Contrast between Psychodynamic and the behaviorist theory of personality Essay

Psychodynamic is a method used to help people find relief from emotional pain which could be as a result of unresolved conflicts of the past. It is usually done verbally. It’s based on the idea that a human being’s behavior is shaped by known and unknown influences. It aims at solving this past experiences that could have left lasting traces that could affect your self-esteem leading to maladaptive patterns of behaviors. It involves patient talking and the therapist interpreting the patient’s words and behaviors (Miller, Luborsky, Jacques and John, pp 23). Psychodynamic is basically concerned about psychological processes, past experiences, existence of unknown motivation, ego, superego and defense mechanisms (Jackson and Beverly, pp 45). Behaviorist‘s theory also attempts to explain human behavior but its in conflict with psychodynamic theory in ways which human behavior is developed. The behaviorist believes that culture and subculture have a role to play in molding someone’s behavior and as a result has an effect on the personality. Therapy in a behaviorist is based on the principles of learning using all the processes and methods such as training, reinforcing, desensitization, aversion therapy, modeling and replication (Chamorro-Premuzic, and Adrian, pp67). According to Miller, Nancy, Lester, Jacques and John (pp 89), this theory has little concern about any outside energy or force in determining behavior. To it, normal behavior comes as a result of acceptable conditioning, reinforcing and modeling while abnormal behavior comes as a result of defective conditioning, reinforcing and modeling. It is not interested in the effect of developmental processes on the behavior. In treating the patient, the therapist has little regard to the patient’s feelings, thoughts, emotional experiences or imagination. It is believed that if one understands the environment and how to interact with it, he can basically understand himself and his behavior. The behaviorist believes that behavior is cultured and it can also be uncultured. Works Cited Jackson, Leslie C. , and Beverly Greene, eds. Psychotherapy with African American Women: Innovations in Psychodynamic Perspectives and Practice. New York: Guilford Press, 2000. Lazarus, Richard S. Fifty Years of the Research and Theory of R. S. Lazarus: An Analysis Of Historical and Perennial Issues. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998. Miller, Nancy E. , Lester Luborsky, Jacques P. Barber, and John P. Docherty, eds. Psychodynamic Treatment Research: A Handbook for Clinical Practice. New York: Basic Books, 1993. Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas, and Adrian Furnham. Personality and Intellectual Competence. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005. .

Consider the contribution creative development Essay

Consider the contribution creative development may make to the education of young children, illustrating your discussion with explicit examples of an activity/activities you planned in nursery and making clear reference to the Early Learning Goals.  Critically analyse at least one activity giving attention to content, organisation, your role, the appropriateness of the activity and the quality of children’s experience in relation to your planned intentions. You should make clear and explicit reference to the response of at least one child if possible, identifying targets for their future needs. Contents  Essay p 2-6  According to HMI (DES 1985:17, cited in Rodger 1999, p. 128) creative development is concerned with,  Ã¢â‚¬  the capacity to respond emotionally and intellectually to sensory experience: the awareness of degrees of quality; and the appreciation of beauty and fitness for purpose.†Ã‚  Creativity allows children and adults to express ideas and feelings in a personal and unique way. Although being creative can be seen as a uniquely human characteristic, if children are to develop their abilities in this area they must be provided with the opportunities that allow them to explore and experiment helping them to gain confidence to express their ideas in a way which is uniquely their own. This is facilitated in the nursery classroom where a rich and stimulating environment is provided helping children to generate and develop their creative ideas supported by sensitive and responsive adults. The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000) states how creative development contributes to the education of young children.  Ã¢â‚¬  Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding.† (p. 116)  Creative development covers variety of different subjects, including art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. For the purpose of this essay I will be looking at the subject of art, and two art (creative) activities planned and taught whilst on placement in a nursery setting. Peter (1996) stated that in order for teachers to plan appropriate art experiences, contributing to the education of young children, they need to be able to identify the general stage of development in art, that their pupils are at. Peter suggested that there are four stages of development in art, the Scribbling Stage that occurs between the ages of six months and four, the Pre-Schematic/ Symbolic Stage between the ages of four and seven, the Schematic/ Emerging Analytic Stage that occurs between the ages of seven an nine and the Stage of Visual Realism/ Analytic Stage that occurs between the ages of nine and twelve. As we are focussing on art in the early years the stage of most relevance is the Scribbling Stage from six months to four years. The Scribbling Stage is the earliest form of artistic expression and is usually characterised by mark making which becomes more controlled as the child develops. At the beginning of this stage scribbling is random and is done with either hand and their concentration span is short. The value to the child is having the tactile experience and practicing the physical action from the shoulder. As the child develops the scribbling becomes more controlled and a ‘grasp and push’ action is used, rather than a whole arm movement. As children use smaller actions they begin to use a variety of marks, such as straight lines and curves when drawing and painting. When printmaking children will manipulate materials that will make impressions, make marks with body parts and print with objects and found sources. When making collages children will often observe and spread glue on to a surface and place prepared items in an irregular arrangement. Children in this stage are also developing sculpture and 3D skills, manipulating rigid and malleable materials, moulding simple shapes and sticking found objects together. As children’s learning and skills develop they move through the stages, but to ensure children are motivated a balance is needed between familiar activities in which they express themselves confidently and new activities to present them with fresh challenges.

