The Difference Between Analytic and Speculative Philosophy

Philosophy is an Academic discipline that exercises reason and logic in an attempt to understand reality and answer fundamental questions about knowledge, life, morality and human nature. Philosophy is the root of all knowledge. It is considered as mother of all sciences. Philosophy helps to coordinate the various activities of individual and the society. It helps to understand the significance of all human experiences. Philosophy develops a comprehensive system of thoughts about the universe and life as whole. Etymologically philosophy comes from Greek word called â€Å"FILOSOFIA† FILO means love, SOFIA means knowledge/wisdom.Therefore philosophy means love of knowledge/wisdom. Philosophy is just like a tree because it has different branches. For instance main areas of the study in philosophy include metaphysics it is the study of general features reality such as existence, time and relationship between mind and body, EPISTEMOLOGY concerned with the nature and extent of knowl edge, LOGIC is the study of principles of correct reasoning, ETHICS is dealing with moral conduct, and AETHETICS dealing with beauty. There is also philosophy of mind, philosophy of law, social philosophy and philosophy of science.A person who studies philosophy is called PHILOSOPHER like SOCRATES, PLATO, and ARISTOTLE. Through the ages, philosophers have sought to answer such questions as, â€Å"What is meaning and purpose of life? †, â€Å"Does God exist? †, What does it mean to possess consciousness? †, and â€Å"What is the value of morals? †,. Philosophers attempt to answer such questions through the philosophical method. The methods usually begins when a philosopher examines his own beliefs and begins to doubt their validity. From his doubt, question emerge before answering a questions, the philophers thoroughly analyzes it to ensure it is clearly and properly defined.This helps to narrow the path to the most precise answer. Nexit, the philosopher pr opose reasoned arguments to support each one. Philosophy itself is generally considered a type of social science, like sociology or psychology. That’s because early philosophy was primarily concerned with describing the best way to live and organize society. From that spawned many other disciplines: Economics, Political science, Law linguistics, Literary and Art criticism, and Theology along with Theology and Psychology. Though many of philosophy’s original topics have evolved into other fields of study over time the discipline remains rich and varied.Modern philosophy contain six main branches of each with their own unique focus; Metaphysics is the study of nature of reality and universe. Epistemology the study knowledge and how it is acquired. Ethics the study of rights and wrong and how should people should live. Politics the study of government, citizen rights and political. Aesthetics the study of beauty, art and autistics perception. 1. Carefully examine the crit ical task of philosophy. Philosophy in short refers to the man’s quest of the unity of knowledge, a perpetual struggle to create the concepts that allow the universe to be seen as unified rather than as fragmented.Philosophy involves two separate but complimentary tasks: critical and constructive. The characteristics described below fall almost entirely within the critical task of philosophy, which involves posing difficult and probing questions about truth claims. The critical task of philosophy involves posing difficult questions about truth claims whenever they are put forth that is to ask or to speak what right is this or that believe to be accorded. The purpose of such questioning is not of course to destroy or tear down the truth but rather to purge it for error.The constructive task of philosophy aims at developing the whole of reality in which every aspect of human knowledge and every aspect of human experience will find its proper place The critical and constructive aspects of philosophy are thus not independent, but interdependent. There is little point in critiquing the ideas and proposals of others without having something substantive to offer instead, just as there is little point in offering ideas without being willing to both critique them yourself and having others provide critiques.Irreligious atheists may be justified in critiquing religion and theism, but they shouldn't do so without being able to offer something in their place. It is assumed that truth is stronger than error and that under the critical questioning of philosophy truth will survive and hopefully error will not. Hence to the extent that philosophy performs this task effectively. Philosophy contributes to the advancement of human knowledge by locating errors that might otherwise retard its progress.A good example is shown by Socrates by his unique task of interrogating his fellow citizens to show whether or not there opinions could stand up under close scrutiny. Whenever Socrates found people holding opinions or making truth claims he went to work . for instance â€Å"meno† claims to know whether or not virtue can be taught. Socrates would ask, â€Å"meno† what is virtue? , how can you know whether or not it can be taught? And for instance â€Å"Euthypro† claims to know that his father is guilty of impiety, Socrates would say â€Å"Euthyphro† I do not even know for sure what piety and impiety are.Could you instruct me in this? Therefore a situation of going about questioning people to test about the soundness of their opinions refers to what called the critical task of philosophy. Conclusively we all take many things for granted and everything we do is either determined by or affected by our assumptions, most of the time we are scarcely aware of them and it is through this assumptions that underlie our supposed knowledge that the philosopher is chiefly interested in them. The philosopher wants to know whose assumptions a re reasonable and whose assumptions are unreasonable.Intoday’s world the critical task of philosophy is conducted formally, and for that reason the questions that philosophersraise are not directed so much at individuals but are directed to fields of learning. The philosophers don’t question the scientists but question the assumptions and truth claims of science, the philosophers don’t question the religious person but question the truth claims of religion. Unlike in the 5th century where Socrates conducted the critical task of philosophy informallyand went around questioningindividuals. 2.With relevant examples examine the difference between analytic and speculative philosophy Analytic philosophy is the type of philosophy in which we analyze all fundamental assumptions (claims) for all the sciences. The claim of social sciences, religious, ethics. There is no area left unchecked. Analysis is the breaking down of words into small parts. For example, a husband is a married man therefore husband is an analyzed concept while a married man is the analysis of the concept. In analytic philosophy we analyze the concept and check its validity by testing the analysis.For instance, a sister is a young female sibling we have to ask ourselves different questions from this concept, first question is that, are all sisters young female siblings? The answer is no. The second question is, all young sisters are siblings? The answer is yes. Due to this we have two different answers, therefore the analysis is incorrect. For the analysis to be incorrect it requires that all the sentences are true, that is to say all things that fall under the analyzed concept must fall under its analysis and  also all the things that fall under the analysis of a concept must also fall under the analyzed concept.Speculative philosophy is the type of philosophy which tries to bring together all the sciences that as biological, physical and social sciences. Originally it starts to inquire about the nature of different phenomena. To speculate is to go beyond the experience it is guessing in other words. For example, is there an immortal soul? Is there life after death? Speculative concept is something that cannot be examined scientifically. It contains things that no one can see.It is generally unscientific philosophy. Analytic philosophy and Speculative philosophy tends to differ in certain things. The following are the differences between analytic philosophy and speculative philosophy. Analytic philosophy emphasizes on logic, language and aligns itself with the empirical sciences. In analytic philosophy, it inquiries into the meaning of the concept we use and try to avoid to use vague terms that do not fit into their logical, linguistic and empirical methods. For example square is a figure in equal sides. The language which used is clear and gives us clear meaning of the concept.But in speculative philosophy, philosophers tends to use terms that do not f it with our simple experience of the world in other words, they use abstract words. For example, Is there an immortal soul? The concept is an abstract one, as it requires one to go beyond experience in order to find the truth of the concept. Another difference is that, analytic philosophy, it concepts can be examined scientifically that is through checking its validity. There are several stages in order to give an analysis . You first start with a candidate analysis for example; a square is a figure in equal sides.Then you test the analysis, if it still gives wrong answer you must improve that analysis like a square is a figure in four equal sides. From there you test the improved analysis if it still has some ambiguity you test it again in order to give a clear meaning of a concept, so the correct concept will be a figure in four equal sides and only right angles. But in Speculative philosophy, its concept cannot be scientifically examined. , because it contains things that cannot be seen by anyone it is unscientific philosophy for example, is there an immortal soul?This concept is abstractive one because no one can see a soul, and so scientific method cannot be applicable. Then in speculative philosophy seeking for new observation in the fact that through observing things not that deeply but only observing since there is no why questions in speculative philosophy but in analytic philosophy it analyses statements to break down the philosophical concepts to make clear understanding of the concepts for example husband is a married man, therefore a husband is analyzed concept while a married man is the analysis of the concept.This has why and who questions. Furthermore, speculative philosophy seeks to establish new understanding of different concepts as long as it is seeking for new observation therefore it establishes the new understandings for example dealing with the disasters like diseases existing that never existed before but on the side of Analytic philos ophy is just prescribing the existing concepts but does not entail new understanding of the concepts in the fact that it deals with and analyzing the existing concepts not establishing new understanding.Therefore even though the speculative and analytic philosophy they differ but both speculative philosophy and analytic philosophy they assemble on helping in bringing together the science subjects like physics, biology as well as chemistry and social sciences, also enables mind to have a critical reflection before it makes a judgement. it also enables man to make clarification of what is right and what is wrong as well as making minds in quick understanding of issues. 3. With concrete examples examine the role and function of analytic philosophy.Analytic philosophy is the type of philosophy which examines the bases claims of religion science and ethics. It is also called linguistic philosophy. It is relating as the approach to philosophical problems, dominant in Anglo-American philos ophy from the early 20th century. The following are the roles and functions of analytic philosophy; It emphasis on the study of language and logical analysis of concepts, although most work of analytic philosophy has been done in great Britain and the united states and significant contributions have also been done to other countries.Analytical philosophy analyses the fundamental assumption of all science. The claim of physical science, social science or religion For instance â€Å"All bachelors are unmarried’ there is no need to know anything about the world to conclude that this proposition is true because the terms â€Å"bachelors† means someone who is Unmarried. Analytic philosophy is always an attempt of clarification, one of its problems we have such as we have as the people is to clarify the issues in our lives, clarify the ideas concepts and an assumption.In its primary sense analytic philosophy is used to describe philosophy that proceeds via analysis by seeki ng to understand the composition of its subject matter out of simple components. Analytic philosophy provides the statements (analytic statement) that are true merely by virtue of definitions of their terms. Examples of analytic statements are â€Å"Frozen ice is water†, Bachelors are unmarried men†, No addition meaning or knowledge is contained in predicate that is not already given in the subject. Analytic statements are redundant statements whose clarification relies entirely on definition.Analytic sentences tell us about logic and about language use. Therefore, sometimes the best way to understand an aspect of philosophy is to look at a selection of the important thinkers therein, since a consideration of the questions they concerned themselves with can help us appreciate the overall areas within which they worked, as it were. This is especially so here because it's difficult to say exactly what analytic philosophy is. Although there is only space to touch on a sele ction of ideas and problems, they should make clearer the range and scope of what goes by that name.

