents complaining that it was unnecessary because Chinese culture encourages home-cooked meals. Today, the company enjoys high sales as the fast food consumption trend has caught on in the country, with the massive population providing a steady market. Demographic changes thus have the ability to dictate corporate policies and corporations gain advantage by researching trends through collaboration tools as Morgan (2012) suggests. Organizational Transformation Organizational transformation is the fourth major principle that Morgan (2012) mentions in his definition of collaborative organizations. He explains that globalization and industrialization have led to extensive growth for the majority of the companies thus necessitating the restructuring of policies to match the changes (p.136). He notes that in earlier years, most companies preferred the application of a vertical hierarchy of power and command. In his opinion, that such structuring in companies ensured that there wa s a definite chain of command, making it easier to establish accountability for various actions and decisions within the company. However, this form of structuring has had its share of shortcomings. One such demerit is that the hierarchy limits the distribution of information. An employee has to go through an intermediary to relay information to top management, leaving room for delays and distortion of information. The resultant effect is the creation of unnecessary confusion and escalation of problems to crisis level. The hierarchy also makes it difficult for employees to access information from top management regarding their duties in cases where they need tools for the enhancement of their performance and overall company productivity. Another disadvantage the structure presents is the creation of a barrier between the management and employees. Such barriers make employees feel unappreciated and underpowered, reducing their moral and subsequently their productivity and the profita bility of the company. Thirdly, innovations as all actions have to undergo an approval by management. Even though the hierarchy serves its purpose, its application to current companies would be impracticable, especially for companies with several branches or multinational corporations. Henry Mintzberg (2008), a proponent of the emotional intelligence concept of business management, states that the manager has an obligation to make employees feel valued and appreciated by boosting their morale, an aspect that Morgan agrees with in the book. Morgan adds that by providing employees with essential tools for the performance of their tasks and letting the employees know that the management values their opinion; managers increase the morale of their employees, thus reducing the need for constant supervision and averting the creation of a hostile work environment for everyone. The current global economic trends require adaptability of policies to suit evolving trends and keep the company si gnificant. Collaborative tools ensure that companies stay in touch with the latest trends and foster innovative ideas that ensure the company does not lose to newer competitors. Morgan gives an example of the need for companies to employ new talent and adapt to new ideas while improving on existent talents in the company where possible. Conclusion Although the Morgan (2012) talks a lot about the application of technological tools in improving company collaboration, he also makes observations on some of the mains that define corporations today. He provides an in-depth discussion of each of the principles while connecting them to his other topics. Morgan explains that companies today operate under different structures from companies in earlier years, with some of the structural changes being results of external forces. The four principles in this paper constitute part of such external forces. Although some authors in their discussion of corporate management choose to indulge in a more localized perspective of issues by discussing internal workings of a company to the exclusion of global interactions, Morgan takes a more holistic view. This makes his discussion more objective and relevant to different other fields. Reference List Covey, S., Roger, A., Merill, R. (1994). First things first. New York, NY: Free Press Federal Research Division. (2004). United Arab Emirates: A country study. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Press. Klemens, G. (2010). The Cellphone: The history and technology of the gadget that  changed the world. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. Mintzberg, H. (2008). Mintzberg on management. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Morgan, J. (2012). The collaborative organization: A strategic guide to solving your  internal business challenges using emerging social and collaborative tools. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Free Essays on Fichtes Vocation Of Man