Investment theory- The concept of Duration Essay

Investment theory- The concept of Duration - Essay Example However, those with good mathematical understanding are made to understand the concepts behind bond duration through some proven mathematical formula, and this imply the correlation between changes in the bond values and the fluctuations in the interest rates. There are two basic applications of the duration principles and these greatly vary with the kind of risk involved as well as the investment strategy put in place. Duration could be used as a measure of bond values persistent investors or those willing to take deadly business risks. Such investors are known to embrace active business strategies and benefit from the anticipated alterations or fluctuations in the interest rates due to changes in the bond durations. However, for non risk takers, duration act as a tool of protecting bond values from certain fluctuations due to fluctuations in the interest rates. Bond protection in this case is kind of a assurance that the bond value is likely to remain stable irrespective of changes in the prevailing interest rates, hence it encourage investors to buy certain bonds as they are not scared of changes in interest rates. Majority of financial analysts assumes that the graph of bond prices verses interest rates is flat, meaning there is major effects of fluctuations in the interest rates on bond prices, and this is not correct as various mathematical formulas can be employed to certify this. ... This method applies the basic mechanical principles to verify the relationship between duration and changes or fluctuations in bond prices. Various sketches of a flagpole could be used to give different visuals to represent the differences in bond durations, which is also associated to the changes in center of gravity of various physical objects (flagpoles). Each object has a single center of gravity, and the same principle is applied to explain the single accumulation of bonds’ value after certain duration. Stable objects tend to have a lower center of gravity and the same applies to stable bonds or rather those with stable values which tend to have a shorter duration. This concept could also be explained using Macaulay duration formulae which is weighted average of maturity bond , attained from this formula = [?tCFt/(1+k)t]/ ?CFt/(1+k)t , where D is the Macaulay duration, t is time period in months or years, n is the maturity periods, K is the prevailing market interest rate s, CF is the cash flow. The formula is an indication that bond duration is subject of four basic factors namely; bond maturity (n), coupon size (C), value of each bond (M) and the prevailing interest rates in the market (k). However, changes in M are usually not included in the analysis in major occasions. The above formula would work well with students with different majors in mathematics or those with deep mathematical understanding. For students with poor mathematical understanding, the concepts of bond durations could be demonstrated using various images of flagpoles. Bond maturity could be represented with the length of the flagpole; the flagpole diameter represents the annual coupon

Columbian Exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Columbian Exchange - Essay Example But later, tomatoes became a part of the Italian identity and food culture, and the nutritious value of potatoes and corns was fully appreciated, thus, broadening the scope of the European cuisine. On the opposite side, the new world was also introduced to new foods. Sugarcane was perhaps the most prominent and damaging introduction. However, the relatively meatless culture was transformed once pork, beef, milk and cheese were introduced. The new comers were trying to create a familiar environment and so they brought with them different crops and animals such as rice, wheat, sheep, goats and chickens. Thus adding new species to the new world and dramatically changing its socioeconomic and cultural identity. The new comers also introduced their own military hardware, such as swords, armor and guns, in the new world. Those superior military equipments and weapons were used to control the Native American population. The horse, for example, was alien to the new world. In fact, it was even bigger than any of the locally available domesticated animals. It was used by the invaders to terrify the natives in battle. However, the local Americans quickly adopted the animal, and learned to use its power effectively against the very same people who introduced it.

