MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 1 Case Assignment Essay

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 1 Case Assignment - Essay Example Davis (2013) explained that business analytics is instrument to achieve objectives which transformed information as data to leverage in business competition. Admittedly, they have spent tremendous amount of obtaining invaluable assets and in developing storage or database to save essential uncovered insights as knowledge-base that can be useful, for instance, in social network analysis and in behavioural studies at multiple levels (Davis, 2013). This may include concerns on retail pricing, portfolio analysis, risks positions, banking or finance management, and the empirical demand of the market based on considered demography and customer needs (Davis, 2013). This expertise on business analytics is also provided as consultancy service to pharmaceuticals, industries, companies and institutions seeking expert consultancy on organizational capacity management (Davis, 2013). In a cursory look into the organization’s performance, it is driven to empower clients using advanced analyt ics for organizations to make use of its internal database to improve its competence, performance, financials, and its quest for meaningful innovative information (Davis, 2013). Through this, clients are inspired to make fact-based decision-making to generate great impact (SAS Inc., 2012). The company also partner with clients in all development process to ensure that they are able to generate maximum satisfaction of relevant services (SAS Inc., 2012). Such commitment target at getting shared outcome. The organization used creative capital for high performance analytics and client empowerment. This process is undertaken by optimizing technology in resolving problems on financial services, pharmaceutical market development, nurturing retail business opportunities, valuing customer relations, business risk management, optimizing information technology networks with cross-functional solutions via information management, analytics and business intelligence (SAS Inc., 2012). SAS services are rendered to 60,000 sites over 135 countries which include 90 of top companies of on the 2011 Fortune Global 500Â ® list (SAS Inc., 2012). The company has been an avid service provider on customer intelligence, improving governance, IT performance management, retail and supply chain in the manufacturing industry, product marketing, pricing and packaging, banking, insurance, risk management, Saas, business analytics, business intelligence, performance management, communications, health and life sciences, data integration, information management, alliances and channels, and relations (SAS.com. 2013). As of these days, it has developed 903 companies in partnerships and alliances based on its online directory (SAS.com, 2013). The success of this organization is obviously attained because they have clear vision, mission, goals, and sustained good relationship with its clienteles. They see tangible results of the SAS’s software and services (SAS.com, 2013). Their systems are m atched with mixture of transformational and transactional leadership that are applied in managing in its operation, in relating to customers, and in managing its human resources. CNNMoney (2012)

Intro To Teen Pregnancy Essay Essay Example for Free

Intro To Teen Pregnancy Essay Essay Teen pregnancy is one of the biggest problems in this country. Childbearing teenagers cost American taxpayers nearly 10.9 billion dollars each year. Also children who are born from teen mothers also experienced a wide range of problems such as higher risk for low birth weight and infant mortality, have fewer skills and be less prepared to learn when they enter kindergarten and have behavioral problems and chronic medical conditions. Whereas only 50 percent of teen mothers have received a high school diploma and only 30 percent have earned a General Education Development (GED) certificate. From 1996 to 2006 Arizona teenagers were an average of 21.5 percent over the national average in childbirths. Currently there are three main solutions, have parents and schools talk about safe sex, make abortion pills more accessible through the planned parenthood program, tell pregnant teens to consider abortion. The National Campaign reports that teens say their parents influence their decisions about sex, love and relationships the most; even more than the media or their peers. Starting a conversation about sex early and often may prove beneficial. This conversation should ideally begin well before a childs teen years. In fact, the National Campaign encourages parents to talk early and become askable parents. Remember, this is ideally an 18-year conversation, not just one talk. The good news is that teen birth rates in the United States have declined almost continuously since the early 1990s — including a ten percent drop from 2012 to 2013 — further decreasing from 2012s historic lows. Between 1991 and 2013, the teen birth rate decreased by more than half in the United States (from 61.8 to 26.5 per 1,000 teens). Despite this decline, the U.S. teen birth rate is still higher than that of many other developing countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom. Expanding access to Medicaid family planning services, and utilizing mass media campaigns to promote safe sex may reduce teen pregnancy and save taxpayer dollars eloped countries. Unintended pregnancies account for more than 90 percent of all abortions—and a substantial majority of Americans of all political stripes support the goal of reducing abortions. If this is true then why not make birth control pills more accessible through this by making it cost less. If we can do this then taxpayers can avoid the later issue that cost billions of dollars.

Television Violence Essay -- Papers TV Media Violent Essays

Television Violence Does the violence you see on TV effect how you operate during the day? Does violence seen on TV effect the brain and behavior of our nation?s youth? That is the question on hand for this essay. The study of TV violence is important to our communities and nation not only because it is influential to the way our children think and perceive the world, but also because it needs to come to a stop. What is extremely interesting is how long this has been an issue in our communities. Not only that, but there are statistics, stories of mom?s about their children and their influences, a TV Ratings System, Web-Sites, editorials, and more circulating the Internet and literature worlds with information about TV Violence. It is time for you to join the circulation. According to the American Psychological Association, ?the average American has seen 8,000 televised murders and 100,000 acts of violence by the end of elementary school and has watched about 22,000 hours of TV and approximately 18,000 murders in the media by the end of high school?(Sherrow, 7). It is stated that ?25 million households in the United States experience a violent crime or theft in a given year. And As of 1993, there were about 24,500 murders each year (on average, 470 a week) in America? (Sherrow, 10). And from the same book are the following upsetting facts: ?Thirteen children, on average, die each day in a murder, suicide, or accident involving guns... School violence has risen with more than 100,000 cases of students assaulting teachers and more than 3 million assaults, rapes, and thefts each year. Damage to school property totals about $600 million annually? (Sherrow 10). The question is, are television programs behin... ...ces.? . Manson, Marilyn. Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?. Gurl-Pages.com. First published Rollingstone Magazine, Issue 815, June 24th, 1999. . Levine, Madeline. Viewing Violence: How Media Violence Affects Your Child?s and Adolescent?s Development. New York: Double Day. 1996. Michigan State University (MSU). Interactive Guide for Parent?s on Television Content Ratings. . Rarey, Matthew A. Find Articles.com. ?V-Chip Investment.? . Saunders, Kevin. ?Television Violence Causes Societal Violence.? Mass Media: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Byron L. Stay. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. 1999. Sherrow, Victoria. Violence and the Media: The Question of Cause and Effect. Brookfield: The Millbrook Press. 1996. University of Indiana School of Journalism. Good Guys, Bad Guys and TV News: How Television and Other Media Promote Police Violence.

Personal Reflection

Helping those who can’t help themselves is a wonderfully rewarding, frustrating, fulfilling, but also draining experience. The circumstances surrounding the situation can make it stressful, but worth it once you’ve touched someone’s life. In this essay I will be sharing with you the different types of helpless people as well as share my opinions and ideas about the topic of helping those in need. There’s no feeling like the feeling of helping someone that is not capable of helping themselves. The circumstances surrounding the situation can be a lot to handle. For instance, when taking care of a child you are obligated to monitor his or her every movement because a child can easily move into harm’s way. The structure of a child is naturally delicate and fragile so it is extremely important to take that into consideration. Whether the child is playing in a jungle gym or simply running around injury is always a possibility. A child’s immaturity contends to hinder his or her senses so it is up to the caretaker to use their more sensible point of view to make up for that. Children are very curious and adventurous beings and it can be said that â€Å"curiosity killed the cat. † Often children do not consider the possible repercussions of their uninhibited actions. It is an adult’s responsibility to supervise children in the proper manner to prevent them from making harmful or even life threatening decisions. Providing for a child is also a key factor in proper development. Providing for a child includes but is not limited to proper nourishment, a roof over his head, and clothing. Children need to have good sense of security in their lives which will result in them feeling more confident in themselves as they grow older. A baby not being fed is like a cow with no milk, meaning the baby will not operate correctly. Seeing that children are incapable of providing for themselves, the caretaker is responsible for feeding the child even if it requires them to scrape up ends meet. When nourishing a child the caretaker must provide the child with a substantial amount of food to encourage healthy physical growth. Proper clothing is essential. A child should have the right type of clothing for any particular climate or environment. Although it may be deemed as superficial, children ought to have clothing that is tasteful. Children can be quite cruel. No kid wants to be picked on because their attire lacks quality. An adult should know how to protect a child from those experiences because there is a point in time when a child is not aware of certain aspects of life. If anyone is going to take care of a child they had better make sure their foundation is sound environment because I imagine it would be difficult to raise a child in a hostile place. So many kids are forced to grow up in a rough neighborhood or house hold and it’s not fair to them because they have no control over the situation. I personally believe that there are way too many young women that are unqualified to be mothers but they’re having babies left and right. The government should interview and closely inspect some of these young women that are having babies to see what they’re lives are like and where there maternal maturity is before they allow them to take care of a baby. I feel as a result of that in the long run it will save these children’s lives in terms of having a relatively safe and healthy upbringing. Take note that I’m not implying that all young women shouldn’t be able to raise their own babies because they simply have the right too but on the other hand you can’t deny the fact that there is way too many young females getting pregnant that already live in bad conditions so why would anybody want to raise a child in those same conditions. Helping the homeless is another important issue that never seems to go away. I feel everybody in this world should have a roof over their heads and nobody should be forced to sleep outside especially with all the technical advances we have today. The government should build a system that’s makes sure everybody has an equal opportunity to work and have a real place to call home no matter what the circumstances. Of course we all know that a lot of people bring these situations upon themselves but everybody deserves a chance to right there wrongs. Sometimes all a person needs is a second chance to get back on their feet and I don’t feel enough homeless people are getting that chance in life. If the government created a program that picked up all the homeless people off these streets, cleaned them up, and provided them with descent enough paying jobs I feel it would make a positive impact on our communities. It’s easy to look at a homeless person sitting on the side of the street or where ever you might find one and pass instant udgment on them but know one truly knows what that persons been through that got them to that point yet people still cast them out of regular society. All of these people living lavished lives in the suburbs with no financial worries should be contributing towards getting these homeless people off the streets but unfortunately it’s rare to find a rich person with that mentality to go out of their way to help the less fortunate. Handing a homeless person a few dollars is easy to do. It may be a good gesture but in reality it’s really not going to take him/her too far or get them out of the situation there in. The community has to do more to make bigger changes happen but it all starts with the individuals that really want the rewarding feeling of saving another persons life. Lastly, another group of people that could use some help is the elderly. While plenty of the elderly are capable of helping themselves, there are also those who are incapable. They are plagued with conditions that keep them from being able to do certain things. I realize that a high percentage of our younger generation do not seem to think of the elderly in the light that they should. This seems to be rather common in today’s society. In some cases the elderly aren’t capable of doing certain activities so I feel that every elderly person should be provided with free life assistance. That type of help should not be restricted solely to a retirement home. It should be for every elderly person that can no longer perform everyday tasks. If I were in the right position of power I would create a program that allows the elderly to contact a service in which they would have a free membership to receive transportation when needed, grocery delivery, in home physical therapy and free built in security system. All elderly people deserve to have it easy after enduring such a hard, long journey called life, and for their contributions to society. These are some ideas to assist the elderly and prove our gratitude for their lives. Hopefully my opinions and thoughts on helping those in need have sparked an inspiration for you to extend a helping hand to our society. The more compassion and care we show to the people around us, the better society we become as a whole.