Cadbury and Kraft

The acquisition of Cadbury faced widespread disapproval from the British public, as well as groups and organisations including trade union Unite,[29] who fought against the acquisition of the company which, according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was very important to the British economy. [30] Unite estimated that a takeover by Kraft could put 30,000 jobs â€Å"at risk†,[24][31][32] and UK shareholders protested over the Mergers and Acquisitions advisory fees charged by banks. Cadbury's M;A advisers were UBS, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. 33][34][35] Controversially, RBS, a bank 84% owned by the United Kingdom Government, funded the Kraft takeover. [36][37] http://www. publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmbis/234/23405. htm High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut ; paste the article. See our Ts;Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales. [email  protected] com to buy additional rights. http://cachef. ft. com/cms/s/a153ff94-595f-11df-99ba-00144feab49a. html#ixzz1dKyAgSEK Cadbury helps Kraft to 26% rise in revenuesBy Greg Farrell in New York and Elizabeth Rigby in London Published: May 6 2010 23:54 | Last updated: May 6 2010 23:54 Kraft Foods reported net revenues of $11. 3bn for the first quarter 2010, a 26 per cent gain over the comparable period in 2009, much of it fuelled by the US food company’s acquisition of Cadbury, completed in February, and aided by favourable currency exchange rates. Organic revenues for Kraft grew 3. 3 per cent for the quarter, while Cadbury’s organic revenue growth was 8. 2 per cent. Net earnings for the company were $1. 9bn, largely from a $1. 6bn gain on the divestiture of Kraft’s pizza business.

Contemporary Issue In Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Contemporary Issue In Marketing - Essay Example Hence, marketers have begun implementing integrated marketing communication tactics along with technology and persuasive communication strategies, in order to build loyalty and long-term relationships with consumers. The present essay will shed light on the contemporary issues faced by marketers in current business environment and the use of integrated marketing communication, technology and persuasive communication in order to create a niche in this ever-increasing competitive environment. Integrated Marketing Communication Even after its inception over a decade ago, IMC and its definition is still subjective and varies in different situations. Few of the terms, defining IMC in parts, may include orchestration, New Advertising, whole egg, relationship marketing, seamless communication, total branding, 360 branding, integrated communication and integrated marketing (Kliatchko, 2005). Regardless of definitions suggested by scholars and researchers, it is undoubted that this new approa ch to marketing and business has become an unalterable strategic operation and no big organization can afford to skip IMC (Kitchen and Li, 2005). The emergence of IMC can be attributed to the inevitable change in customer perception and demands as well as demand for a more systemized and coordinated concept of marketing communication. ... Various studies and surveys on organizations, as well as consumers, have revealed argumentative theories as conclusions over the practice and viability of IMC. Eagle, et al. (1999) had studied advertising executives and marketers in New Zealand to understand the perception with respect to the concept of IMC. Two paradigm concepts dominated, where one considered IMC as a new concept, whereas the other touted it as an unremarkable contribution to the overall marketing. However, the final conclusion was that IMC is not a management fad. In fact, it can be considered as a fundamental change in the perception and practice of communication and marketing, among clients and advertising agencies. Electronic Relationship Electronic relationship is basically building and maintaining relationship with customers on the online platform. Electronic marketing and wooing consumers through digital media has become an integral part of any organization’s marketing and communication strategy. Kara hanna, Agarwal and Angst (2006) have argued that in the present business and economic environment, it is very important to remain connected and updated, be it latest trends and offerings in the market, changes in industry or availability of new information. However, with the rising number of online websites and corporations’ fighting over online media space, it has become a cluttered zone. Consequently, organizations are implementing strategies such as, customer relationship marketing, database research and database marketing, in order to track customers and keep them satisfied. Trust and Commitment One of the major salient features in effectiveness

Driver's Use of Cell Phones While Vehicles are in Motion Should Be Coursework

Driver's Use of Cell Phones While Vehicles are in Motion Should Be Prohibited - Coursework Example Talking on a cell phone while driving makes a person four times more likely to be in a crash. This is a much higher risk than most other distracting activities, including eating, drinking, reading billboards, listening to the radio, or talking to other passengers. It’s the cell phone conversation that diverts people’s attention from the road.† Keeping all this in mind, I believe that driver’s use of cell phones while driving should be banned. Having a conversation on a cell phone during driving is unsafe and must be prohibited since the usage of cell phones distracts the person driving, weaken their management of the automobile and decreases their attentiveness of what is going around on the path they are driving at. A number of people demand that government should not be supposed to legislate in opposition to individual’s free will to use their mobiles wherever and whenever they like. Even though independence and rights of individuals are significan t, they must not be permitted to extend so much that they place others in jeopardy. At first, physical distraction caused by these cell phones ought to be addressed. When using a cellular phone, the person driving a vehicle ought to take off his hand from the steering wheel to operate and clasp the phone. They even have to divert their eyes away from the path, no less than for a moment to hold the phone or dial a call. At the same time as using a mobile, the driver has to carry on operating the automobile such as gear change, steer, handling indicator and so on with just a single hand. Moving on, apart from the physical distraction the driver has to face the cognitive distraction as well. When tasks performed by the mind are done simultaneously, the functioning of those tasks together is most of the times terrible comparative to if they would have been carried out individually, since concentration ought to be divided, or swap, among the errands ,they have to struggle for the similar cognitive procedures. When a person driving is using a cell phone or even a hands-free, he has to give share of their concentration to handling the mobile and continuing the chat on the phone and another portion of it to managing the automobile and reacting to the continuously altering traffic and road situations. The hassle of the conversation on the cell phone ought to contend with the stress of handling the automobile securely increasing the chances of an accident. According to a study â€Å"using driving stimulator researchers found that dialing a long telephone number significantly interfered with the driver’s ability to follow the road in an optimal manner and led to a significant increase in accident risks† we can conclude that using a mobile phone while driving does impair driving performance. It damages the upholding of positioning of the lane, maintenance of suitable and expected pace, continuation of proper space from automobiles in front of them and time f or reaction to various situations on the road. Texting is a new form of conversation quite famous in most of the individuals, posing a great threat to the safety of people doing it while driving. Although many people argue that using a hand fee device will decrease the ratio of accidents cell phones should not be prohibited while driving. Others put forward the point that they have memorized the keys of their cell phones due to which they

Provide a 3-pg summary of the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Essay

Provide a 3-pg summary of the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Essay Example Again, after a while the personality ethic was reverted back to the character ethic, which meant that greater weight was now given to the foundations rather than the outward appearances or the superficial. Then Covey goes on to say that each person sees the world subjectively – meaning, every man tends to see the world from his own individual perspective (1989). Although each one thinks that every person sees things objectively, this is not actually the case. Henceforth, Covey suggests that each person should be open to the possibility of a paradigm shift, which may sometimes be instantaneous or at certain instances may take time to nurture/develop (1989). Such paradigms should be based primarily on principles, which in turn are said to be, generally, the foundation of character ethics. Covey defines habit as ‘the intersection of knowledge, skill and desire’ (Covey, 1989). Knowledge is the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, skill is the ‘how’, and desire is the ‘want’ to do things (Covey, 1989). A habit cannot be formed if one of these three components is absent. Then, as a person grows, his habits are also developed in the so-called ‘maturity continuum’ of ‘dependence, independence, and interdependence’ (Covey, 1989). Dependence is being reliant on others; independence is self-reliance; interdependence is cooperation with others while eyeing the end-goal of success. Being ‘based on principles’, the seven habits are said to be ‘habits of effectiveness’ (Covey, 1989). Covey states that for the 7 habits to be truly effective, a balance between the P/PC (Production/Production Capability) has to be achieved (1989), that is, in most aspects of a person’s life. It is not only the product which should be given attention, but the maintenance of the production capability so that the