Passage Identification and Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Passage Identification and Explication - Essay Example What reverses may attend the remainder is in the hand of Providence; but, if they arrive, the reflection on past happiness enjoy'd ought to help his bearing them with more resignation. To Temperance he ascribes his long-continued health, and what is still left to him of a good constitution; to Industry and Frugality, the early easiness of his circumstances and acquisition of his fortune, with all that knowledge that enabled him to be a useful citizen, and obtained for him some degree of reputation among the learned; to Sincerity and Justice, the confidence of his country, and the honorable employs it conferred upon him; and to the joint influence of the whole mass of the virtues, even in the imperfect state he was able to acquire them, all that evenness of temper, and that cheerfulness in conversation, which makes his company still sought for, and agreeable even to his younger acquaintance.†Ã‚  Telling the story of his life, Franklin desired to share the precious lessons he gai ned in his journey from being a hard-working man to the simplicity of his life amidst his many achievements. Being one among the founding fathers of the United States, Franklin influenced the nation which until this time reflects the virtues he taught his countrymen, loving the luxuries of freedom, being able to improve oneself in proportion to an individual’s efforts and determination. Writing his autobiography was not merely telling his achievements but was directed to the learning of his biological son as well as his American sons from the virtues he himself learned from other people as he dealt with them, disciplining himself to embrace what he considers are virtuous, becoming an example to his people. As to virtue, this could be a... The researcher states that Thoreau presented his ideas strongly first, by getting the attention of his audience through questions just as he did in the verse that was extracted from his controversial essay, founded from a fact that is equally or even more controversial. Though all forms of government one way or another prove to have unjust laws, the essayist particularly spoke about the democratic United States of America which presented to him the absurdity of human laws. Through his questions, he thus then encourages his audiences to think about how they should react, whether they obey the laws, change them or violate them all at once because if the laws were right. These questions, though rude they may appear to an individual, should be reconsidered as to how one should react. Thoreau sought the meaning of life in this adventure he imposed upon himself, fearing to die and find out that he never lived but that he wanted all of what life could offer, enjoy them all and in the end, s ay to himself, he lived life to the fullest. He considered himself a god in his own Olympus that he found in Walden Pond, able to reign in his small world and not dictated by other people, their laws and other influences that could hinder the life he considers effectual. It is then concluded that the personality of the philosopher reflects the freedom one enjoys in the land of the free, enabling a person to live as he desires as long as he is not going against any law and endanger others in the process.

Facility Management Paper Speech or Presentation

Facility Management Paper - Speech or Presentation Example All these must be handled in a coordinated manner either concurrently for some and/or in a procedural way for others to ensure event success and leave stakeholders and guests smiling. The context of the event in this paper involves managing a potential event to be held at an arena in Charles Town, West Virginia. The stadium has a seating capacity of 65,000 and is used as a multipurpose facility for many occasions particularly sporting ones. This time it is expected to host the 2015 NCAA Final Four. This paper will provide information on how the event can be organized successfully in terms of planning for its management, risk management, crowd control procedures, medical emergency, and evacuation. It will also try to describe how facility negligence can be avoided to minimize risks and undesirable outcomes. 2. Event Planning Planning is the most important part of any occasion or project to be undertaken. This would generally involve developing a management plan including a program of activities to be done and timing. In case advertising or other advance activities are to be done, these must be planned earlier than the event date and a time schedule is therefore important here. The scope of management skills required for such an event would include organizing, resourcing, creative directing, human resource management, negotiating, financial management, public representation and troubleshooting (Enock and Jacobs, 2008). 2.1 Details of the Event As an event manager, I would begin by enquiring about event time if the date in 2015 has not been decided on already. This is important so that the timing for the NCAA final four is scheduled at a time when weather is favorable for majority of people to be in town to boost turn up and success. The venue has already been decided upon and so that may not be an event detail to deal with. 2.2 Setting up the Organizing Committee Group or team work is always an important aspect of any work management style. Here I would be concer ned about who are the main stakeholders for this event including promoters, stadium facility people, and service providers among others. A statement of roles and responsibilities would then be developed after brainstorming on the key activity areas. Managing committees effectively means recognizing why people became involved; it requires a combination of organizational skills and an understanding of the members. Skills match to roles and jobs to be done is important to achieve effective and efficient performance of the work at hand. I would promote motivation of members of the committee by appraising, recognition, instilling a sense of ownership of the process to them and encouraging networking and acquisition of new knowledge and skills by individuals. Based on technical expertise of the members, I shall set up a number of necessary subcommittees to deal with duties of secretariat, technical, logistics, sponsorship, and publicity. 2.3 Set Clear Objectives With the committee in plac e, I will then guide the process