Performance Management in Non-Profit Organizations Essay

Non-Profit organizations are trusted to address some the most challenging issues affecting society: ending violence in inner-city communities, educating disadvantaged children, diminishing health disparities and empowering disfranchised populations to bring about change are just a few of these very difficult tasks non-profits take on. Considering the importance of that work and the pivotal role these organizations play in alleviating the burden of those issues to society, it is fair to say that non-profits are held against high expectations and consequently need to show stellar performance to live up to the magnitude of the scope of the work they were trusted upon. It is also fair to say that their performance will not only affect their bottom lines, but also the welfare of the communities they serve. Public and nonprofit organizations significantly affect, and have great potential to improve, the lives of citizens and communities in such areas as public safety, transportation, parks and recreation, economic development, education, housing, public health, environmental management, space exploration, social services, and more. In each of these areas there is interest, and sometimes very great interest, in ensuring that public and nonprofit organizations perform well and help society to move forward. (Berman, 2005) Looking at nonprofits from that viewpoint and understanding the impact their performance has on society, one would think that these organizations are usually driven by results and have efficient performance management systems in place. The truth is that it is not the case, non-profits are known to be mission-driven and the notion of performance-based management is somewhat new to most of those organizations. Non-profit organizations are of increasing importance in modern economies, not only as providers of goods and services but also as employers (Speckbecker, 2003). Moreover, there seems to be a growing awareness that nonprofits need management just as for-profit organizations do. As Speckbecker says: â€Å"Twenty years ago, management was a dirty word for those involved in nonprofit organizations† (Speckbecker, 2003). It meant business, and nonprofits prided themselves on being free of the taint of commercialism and above such sordid considerations as the bottom line. Now most of them have learned that nonprofits need management even more than business does, precisely because they lack the discipline of the bottom line.† (Speckbecker, 2003). In the business world, market forces serve as feedback mechanisms. Companies that perform well are rewarded by customers and investors; underperformers are penalized. Performance is relatively easy to quantify through quarterly earnings, ROI, customer loyalty scores, and the like. Moreover, such metrics can be calibrated and compared, ensuring that the companies producing the best results will attract capital and talent. Managers are encouraged to invest in the people, systems, and infrastructure needed to continue delivering superior performance. And internal feedback mechanisms, from up-to-the-minute operating data to performance reviews, keep everyone focused on critical activities and goals. In the nonprofit world, missions, not markets, are the primary magnets attracting essential resources, from donors inspired by organizations’ audacious goals; from board members, who not only volunteer their time and expertise but also often serve as major funders; and from employees, who accept modest paychecks to do work they care passionately about. (Bradach, 2005) There are many opportunities for performance improvement in the Non-profit field and there are many organizations that have successfully used performance measurement methods. This paper looks at some areas in which improvement has often been recognized and sought in recent years in order to better serving external stakeholders’ needs, improving organizational effectiveness and using resources efficiently, improving project management, and increasing productivity through people. Modern performance improvements efforts often raise the bar in these areas, and managers are increasingly expected to be familiar with the strategies and standards that they involve. These areas offer important opportunities for increasing performance and productivity. When it comes to performance management in nonprofit, the first issue that comes to play is how to define performance. When dealing with a segment whose products are not tangible, how can one define the effectiveness of that kind of work? At the same time, the expectations being placed on these organizations to show results by their staff members, their boards, and public and private donors are rising. Nonprofit leaders are put in a difficult position where they need to demonstrate accountability and quantify the goals they want to achieve. For that reason, most of them have resorted to a set of commonly used performance measures to ensure they are being much more explicit about the results they intend to deliver and the strategies they’ll apply to achieve them. This paper will discuss some of the performance measures used in the non-profit sector. Performance Measurement Performance measurement is the activity of documenting the activities and accomplishments of programs. (Thomas J. Tierney and Nan Stone, 2005). The performance of a nonprofit can be measured by quantifying outcomes and outputs that have been achieved through the services they deliver. For example, by showing how well students in a certain school district are doing with standard testing scores, reduction in communicable disease rates and how many inmates were connected with housing and jobs after discharge. It is about measuring what programs are really achieving and letting people know how resources are being translated into results. Performance measurement systems provide considerable detail about programs. It can be argued that performance measurement by itself does not constitute performance improvement; it is an information-gathering strategy. However, the purposes to which this information is put are clearly associated with improving performance (Berry, 2003). Coming from the point of view that performance is in the eye of the beholder and again revisiting the issue that nonprofits deal with issues that may not be tangible and are hard to quantify, the first question one can ask is who is watching non-profits to make sure they are doing a good job? Moreover, what qualifies as a good job for an organization such as AIDS Action? A cure for AIDS has not been found yet; does it mean that organization failed? Understanding what performance for nonprofits is may not be as clear cut and straight forward as it is for for-profits. After all, we are not looking at how many pairs of shoes have been sold or how many new branches of a bank have been closed. We are looking at quality of life indicators and those are much harder to measure. The most fundamental decision a nonprofit can make is to define the results it must deliver in order to be successful. That process entails translating the organization’s mission into goals that are simultaneously compelling enough to attract ongoing support from stakeholders and specific enough to inform resource allocations. (Thomas J. Tierney and Nan Stone, 2005) Most traditional management accounting systems are based on financial results and their practical relevance for performance management in for profit organizations is obvious. However, the concept of profit as defined as a way to measure results is not valid for nonprofit organizations. Clearly, this does not exclude that nonprofit organizations generate profits in the sense that they generate a cash surplus. For example, a hospital or a theater may calculate the surplus of specific â€Å"products† (a specific operation or a play at the theater) or the surplus during a particular period. (Speckbacher, 2003). However, the main difference is that even though these non-profits had a surplus, their focus is still their mission. They didn’t make decisions based on how they could make more money; they made decisions based on what was better for their programs. The fundamental difference between profitable and non-profit organizations when it comes to financial decision making is that for the latter the mission is still the focus. The past several decades have seen unprecedented growth in the scope and complexity of relationships between government and nonprofit organizations. These relationships have been more fruitful than many critics had feared and more problematic than many advocates had hoped. In the recent years, governments have increasingly relied on non-profits to address issues on a community-level. Non-profits deal with a wide array of issues and for each of these topics; these particular non-profits are experts on that subject. The government has acknowledged that expertise and also the fact that those organizations are usually community-based and more in tune with the particular needs of those communities or interest groups. As government’s dependence on nonprofits for public services, usually through contracts and grants, has increased, government officials have steadily increased their accountability demands for nonprofits, especially through greater regulation and performance-based contracting (Behn, 2001). Expectations for information and greater transparency in programmatic and financial operations are also on the rise at both the state and federal levels. In addition, many leading associations representing nonprofit organizations have called for greater levels of self-regulation, including better governance procedures (Maryland Association of Nonprofits, 2009; Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, 2007). A very common concept that derived from this relationship between government and nonprofits is performance based contracting. This paper will review that concept and outline a few additional approaches Non-Profits can use to measure performance. Performance Contracting Performance Contracting became very popular in the mid-90s with the â€Å"reinventing government† movement. New public management (NPM) practices generated a spike in the interest level from the government in doing business with non-profits. And due to this increased interest, all the ideas and concepts that concerned improving the performance of public services transcended to the non-profit arena. Moreover, this movement and the related NPM encouraged policy makers to adopt more market-based strategies for addressing public problems, such as contracting with private nonprofit and for-profit agencies (Lynn, 1998). In addition, the welfare reform legislation of 1996 created the Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, replacing the long-standing Aid to Dependent Families and Children (AFDC) program (Berman, 2005). A central component of the new TANF program was performance-based contracts to encourage service providers to place individuals in permanent employment quickly (Berman, 2005). These contracts were also part of a broader strategy embodied by TANF to reduce the role of cash assistance in helping low-income individuals; social services delivered extensively by nonprofit and for-profit agencies through performance contracts were designed to help individuals who might have previously relied on cash assistance to obtain employment and/or learn new skills to prepare themselves for the labor market (Berman, 2005). Non-profit organizations greatly benefited from these new trends in New Public Management which allowed them to conquer a bigger space in the public arena, as they had increased visibility and more access to resources. Under the core principles of that movement, communities had to be empowered to address their own problems and the federal government trusted non-profits to implement high-level projects, as pointed out before. Consequently, governments become increasingly dependent on such organizations to tackle some of the more critical issues in society. And due to the fact these issues, such as welfare, violence prevention and land preservation are of high interest to the government officials’ constituents; accountability came in to play. These performance-based contracts are being executed with tax dollars and the government officials need to be accountable to their voters on how these resources are being allocated and what results those programs are bringing. What it comes down to is that Non-Profits are in charge of executing what elected officials promise their constituents. Therefore, the need to enter contracts with a clear expectation of how the budget will support programs and goals and how those monies will translate into improvements to that community or segment. Non-Profits greatly benefit from this relationship with government. From both the point of view of business development, since their contract revenue has significantly increased with the grants and contracts received from the federal government. And from the point of view of implementing performance management activities, since this new way of conducting business paved the way for the introduction of valuable concepts related to performance management in non-profits. In Summary, new public management brought a new set of ideas and principles that were embraced by nonprofits and changed some of their paradigm with regards to their own definition of success and they relationship with their mission. Performance started to be evaluated by directly connecting program budget to goals and outcomes to understand the impact of those contracts had on addressing the issues at hand. Over time, performance contracting spread to a wide variety of service fields in the United States and elsewhere. New York City, for instance, has restructured hundreds of millions of dollars of contracts with social and health agencies as performance contracts. Some state governments have â€Å"privatized† at least some of their child welfare services by shifting public services provided by state or county staff to performance-based contracts with nonprofits, with the goal of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of child welfare services (Courtney, 2000). The same has been done by the Health Resource Service Administration (HRSA) and Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration (SMAHSA), in the past five years when they increased substantially the funding available to communities to address major public health epidemics, such as HIV and Heroine/Crack use, that the government alone wouldn’t be able to tackle. Due to the magnitude of these contracts and the threat these issues pose to society, the issue of performance has been addressed tirelessly and governments pressured nonprofits to come up with a set of measures to account for their performance and their ability to fulfill the terms of those contracts. The benefits and disadvantages of performance contracts have been extensively discussed in recent years. Within the performance management strategy movement, other strategies have been employed that strive to be more nonprofit-centric. These strategies include benchmarking, logic models, balanced scorecards, and social return on investment (SROI). All of these strategies have been used to measure performance in non-profit organizations in recent years and can illustrate examples of how organizations are applying management concepts to their operations. (Heinrich and Marschke, 2008). The Performance management contracts introduced nonprofits to these concepts and in result they became better able to manage their own performance as a whole, and not only when it relates to these contracts. (Heinrich and Marschke, 2008). All these concepts will be discussed in this paper. Benchmarking Benchmarking involves identifying excellence and using it as a standard by which to measure performance. Benchmarking entails an effort to compare a specific nonprofit organization (or set of agencies) with other comparable organizations. It has its roots in the for-profit management world where companies are often compared on various measures, including profitability. The attraction of benchmarking is that it offers nonprofits a mechanism for them to assay their organizations, including administrative costs, the efficiency of their fund-raising operations, and number of members in comparison with other organizations with similar missions and profiles. Outcome evaluation is also very complicated, so benchmarking offers a strategy for program improvement and greater accountability, even in the absence of specific outcome data that are often lacking for many nonprofit programs (Kara D. Rutowski, Jeffery K. Guiler and Kurt E. Schimmel, 2007). Looking again at the issue that the product delivered by nonprofits may not be so easily measured and quantifiable as services and products in the for-profit industry, it is harder for nonprofits to assess their own performance looking at standard reports. For instance, let’s look at an HIV Testing Program whose goals are to promote HIV testing and raise awareness of risk factors. Hypothetically, let’s consider that such program tested 1000 people during a given year and only 4 were positive. How will they measure their performance based on those numbers? That can be quite difficult to determine if a 4% seropositivity rate is an indicator for success or failure. However, using the benchmarking approach this program can compare itself to how it did as it relates to other programs serving similar populations and obtaining similar results. According to HIVqual (HIVqual.org), an organization that specializes in providing benchmarking for different clinical indicators for HIV treatment, despite seeming low that 4% rate is well above the national average. The National average according to the HIVQual Project is about 1%. In this case an apparent low performance indicator, 4%, turned out to be an excellent outcome. Without