FUNDATEMENT OF E-BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

FUNDATEMENT OF E-BUSINESS - Essay Example This paper is divided in six main sections. The first section briefly explores the literature on the e-business and use of internet in the businesses. This is followed by the corporate information of the company. This section provides information on various aspects of the hotel in brief. The E-business evaluation section elaborates analysis on the three parameters of branding, social networking and mass customisation. The webpage section consists of general looks and feeling of the webpage and its graphical features. Recommendation section is an effort to bridge the gap identified in the current website. The last section consists of concluding remarks. 2. Business Literature on E-Business According to Boardman (2004) the origin of websites has been for different purpose altogether and it got evolved with the growth in the information need of the consumer and society. Boardman (2004) explains that initially Web was considered as a medium for handling different kinds of information. Ho wever the huge potential of the information need generated more possibilities of use of this medium. â€Å"It was not much more than rich text with the ability to turn selected portions of text into hyperlinks. It was possible to include images and to make these into hyperlinks, but because of the relatively slow download speeds of modems in the mid-1990s, web developers had to be careful about images. It was common for browsers to be configured only to load the text from a web page.  (Boardman, 2004, p. 13) There are various e-business models which companies use. These e-business models are based on internal and external data. Companies use this platform to maintain their value chain, generate business and communicate with the stakeholders. The significance of web presence in businesses has increased in many folds. "E-commerce usually refers to an online shop where customers can order, and normally pay for, products or services via the website. The customers need not be consumer s, but could be other businesses" (Collin, 2000, p. 99) This led in classification of the e-business models based on the type of stakeholders like business (B2B), consumers (B2C), employee (B2E), government (B2G) or from government to business (G2B), government (G2G), citizen (G2C), or consumer based business models like consumer to consumer (C2C) or business (C2B). E-business models allow integration of internal and external business processes. However it is very challenging to acquire consumer trust online. This trust is difficult to gain from any marketing campaign or promotions. Positive consumer experiences are the key of gaining consumer trust. Derong, Zongqing & Xiaolin (2009) focuses on the need of understanding the user requirements for a successful online application. The poor websites usually fail in understanding their target audience and their information needs. Website is convenient and provides opportunity for the fast services to the consumer. This helps in saving ti me, energy and resources of consumers by providing round the clock service and information. This provides electronic means for the companies to reach to the customers in easy and cost effective manner. â€Å"The Net is very good at bringing together large, dispersed groups of users who can meet in one place and discuss just about anything. There are three basic types of place on the Net where you can meet up and chat: ?' Web forums or discussion areas St mailing

Case Study 02242 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case Study 02242 - Essay Example The project with the highest cumulative of cash flows should be chosen. In this case, Alpha is this project. The accounting rate of return also tells us the project that will have more or less profits at the end of the period. The project that has less ARR will have less profits while the project with more ARR will have more profits. From the calculations, Alpha has the highest ARR, therefore, it will yield the highest profits. It should therefore be preferred. Lastly, by looking at the payback period, we need to choose the project with the shortest period. Payback period indicates the time that the project will take before it repays its initial cost of initiation. The project that meets this condition earlier is more preferred as it enables the owners to begin enjoying the profits earlier. Alpha has the shortest period, hence it should be chosen. It is a method of evaluating investment by taking the average accounting operating profit that the investment can possibly make and dividing with the average investment made over the life of the project. It expresses this as a percentage. This method has a weakness of not being keen on time observation as it does not consider when revenue or losses are made (Elmmendor, 1993). It also does pay much attention to accounting profit instead of the absolute profit realized from a particular project. The bigger the value or ARR, the better the choice for any competing projects subject to these projects not exceeding the projected time, hence ignoring time value of money The method is easy to manipulate but it ignores uncertainty of accounting profits. However, it does have the advantage of relating profit to the amount of investment made as well as giving its answers in terms of percentages which is a preference of some managers. Some of the advantages for using this method is the fact tha t it is easy to use when carrying out comparison on projects. It also has a

Competency through an academic preparation Essay - 3

Competency through an academic preparation - Essay Example I believe that my genuine interest for the profession and the proven program of Gannon University would enable me to successfully complete the program. I have completed a degree in Business Administration from Arab Open University. I also have an experience working in the industrial sector and this made me appreciate the necessity of pursuing a degree in Engineering Management to better the prospect of my career and become one of the organization leaders of Operation department in the industrial sector. I am always ready to take risk and work hard. I keep a dynamic mind and always want to update my knowledge on my area of interest. I believe these qualities would contribute much to pursue my degree without much difficulty. There are many reasons why I believe I can do well in my studies. I am systematic in addition to being a hard worker. I do not procrastinate tasks for the next day and I am not daunted by challenging tasks. In fact, the more challenging the task, the more enthusiastic I become to resolve it. My previous professional experience can prove it. This attitude of mine in dealing tasks and studies made Jubail United Petrochemicals Company (SABICs Affiliate: one of the largest Petrochemicals company in the world) to offer me a comprehensive experience when I was acting as team leader in the Department of Operation. I was involved in the project construction, commission, start up, shut down, trouble shouting, turn around and catalyst replacement of a huge Ethylene Oxide / Ethylene Glycol plant. This experience trained me to lead, analyze various situations and also to cope with emergency scenarios. I also gained knowledge in technical, safety and basic engineering knowledge which I believe are helpful in my studies. Â  

Supreme COurt Kelo v. The city U5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supreme COurt Kelo v. The city U5 - Essay Example The eventual plan fell through. The case was an unmitigated disaster and is a great piece of evidence suggesting courts should mind their own business. The case hinged on the definition of â€Å"public use† in the fifth amendment of the Constitution. Justice Clarence Thomas issued a powerful dissent in which he took the majority to task: â€Å"Allowing the government to take property solely for public purposes is bad enough, but extending the concept of public purpose to encompass any economically beneficial goal guarantees that these losses will fall disproportionately on poor communities. Those communities are not only systematically less likely to put their lands to the highest and best social use, but are also the least politically powerful.† This dissent says it all. The unintended consequences of the activist judges' rulings are unfair and unjust. The problem with activist judges is that they undermine our democracy. They are not elected officials and are not resp onsive to the public. They live in an abstract world where they rarely see the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, President Obama is keen on selecting more activist judges to sit on the bench of the Supreme Court. Kanner, Gideon. "Kelo v. New London: Bad Law, Bad Policy and Bad Judgment". The Urban Lawyer 38 (2006).

In theory, Parliament is sovereign in New Zealand. In practice, it is Essay

In theory, Parliament is sovereign in New Zealand. In practice, it is not - Essay Example Sovereignty and Function of New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Legislature is Sovereign. The arm of government can call parliamentarians to meet. Secondly, it can dissolve parliament and assent to bills passed in the house before they become laws. The major function of the parliament is to make laws. The parliament also provides the government with members to be appointed in various ministerial positions. This enables the government to maintain majority and confidence among parliamentarians. The parliament also serves as a watchdog for the people by controlling and scrutinizing the government. The ministers are answerable to the parliament and are often asked questions in parliament regarding their ministries. The final function of the parliament is to represent the people in parliament. It fulfils this function by airing views and wishes of the electorate in parliament (NZCU South, 2013).   The three Arms of the Government The first arm of the government is the Executive. It i s made up of the crown that is represented by Governor-General, the cabinet ministers and the civil servants. The executive is concerned with initiating, developing and implementing government policy. It also publishes and administers legislations (Salter, 2013). The legislature has a single chamber called the House of Representatives. Its main duty is to make laws by drafting, evaluating and debating bills before they become laws. The people elect the MPs after every three years (Salter, 2013). The last arm of the government is the judiciary. It is made up of the judges and courts. Its main duty is to interpret and apply law as per the constitution. Apart from this, the judiciary punishes offenders and arbitrates any conflict between the legislature and executive (Salter, 2013). Powers of Parliament Various ways can be used to increase the powers of parliament. One of them is giving parliamentarians immunity when debating. According to this provision, parliamentarians will be free to express their views without fear of imprisonment. This would enable them to check the government without fear. The parliament should also be allowed to discuss any matter before the courts or the executive. The court and executive proceedings should not hinder parliamentary proceedings. This would enable the parliament to oversee implementation of government policies that are beneficial to the public. In addition to this, parliament should have the powers to summon any one including the members of the judiciary and the executive to question them on various matters of the state. Lastly, the parliament should be allowed to scrutinize and assent to all executive appointees in order to ensure they serve the public and not the executive (New Zealand Parliament, 2013). The role of Executives The executive is made up of the Prime Minister, Governor General, cabinet ministers, civil servants and government departments. The executive draft government bills and present them in parliament f or debating. It is also charged with developing and implementing various policies that would improve the welfare of the citizens. However, the sole function of the executive is to advise the Governor-General on his duties such as appointment of ministers. The ministers head various ministries such as finance and judiciary. Civil servants are charged with implementation of the