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Sociology - Essay Example It is the separation of economy and state† (Capitalism, socialism and Mixed-Economy, 2007). According to Przeworski (1990) capitalist economic system working under a totalitarian political one is possible. In most cases, capitalism requires a democratic political system in which to function. Likewise a socialist economic system can be either part of Communism or Socialism. Thus capitalist economic institutions under totalitarian governments (for instance, Fascist or Communist) become generally more centralized, more planned, and rely less or not at all on a free market. Capitalism, therefore, requires a democratic political environment if it is to exist and function. It should be recognized that state ownership, and control, and planning produce a bureaucracy and power situation which may latently provide the basis for totalitarianism. Socialism means †control of property is put into the hands of society as a whole† (Capitalism, socialism and Mixed-Economy, 2007). The classical argument for the perfectly competitive, and free market has therefore been under considerable attack for some years. The weak point of socialist system is that it rests on collectivism which limits free market operations and economic performance. One of the most obvious features of collectivism as an economic system is the absence of the right of private persons to hold property. Property rights of a sort might exist under an absolute dictatorship to the extent that the dictator personally controls all resources in the economy, which he would then regard as his personal property. In a collectivist society there are no market prices to help guide the dictator by serving as indicators of expected benefit and expected cost, and enabling him objectively and meaningfully to record the benefits and costs of each undertaking. A ‘mixed economy’ is a combination of capitalism and socialism which help to achieve the best economic

Sexual harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Sexual harassment - Essay Example the past several decades have witnessed a large group of women attaining higher education, both within and outside of the United States, and utilizing this education to compete within the domestic workforce. Although the exhibition of women in the workforce is still small as compared to men, it nonetheless represents a trend that promises to reverse much of the disparity that has previously been elaborated upon. As a function of this particular analysis, the author will discuss sexual harassment, define it, and seek to understand its determinants to a more full and complete degree;in the hopes that such an approach can more effectively engage stakeholders with useful methodologies for which it can be reduced within the future. Regardless of the inference that the reader can have upon this particular topic, it must be understood that creating a more proactive, rather than reactive, human resources department is the single most effective task that can be done in order to diminish sexua l harassment within any particular workplace. â€Å"Harassment can include â€Å"sexual harassment† or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature†¦.Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general. Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted)† (EEC, 2014). Unfortunately, as might be expected, the introduction of women into the workforce has created a situation by

Choose an article or book chapter that has applied multivariate Essay

Choose an article or book chapter that has applied multivariate analysis to a research question. Explain the key issues that m - Essay Example Hair et al. (1994, p. 2) defined multivariate as analysis of several variables within a relationship or set of relationships. Hair et al. (1995, p. 13) explicit include multiple regression (a regression with one dependent variable and multiple independent variable) as an example of multivariate data analysis. Singh (2007, p. 177) share the same perspective of Hair et al. (1995) on a less restrictive definition of multivariate analysis. We study Kogid et al. (2010) and Shelleman et al. (2004) as illustrations of how multivariate analysis can be applied. 2.0. Kogid et al. (2010) As indicated in the abstract, the objective of the Kogid et al. (2010, p. 123) is to â€Å"investigate the factors that stimulate and maintain economic growth.† The factors investigated covered consumption expenditure, government expenditure, export, exchange rate, and foreign investments. The research focused on Malaysia and used data from 1970 to 2007. The specific multivariate statistic technique used by the Kogit et al. (2010) is technique known as â€Å"cointegration† and â€Å"causality approach†. Cointegration is discussed in Gujarati (2004, p. 822-826). Causality is discussed in Gujarati (2004, p. 696-702). One important test for causality is in Gujarati (2004, p. 696-702). According to Gujarati (2004, p. ... 822). Most tests of causations use tests of correlations. However, other tests go beyond correlation. One of such tests is the Granger causality test. Granger causality test actually test precedence and precedence is taken to be indicative of causality. Unfortunately, Gujarati (2004) does not record a capability of the Granger causality test to cover more than two variables at time (although it can be argued that the Granger causality test has that potential if a composite value covering several variables is constructed). In contrast, the Wald test as performed by Kogit et al. (2010) implies a capability of the Wald test to investigate relations of causation that involve more than two variables. Extensive search on the Wald Test conducted by this author in the books indicates that the Wald Test for causation is not yet discussed in many of the books. However, the works of Atinay and Karagol (2005), Burda (2001), No and Olatubi (2004), and Zarra and Zarea (2007) have good discussions on the Wald Test. The results of the study of Kogit et al. (2010) indicate that long-run cointegration and short-run causal relationship exists between the investigated factors and economic growth. The fundamental and important finding is all the factors investigated when combined can in their combination cause economic growth in the short-run. However, on their own, the individual regressions indicate that only consumption expenditure and export can on its own cause economic growth in the short-run. For brevity, we reproduce only the key test which is the causality test. The causality test is captured by Table 1. Table 1. Multivariate and Bivariate Causality Tests Using the Error Correction Model (ECM) Source: Table 3 of Kogit et