access to that kind of information that program manager would not know how well he was doing and whether or not his program was being successful. Undeniably benchmarking tends to be most helpful with easy to obtain information, such as number of administrators, membership levels, and the amount of donations. However, the health care industry utilizes it a little more comprehensively, especially when looking at health outcomes of a particular community and health disparities data. The field of Public Health has also embraced that strategy for community-wide data evaluation, such as rates of violence and STD transmission, and used it to compare how effectively neighborhoods have addressed such problems. Also, the Boston Public Health Commission compares individual program data with city-wide data to determine how well a program is performing in comparison to others. Benchmarking is an attainable way to measure performance, as non-profits are comparing their outcomes to national and local averages they can have a clear idea of where they rank and where they need to improve. However, that approach can only be utilized if such data exists. As mentioned before, in the health care industry this method is widely used and there are plenty of data available on clinical outcomes. Different types of benchmarking may be undertaken, depending upon what the organization hopes to achieve (Rutowski, Guiler & Schimmel, 2007). Industry benchmarking, or functional benchmarking, is the measurement of several aspects of the company’s operations and a comparison of these across an industry. Competitive benchmarking is used to compare an organization with its competitors. Process or generic benchmarking is used to compare similar procedures at different companies. There has been relatively little research exploring benchmarking in nonprofit organizations outside of the healthcare industry (Rutowski, Guiler & Schimmel, 2007). Hopefully, nonprofits will follow the trend set by healthcare and employ this strategy as a performance measurement technique more efficiently in the upcoming years. Balanced Scorecards Another performance management strategy commonly utilized by nonprofits is the balanced scorecard developed by Robert Kaplan in 2002. The balanced scorecard is intended to counter the criticism from within the nonprofit sector that the application of certain types of performance management strategies borrowed from the for-profit sector do not sufficiently account for the social mission and values of many nonprofits (Berman, 2005). Kaplan describes the innovation of the balanced scorecard as follows: â€Å"The balanced scorecard retains traditional financial measures. But financial measures tell the story of past events, an adequate story for industrial age companies for which investments in long-term capabilities and customer relationships were not critical for success. These financial measures are inadequate, however, for guiding and evaluating the journey that information age companies must make to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology, and innovation.† (Kaplan, 2002) The balanced scorecard is a strategic-planning tool that seeks to integrate financial, programmatic, operational, and mission-related objectives, so a nonprofit agency can strive to create a more efficient and effective organization while at the same time remaining faithful to its mission. (Berman, 2005). The balanced scorecard does involve a significant investment by a nonprofit organization because of its substantial data requirements and the need for extensive consultation among the different stakeholders of a nonprofit, including the board, staff, clients, community members, and funders. As a result, the balanced scorecard tends to be embraced by larger nonprofit and public organizations eager to drive substantial change in their operations. The balanced scorecard is also particularly worthwhile for organizations that seek to rethink or improve their relationship with their users, such as parents in a family-service agency or patients in the case of a hospital. In this sense, the balanced scorecard reflects the enhanced primacy placed on responsiveness to customers in all types of organizations (Berman, 2005). However, despite its holistic approach to organizational strategy, the balanced scorecard tends to focus on measurable indicators of costs and program utilization and thus is not widely used to consider the citizenship and community-building role of nonprofits although it potentially could be used to address these issues. (Berman, 2005) Also, the measurement of program impact through the balanced scorecard approach remains challenging given the difficulty of obtaining relevant outcome data because of the expense and the long-term effects of many nonprofit programs. (Berman, 2005) Balance score cards are a viable alternative for nonprofit organizations. In this system, one takes a look at various elements affecting performance and not a single isolated measure. Due to the fact that non-profits are very in tune with their mission, and are constantly focusing on trying to allocate their limited resources efficiently in order to achieve their goals, this system works very effectively as it provides these organizations with this bigger-picture view they much need. The balanced scorecard system has a multiple focus on several perspectives, including financial performance, and that will give nonprofits the tools they need to make decisions regarding where moneys will be invested in comparison with performance analysis of different programs. For a nonprofit organization, profit is not a determining goal of strategy; but no margin, no mission. Therefore, they need to be able to put their money where they can see results. The other issue to be considered with this approach is stakeholder involvement. In this case, the balanced scorecard provides a comprehensive framework that will help association directors and managers better define strategies, track performance, and provide data to show their various stakeholder groups how well they are performing in terms of mission value and outcomes. It helps as far as celebrating their successes and selling their message to others. Well-rounded and well-presented results will make those organizations look more appealing and that could potentially attract endowments, additional contracts and positive publicity. Logic Models Another performance management approach that is widely used by nonprofits is a logic model. As a matter of fact, many public and private funders now require nonprofit grant and contract applicants to develop a logic model as part of their grant application. Logic Models have become a standard performance measure for contracts due to the fact that they focus on process and outcomes. Logic models force nonprofits to map the entire â€Å"production process† for their programs, from the initial inputs such as staff and resources to the long term outcomes. For funders, logic models offer an opportunity to hold nonprofits accountable for the implementation of their programs. Thus, funders could sanction a nonprofit that fell short of its intended service deliver model after a contract or grant was awarded (Berman, 2005). For Nonprofits, logic models allow them to select which outcomes they want to achieve, so they can focus their efforts on achieving these particular goals. These goals are not chosen randomly, this consists of a â€Å"logic† process, from a cause-consequence frame of reference; therefore, these goals are very achievable and these organizations are very likely to succeed. Logic models have certainly caught the attention of nonprofits nationwide. Arguably their greatest value is on the â€Å"front-end† of service implementation. Ideally, the process of creating a logic model should engage a broad spectrum of a nonprofit agency’s staff and volunteers in thinking about impact and outcomes (Berman, 2005). This level of involvement helps them refine their strategies and win the support of agency stakeholders. By having everyone on board, these agencies will be more likely to achieve program goals. Logic models as a strategy to drive better outcomes and help funders select the most effective agencies for funding remains quite problematic. Furthermore, logic models tend to focus on programmatic performance and generally do not engage the agency in thinking about governance or citizen–agency relationships. (Berman, 2005) SROI – Social Return on Investment Another performance strategy designed for nonprofits that also take into account their difficulties in evaluating programs and defining success is the Social Return on Investment (SROI). This strategy was pioneered by Jed Emerson and colleagues at the Roberts Foundation in San Francisco who envisioned SROI as a vehicle for assessing the social value of nonprofit programs. Too often, nonprofit programs, especially social service programs, are evaluated quite narrowly and thus may not appear to demonstrate significant value for the community (Berman, 2005). Topics, such as quality of life, positive decision making, civic pride and affinity for diversity, for instance, are very hard to measure. One can measure how many people attended a benefit to raise autism awareness, but how can we measure how the lives of those who attended were impacted by their participation? Bearing that challenge in mind, SROI is designed to overcome this problem through a more inclusive approach to thinking about costs and benefits that consider the savings to society of nonprofit services. For example, a person’s employment because of job training and placement by a nonprofit would produce long-term benefits for society that should be considered when evaluating the impact of a nonprofit program (Tuan, 2008). This type of argument may be a hard one to make. There is the counter-argument whether or not current citizens are paying for current services. There is also the counter-argument that tax dollars should be directly benefiting tax payers, and projects such as school renovations may sound more appealing than investing on something that people will see results in the long run. Similar to other performance management initiatives, SROI focuses on programmatic impact rather than governance (Tuan, 2008). SROI is also quite complicated in practice so its adoption within the nonprofit sector has been quite limited, although the conceptual framework employed in SROI has encouraged funders and nonprofits to approach social impact more inclusively and to be rigorous and data-driven in thinking about costs and benefits. SROI has also spawned other efforts to think broadly about the social value of nonprofits (Tuan, 2008). In times where government and the country in general faces a dreadful budget crises making decisions from where to cut from such an abstract idea may be not the best way to measure performance as it relates to results from financial investments. This approach is probably the one that makes more sense from a long-term perspective. However, many non-profits can not afford that kind of thinking and need to have more tangible data to account for their performance. The idea of social impact can and should be used for lobbying and for getting buy-in from constituents; however, resting on that strategy to justify resource allocation and to measure results may be a risky decision to make. Conclusion: Overall, the varied performance management strategies commonly used by nonprofit organizations tend to minimize attention to internal management and governance as well as the external relations in favor of a focus on impact and the relevant costs and benefits (Berman, 2005). As previously discussed, the biggest issue faced by non-profits is the fact that their product may not be as easily defined as the services and goods are in the for profit world. The issue of the market inclination and how people are responding to their services is also another important one to be kept in mind. Non-profits are not dictated by their consumers’ behaviors, but by the environment as a whole. The definition of success in the nonprofit world is very complex and can be looked at from different angles as explained through the strategies above. Non-profits have increasingly tried to incorporate performance management strategies to its practices. And although the management of these organizations may be a little more in tune with those principles, we can not forget that those concepts may not be as evident to their staff. For many of the direct line staff, it is very hard to evidence the impact of performance management on management decisions and service improvements. Managers may be aware of the value of performance measurement in influencing decisions and improving services, but sometimes the communication with staff tend to be broad and disappointingly vague. As non-profits utilize these concepts to run their operations, they need to understand that front line staff needs to be equally aware of how the organization is performing and how that affects them. There is a presumed linkage to budget decisions, although promised in theory, is often difficult to detect in practice. Many non-profits have been good about disseminating those ideas among their managers, but that may not have been equally successful in getting their staff on board. In conclusion, performance management in nonprofit is a very broad topic that can be viewed from many different perspectives. The need to become more accountable to results has forced many of these organizations to adopt performance management systems. There are a few commonly used systems as explained in this paper, they each have their strengths and their weakness and it is up to each nonprofit manager to decide which one suits them best. This is a very new field, however, that has emerged with New Public Management and become more prominent in the 90s. There is a lot of room for new theories and approaches to be developed, and I am sure in the near future we will be hearing more innovative concepts coming into play. Regardless from which angle you look at predominance for nonprofit organizations, there will always be the issue of hard-to-define products and goals. And there will always be the cultural issues within those organizations where staff may not be as in tune as managers are of the needs to define success and measure performance. People join non-profits because they have affinity with their missions and the idea that they have to achieve goals and quotas may not be as tangible to them as their desire to help others. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Bradach, Jeffrey (2005). Non-Profit Effectiveness. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. 2. L., Thomas, J. Tierney, and Nan Stone (2006). â€Å"Delivering on the promise of nonprofits.† Harvard Business Review. 3. Lencioni, Pat. â€Å"Nonprofits vs. For-Profits: Mission and Performance.† Business Week Online 6 May 2009. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 1 May 2010. 4. Berry, J.M. (2003). A voice for nonprofits. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. 5. Behn, R.D. (2001): Rethinking democratic accountability. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. 6. Behn, R.D., & Kant, P.A. (1999). Strategies for avoiding the pitfalls of performance contracting. Public Productivity & Management Review, 22, 470-489 7. Blalock, A.B., & Barnow, B.S. (2004). Is the new obsession with performance management masking the truth about social programs? In D. W. Forsythe (Ed.), Quicker, better, cheaper? Managing performance in American government (pp. 485-519). Albany, NY: Rockefeller Institute Press. 8. Bovaird, T., & Downe, J. (2009). Innovation in public engagement and co-production of services. Meta-evaluation of the local government modernization agenda-White policy paper. 9. Emerson, J., Wachowicz, J., & Chun, S. (2000). Social return on investment: Exploring aspects of value creation in the nonprofit sector. San Francisco: The Roberts Foundation. Retrieved December 6, 2009 10. Lynn, L.E., Jr. (1998). The new public management: How to transform a theme into a legacy. Public Administration Review, 58, 231-237. 11. Lyons, M. (in press). Australia: A continuing love affair with the new public management. In S. Phillips & S. R. Smith (Eds.), Governance and regulation in the third sector. London: Routledge. 12. Marris, P., & Rein, M. (1982). D ilemmas of social reform: Poverty and community action in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 13. Marshall, T.H. (1964). Class, citizenship, and social development: Essays. New York: Doubleday. 14. Berman, Evan M. Productivity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations. Armonk, NY, USA: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2005. p 15. 15. Tuan, M.T. (2008). Measuring and/or estimating social value creation: Insights into eight integrated cost approaches. Seattle, WA: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved December 11, 2009. 16. Speckbacher, Gerhard. The Economics of Performance Management in Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit Management & Leadership; Spring2003, Vol. 13 Issue 3, p267, 15p 17. Ammons, David N., and William C. Rivenbark. â€Å"Factors influencing the use of performance data to improve municipal services: Evidence from the North Carolina benchmarking project.† Public Administration Review 68.2 (2008): 304+. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 3 May 2010 18. Kara D. Rutowski, Jeffery K. Guiler and Kurt E. Schimmel. Benchmarking organizational commitment across nonprofit human services organizations in Pennsylvania. School of Business, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 2007. 19. Courtney, M.E. (2000). Managed care and child welfare services: What are the issues? Children and Youth Services Review, 22(2), 87-91. 20. Kaplan, R.S. (2002). The balanced scorecard and nonprofit organizations. Boston: Harvard Business School.