Plato - Soul Essay Example for Free

Plato Soul Essay 1. ) True; Simmias uses the theory of recollection in his argument against Socrates about the soul and it having immortality, or not. He uses an analogy of an instrument to represent the body, and the instrument’s attunement to represent the soul. He makes a stand that if the body of an instrument can be destroyed, which will then cause the attunement to also be destroyed, then isn’t that saying the same for the relationship of the body and its soul? (72e-80c). 2. ) True; in order for the attunement or harmony within an instrument can work perfectly and in tune, the instrument must be put together correctly and in perfect harmonious measure. 3. ) False; Socrates states that there is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse, not hate mankind. However, those that do hate reasonable discourse, are objectionable and nonproductive, but by no mean the greatest evil. The greatest evil are those who hurt, torture, and destroy others for their own selfish reasons or for no reason at all, just because they can. Reasonable discourse is the refined and ideal way to resolve differences and problems. (89d-e) ( but first there is a certain experience we must be careful to avoid That we must not become misologues, as people become misanthropes. There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse. Misology and misanthropy arise in the same way. ) 4. ) False; how can something rule over another thing, if that thing is the making up of the thing that’s trying to rule it? For example, I cannot rule over my mother, when my mother is who made me; another example, a soul cannot rule over a body, if the body is what makes up the soul. 5. ) False; without such things as the good and the beautiful being non-existent, then how can the soul have existed, before we were born, without them? How would we know whether or not if they did, unless the theory of recollection of course, was in play? 6. ) True; without the senses being intact, how can one hear or see accurately to know anything? To learn anything? Without just those two senses being intact, the other senses will also be inaccurate, as well. (65b) 7. ) True; he argues that when discussing opposites, that one thing comes from the opposite of another and nowhere else. (70e-72b) 8. ) False; you can’t know what you know with just your knowledge, because how can you have knowledge, if you do not know anything? You need experience, along with trial and error, to be able to learn what you are and aren’t supposed to do. How is it that the first people came to know anything? They weren’t just born with their knowledge; they had to learn what they know that has formed into their present knowledge. (65a) 9. ) True; Socrates does accept the fact that maybe good and beautiful do not exist. That’s when, in question 5, he came to the conclusion that even without their existence, does that say that mean our soul does or doesn’t still exist before we are born? Do we need such things as good, evil, beautiful, and ugly to have our soul be pre-existent? 10. ) False; Socrates has Simmias agreement that philosophers distance themselves as much as possible from bodily pleasures such as: food, drink, sex, fancy clothes, etc. Philosophers are only concerned with the comfort of their souls, and want to free the soul as much as possible from relations with the body. Socrates claims that our senses are vague and may deceive us, so the best kind of wisdom comes from basis, when distanced as far as possible from the distractions of the body. (64c-67b).

Stakeholders Of Marks And Spencer Commerce Essay

Stakeholders Of Marks And Spencer Commerce Essay Marks and Spencer is an international retailer headquartered in London. It was formed in the year 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in partnership. It mainly specializes in cloth lines and high end food products. The major product lines of the organization are womens wear, children wear, sportswear, baby wear, perfumes and cosmetics, food and beverages, home appliances and etc. The brand has over 703 stores in UK and around 361 stores throughout the globe. The company recorded an annual turnover of  £9,934.3 billion by the end of year 2011. The firms profit for the year 2012 was projected to be  £489.6 million (Aaker, 2007). A wide range of information is required by the key stakeholder groups, for instance, customers want to know about the various products that the company is offering them, discount options available, information about the after sales services and etc. Likewise, the shareholders are interested in getting details regarding their dividends plus companys financial reports (Kisielnicki, 2011). Similarly, the community wants to know the operational style of the retailer to ensure that it is not violating any law of the land like employee exploitation, any threat to the environment and etc. Its competitors like Tesco, ASDA wish to know about the sales figure of the company, its position in the market, to analyze their competitive positioning. Information required by stakeholders in different organizations Monitoring and evaluation comprises of analysis and collection of data. All the relevant parties at every level need information for their respective subjects. Project managers require information about the consequences of a specific project to plan control the projects in a better way. Almost every organization publishes reports to give information to its stakeholders (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). Systems used for communicating with the Marks Spencer stakeholders In Marks Spencer, communication is all about the transmission of information. The company has both internal as well as external communication. Internal communication exists within the business of the retail giant, whereas external communication is present outside the boundaries of business. Both internal and external communications have witnessed great transformation owing to the rapid developments in communication and information technology. The company boasts of: An interconnected system of internal communication- internal network. An e-commerce system for B2C connections. An e-commerce system for B2B connections. When all these links are integrated with each other, a networked economy is created, which has greatly increased the potential of the company to associate with its workforce, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. The internal communication, i.e. communication with employees, shareholders is carried out in three ways i.e. oral, written and electronic. Information is transmitted verbally via face to face interactions, voice mails and etc. Information is communicated in written form by issuing letters, memos, and annual reports. Electronic communication is quickly overtaking other forms. The company has integrated this system in effectively. For instance, the stock list is now easily transmitted electronically from the supermarket to the main office. Transmission of all documents also takes place via emails only (Report on the Business of Marks and Spencer, n.d). Marks and Spencer communicates with its external stakeholders like customers, community, government and etc. using external modes of communication. Its public relation function is a tool to effectively communicate its nice image to the concerned people. Websites, advertisements, promotional campaigns, business letters are some other methods through which the company communicates with its outside key stakeholders (Electronic Shareholder Communication, 2012). Barriers in workplace communication There are several barriers to effective communication in the organization. Some of them are listed below: Inefficient listening skills Poor listening results from: Passive and not active listening and involvement when a person is speaking. No involvement with the subject matter or the other person. Material distractions like excessive noise in the environment, bad network. Disparity in the opinion with the person who is speaking, which results in mentally shutting off the other person. Biasness also creeps in, when a person chooses to listen to only some part and ignore the rest of the part (Perry, 2009). Information overload Receiving a message that contains too much information also acts as a barrier to effective communication. The receiver is not able to correctly interpret or decipher the information because of too many facts. For instance, if the company has put up an advertisement regarding its new product or offer, and too much information has been put into it, then the customer wont be able to digest all of it (4 Barriers to Effective Communication What to Do About Them, 2011). Non-Verbal Gestures At times, it might happen that what a person is speaking is contradicted by his body language and gestures. When this happens, the other person is likely to remember what he saw and not what he heard. Assumptions Postulating literally sabotages effective communication. For example, when the marketing head of Marks Spencer sees that his subordinates are nodding, he assumes that they understand what he is trying to convey, but the case may be totally opposite as well (4 Barriers to Effective Communication What to Do About Them, 2011). Influence of culture and values on communication Every culture and every behavior involves the use of communication. Thus, communication can be said to be a transmitting medium for the ideas and values of different culture. Personalities of people, their respective values and understanding levels also influence communication (Hyde and Williamson, 2000). Cultural Individualism- Collectivism affects communication through cultural norms and values which are beneath the broad culture. This directly impacts communication by way of the characteristics that an individual learns when he/she socializes. For instance, the Americans display individualism, whereas, Asians display collectivism. As Marks Spencer offers its products to both these regions, the cultural differences in the two areas are to be thoroughly considered and accordingly plan its communication strategies (Abubaker, n.d). High as well as low context communication is followed in every culture throughout the globe. People following collectivism culture use high context communication while fostering group cohesion and communicate in a straightforward manner. People belonging to individualistic culture use low context messages and communicate in an indirect manner. Cultures which are of high uncertainty avoidance nature follow unambiguous customs and norms to direct behavior for all kinds of situations. On the other hand, cultures with low uncertainty avoidance tendency are quite ambiguous and lack formal strictness. Face negotiation theory is a theory concerning the behavior and discussion in conflicting situations of people following collectivism and individualism. This theory is very popular for cross culture communication (Stubbs, n.d). Marks Spencer gives a lot of emphasis to cultural disparities and tries to comprehend plus eliminate all such gaps. Some of the initiatives started by the company are- Cross Cultural exposure The Company sends its employees to other countries for a definite period of time to acquaint them with other cultures. The employees stay there, work in other retail outlets of Marks Spencer and learn about the cultures and values of that place (Alon, 2000). Training and Workshops The company provides training and conducts workshops to train its executives in handling of various cultural issues and problems. Hiring multinational and multi cultural employees The organizations aims at hiring people from different cultures and nationality to create a synthesis of various cultures. Cognitive Dissonance This theory states that people are highly motivated to avoid differences in opinions arising out cultural disparities. People generally ignore listening to perspectives that contradict their own, in order to avoid conflicts and disharmony (Morton, 2005). The use of technology- how it fosters and hinders communication It is an obvious fact that communication is the foundation of our society. The commencement of communication technology and its several benefits has made the conducting of business easier internationally. Cost Savings- Cost savings is the biggest advantage of the improvement of technology in business communication. Activities that once involved huge capital can now be finished off easily and in less time. For instance, prior to the commencement of Voice of Internet Protocol technology, making a long distance call was very costly. But, owing to VoIP and cellular telephone technology making calls has become very cheap. Similarly, earlier the only way to send letters from one place to another was to take the services of a messenger or postal service. The email, however, has eliminated the need to transport hard copies (Esmailzadeh, 2006). Speed- The new technology has also increased the speed at which business operations take place. This is especially beneficial to retail companies that have interaction with suppliers in far-away locations. For instance, previously they had to plan meetings for individuals who are in different locations. Now, they can contact one another, sitting at their respective places owing to the video conferencing techniques (Derr, 2002). Hiring of Qualified employees- Several jobs that never existed before have now been created. Skilled professionals are required to maintain, install and operate new information and communication technology tools. On the other hand, the same technology can also act as an impediment to the business communication: Impersonal Attitude Employees might view electronic communication as impersonal if they only receive messages from managers through email. It also creates confusion as this requires more feedback in comparison to personal communication methods. Security Issues The new technology also raises several security concerns. Emails, text messages and other website communication are often vulnerable to be hacked by hackers or other individuals who should not have any rightful access to information (Hoof and et.al., 2005). High tech Equipment Expense The Company has to acquire new equipments to implement business communication technology in its operations. It also requires hiring a person who is capable of handling maintenance issues. This is an additional cost to the company (Wood, 2010). Difficulty Training Employees Retail companies face difficulty training employees about how to make use of the latest technology. They may have a difficult time making them understand the technology and how it work. The company might require shelling out a large sum of money on employee training (Miller, 2011). The procedure of communication from sender to receiver: Encoder: There should be a sender who wants s to communicate the idea. Message: A message can be in various forms verbal, non verbal, written, and electronic. Channel:Messages  are  conveyed  through  channels,  with  non ­verbal  Ã‚  verbal  social  interactions like televisions, telephone, meetings, conferences etc. Decoder: A decoder is the person who receives the message from the sender and decodes it to get the real meaning. Feedback: The receiver will give feedback as per his understanding of the message. Context: The  situation  in  which  your  message  is  delivered  is  the  context (Guffe and Loewy, 2010). Recommendations for the improvement of the Marks Spencer communication   To improve cultural communication between superiors subordinates, the following are the actions that can be taken: Implementation of more Intensive Information System: Technology plays an essential role in the activities of business, Therefore it is essential to improve the Information system of the organization by making sure that all of the employees will be connected to the latest updated communication system. It is also significant to focus on the various coaching and training procedures, where the recruits can apply for and get online class and seminars about different knowledge and skills, which will be supportive in order to fully motivate them to develop and improve, also leaders will have their thoughts about the demands and needs of the staff, which will be helpful in the process of implementing and planning programs and measures that will help to improve the motivation and spirit of the staff (Datamonitor Report, 2011). Focus more on the Culture influence on Communication: It is important for the company to stress on the variety of cultures, and how it can influence their communication. Therefore the below mentioned things can be done to enhance communication in cultural differences: Cross cultural training Intercultural management training Translation services (Miller, 2011) Measures that should be taken to have an effective Communication Plan Minimizing barriers to effective communication. Rendering proper communication an integral part of the overall plan. To bring out the untapped opportunities for improved communication, have effective systems in place. Conduct an assessment to evaluate the communication skills the retailer and find out areas which require polishing. Regular provision for training employees in improving their interpersonal skills communication skills and. Employ team in charge of the overall Communication of the company. Positive indicators that communication is more likely to be handled daily: Visible actions indicators A culture that endorses direct yet non-threatening dialogue in interpersonal relations. A culture that comprehends non-verbal communications (Aaker, 2007). CONCLUSION Thus it can be concluded that information is required by all stakeholder groups of an organization, though their information requirement varies. In Marks Spencer both internal as well as external communication exists. Internal communication exists within the business of the retail giant, whereas external communication is present outside the boundaries of business. The company has an interconnected system of internal communication- internal network, an e-commerce system for B2C connections and an e-commerce system for B2B connections. Marks Spencer also gives a lot of emphasis to cultural disparities and tries to comprehend plus eliminate all such gaps (Alon, 2000).