Choosing ones ‘vocation’ is not only based upon deep reflection of self but also of the world and how you receive it. There are many facets that can influence how each individual sees that world and their position in it. This is the essence of vocation and that which Johann Fichte explores in his Vocation of Man. It is grounded in three schools of thought, deterministic realism, theoretical idealism, and practical idealism. These schools are the basis of this paper, and through them I will give an explanation of Mr. Fichtes struggle to define his own vocation. Along with it I will show which vocation I have chosen and whether or not I have agreed with Mr. Fichte’s argument. In book one, Fichte describes deterministic realism. This philosophy is thought to be a system of continual caused events that interconnect all previous and future events. This chain is what brought you as a living agent, into being. The causal chain is that by which we derive our knowledge of our world, what we know must be based on prior causes that are events in nature. These events according to Fichte are due to Nature, and the reality of nature is all there is. All that a person does is preordained through the causal chain of nature. Throughout the text Fichte is confronted with the idea that he is part of nature, so much a part in fact that he himself is just an expression of that nature. And in being this expression we discover that our being is a product of prior events of condition, we begin no new events that are not based on a previous event and we stop nothing based on the same reasoning. For Mr. Fichte this presents a problem of freedom and self-determination. Fichte states this in book one, The time of my coming to be and the character with which I came to be were determined by this general force of nature; and all the various ways in which these, my inherited characteristics, have found expression since then and will find expression so long ... Free Essays on Fichte's Vocation Of Man Free Essays on Fichte's Vocation Of Man Choosing ones ‘vocation’ is not only based upon deep reflection of self but also of the world and how you receive it. There are many facets that can influence how each individual sees that world and their position in it. This is the essence of vocation and that which Johann Fichte explores in his Vocation of Man. It is grounded in three schools of thought, deterministic realism, theoretical idealism, and practical idealism. These schools are the basis of this paper, and through them I will give an explanation of Mr. Fichtes struggle to define his own vocation. Along with it I will show which vocation I have chosen and whether or not I have agreed with Mr. Fichte’s argument. In book one, Fichte describes deterministic realism. This philosophy is thought to be a system of continual caused events that interconnect all previous and future events. This chain is what brought you as a living agent, into being. The causal chain is that by which we derive our knowledge of our world, what we know must be based on prior causes that are events in nature. These events according to Fichte are due to Nature, and the reality of nature is all there is. All that a person does is preordained through the causal chain of nature. Throughout the text Fichte is confronted with the idea that he is part of nature, so much a part in fact that he himself is just an expression of that nature. And in being this expression we discover that our being is a product of prior events of condition, we begin no new events that are not based on a previous event and we stop nothing based on the same reasoning. For Mr. Fichte this presents a problem of freedom and self-determination. Fichte states this in book one, The time of my coming to be and the character with which I came to be were determined by this general force of nature; and all the various ways in which these, my inherited characteristics, have found expression since then and will find expression so long ...

Ancestry of Barack Obama Family Tree and Genealogy

Ancestry of Barack Obama Family Tree and Genealogy Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Kenyan father and an American mother. According to the U.S. Senate Historical Office, he was the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history and the first African American President. First Generation: 1. Barack Hussein OBAMA was born on 4 August 1961 at the Kapiolani Maternity Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein OBAMA, Sr. of Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya, and Stanley Ann DUNHAM of Wichita, Kansas. His parents met while both were attending the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a foreign student. When Barack Obama was two years old, his parents divorced and his father moved to Massachusetts to continue his education before returning to Kenya. In 1964, Barack Obamas mother married Lolo Soetoro, a tennis-playing graduate student, and later an oil manager, from the Indonesian island of Java. Soetoros student visa was revoked in 1966 because of political unrest in Indonesia, breaking up the new family. After graduating with a degree in anthropology the following year, Ann and her young son, Barack, joined her husband in Jakarta, Indonesia. Obamas half-sister, Maya Soetoro was born after the family moved to Indonesia. Four years later, Ann sent Barack back to the United States to live with his maternal grandmother. Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he met his future wife, Michelle Robinson. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Second Generation (Parents): 2. Barack Hussein OBAMA Sr. was born in 1936 in Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya and died in a car crash in Nairobi, Kenya in 1982, leaving three wives, six sons​,  and a daughter. All but one of his children live in Britain or the United States. One of the brothers died in 1984. He is buried in the village of Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya. 3. Stanley Ann DUNHAM was born on 27 November 1942 in Wichita, Kansas and died 7 November 1995 of ovarian cancer. Barack Hussein OBAMA Sr. and Stanley Ann DUNHAM were married in 1960 in Hawaii and had the following children: 1 i. Barack Hussein OBAMA, Jr. Third Generation (Grandparents): 4. Hussein Onyango OBAMA was born about 1895 and died in 1979. Before settling down to work as a cook for missionaries in Nairobi he was a traveler. Recruited to fight for colonial power England in World War I, he visited Europe and India, and afterward lived for a time in Zanzibar, where he converted from Christianity to Islam, family members said. 5. Akumu Hussein Onyango OBAMA had several wives. His first wife was Helima, with whom he had no children. Second, he married Akuma and they had the following children: i. Sarah OBAMA1. ii. Barack Hussein OBAMA, Sr.iii. Auma OBAMA Onyangos third wife was Sarah, the one often referred to by Barack as his grandmother. She was the primary caregiver for Barack OBAMA Sr. after his mother, Akuma, left the family when her children were still young. 6. Stanley Armour DUNHAM was born on 23 March 1918 in Kansas and died 8 February 1992 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is buried in Punchbowl National Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii. 7. Madelyn Lee PAYNE was born in 1922 in Wichita, Kansas and died 3 November 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Stanley Armour DUNHAM and Madelyn Lee PAYNE were married on 5 May 1940, and had the following children: 3. i. Stanley Ann DUNHAM