The eNotes Blog Books On Demand Reinventing the PrintingPress

Books On Demand Reinventing the PrintingPress Last weeks post   spoke a bit about the digital revolution taking place in book publishing. Continuing on that theme, heres an interesting discovery thatin a roundabout fashionwould actually serve to preserve the legacy of printed books: Imagine being able to hold an out-of-print, highly coveted work in your handssay, Lewis Carrolls original manuscript for Alice in Wonderland, originally titled Alices Adventures Underground (1886). Finding a physical copy would be time-consuming, one would imagine. Certainly you couldnt procure one for, say under $10 in four minutes flat, right? Well, actually, you can†¦ In 2007, publisher Jason Epstein, assisted by engineer and inventor Jeff Marsh, released the first Espresso Book Machine to the public. A hybrid photocopier and book binder, this machine has the unique ability to print and bind electronic copies cheaply and quickly. The machine spent its first month in the New York Public Librarys Science, Industry, and Business Library, where the public was allowed to test the machine by printing free copies of public domain titles provided by the Open Content Alliance (OCA), a non-profit organization with a database of over 200,000 titles. Suddenly, Epsteins prediction from eight years earlier seemed to be coming true: that one day, bookstores and libraries could serve as the end of the production line by providing customers with instant prints of the books they want. And with that, On Demand Books  was born. Today, the Espresso Book Machine can be found in 53 locations across 11 countries. One store helping to draw attention to this groundbreaking product is the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, you can not only procure that rare copy of Alices Adventures  via the stores EBM, fondly named Paige M. Gutenborg, but have it brought to your doorstep by the eco-friendly bicycle delivery service as well (provided you live in or around Cambridge, that is). Yes, it will cost you, to the tune of a whopping $7.10 and four minutes of your time, but for that you get to hold a very rare book of publisher-quality condition in your hands, lovely, warm from the copier, and made exclusively for you. And theres still more to be gained from this machine. Having five million titles, which includes free books from the public domain, at your fingertips may seem limitless, but add to that the capability to print and bind your own work at one of these machines and its potential really is without bounds. Aspiring novelists can print multiple copies of their manuscripts, professionally bound, in almost no time at all. The realm of self-publishing has never been so in the favor of the authors themselves. Since the printing press was first invented, book distribution has largely remained unchanged; an author writes, the publisher prints, a customer buys. Even the purchase of e-books follows the same centralized supply chain, though the access of buying a book anytime, anywhere grants readers a certain power they never had before. But to be able to order a physical copy of a book, even one a publisher refuses to print, is something truly special, and a technology that I hope catches on. Bring on the revolution! Found any other interesting innovations or movements that are revolutionizing the book publishing world? Feel free to share belowwed love to hear your thoughts.

Pick the Most Wanted Career in Computer Science Today

Pick the Most Wanted Career in Computer Science Today If you dream of a wealthy future, you should consider computer engineering careers. Focus on studying Computer Science at the high school and Information Technology in college. These two disciplines will become your core subjects for the next 5 years. We recommend gaining both Bachelor and Master’ s degrees. In IT sphere, a lot depends on your computer skills. First of all, the more programming languages or programs you are aware of, the higher your wages are. The best thing about connecting your life with computer is that most of the IT professionals can work from home. Distant work (a.k.a. freelance) is an extremely comfortable option for families with children or those who live in small towns without being able to attend corporations located in big cities. Besides, the career opportunities in this field always expand due to the appearance of new technologies and development of old features. People who are experts in the area of IT won’t ever stay unemployed. This field of work offers jobs in the following categories: Development Programming Design Writing Administration Marketing Management Finances Healthcare Nursing As you can see, a degree in Business Administration will also be useful for your further career in computer science. You may get application letter and resume for your successful career in computer science or business from writing experts at any time of day or night. On the whole, computer science spans the range from theory through systems administration to cutting-edge technology and innovations in various fields; from business to biology; from psychology to media. Students who are full of new ideas are welcome to join the sphere. The career in this field of science implies solutions to such problems as: Software design and development Effective approaches to solving problems with technical equipment in both technical and creative sense Information storage, data management, networks, and communications control Offering better ways of using computers and other digital devices Correspondingly, you can choose one of the five existing paths in this area. Career path 1. Design and implement applications for computers and mobile phones. Career path 2. Create new methods to use computers and other digital devices. Career path 3. Solve computer problems efficiently. Career path 4. Solve problems of any other industry. Career path 5. Plan and monitor organizational technology infrastructure. Top Paid Careers in Computer Science Here are some of the most promising career in computer science: Market Research Analyst Marketing is a delicate science which involves promotion, distribution, and sales as the efficient outcome of the first two elements. To make these fields interact more effectively and bring the desired income, many companies hire so-called marketing specialists or market research analysts. While working in a team, these two positions may produce efficient approaches to advising corporations on marketing, promotion, and even complex business plans. To do so, an employee has to be able to analyze specific data, review related information, conduct in-depth research on trends, and observe competitor’s strategies and tactics. The main goal is to achieve company’s growth in the shortest period. These experts should also gather the opinions of customers, partners, suppliers, and distributors to get the overall picture. A computer science degree is common in this data-focused field. We would recommend receiving Master’s diploma for such a pretigious position. Wages: $33,500 – $114,000 Operations Research Analyst This position has something in common with the previous career choice. It’s all about dealing with company’s operational data and information to assist top management in solving various issues associated with local technology and workflow. The following disciplines are involved in the process: finance accounting political science manufacturing logistics Thus, different industry specialists are needed to help. You have to be well aware of statistical software programs and data modeling packages. Study statistics well in college if you wish to succeed! Master’s degree in computer science if usually required. Wages: $42,000 - $130,000 Systems Software Developer When we speak about systems as a career in computer science, we don’t necessarily mean working with systems administration. It can also be associated with the software and app development. Besides, experts are demanded in both computer and mobile fields. There is a variety of jobs associated with design and development. If you are great at engineering and programming, apply for the systems software designer in a large corporation. It would be a good start of your IT career. Be ready to produce operating systems to be used in everything: from smartphones to automobiles. You will create system interface as well. Security is another issue to take care of. Master’s in computer science is preferred. Wages: $63,000 - $151,000 Web/App Developer Web and application developers create extremely important and highly demanded careers today as more than 1,800 millions of global mobile users download and launch various apps regularly. These and other related statistics may be discovered here. The level of web development significance can be explored at this website. The main goals of such experts in computer science are: To build internet websites for e-commerce purposes To process enterprise operations Control non-profit groups Cooperate with social media Build stronger relations with business partners and customers Web developers have to be experts in the field of computers and engineering. They have to know several programming languages perfectly: HTML, XML, JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheets. After each site is carried out, the professional has to check its site architecture, usability, and performance. Wages: $33,000 - $110,000 Geoscientist Let’s step back a bit from computer science, and talk about other meaningful areas of science such as geosciences, for instance. As far as this science deals with studying our planet, Geography or Geophysics would be a nice addition to your degree in computer science. These professionals have to work with the advanced technology and complex systems to complete computer modeling and come up with real-life prototypes. It’s their mission to study Earth along with its threats and opportunities. Data analysis and digital mapping are two other responsibilities of geoscientists. They should use such resources as software packages to conduct in-depth research on different problems associated with our planet. Except for computer intelligence, the knowledge of geology is a must. Be prepared to join such industries as national government or oil and gas extraction. Authorities will need your services, research, and application for their own purposes. Wages: $49,000 - $187,000 Each of these careers requires a solid background in many sciences except for the computer science. These jobs are high responsible, but they are highly paid as well. If you wish to gain financial freedom, there is no better choice today than working in one of these industries. In case you are still obtaining your degree in computer science, you may need to order projects and research papers online from time to time. We recommend using only the time-tested, superior services.