The Social Glue Through Organisational Culture Commerce Essay

The Social Glue Through Organisational Culture Commerce Essay Organizational Culture is defined as the social glue holding the company together. Social scientists call it culture or the underlying set of informal norms and values that govern employee behaviour. But regardless of the name, more and more evidence suggest that it is important, often critically so (Baker, 1980) pg51. Culture consists of three layers values, beliefs and taken for granted assumptions. Many authors still argue over the meaning of organizational culture, authors like (Sirmon Lane, Jul. 2004, p. 310) consider culture to be set beforehand and it dictates the attitudes and behaviours for the organizations members to exhibit, while some authors like Edward schein explain culture as a common insight held by the organizations members; a system of shared meaning and naturally if authors have different opinions on the definition then they will also argue whether culture can be managed, manipulated or cannot be consciously changed. This essay is targeted to understand culture and culture change better. Culture and Change Culture can be both weak and strong; It is usually decided by the top management and sets the tone of the entire organization. A weak culture can be of a young company or if the turnover of key personnel is high. (Baker, 1980, p. 51) . A strong culture can be seen in efficient organizations with positive employee behaviour, with minimal information transmitted in any transaction and the working pattern has a flow, a good culture can also be measured (Deal and Kennedy (1982: 15) cited by (Banish Nawaz, 2003). I feel culture can change the face of an organization, from world leaders to mere survivors. As stated by (Schein, Feburary 1983, p. 14) Culture serves the function of stabilizing the external and internal environment for an organization, it must be taught to new members. If its not carried forward, the new ideas from new members will produce a culture change. To consider a change in culture, if possible, its not as simple as it sounds. Louis V. Gerstner (2002) the CEO for IBM states in (Banish Nawaz, 2003, p. 22) you cant simply give a couple of speeches or write a credo for the company and declare that the new culture has taken hold; you have to create the conditions for transformation, provide incentives and define marketplace realities and goals. In the end management doesnt change culture; management invites the workforce itself to change the culture. The three subdivisions discussed in Managing Organizational Culture by (Ogbonna Harris, 1998) are: (i) Studies which argue that culture can be managed. (ii) Research which claims that culture may be manipulated. Â  (iii) Theory which argues that culture cannot be consciously changed (although natural change is argued to occur frequently). All three seem to be valid and vary from organization to organization. If an Organization has a stable environment then the present culture is perfect, but external conditions can bring the organization to its knees and force it to change its culture. McKinseys well known 7-s framework places culture (mentioned as shared values) into a happy atom mentioned by Peter and Waterman (1982) cited in (Banish Nawaz, 2003) pg 11, this model assumes that effectiveness of the culture of the organization: depends on 2 factors. 1st How strong the culture is, and 2nd how well culture is aligned with the other organs of the body (so called strategy-culture fit) Sub-division Present and Compare The 1st subdivision explains how theorists believe that culture is an organizational variable and can be managed. This article by (Harris Ogbonna, Vol. 27 No. 2,1998, p. 119)researched with retail organizations to understand culture better, the findings were Cultural deviation was considered unwelcome whereas cultural change was viewed as transformational rather than incremental. Managers viewed culture of the organization as a variable which could be managed, and these assumptions allowed the managers to relate organizational culture to organizational effectiveness. (Baker, 1980, p. 54) has provided some evidence that Culture can be managed, He starts the article by saying that manageable culture has a major contribution to a companys success for instance, International Business Machines (IBM) has been successful to actively cultivate and manage culture; he/she also states that the culture is largely responsible for its success for the past 30 years IBM real issue is discussed later in the essay, many other organizations tried to manage culture, (change strategy or business environment) and failed. Some culture clash problems range from diversification (ATT) to acquisition failures (Kennecott), but these are rarely fatal. The author belief in managing culture is supported by the statement that CEO and/or other top managers seem to recognize intuitively what culture they want and need; they create and maintain it by monitoring the existing culture and actively intervening where possible to reduce the gap between the desired and existing cultures. All this has been confirmed by (Schein, Feburary 1983) below, He states managing culture is possible when an understanding for dynamic evolutionary forces which govern how culture grows and changes is achieved. Author (Schein, Feburary 1983) cites (Van Maanen Schein, 1979) writing the passing on of the groups culture is strategically an important process to study If one wants to decipher what the culture is and how it might change He believes that Culture can be managed and as stated earlier, it should be taught to the new employees in order to avoid any cultural change. (Schein, Feburary 1983) states that managing culture till the end is not about controlling its members perceptions, thoughts and feelings but as the process of learning to manage the external and internal environment progresses the culture will get older which would influence our perceptions, thoughts, and feelings, but this all seemed valid until (Schumann Prestwood, 1994) below gave their argument. This article by (Schumann Prestwood, 1994, p. 1) is a brilliant piece of work supporting the argument that culture may be manipulated and explaining how its done . It states that an organizations culture is the ultimate governor of the amount and type of innovation that will take place. The organization therefore must have a way to link its culture to its market. Innovation and change go hand in hand. To compare managing culture and manipulating culture, author (Schumann Prestwood, 1994, p. 3) citing (T. J. Watson, Jr. observed in A Business and Its Beliefs) gives an idea for what happened to organizations that tried to manage culture stating, Out of the top 25 industrial corporations in the United States in 1900, only 2 remain in the selected company today, One retains its original identity; the other is a merger of seven corporations on that final list. Two of those 25 failed. Three others merged and dropped behind. The remaining 12 have continued in business, but each has fallen substantially in its standing. The challenge for organizations today is the transformation of its culture so that organization can endure and grow though current revolution. The author gives an extension of the IBM example above; stating IBM survived the past due to a very successful business model but as the environment shifted, it failed; now IBM is developing a new business model to survive with the top leaders, its fate is discusses later in this subdivision. The only way to change quickly an organization must meet the customer demands, stay technologically competent, effectively deal with competition and respond to the pressures of change both from within and without. This Figure 8 below from (Schumann Prestwood, 1994, p. 10) explains how the existence of a strong organizational culture ensures the resistance of the organization to change. The authors argument is completed with a point that culture must have built into a flexible methodology for change, comprising of components like: A clear and compelling vision, strategic planning for the operation, technology and people, integrative management approaches etc. For those cases where change was not anticipated, a strong but flexible culture will enable a rapid response. (Cameron Quinn, 1999, p. 6) Have also written an exceptional piece of work, their book gives a wide view of how the current literature claims an organization works and how it actually works. Author supports the view point culture can be manipulated. Since its long term, a strategy must be developed for changing it. The article claims that between managing and manipulating culture culture can be managed point of view always leads to the downfall of a company. Out of the largest 100 Companies in the 1900s only 16 are still in existence. Of the firms on Fortune Magazines first list of 500 biggest companies, only 29 firms would still be included. During the last decade, 46 percent of Fortune 500 dropped off the list. Author writes that A musical greeting card that plays Happy Birthday has more computer power than existed in the entire world before 1950. The average watch contains more computing power than existed in the entire world before 1960. Such rapid and dramatic change implies that no organization can remain the same for long and survive. Top companies on the Fortune Magazine failed due to slow, laggard or wrongheaded change efforts. The companies in 1991 spent more money on computing and communications gear than the combined monies spent on industrial, farm, construction equipment etc And in the 1960s, approximately half of the workers in industrialized countries were involved in making things, by the year 2000, it is estimated that no developed country will have more than one eighth of its workforce in the traditional roles of making and moving goods. (Cameron Quinn, 1999, p. 6) Culture looks like its thought of as how things are done around here sometimes it remains undetectable as employees dont realise this practise. The current challenge for an organization is not to determine whether or not to change, but how to change in order to increase organizational effectiveness. (Banish Nawaz, 2003, p. 19) have given further explanation on the IBM issue, during the Great Depression of the 1930s IBM survived the impact and grew as it received a steady income from the business machinery that was leased or rented, at the same time CEO Thomas J. Watson, Jr. (1990) started benefits and vacations for his employees that paid off in 1936 when they started supplying to the US government. IBM remained successful as employees didnt stay at the organization for employment but for security and way of life. IBM was successful in managing its culture until 1980s but a cultural change was desperately needed. In the 1980s IBM got a culture change. Louis V. Gerstner (2002) was appointed the new CEO in 1993 to manipulate change and he states (Banish Nawaz, 2003) Culture isnt just one aspect of the game it is the game Gerstners states Management doesnt change culture, management invites the workforce itself to change the culture. (Cummings Worley, 2009, p. 522) gives some example. Company with a difficult but successful culture change can be Alberto Culver (Manufacturing Skin and Hair Products) where process took 6 to 15 years, in some cases managing culture isnt the answer changing it is, for example the Disney case; when they tried to export the same culture to euro Disney, the European people preferred to drink wine with their meal and Disneys not serving alcohol policy resulted in low attendance for both labour and customers. Four seasons hotel and resort were on the same track but were successful as they just changed their norms, procedures and artefacts to fit with the French culture and keeping their core values same. Managing culture and manipulating culture (despite its drawbacks) are often the only 2 options considered in an organization even by many theorists. The third subdivision below isnt even mentioned as an option to consider. Finally the third sub-division that claims that culture cannot be consciously changed seems a little untrue but well supported, very little information is available for this subdivision According (Ogbonna Harris, 1998, p. 274) this subdivision argues that whilst the culture of organization can and does change, the direction, impact and sustainability of the change cannot be subject to the conscious action of management. (Senior Swailes, 2010) claims that this presents problems for change agents who will perhaps need some external and perhaps unpredictable forces to make it happen. Author (Meek, 1988) writes, what culture cannot be consciously changed actually means, he/she states that Social theorists use the term culture to embrace all that is human within the organization. They emphasize culture, either consciously or unconsciously, in such a way as to blur or hide problems and contradictions inherent in the social structure. Both culture and social structure are abstractions, not tangible entities. The author firmly sticks to the argument that culture cannot be consciously changed and writes that culture can be managed or changed views seem valid because many discipline copy concepts from another discipline which results in concepts becoming a stereotype. Author (Turner 1986) cited by (Meek, 1988) gives the idea that culture is the collectible consciousness of the organization, owned by the management and available to management for manipulation; this is also thought by many authors. Author (Meek, 1988) contradicts this stating that concepts have been copied (as stated above) and theories of organizational culture have their roots in structural-functionalism, but they have been mutated; in the process of application. Culture as a whole cannot be manipulated, turned on and off, although it needs to be recognized that some are in a better position than others to attempt to intentionally influence aspects of it (Meek, 1988). To compare this with the other 2 subdivisions, it seems a little true, but culture may be manipulated subdivision has provided some evidence of such effect. Conclusion To conclude organizations fate depends on the culture, weak or strong and all three subdivisions have been justified beautifully by various author. Managing culture seems genuine with many theorists providing theory on how to avoid any cultural change but 2nd subdivision as the name suggests Research which claims that culture may be manipulated has provided evidence of organizations on how manipulating culture is the only way to survive, the 3rd subdivision seems to be a third side to a two sided coin, where authors explain how various authors have copied and altered studies. All together this essay gives a great idea about culture and its change subdivisions. I personally feel that manipulating culture is the way to go, can managers change an organizations culture? Yes for instance the Euro Disney and Four seasons hotel case and also with the technological advancements and pressure of external factors, no organization can stay the same and survive. Overall this essay comprising of s mall parts has shown a big picture about cultural change.