Nicolau Copernicus - Founder of Modern Astronomy

Nicolau Copernicus - Founder of Modern Astronomy This profile of Nicolau Copernicus is part ofWhos Who in Medieval History   Nicolau Copernicus was also known as: The Father of Modern Astronomy. His name is sometimes spelled Nicolaus, Nicolas, Nicholas, Nikalaus or Nikolas; in Polish, Mikolaj Kopernik, Niclas Kopernik or Nicolaus Koppernigk. Nicolau Copernicus was known for: Recognizing and promoting the idea that the Earth revolved around the sun. Although he was not the first scientist to propose it, his bold return to the theory (first proposed by Aristarchus of Samos in the 3rd-century B.C.) had significant and far-reaching effects in the evolution of scientific thought. Occupations: AstronomerWriter Places of Residence and Influence: Europe: PolandItaly Important Dates: Born: Feb. 19, 1473Died: May 24, 1543 About Nicolau Copernicus: Copernicus studied liberal arts, which included both astronomy and astrology as part of the science of the stars, at the University of Krakà ³w, but left before completing his degree. He resumed his studies at the University of Bologna, where he lived in the same house as Domenico Maria de Novara, the principal astronomer there. Copernicus assisted de Novara in some of his observations and in the production of the annual astrological forecasts for the city. It is at Bologna that he probably first encountered the works of Regiomontanus, whose translation of Ptolemys Almagest would make it possible for Copernicus to successfully refute the ancient astronomer. Later, at the University of Padua, Copernicus studied medicine, which was closely associated with astrology at that time due to the belief that the stars influenced the dispositions of the body. He finally received a doctorate in canon law from the University of Ferrara, an institution hed never attended. Returning to Poland, Copernicus secured a scholastry (an in abstentia teaching post) at Wroclaw, where he primarily worked as a medical doctor and manager of Church affairs. In his spare time, he studied the stars and the planets (decades before the telescope was invented), and applied his mathematical understanding to the mysteries of the night sky. In so doing, he developed his theory of a system in which the Earth, like all the planets, revolved around the sun, and which simply and elegantly explained the curious retrograde movements of the planets. Copernicus wrote his theory in De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Orbs). The book was completed in 1530 or so, but it wasnt published until the year he died. Legend has it that a copy of the printers proof was placed in his hands as he lay in a coma, and he woke long enough to recognize what he was holding before he died. More Copernicus Resources: Portrait of Nicolau CopernicusNicolau Copernicus in Print The Life of Nicolaus Copernicus: Disputing the ObviousBiography of Copernicus from Nick Greene, former About.com Guide to Space/Astronomy. Nicolau Copernicus on the Web Nicolaus CopernicusAdmiring, substantial biography from a Catholic perspective, by J. G. Hagen at the Catholic Encyclopedia.Nicolaus Copernicus: 1473 - 1543This bio at the MacTutor site includes very straightforward explanations of some of Copernicuss theories, as well as photos of some places significant to his life.Nicolaus CopernicusExtensive, well-supported examination of the astronomers life and works by Sheila Rabin at The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Medieval Mathematics and AstronomyMedieval Poland The text of this document is copyright  ©2003-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/cwho/p/copernicus.htm Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society

Can torture be ethical Discuss in relation to the War on Terror Essay

Can torture be ethical Discuss in relation to the War on Terror - Essay Example There were often many manuals given to convey the torture techniques and the implications. Written codes and conducts were also regulated to redefine the process of torture and differentiate what is acceptable and what is impermissible (Scott, 2003, p27). As the theories enhanced, there is a huge debate on the torture ethics which is going on since years, and especially after 2001 when there was an initiative of the war on terror by collaboration of many countries. Some debate that torture has always been immoral and unjustifiable, whereas many of the modern theorists and socialists suggest that if torturing an evil man because of which many lives can be saved, then there is no better moral decision that could be taken (Wisnewski, Emerick, 2009, p 78). Thus, war on terror is a justifiable process which is carried out throughout the Western world, and if it includes the practices of torturing then torture can be considered ethical too, in a broad scope. There are many ethical argument s that have risen up related to torture and its value to the society. The major argument that supports the ethics or torture is the fact that it is an essential tool. Many of the countries condemn the use of torture and consider it not only unethical but also unlawful. Whereas many countries still use it as their tool and consider it as effective in many circumstances (Harbury, 2005, p95). There are many arguments placed forth and the basic debate lie in the views presented by deontological and utilitarian viewpoints. Both the viewpoints hold justification in their own way. The utilitarian viewpoint suggests that torture can be justified if the overall outcome of the action is positive. This refers to the process of torture which is used as a tool to investigate and weed the evil out of a person or criminal. In this belief, the utilitarian thinker might consider the outcome as the only source of judgment and to decide whether the act of torturing is moral or not. The outcome can def ine the long term effects in which lives may be saved and evil may be finished. This is the primary factor on which torture is used as a tool (Greenberg, 2006, p50). Opposing the utilitarian view is the deontological view which came from the word duty. This viewpoint suggests that the rules and values hold immense importance and they should be fulfilled as the first priority rather than the outcome. Utilitarian thinkers give immense respect to the moral values and ethics over the outcomes of allowing torture or restricting it. However, if the outcome is uncertain or can not be known, then the utilitarian thinker would state that torture is wrong and unjustifiable (Skerker, 2010, p154). There are any arguments seen favoring the utilitarian views against torture and in some parts of the world, the laws support these views as well. The war on terror or war on terrorism is known to describe the campaign set out by the US and includes many other countries such as the UK. The term is comm only used and it applies to the campaign which is initiated against the al-Qaeda and other militant groups which are associated to it. The aim of this campaign was to eliminate the powers and actions of such militant organizations. The September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre gave rise to many militant groups that tend to declare war against America. These groups were the terrorists and in regard to those, the phrase War on Terror was used and made popular by the military organizations of the US. Soon it became

Strategy discourse and strategy's role in social responsibility Essay

Strategy discourse and strategy's role in social responsibility and sustainability - Essay Example The plan consists of sustainable procurement, reducing environmental impact stemming from the company’s business model, reducing waste, recycling and curbing over-consumption of energy; as well as reduction of the firm’s carbon footprint. Having defined the Sustainable Living Plan by Unilever, Polman did an excellent job of using discourse, this being narrative and storytelling, to ensure successful implementation of these objectives. Polman opened discourse with influential members of the Consumer Goods Forum to agree to abide by practices related to sustainable palm oil production, an issue that had deforested many regions. The company is also trying to change behaviours of millions of consumers worldwide, getting them to abide by being more proactive in water consumption by taking shorter showers. The Sustainable Living Plan will not be effective without contributions by vendors, competitors and even consumer markets, something that requires discourse and narrative to achieve effectively. Storytelling is an excellent forum for sharing norms and values that have been built from an organisation’s past experiences and also describe a desirable future. It is through this discourse that leadership is developed and provides opportunities to provide a compelling vision (Buckler and Zien 1996). It is through shared stories and narratives that understanding and organisational dedication is created, familiarising individuals with dominant and compelling narratives and anecdotes that assist in gaining commitment by others to adopt the norms and values described in such stories. Storytelling is also recognised as being a predictor of trust development in relationships. Such discourse provides opportunities for the storyteller to indicate his or her competencies and level of commitment toward a particular value or objective. The process of revealing personal narratives and

Hospitality Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hospitality Learning - Essay Example From the early days, medieval monasteries in Europe intellectually offered hospitality to travelers, especially pilgrims. The early inns in Europe were profit-making ventures that offered public rooms where merchants would sit to discuss their businesses. Apparently, the hospitality industry has followed travelers’ paths. In about year 1200, there arose inn-keeping that saw English restaurants considered as the finest globally during the industrial revolution. With the birth of the first class Termand house hotel in Boston in 1829, providing guestroom, lockable door and free soap, the modern hotel industry emerged. By the 1950s, new concepts such as floatels, boatels and motels had been introduced. By 1960, a majority of hotel owners merged with large chains such as Hilton and franchising their hotels, making them larger. This marked the birth of the modern hotel industry across the world (Talwar, 22). At this point, it would be important to note the role that Hotel Management course plays in opening up one’s mind to appreciate that hospitality encompasses more than just hotels. Hospitality has been categorized into four segments: transportation, commercial recreation, food service and lodging. Therefore, whereas travelers could use hotels for dining and accommodation, restaurants would provide meals only. Vacation ownership is another plan in the hospitality industry where customers buy a property, normally a residence at a resort and acquire the right of use for the lease period. Resorts are places meant for vacation, daytime getaway or relaxation and could offer live entertainment, cosmetic treatment, meals and massages. Another increasingly attractive field has been the cruise ship where passenger ships with amenities to serve leisure purposes are employed in leisure voyages with the various destinations along the way also being attractive. Whatever the choice of hospitality, Hotel Management emphasizes on the importance of

Ecology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ecology - Case Study Example The expected time of extinction is approximately 1400years. 6. What would T(N) be for the killer whale population at its largest and smallest sizes? If a population grows just by chance, does this mean that its prospects for long-term survival improve? Assume that the sample standard deviation of r in the spreadsheet accurately estimates the underlying value of S. 7. If this were always the case, why should we be worried about small populations? Under what conditions might you expect a population not to increase when reduced to low population size? This certainly has been the case for many endangered species that have gone extinct or now teeter on the edge. Do some populations simply not â€Å"have what it takes† to maintain healthy levels? Few fertile males à ·if a population contain only a few fertile males, the rate of growth will be low since only a few females will be fertilized. This will lead to few births than deaths, hence the population will approach extinct

Promotion Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Promotion Strategies - Essay Example The new technological trends affected a lot the way companies performed the advertising of their products. There has been a major shift from offline advertising to online advertising alternatives. This paper analyzes the global changes in advertising by performing research on the subject and through the case study of Estee Lauder. Selling products online which is referred to as e-commerce has become a huge force in the retailing business. In 2006 the overall e-commerce retail sales in the United States accounted for $104 billion dollars and this segment has a great growth potential considering the online community is rapidly expanding and currently has nearly 1.1 billion users worldwide (Plunckett Research, 2007). The widespread use of the internet and the birth of the convergence age are shifting advertising dollars from traditional written press to the internet since many people are no longer using the traditional press as their primary medium for obtaining information about current affairs. The internet has replaced traditional media due to its convenience, variety of selection, and the speed of the information travels. â€Å"Printing subscription have suffered with people finding they can get news from a variety of free online sources, including new, online only publication, professional blogs and news a ggregation sites† (Holahan, 2007). Online advertising is a booming business and companies are finding that it is cheap effective way to reach mass amounts of potential customers. Estimates performed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (AIB) determined that in the US $13 billion was spent on online advertising in 2006 and this figure is projected to grow by 87% in 2008 (Plunckett Research, 2007). Online advertising has also allowed further globalization of products worldwide. Companies in Europe are utilizing this advertising medium to target