Is American Patriotism Also Blind Patriotism? Essay examples -- Americ

It seems that patriotism is one of the most common terms used during times of war. Governments often use propaganda about nationalism to advocate their political views of the hostilities. Sometimes they even force patriotism on their constituents with fear-mongering techniques, which can have dangerous implications. That’s not to say that patriotism is inherently bad—many wars have been won for just causes because of it. However, it is a mistake to only think of war at a national level. There are devastating effects on the soldiers, families, and victims of war hostilities. The stories read this week discuss the struggle between concern for macro-society (patriotism) and micro-society (family/personal interests) during war. While no narrative completely rejects the idea of macro-society, they clearly emphasize the greater importance of micro-society and the consequences of patriotism. â€Å"Loyalties† is the first story which discusses the concept of macro and micro-society. It centers on a family living in an African village during the Nigerian civil war. The father and schoolmaster seem to be the most loyal characters from the beginning, as they are large supporters of the new Biafra. However, by the end of the tale they have switched their allegiances back to Nigeria. Their perspectives clearly reflect the bigger concept of the macro-society. There is an element of humor in the way they switch so drastically from one side to the next. The mother, on the other hand, represents concern for the micro-society, because she only cares about the tasks of everyday life. The tone of the story clearly favors the mother’s perspective. After all, she is the only character whose loyalties remain true throughout the entire story, and the author pokes fun at the politics of the men. Even the mother sees the humor in it all, telling her son, â€Å"Go and collect the goat†¦after all he is now a Biafran goat so we must take better care of it† (144). At the conclusion of this story it is apparent that the concept of macro-society during war has certain limitations and weaknesses, which can greatly impact the individuals and families involved. Just as â€Å"Loyalties† discusses the flaws of patriotism, â€Å"Peace and War† explains the failings of micro-society. It depicts two men who go to war every day and treat it as business. They are casual about their job because the war is at a ... ...e and honor when they are far from the field of battle, as this girl is. Yet when there are personal ties, it is much harder to accept the concept, just as Biyumi struggles with his sense of nationalism. Although many of these stories have specific settings and historical significance, they also speak to today’s world. We have seen a great shift toward patriotism in the years following the attacks of September 11, 2001. It would be wrong not to respect the soldiers who have fought bravely for the United States since that time, just as it was wrong for the wife in â€Å"Peace and War† to underestimate the dangers around her. However, we must also honor the micro-society, both here and in other parts of the world. Will our actions as a nation lead our soldiers into traumatic situations like the soldier in â€Å"An Easy Death†? Or will we consider the families and communities involved, saving ourselves from micro-societal damage? I only hope that we can learn from stories such as these and not take our â€Å"blind† patriotism too far. Works Cited Global Cultures. A Transnational Short Fiction Reader, ed. by Elisabeth Young-Bruehl (University Press of New England, Hanover and London, 1994)

Frivolous lawsuits Essay example -- Legal Issues

Do you remember the lawsuit about the woman who ordered the McDonald’s coffee and spilled it in her lap and sued McDonald’s because it did not have a warning label on it? What about the woman who fell in the fountain at the mall while texting and wants to sue the mall? These lawsuits may seem fairly farfetched. They fall into the category called frivolous. Black’s Law Dictionary defines frivolous as lacking a legal basis or legal merit; not serious; not reasonably purposeful (Garner, 2006). When people pursue such lawsuits as these it costs money. â€Å"The civil justice system is plagued by high ‘transaction costs,’ meaning that it is both expensive and time consuming to use the courts to resolve disputes† (Ruschmann, 2006, p. 60). Frivolous lawsuits should not be taken seriously. People should not be awarded money for things that they caused themselves, and they should not cost courts and consumer’s time and/or money. There are many steps to go through once you decide to file a lawsuit. Many Americans suffer from injuries but only a small percentage of them file a lawsuit because many of them have valid claims but they have little money. Sometimes when plaintiffs, the person filing the lawsuit, go to trial there is a lot of money that has to be spent up-front. â€Å"Taking a large case on a contingency fee and advancing all the out-of-pocket cost is a very expensive proposition† (Bourhis, 2005, p. 76). Lawyers have created the contingent-fee arrangement. This is where â€Å"a lawyer agrees to take a case without any money up front and without requiring the client to pay an hourly or flat fee. In return, the lawyer is entitled to receive a percentage of the actual amount of money collected, generally 33 percent, but sometimes 40 percent if ... ...ceived potential for a large payout. Three percent of product liability trials involved toxic substances, including tobacco. Three tobacco product liability trials were disposed of a national sample in 2005. All three of these trials were decided by juries that ruled in favor of the defendants. Toxic substances were linked as 346 of the 354 product liability trials (Cohen, 2009). Tort reformers believe that courts must reduce the ability of defendants’ liability in order to avoid economic decline. In the years to come, the proposals likely to generate the biggest dispute include malpractice and class-action reform, limits on noneconomic and punitive damages, and a legislative solution to asbestos legation (Rushmann, 2006). There are many lawsuits. But the frivolous lawsuits should not be taken seriously and not cost our courts and citizens time and/or money.

Reasons to wear a seatbelt :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"August 2000, our family of six was on the way to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a wedding. It was a rainy day, and Gregg was not   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  familiar with the area. The car hit standing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  water in the high-way, and started hydro-planing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Greg lost control of the car. Then, the car went   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  backwards down into a ditch and started sliding on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  its wheels sideways. After sliding for 100 feet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  or so, the car flipped, at least once. After   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  flipping, the car came to rest on its wheels, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the passenger window broke out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the front seat was Gregg, driving, Sarah, in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the middle, and Robyn, on the passenger side. In   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the rear seat was Jeff, behind the driver, Haley,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  in the middle, and Rachel, on the passenger side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EVERYONE was wearing their SEAT BELTS, as is our   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  family habit. EVERYONE walked away from this   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  accident with only bruises. The only blood was   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robyn had small nicks from glass in a couple of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  places on her right arm and right leg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"After being examined at the ER, we continued on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to the wedding reception. Where, less than 3 hour   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  after this accident, Rachel, Jeff, Sarah, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Haley were able to dance and have a great time!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If they had not been wearing their seat belts,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  they could have been dead. So Please Buckle Up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  your Seat Belts every time you get in the car!† (www.geocities.com/gargn6/seatbelts.html?200522).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This woman’s story may not be one that will ever happen to many people, but if it did a seatbelt is one of the only defenses one has against it. A seatbelt is not a new development and seatbelt laws are not new either and refusing to wear a seatbelt is disregard for the law and one’s own safety. Everyone has to wear a seatbelt, no one is picked, and people from celebrities down to a common sixteen-year-old driver have to wear one. No one is exempt from the law and no one should be aloud to break it. It’s not hard to do and shouldn’t be hard to remember because all it takes is a click and even though some have come up with many reasons not to wear them the benefits of wearing a seatbelt outweigh the disadvantages by far.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people may choose not to wear a seatbelt because they don’t understand how and why they work. To begin with seatbelts are the first line of defense one has against an injury in a crash.

Media Literacy Essay

Literacy gives us minorities the ability to read and write. Today, we get most our information through an interwoven system of media technologies. The ability to read many types of media has become an essential skill in the 21st Century. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. I came up with this topic because Media literate youth and adults all over America to better understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media.Media can present content that seems and is more or less real, however, it is our duty as the viewers to be able to distinguish, and differentiate between â€Å"reflections of reality, and constructions of reality†. The prime targets of the media are young people because they so unwittingly believe everything the media tells them, from â€Å"how to talk, how to dress, and how to relate to others†. Media literacy skills are included in the educational standards of every state in language arts, social studies, health, science, and other subjects. My potential strength is giving my audience various types of important effects of global media literacy such as education ,health related issues, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, body image, obesity, sex distractions , lack of knowledge and all types of sports that does and does not effects our globalization. I researched and found out many researchers have discovered that media literacy is an effective and engaging way to apply critical thinking skills to a wide range of issues. My main Importance I want my audience to know about media literacy, according to Edward Donnerstein who is a major research interests in mass-media violence, as well as mass media policy. He has published over 240 scientific articles in these general areas and serves on the editorial boards of a number of academic journals in both psychology and communication. Donnerstein States that in his book † Media literacy skills can help youth and adults by developing critical thinking skills, Understanding how media messages shape our culture and society ,recognize, bias, spin ,misinformation, lies and also evaluate media messages based on our own experiences, skills, beliefs, and values. † I learned from Donnerstein that this project with media literacy fit within the existing globalization because media literacy is a delicate issue that has some good and bad effects on everyone in today’s society. For example, Communication has become a major tool to connect if we want to travel to Africa or learn  about Australia information is at our fingertips .We can text someone instantly and get a response back from Russia immediately. We can call someone over Skype in India and talk for free on our computer for as long as we want. Not to mention Facebook and Twitter which have become the most popular social networking tools on the worl d. My study according to Cole VT 2006, an article on television and obesity talks about how the media has strong influence over public thought because of the universal demand of the media, because of the accessibility of media it becomes more influential to those who watch it and the viewers who believe the ideas and stereotypes portrayed through the media; nevertheless, they become the individuals who become influenced by the media. The media demonstrates the ability to create and influence those who watch television; however, one particular group that the media has targeted is children. Television and internet has allowed for the expansion of knowledge to expand globally, but also has the ability to corrupt the mind of the youth. Cole gives us audience a quote stating†The expansion of knowledge is spreading and so is the waist size of the American youth†. It has been established that television, internet and social medial allows for children to become educated through these conventional outlets; however children should be limited to a minimal amount of television because there is correlation between excessive television, internet and an increase in BMI, which has been linked towards the causes of obesity in children. Obesity effect children’s who consume a significant am out of television such as erratic behavior, less active in physical activity, deprivation of sleep, mood swings, Increase in laziness, and increase in weight again which consents of obesity. According to Kong JP, in 2010 his Journal of Society for development in new net environment in B&H. â€Å"children who watch up to three hours of television on average, watching up to at least 40,000 TV commercial per year and developing a favorite television show or program that retains their attention. Based on the fact these impacts can lead to a significant decline in health and overall performance of children. If these bad habits remain continuance this could lead to an unhealthy life and unhealthy habits, which can ultimately be fatal†. However, we parents need to set a good example, because they are role models for their child, and the behavior that children have is usually a replica of the parents. Some parents allow for children to be consumed by television, while they  gallivant in their own activities instead of spending time with their child. By allowing a child to consistently watch television instead of being active in a physical activity can result in the child becoming lazy. It is important to encourage your child to do other activities outside of watching television, so it’s good not to invest all your time on television and find an outside source for entertainment. For instance, if a child asks to play with their mom or dad and the mom tell their child I do not have time, go watch television. Ultimately, the child will begin to rely on the television as there daily activity. It is imperative as a parent that you find quality time to spend with your child and that quality time should be spent awa y from the television. My Methodology of data I collected throughout a quantitative and qualitative research study is that I gain from Elsevier Health Sciences that it is imperative to understand that childhood obesity is at all-time high, and as the years increase so does the sizes of the American children. If children are going to is watching a significant amount of television and internet daily there should be other alternatives and activities provided in place of the television. For instance, for every amount of television or technology being used will result in the same amount of time spent actively engaging in an activity that does not require you to sit in front of the television or , or iPad, Xbox 360 and etc. Also, it is recommended that a maximum of two hours should be spent watching these technologies. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2001), it is recommended in order to help reduce the amount of television and internet being consumed is to not watch television or use technologies while eating meals, remove all televisions from blatant/obvious places in the houses, such as the living room. There should be no television located in the children’s room because children will stay up all night with their eyes fixated at the television or technologies. Also, it’s good to implement days without television and to plan family activities that allow to children engage actively. By limiting the amount of hours spent on television and internet can help reduce the risk of children becoming obese and allow for them to find other activities that can be beneficial to their growth and allow for them to live a healthy life. Children’s greatest exposure to violence comes from television. TV shows, movies edited for television, and video games expose young children to a level of violence unimaginable just a  few years ago. According to Salmon J, Campbell KJ, Crawford DA states in their Journal of Society for development in new net environment in B&H that majority of teenagers and children today know the underlying themes of the media, and know that it is all scripted even the violence, however, the matter of fact is that teenagers can relate so much to the themes in the media that they slowly begin to believe it. Once they get introduced to the characters, they gradually start to consider them real and starts to partipate in bad behavior Cambell states in his journal that â€Å"our community in today’s society face many obstacles with our youth and the media that is destroying the foundation of family’s and juvenile delinquency. For example, social learning theory, strain theory and control theory, just to name a few, are typically postulated for being directly related our media juvenile delinquency. In dealing with all of these effects and how they play a role with delinquency the question still remains as to whether or not higher crime rates in juveniles are significantly increased when media plays a big factor†. The media has the ability to influence social constructed ideas and creating stratification amongst minorities and ethnic groups allowing for the uses of the television and social media outlets to become addicting. As a result of this addiction it enable individuals such as children to become or remain fixated on these primitive idea of life. And because of this strong addiction towards being entertained it is important to stay tuned to the media and the most up to date gossip or the newest television show. However, According to Tracy Marie Scull who is The National Association for Media Literacy Education’s Journal of Media Literacy Education talks about sex in her article she states,†During adolescence, young people are exposed to information about sex from a myriad of sources including mass media Adolescents frequently cite mass media as a primary source of information about sex (Sutton et al. 2002). Somewhat surprisingly, the media far outrank parents or schools as a source of information about birth control for 15-19-year-olds .In fact, young teens (ages 13-15) rank entertainment media as their top source for information about sexuality and sexual health. Unfortunately, while the media are communicating a plethora of sexual messages, many of those messages would not be considered accurate or healthy. For example, while the amount of sexual content on TV has nearly doubled since 1997 very few teen television shows mention any of the  responsibilities or risks (e.g., using contraception, pregnancy, STIs) associated with sex and almost none of the shows with sexual content include precaution, prevention, or negative outcomes as the primary theme†.