Pop Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pop Culture - Essay Example She normally lights a spark in people that grows into a flame. That flame then reaches out and lights up another. It is pop starts like her who directly affect the hearts and mind of fans. In effect, those fans display their love by backing up the music, contributing to causes touted by that celebrity. Regularly, a fan understands more about what happening in the world since they heard it from their favorite pop star rather watching the evening news. They give and take relationship becomes consecrated to the fans, and precious to the pop start. Britney Spears is most understandable examples of mind control in the entertainment industry (â€Å"Britney Spears’ 30 Most Outrageous Outfits† 1). Since she exploded into the music industry in 1998, Britney Spears has turned to be a pro at turning heads on red carpets, in addition to concert platforms. Whether she was dressed up for an awards event, or dolled up for Starbucks run, what Britney was donning became nearly ass celebrated and assessed as the hits she sang. Whereas we wait to see what outstanding garments brings out the closest during the promotion of her subsequent album. Britney normally looks very pretty and stylish in her outstanding outfits. Britney Spears has courageous fashion decisions that leave most people delighted at the sight of her outfits. Britney Spears also takes his time to gesture at his fans, recognize them and reassure herself that in spite of the situations, she is still beloved and that fans have not neglected him. Her gesticulation is normally spontaneous and typical (â€Å"Britney Spears† 1-2) Pop queen Britney Spears is known to wear famous brands, such as Diesel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce&Gabbana, etc†¦ She does not like to be seen wearing, in what some people would think is, ‘’normal clothing’’. As a pop queen, her expectations are way high up in the sky. She has a huge ego, and her self-esteem is up.

Promotion Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Promotion Strategies - Essay Example The new technological trends affected a lot the way companies performed the advertising of their products. There has been a major shift from offline advertising to online advertising alternatives. This paper analyzes the global changes in advertising by performing research on the subject and through the case study of Estee Lauder. Selling products online which is referred to as e-commerce has become a huge force in the retailing business. In 2006 the overall e-commerce retail sales in the United States accounted for $104 billion dollars and this segment has a great growth potential considering the online community is rapidly expanding and currently has nearly 1.1 billion users worldwide (Plunckett Research, 2007). The widespread use of the internet and the birth of the convergence age are shifting advertising dollars from traditional written press to the internet since many people are no longer using the traditional press as their primary medium for obtaining information about current affairs. The internet has replaced traditional media due to its convenience, variety of selection, and the speed of the information travels. â€Å"Printing subscription have suffered with people finding they can get news from a variety of free online sources, including new, online only publication, professional blogs and news a ggregation sites† (Holahan, 2007). Online advertising is a booming business and companies are finding that it is cheap effective way to reach mass amounts of potential customers. Estimates performed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (AIB) determined that in the US $13 billion was spent on online advertising in 2006 and this figure is projected to grow by 87% in 2008 (Plunckett Research, 2007). Online advertising has also allowed further globalization of products worldwide. Companies in Europe are utilizing this advertising medium to target

Meeting the Challenge of Supervisory Time and Stress Management Essay

Meeting the Challenge of Supervisory Time and Stress Management - Essay Example Cutbacks, budget crunching have become the buzz word in most of the organization which aftermaths in increased job security, uncertainty and fear which give way for increased level of stress and thus its is very important to find new ways to get away from stress Though an old saying, it’s a reality that time and tide waits for none. Time is the scarcest resource available on earth and something which rules the world. Conceptualizing time management is very easy, but to practice is continuously and religiously is a difficult task as time slips away time and again. People do say that time will repeat but till date it tends to remain as a saying because once you miss the time, it will never ever come back. In this fast moving world catching up with time is not as easy task. 24 hours have become insufficient for human beings because advent has increased incredibly. Defining Stress and time management Stress is a feeling that bars your pragmatism, maneuverability and curbs you from the gleaming torment less life. According to Richard S Lazarus â€Å"stress is a feeling experienced when a person thinks that the demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.†Extend to which stress management is given prominence to, in our daily life, analogously time management also plays a significant role. Managing time matters a lot in when it come to handling a lot of activities effectively, efficiently and delivering it within the time line. Claessens et al. (2007) defines time management as ‘‘behaviors that aim at achieving an effective use of time while performing certain goal-directed activities† Importance of stress & time management Managing stress has become a serious issue of concern in recent years as the number people getting stressed out have no boundaries. Managing stress comes into picture once you accost with stressful situations in both personal and professional life. It is very important to manag e stress as a continuing negative stress can negatively impact your body and mind, which in turn debilitates your health. The importance of managing stress is left untouched till it impinge your equanimity and lucre. (Griffin) Managing stress has become very crucial in your professional life as it helps you to increase your productivity, enable you to meet your deadline, ameliorates to motivate your employees and lead them, hinders deceitful practices, and enhances the flurry of communication. For each and every one a hassled economy will be like a roller coaster ride. A lower level of stress at work place not only improves your physical and mental health but also decides on your success and failure at profession. Managing stress in your personal life is also very important as it influence the quality of relationship with those you interact. The more positively you interact with people around, the less negatively other’s stress have influence on you. Building a strong bond am ong the family members can effectively reduce personal stressors and your home a place to rejuvenate, relax and energize your body and mind. (Segal, Smith and Robinson) A day begins with the list of activities that need to be accomplished within a specific time line; hence if you are unable to accomplish the tasks set for that particular day, the work gets mounted for the next day and the when the second day arrives your work will be doubles as you were unable to meet the timeline the previous day. As it keeps repeating the

Wireless Laptops in the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Wireless Laptops in the Classroom Essay Internet has played a major role diminish the gaps between the different parts of the global village. It has affected almost every part of the human life. One of the major sectors that are being affected by this technology is education. It is not only developing the education sector, it is also affecting the students and their rate of understanding the things (David, 1998). Every student has its own capability of understanding. Technological advancements in the classrooms have changed the conventional ways of teaching, making teachers to invent more innovative ideas of teaching to meet the requirements of the students. While raising the bar for the teachers, it has also helped teachers to teach weak students introducing new methods. Every student has its own capability of learning and teachers follow the learning style according to the requirement of the students. Among the major concerns of the educational institutions the most important are the introduction of the internet and the digital notebook in the classrooms. It is bringing a digital revolution which is taking the education to a greater height. There are two schools of thoughts on this digital revolution which holds major concerns. One of them support this revolution and have a positive approach towards it (Rachel, 2005). It says that introduction of the digital notebooks and internet in the classroom helps the students and improves the quality of their learning. It provides facts to the sensing learners, concepts and theories to the intuitive learners, visual and verbal aid to the visual and verbal learners, step-wise approaches to sequential learners and over-look approach to the global learners. It provides students a larger platform to learn and interact. Students are connected to the world through this worldwide web. This web is like a stage where the minds of the students play their role and interact with all other characters on the stage taking each other to other level of learning, helping the weak ones and making a strong bond between each and everyone of them. This interaction makes their minds more creative and innovative. Students are not only dependant on the knowledge given to them by their teachers. It also develops the concept of multitasking among the students and they perform more than one task at the same time. On the other hand, the opposing school of thought opposes the introduction of laptops and internet connections in the classrooms. This school of thought says that this technology has more disadvantages than the advantages. This introduction of technology does not improves the learning ability of a child, it distracts him or her from the desired objective of learning. They support their arguments by claiming that students during lectures are observed playing games on the their digital notebooks, surfing through the websites or busy in online chatting with friends within/outside the classroom network. The opposition criticizing the use of the internet in the classrooms says that it provides students a large space to wander their minds rather than concentrating on the lectures given to them. They also say that what one can find on the internet? is just the information. Where as teachers provide students with the knowledge, combining the information with references and the practical experience faced by them. Contradicting with the concept of multitasking the opposing school of thought says that students get involved in so many tasks that they forget about their main task, on which they should be concentrating on. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that NO doubt that the introduction of digital notebooks and internet in the classrooms is a great achievement and provides great benefits to the students. There should be a check on the students to make sure that they are not using these facilities in negative ways. All not related websites should be blocked in the classrooms so that students concentrate and get the best out of it. Works Cited A Book David, E. Electronic Whistle-Stops. Praeger Publishers. (1998). Rachel, A. K. Innovative Approaches To Literacy Education. International Reading Association. (April 2005).

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Importance of Order in Knights Tale Essa

The Importance of Order in Knight's Tale    Chaucer claims to place the Knight's Tale just after the General Prologue by chance, the drawing of lots. The Knight draws the short straw, and all are glad for it. The appropriateness of his lengthy tale to follow is clear on some levels, and barely perceptible on others. I intend to launch my investigation of the Knight's Tale with a scrutiny of these three statements, and perhaps we shall find an interesting conclusion in this, albeit a disputable one. The honorable Host, Harry Bailey, begins this famous day of pilgrimage by calling everyone together to draw lots, "He which that hath the shorteste shal beginne." (838) He calls the Knight to draw first, presumably as a gesture of respect, as he refers to the Knight as master and lord. Harry continues to speak for a short moment, as we have the visual image of the Knight stepping up to claim his straw. The host continues to call up two more pilgrims, but quickly decides that everyone might as well draw in a free-for-all. And surprise! The Knight finds himself holding the short cut. Is it possible that Harry managed to give the Knight the short straw intentionally? "Now draweth cut," says he, "for that is myn accord" (840). A close eye may suggest some punning going on in that line: Now draw the cut (short) straw, for it is my wish. The words "cord" and "accord" were both used in Middle English, so we may be able to find some double meaning there as well. If indeed Harry wishes to giv e the Knight the "cord," there are several interesting cases to think on: a) the cord is simply the short straw, b) the cord is the hangman's rope, or c) the cord is a unit of wood cut for fuel. The hangman's rope would make for subtle sarcasm, but... ... immediate effects on the Miller, who cares not a bit for courtesy or order but only reckless lust. Hence, the Miller follows with a tale that Palamon could have appreciated, had he not known the ways of chivalry, but only those of lechery. Works Cited and Consulted Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. The Norton Anthologyof English Literature. Seventh Edition. Two Volumes. Ed. M. H. Abrams. NewYork: Norton, 2000. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Modern Critical Views: Geoffrey Chaucer, Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995. Williams, David. The Canterbury Tales, A Literary Pilgrimage. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Tracing the Moral Development of Huck Finn Essay -- Mark Twain The Adv

Tracing the Moral Development of Huck Finn Living in the 1800's wasn't an easy task. There were many hardships that a person had to endure. In the novel, The Adventures of Huck Finn, the author Mark Twain portrays the adventure of a young boy. Huck, the young boy, goes on a journey with various dilemmas. The novel starts off in Missouri on the Mississippi River. Huck is taken from his guardians by his father and then decides to runaway from him. On his journey, he meets up with his former slave, Jim. While Huck and Jim are traveling down the Mississippi River, they meet a variety of people. Throughout the novel he takes on many different tasks which help shape his moral conscience. Taking on a new friend which society shuns, being without material possessions, and taking responsibility for his actions help Huck refine and reform the morals that make him a more mature young man. Huck develops morally from his companion on his journey, Jim, a runaway slave. At first, Huck doesn't respect Jim because he's his slave. "†¦He slipped Jim's hat off his head and hung it on a limb right over him†¦" P.6. This shows how Huck likes to trick Jim and play games on him. Later the two meet up on an island and immediately befriend and join up together. "†¦I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that if I'd 'a' knew it would make him feel that way." P.86. Huck says this after fooling Jim and telling him that a real event was just a dream of his. He r...

Conflict resolution

Successful negotiations pave the way for smooth relationships in the future. To find peaceful solutions to difficult situations. Full-blown battles use up resources time, energy, good reputation, motivation. By negotiating, you avoid wasting these resources, and you may actually make new allies and find new resources! When should you resolve conflict? Conflict resolution is appropriate for almost any disagreement. Our daily lives offer plenty of opportunities for negotiation – between parents and children, co-workers, friends, etc. And as a result, you probably already have a variety of effective strategies for resolving minor conflicts. But for more serious conflicts, and conflicts between groups rather than individuals, you may need some additional skills. How, for example, should you structure a meeting teens your group and your opponent? When should you settle, and when should you fight for more? How should you react if your opponent attacks you personally? Read on for mor e information on specific conflict resolution techniques. How should you resolve conflict?There are seven steps to successfully negotiating the resolution of a conflict: 1. Understand the conflict 2. Communicate with the opposition 3. Brainstorm possible resolutions 4. Choose the best resolution Use a third party mediator 5. 6. Explore alternatives 7. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics Understand the conflict Conflicts arise for a variety of different reasons. It is important for you to define clearly your own position and interests in the conflict, and to understand those of your opponent. Here are some questions to ask yourself so that you can better define the conflict.Inertest What are my interests? What do I really care about in this conflict? What do I want? What do I need? What are my concerns, hopes, fears? Possible Outcomes What kinds of agreements might we reach? Legitimacy What third party, outside of the conflict, might convince one or both of us that a proposed agreement is a fair one? What objective standard might convince s that an agreement is fair? For example: a law, an expert opinion, the market value of the transaction. Is there a precedent that would convince us that an agreement is fair? Their Interests What are the interests of my opposition?If were in their shoes, what would I really care about in this conflict? What do they want? What do they need? What are their concerns, hopes, fears? Interests play an important role in better understanding conflict. Often, groups waste time â€Å"bargaining over positions. † Instead of explaining what the interests of their position are, they argue about their â€Å"bottom line. † This is not useful way to negotiate, because it forces groups to stick to one narrow position. Once they are entrenched in a particular position, it will be embarrassing for them to abandon it.They may spend more effort on â€Å"saving face† than on actually finding a suitable resoluti on. It is usually more helpful to explore the group's interests, and then see what positions suit such interests. Example: Your parent group wants the high school to change its history textbook. You feel that the textbook doesn't represent the history of Africa adequately. You come to the School Committee and say, â€Å"The only textbook that works for us s The People of Jamaica, and that's final! † You have presented a position rather than your interests.By drawing a bottom line, you're stuck in one position. If you don ‘t convince the School Committee to choose this textbook, you'll lose. A more effective way to approach the School Committee would be to state your interests. You might say, â€Å"We're concerned about the under- representation of racial minorities in the current Jamaican history textbook, and would like to find an alternative. † By communicating your interests, rather than one position, you are leaving some room to negotiate while still Ewing fi rm and clear about your goals. Often, the same interest can have many positions.For example, the School Committee might vote to us plenty the history textbook with a packet of articles about minorities as well as other thing about minorities in Jamaica. These are different positions that address the same interest. Communicate with the opposition Now that you have thought through your own interests and those of the other party, you can begin to communicate directly with your opposition. Here are some tips for productive talks: Listen. Their opinions are important to you, because their Opinions are the source of your conflict. If something is important to them, you need to recognize this.Recognizing does not mean agreeing of course! Let everyone participate who wants to. People who participate will have a stake in a resolution. They will want to find a good compromise. Talk about your strong emotions. Let the other side let off steam. Don't, however, react to emotional outbursts! Try an apology instead of yelling back. Apologizing is not costly, and is often a rewarding technique. Be an active listener. Rephrase what you're hearing as a question: â€Å"Let me see if I'm following you. You're saying that†¦ Have got that right? † You can still be rim when you're listening. Speak about yourself, not the other party.In the textbook example, you might say, â€Å"l feel angry to know that my children are reading this old-fashioned textbook,† rather than, â€Å"How could you choose such a racist book? † Be concrete, but flexible. Speak about your interests, not about your position. Avoid early judgments. Keep asking questions and gathering information. Don't tell the opposition, â€Å"It's up to you to solve your problems. † Work to find a solution for everyone. Find a way to make their decision easy. Try to find a way for them to take your position without looking cake, but don't call it a way for them to â€Å"save face. Egos are imp ortant in negotiations! Brainstorm Possible Resolutions Now that you know what the interests of both parties are, and how to better communicate with the opposition, you can start thinking about solutions. Look at all of the interests you have listed, for you and for your opponents, and look for common interests. Often both parties share many interests for example, both groups may want stability and public respect. Before you hold a brainstorming meeting, think carefully about how you'll set up the meeting. Write a clear purpose statement for the meeting. Try to choose a small group of 5-8 people total.Hold the meeting in a different environment from your usual setting. Make sure the setting is an informal one where people feel comfortable and safe. Find an unbiased facilitator, someone who can structure the meeting without sharing his or her own feelings about the conflict. To begin brainstorming, decide whether you want to brainstorm with your opposition, or with only your group. I n either case, you will want to establish some ground rules. Work on coming up with as many ideas as possible. Don't judge or criticize the ideas yet that might prevent people room thinking creatively.Try to maximize (not minimize) your options. Look for win-win solutions, or compromises, in which both parties get something they want. Find a way to make their decision easy During the meeting, seat people side by side, facing the â€Å"problem†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a blank chalkboard or large pad of paper for writing down ideas. The facilitator will remind people of the purpose of the meeting review the ground rules, and ask participants to agree to those rules. During the brainstorming session, the facilitator will write down all ideas on the chalkboard or pad. Choose the best resolutionAfter the meeting, you will need to decide which resolution is best. Review your brainstorm ideas. Star the best ideas – these are whatnot will work With during the conflict resolution process. Set a time to discuss them and determine which idea is the best. The goal here is to use both groups' skills and resources to get the best result for everyone. Which resolution gives both groups the most? That resolution is probably the best one. Use a third party mediator As you are brainstorming and choosing a good resolution, you may want to use a third party mediator.This is a person who is not from your group or our opponent's group, but whom you both trust to be fair. Your mediator can help both sides agree upon a standard by which you'll judge your resolution. Standards are a way to measure your agreement. They include expert opinions, law, precedent (the way things have been done in the past), and accepted principles. For example, let's say you're building a new playground for your town's elementary school. You disagree with the superintendent about what kinds of materials you'll use to build the playground. The superintendent wants to use chemical-treated wood, but you feel it' s unsafe.A mediator might read the current guidelines of the lumber industry and tell you which kinds of wood are considered safe for children. Maybe you and the superintendent will agree to follow the lumber industry's advice-?in other words, to use that as the standard. Your mediator could also, for example, run your brainstorming session. Here are some other possible jobs for a mediator: Setting ground rules for you and your opponent to agree upon (for example, you might both agree not to publicly discuss the dispute) Creating an appropriate setting for meetings Suggesting possible ways to compromiseBeing an â€Å"ear† for both side's anger and fear Listening to both sides and explaining their positions to one another Finding the interests behind each side's positions Looking for win-win alternatives Keeping both parties focused, reasonable, and respectful Preventing any party from feeling that it's â€Å"losing face† Writing the draft of your agreement with the opp osition Perhaps Harriet is considering quitting her job because her boss wants to transfer her to another office.The mediator might say, â€Å"It sounds like Harriet doesn't care about transferring to the downtown office. What she's worried about is losing rank. Harriet, do you agree with that? Ms. Snell, do you understand Harrier's concern? How can we assure Harriet that she won't lose rank if she agrees to transfer? ‘ Explore alternatives There may be times when, despite your hard work and good will, you cannot find an acceptable resolution to your conflict. You need to think about this possibility before you begin negotiations.At what point will you decide to walk away from negotiations? What are your alternatives if you cannot reach an agreement with your opponent? It is important that you brainstorm your alternatives to resolution early on in the negotiation process, and that you always have your best alternative somewhere in the back of your mind. As you consider possib le agreements with your opponent, compare them to this â€Å"best† alternative. If you don't know what the alternative is, you'll be negotiating without all the necessary information!In order to come up with an alternative, start by brainstorming. Then, consider the pros and cons of each alternative. Think about which alternative is realistic and practical. Also think about how you can make it even better. At the same time, don't forget to put yourself in the shoes of your opposition. What alternatives might they have? Why might they choose them? What can you do to make your choice better than their alternative? Roger Fisher and Danny Retell call this alternative your BATAAN Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement.You can read more about BAT AN in their book Getting Ready to Negotiate. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics So far, we've talked about how to negotiate with a fairly reasonable opponent. However, you need to be prepared to negotiate with all kind s of opponents, both reasonable and unreasonable. What if your opponent is more powerful and influential that you are? What if they refuse to meet or alkyl with you? All of these situations are stressful, and intended to put extra pressure on you to make a quick decision in the opposition ‘s favor. Conflict resolution Healthy organizations which are characterized by well developed problem -solving mechanisms and a collaborative climate are able to identify conflict and deal with it in a elaborative way that leaves the organization stronger and better developed rather than weakened and wracked with hostility (Owens, Valleys, 2011). The potential conflict in this elementary school can be approached with five possible methods namely: muscle, reconciliation, harmony, retreat, and collaboration. The muscle method is assertive, aggressive, and competitive.This style creates win-lose situation. This is termed as † I am the boss. Just do it! â€Å". The reconciliation method is one of accommodating, giving in and acquiescing to preserve relationships while resolving the conflict, at least immemorially. The harmony style assumes a â€Å"middle ground,† aimed at achieving compromise in order to resolve conflict. On the other hand, retreat method avoids or withdraws in from the conflict. It is aimed at not becoming involved with conflict and the strong feelings it may generate.The collaborating approach attempts to reach consensus and stresses working together for a mutual solution to conflicts. (Owens, valleys,201 1). In order to manage the conflict in this elementary school and the community in question, the collaborative method seems in my opinion the most attractive approach in order to lessen the destructive hostility among the staff and all parties t and to pave the way for opportunities of growth and development of the school and the community as a whole.The first step I will take as a new principal is to get to the source of the imminent conflict sweeping across the school environment. I will have a private meeting with the librarian, the physical education teacher, and each of the other parties involved to be able to get to the root of the conflict. With eye contacts, open heartiness and impartial attitude, I will listen actively and discuss the issues tit these individuals privately. After that, I will form a committee comprising of teachers, staff members, parents, community members, administrators, board of directors, and all stakeholders.I will