Gps Tracking System Circuit Using 8051 Microcontroller

RESUME MA. VIKNESHKANNADate of Birth:03. 12. 1989Nationality:IndianAddress:52/44-A,Amaragundhi,Tholassampatti(vai),Omalur(tk),Salem(dt),Tamilnadu,Pin code -636503E-mail:[email  protected] comMobile No: +919738330416| ————————————————- CAREER OBJECTIVE To afford my full potential for enlightening the organization and to place myself in a highly challenging work environment through which I can enhance my knowledge.Adaptive and fast learner with excellent grasping power, excellent team player with good interpersonal skills, creativity and dynamism————————————————- EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONSSLC:SRI VIDYAMANDIRHR SECMATRICULATION SCHOOL,SALEM STEEL PLANT. SALEM(DT). Batch : 2004-2005. CGPA :69%Higher secondary:SRII JOTHI. HER. SEC. SCHOOL,THARAMANGALAM,SALEM(DT). Bat ch: 2006-2007. CGPA :72%UG degree:PAAVAI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING,PACHAL,NAMAKKAL(DT). Batch: 2007-2011. CGPA :67%| CERTIFICATION: Embedded system Training in KVIK Technologies Pvt Ltd in Bangalore for 6 Months. ————————————————- SOFTWARE PROFICIENCY: * Language: Embedded C, C language * Software: KEIL, C Compiler * Operating Systems: Windows 7/XP/Vista, Basics of Linux * Microcontrollers:8051, ARM (LPC2129), ADC804, RTC DS1307, AVR (AT mega162) * Tools handling:VxWorks(RTOS) * Communication protocol:CAN,RS232, I2C, SPI,ISP ————————————————- ————————————————-SKILLS: * Knowledge Of Implement different kinds of protocols such as 1. RS232, 2. I2C and 3. ISP Protocols. Final Year Project: * Title: Electrical Power Generated from a Ceiling Fan. Institute: Self-determined Project Duration: 60 days. About the project: The kinetic energy of a ceiling fan is converted to electrical energy using a dynamo and stored in the battery via battery charging circuit. This stored energy is used to glow the tube light. The microcontroller AT mega 162 is used for an overall control of the circuit.A LCD display indicates the voltage levels at the battery and the dynamo. ————————————————- PROJECT DURING COURSE: * Temperature monitoring system using 89S52 controller interfacing with LCD(16*2). * ISP(in-system programming ) for 89S52 controller to burn code. ————————————————- INPLANT TRAINING: * Title: Automation using PLC. Institute: Sa lem Steel Plant, Salem. Duration: 7 days. * Title: Nano technology. Institute: HCL, Coimbatore. Duration: 7 days. PERSONAL DATA:Father’s Name: P. MANICKAM. Mother’s Name: M. RADHA MANI. Languages Known : English, Tamil. Hobbies : Surfing in net for new technology, updating new product of controller and Processor from company. AFFIRMATION: I hereby declare that the above mentioned information is correct up to my knowledge and I bear the responsibility for the correctness of the above mentioned particulars. Place : Yours Truly, Date : viknesh kanna (MA. VIKNESHKANNA)

Development of an industrialized, mechanized economy in the United States

Till the time of American Revolution, the American economy was basically a â€Å"colonial† economy, and worked for the benefit of — the mother country(Britain). With time the colonies resentment with the mother country grew and they breached their links much to the ire of the British Empire. The period that went by between the American Revolution and the Civil War witnessed the growth of a young national economy. Though it was still largely agricultural, the manufacturing and industrial sector was also coming up in a big way (complemented by the rise of a fledgling labor movement).Serious and vigorous economic and political competition among the sections (North, South, and West) was a primary force shaping the development of American politics. At the same time, the nation slowly developed the foundations of a unified national economic system.This consolidation of American economic life was driven by such technological developments as the invention of the steamboat, the railroad, and the telegraph; by the development of new economic enterprises (e.g. , railroad and telegraph systems) capitalizing on these technological advances; and by the linking of the nation's several regions through the construction of â€Å"internal improvements† such as canals and roads and toll bridges. The Union's possession of these economic advantages was a major factor in its victory over the Confederacy in the Civil War. After the Civil War was over, the United States was established as a major player in the world economy.The Development of infrastructure and new means of communication resulted in bonding the national economy together, and also making feasible the rise of great industrial enterprises. Education and political legal support also assisted the growth of these enterprises by the development of such forms of organization as the business corporation, the trust, and the holding company. But the labour movement in America also grew at a frantic pace in or der to protect their interests from the hands of capitalists and it can be said that largely the work force was dissatisfied at the treatment meted out to them.The labor movements initially forced the government to bring legislation protecting the interests of the worker but later during the 1920s and early 1930s an aggressively pro-business climate led either to the retrenchment or the abandonment of these efforts. The economy grew at a frantic pace in the 1920s but the lack of regulation and adequate safeguards led to monopolization that in result led to the Great Depression of 1929-1941. It led to a serious rethink on the part of the government and new rules were laid paving the way for a new relationship between the government and the economy as a whole.At first the government tried to control the unregulated economy. After that for a while in the two decades that followed American economy thrived like anything, and also paved the way for the new American middle class. The perio d since the late 1960s has demonstrated that the â€Å"American dream† of the 1950s and 1960s was short-lived. Two clusters of developments spelled the end of Americans' dreams of continuing economic and social prosperity: First, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a continuing climate of economic recession and industrial retrenchment led to the loss of thousands of jobs.Second, in the 1970s and early 1980s, American corporations seemed increasingly unable to compete with the industries and products of foreign competitors — specifically German and Japanese electronics and automobile manufacturers. In particular, the successful Japanese challenge to the primacy of the American automobile industry spelled economic disaster, not just for the â€Å"big three† auto manufacturers, but also for the dozens of industries (for example, steel) dependent on a healthy domestic automobile industry.In the 1980s, many Americans believed that the â€Å"malaise† of the 1970 s was at an end. But the 1980s was an era of feverish economic â€Å"growth† based not on the real flowering of productive industry but on the ever-more-frantic manipulations of corporate takeovers and stock manipulation. The goals of free trade have also been furthered since World War II by US participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).With the formation in 1995 of the World Trade Organization (WTO), most-favored-nation policies were expanded to trade in services and other areas. In 1993, Congress approved the North American Free Trade Agreement, which extended the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the United States to include Mexico. NAFTA, by eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers, created a free trade zone with a combined market size of $6. 5 trillion and 370 million consumers. The effect on employment was uncertain—estimates varied from a loss of 150,000 jobs over the ne xt ten years to a net gain of 200,000.Labor intensive goods-producing industries, such as apparel and textiles, were expected to suffer, while it was predicted that capital goods industries would benefit. It was anticipated that US automakers would benefit in the short run by taking advantage of the low wages in Mexico and that US grain farmers and the US banking, financial, and telecommunications sectors would gain enormous new markets. As of 2003, the pros and cons of NAFTA were still being hotly debated.Spokespersons for organized labor claimed in 2000 that the agreement had resulted in a net loss of 420,000 jobs, while advocates of free trade insisted that 311,000 new jobs had been created to support record US exports to Canada and Mexico, with only 116,000 workers displaced—a net gain of 195,000 jobs. In 2003, President George W. Bush introduced, and Congress passed a tax cut of $350 billion designed to stimulate the economy, which was in a period of slow growth. This ca me on the heels of a $1. 35 trillion tax cut passed in 2001 and a $96 billion stimulus package in 2002.Democrats cited the loss of 2.7 million private sector jobs during the first three years of the Bush administration as evidence that the president did not have control over the economy. In 1998, for the first time since 1969, the federal budget closed the fiscal year with a surplus. In 2000, the government was running a surplus of $236 billion, or a projected $5. 6 trillion over 10 years. By mid-2003, the federal budget had fallen into deficit; the deficit stood at $455 billion, which was4. 2% of gross domestic product (GDP). Congress was debating an overhaul of the Medicare program, to provide prescription drug coverage for the elderly and disabled. WORKS CITEDhttp://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec5/Introduction/g_economy.htmlhttp://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/United-States-ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT.html