have a meeting with the committee to discuss the issue at hand while the director Of schools and myself serve as facilitators. Each party will present its view of the problem while the other parties listen attentively without interruption. We as facilitators will ensure that each party states its case clearly and calmly without personally attacking the other parties. Secondly, I will ask each party to state two or three specific suggestions on how it thinks the conflict could be solved. An example might be,† I will like the administration to handle all field trip approvals†.Another clear suggestion might be, â€Å"I will like all teachers and staff to select a representative from their respective department to handle curriculum and standards issues†. It is of paramount importan ce for the facilitators to encourage and prompt each party to identify the root cause of the problem and then come up with specific ways that will resolve the issue Seafarer, 2007). Through the lens of impartiality, active listening skills and compassion, I will ensure that the suggestions presented are thoroughly discussed and agreed upon to make the necessary changes.At this point, all parties will be encouraged to engage each other in a reasonable and professional manner to come to an agreement on the suggestions made and are satisfied with the implementation Of the resolutions. For instance, the veteran librarian will be satisfied with the resolution that bus duties will be assigned to any teacher who volunteers for that opportunity. Parents will be satisfied with the opportunity to lead and provide interesting programs for parent -teacher association.Also they will be excited to be given the golden chance to be part of the decision making body of the school improvement ventures . The final step for the facilitators, especially me is to set up a date for the resolutions to be enacted and follow up on its progress. It is of cardinal importance for me to fearlessly look into the conflict in detail, if necessary. If new policies or procedures need to be put in place to avoid the same conflict arising in the true, will have that discussion with the staff and all parties involved. Conflict resolution Successful negotiations pave the way for smooth relationships in the future. To find peaceful solutions to difficult situations. Full-blown battles use up resources time, energy, good reputation, motivation. By negotiating, you avoid wasting these resources, and you may actually make new allies and find new resources! When should you resolve conflict? Conflict resolution is appropriate for almost any disagreement. Our daily lives offer plenty of opportunities for negotiation – between parents and children, co-workers, friends, etc. And as a result, you probably already have a variety of effective strategies for resolving minor conflicts. But for more serious conflicts, and conflicts between groups rather than individuals, you may need some additional skills. How, for example, should you structure a meeting teens your group and your opponent? When should you settle, and when should you fight for more? How should you react if your opponent attacks you personally? Read on for mor e information on specific conflict resolution techniques. How should you resolve conflict?There are seven steps to successfully negotiating the resolution of a conflict: 1. Understand the conflict 2. Communicate with the opposition 3. Brainstorm possible resolutions 4. Choose the best resolution Use a third party mediator 5. 6. Explore alternatives 7. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics Understand the conflict Conflicts arise for a variety of different reasons. It is important for you to define clearly your own position and interests in the conflict, and to understand those of your opponent. Here are some questions to ask yourself so that you can better define the conflict.Inertest What are my interests? What do I really care about in this conflict? What do I want? What do I need? What are my concerns, hopes, fears? Possible Outcomes What kinds of agreements might we reach? Legitimacy What third party, outside of the conflict, might convince one or both of us that a proposed agreement is a fair one? What objective standard might convince s that an agreement is fair? For example: a law, an expert opinion, the market value of the transaction. Is there a precedent that would convince us that an agreement is fair? Their Interests What are the interests of my opposition?If were in their shoes, what would I really care about in this conflict? What do they want? What do they need? What are their concerns, hopes, fears? Interests play an important role in better understanding conflict. Often, groups waste time â€Å"bargaining over positions. † Instead of explaining what the interests of their position are, they argue about their â€Å"bottom line. † This is not useful way to negotiate, because it forces groups to stick to one narrow position. Once they are entrenched in a particular position, it will be embarrassing for them to abandon it.They may spend more effort on â€Å"saving face† than on actually finding a suitable resoluti on. It is usually more helpful to explore the group's interests, and then see what positions suit such interests. Example: Your parent group wants the high school to change its history textbook. You feel that the textbook doesn't represent the history of Africa adequately. You come to the School Committee and say, â€Å"The only textbook that works for us s The People of Jamaica, and that's final! † You have presented a position rather than your interests.By drawing a bottom line, you're stuck in one position. If you don ‘t convince the School Committee to choose this textbook, you'll lose. A more effective way to approach the School Committee would be to state your interests. You might say, â€Å"We're concerned about the under- representation of racial minorities in the current Jamaican history textbook, and would like to find an alternative. † By communicating your interests, rather than one position, you are leaving some room to negotiate while still Ewing fi rm and clear about your goals. Often, the same interest can have many positions.For example, the School Committee might vote to us plenty the history textbook with a packet of articles about minorities as well as other thing about minorities in Jamaica. These are different positions that address the same interest. Communicate with the opposition Now that you have thought through your own interests and those of the other party, you can begin to communicate directly with your opposition. Here are some tips for productive talks: Listen. Their opinions are important to you, because their Opinions are the source of your conflict. If something is important to them, you need to recognize this.Recognizing does not mean agreeing of course! Let everyone participate who wants to. People who participate will have a stake in a resolution. They will want to find a good compromise. Talk about your strong emotions. Let the other side let off steam. Don't, however, react to emotional outbursts! Try an apology instead of yelling back. Apologizing is not costly, and is often a rewarding technique. Be an active listener. Rephrase what you're hearing as a question: â€Å"Let me see if I'm following you. You're saying that†¦ Have got that right? † You can still be rim when you're listening. Speak about yourself, not the other party.In the textbook example, you might say, â€Å"l feel angry to know that my children are reading this old-fashioned textbook,† rather than, â€Å"How could you choose such a racist book? † Be concrete, but flexible. Speak about your interests, not about your position. Avoid early judgments. Keep asking questions and gathering information. Don't tell the opposition, â€Å"It's up to you to solve your problems. † Work to find a solution for everyone. Find a way to make their decision easy. Try to find a way for them to take your position without looking cake, but don't call it a way for them to â€Å"save face. Egos are imp ortant in negotiations! Brainstorm Possible Resolutions Now that you know what the interests of both parties are, and how to better communicate with the opposition, you can start thinking about solutions. Look at all of the interests you have listed, for you and for your opponents, and look for common interests. Often both parties share many interests for example, both groups may want stability and public respect. Before you hold a brainstorming meeting, think carefully about how you'll set up the meeting. Write a clear purpose statement for the meeting. Try to choose a small group of 5-8 people total.Hold the meeting in a different environment from your usual setting. Make sure the setting is an informal one where people feel comfortable and safe. Find an unbiased facilitator, someone who can structure the meeting without sharing his or her own feelings about the conflict. To begin brainstorming, decide whether you want to brainstorm with your opposition, or with only your group. I n either case, you will want to establish some ground rules. Work on coming up with as many ideas as possible. Don't judge or criticize the ideas yet that might prevent people room thinking creatively.Try to maximize (not minimize) your options. Look for win-win solutions, or compromises, in which both parties get something they want. Find a way to make their decision easy During the meeting, seat people side by side, facing the â€Å"problem†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a blank chalkboard or large pad of paper for writing down ideas. The facilitator will remind people of the purpose of the meeting review the ground rules, and ask participants to agree to those rules. During the brainstorming session, the facilitator will write down all ideas on the chalkboard or pad. Choose the best resolutionAfter the meeting, you will need to decide which resolution is best. Review your brainstorm ideas. Star the best ideas – these are whatnot will work With during the conflict resolution process. Set a time to discuss them and determine which idea is the best. The goal here is to use both groups' skills and resources to get the best result for everyone. Which resolution gives both groups the most? That resolution is probably the best one. Use a third party mediator As you are brainstorming and choosing a good resolution, you may want to use a third party mediator.This is a person who is not from your group or our opponent's group, but whom you both trust to be fair. Your mediator can help both sides agree upon a standard by which you'll judge your resolution. Standards are a way to measure your agreement. They include expert opinions, law, precedent (the way things have been done in the past), and accepted principles. For example, let's say you're building a new playground for your town's elementary school. You disagree with the superintendent about what kinds of materials you'll use to build the playground. The superintendent wants to use chemical-treated wood, but you feel it' s unsafe.A mediator might read the current guidelines of the lumber industry and tell you which kinds of wood are considered safe for children. Maybe you and the superintendent will agree to follow the lumber industry's advice-?in other words, to use that as the standard. Your mediator could also, for example, run your brainstorming session. Here are some other possible jobs for a mediator: Setting ground rules for you and your opponent to agree upon (for example, you might both agree not to publicly discuss the dispute) Creating an appropriate setting for meetings Suggesting possible ways to compromiseBeing an â€Å"ear† for both side's anger and fear Listening to both sides and explaining their positions to one another Finding the interests behind each side's positions Looking for win-win alternatives Keeping both parties focused, reasonable, and respectful Preventing any party from feeling that it's â€Å"losing face† Writing the draft of your agreement with the opp osition Perhaps Harriet is considering quitting her job because her boss wants to transfer her to another office.The mediator might say, â€Å"It sounds like Harriet doesn't care about transferring to the downtown office. What she's worried about is losing rank. Harriet, do you agree with that? Ms. Snell, do you understand Harrier's concern? How can we assure Harriet that she won't lose rank if she agrees to transfer? ‘ Explore alternatives There may be times when, despite your hard work and good will, you cannot find an acceptable resolution to your conflict. You need to think about this possibility before you begin negotiations.At what point will you decide to walk away from negotiations? What are your alternatives if you cannot reach an agreement with your opponent? It is important that you brainstorm your alternatives to resolution early on in the negotiation process, and that you always have your best alternative somewhere in the back of your mind. As you consider possib le agreements with your opponent, compare them to this â€Å"best† alternative. If you don't know what the alternative is, you'll be negotiating without all the necessary information!In order to come up with an alternative, start by brainstorming. Then, consider the pros and cons of each alternative. Think about which alternative is realistic and practical. Also think about how you can make it even better. At the same time, don't forget to put yourself in the shoes of your opposition. What alternatives might they have? Why might they choose them? What can you do to make your choice better than their alternative? Roger Fisher and Danny Retell call this alternative your BATAAN Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement.You can read more about BAT AN in their book Getting Ready to Negotiate. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics So far, we've talked about how to negotiate with a fairly reasonable opponent. However, you need to be prepared to negotiate with all kind s of opponents, both reasonable and unreasonable. What if your opponent is more powerful and influential that you are? What if they refuse to meet or alkyl with you? All of these situations are stressful, and intended to put extra pressure on you to make a quick decision in the opposition ‘s favor.