Creationism vs Evolutionism Essay Example for Free

Creationism vs Evolutionism Essay From the beginning of time there has been a controversy about how the world was created. At this time we can agree that there can only be one of two ways that the world could have been created, and that is scientifically or non scientifically. While in the world today mostly everything is being created from science although that might not have been the case back in the days. In this research paper I will try to show the difference between the two and how they are still one in the same. While this research paper is not designed to persuade you in your beliefs, it is a bucket of knowledge that will better educate you on the two. The Creationism vs. Evolutionism controversy represents a clash between two ways of relating to the world (scientific/non-scientific). The central idea of biological evolution (scientific) is that all life on Earth shares a common ancestor, just as you and your cousins share a common grandmother. Creationism (non-scientific) is someone who believes in a god who is absolute creator of heaven and earth, out of nothing, by an act of free will. Creationists do not believe that all of today’s living things evolved from simple organisms changing slowly over time. Creationism opposes the idea of human evolution. (Ruse, Michael, fall 2008) Since the creation of the universe is typically explained by two popular beliefs. One being the scientific explanation and the other being biblical explanation. These are two very different explanations, and while I believe ones religious beliefs can have a role in which explanation one chooses to follow, one is free to choose how they believe the world was created. The scientific explanation is explained by the Big Bang Theory. A basic definition of the Big Bang Theory is that the universe began at a specific time and has been cooling and expanding ever since. According to this explanation, a hot ball of energy expanded outward in all directions and in time radiation and matter began to rise. Gravity now comes in to play and draws the matter into dense regions. After billions of years this formed all things that exist now, stars, planets and galaxies. In our text the biblical explanation for the creation of the universe is explained to us through the Judeo-Christian Biblical account of the creation of earth. The Judeo-Christian account is believed that God made its first inhabitants, fashioning them out of clay, and breathing life into them. With this theory it is obvious to see the two explanations; scientific and biblical are very different. Scientific belief is the universe was created through hot energy expanding and eventually creating our galaxies. The biblical explanation is the belief of the Holy Spirit (God) created all things. With these two very different explanations I dont see how they can become reconciled. Being of Pentecostal faith, I was taught, and brought up to believe in the biblical explanation. However, one cannot ignore the scientific explanation. With the research given today it’s hard to deny the scientific facts available. For some it can be difficult picking one explanation if they don’t believe in religion, for me, I can believe is that the world was created by (god) and the continued creation that came there after over time is created through science. Creationism vs. volutionism has often been incorrectly drawn out as a debate between science and religion, very little can be gained by debating evolution vs. creationism. Two of the biggest obstacles to effective debate on the topic are: †¢The lack of conclusive scientific evidence to forever resolve the issue †¢And the lack of open mindedness on the part of both camps. The geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky stated that, nothing in biology makes sense except in terms of evolution. The theory of evolution merely explains a process by which species undergoes change over an extended period of time. It is believed that different species evolved from a common ancestor. In order to understand the concept of evolution we must think of time in large units like millions of years. Blocks of time like months and years are of little significance. Evolution refers to entire populations and not individuals. The changes must be passed on to the next generation. Though not the first person to present the idea of evolution; Charles Darwin has been dubbed the father of evolution. He is the most noted and supported, for his theory of natural selection. Darwin’s theory of natural selection simply states that nature favors the survival of organisms that have traits that are best suited for their environment. In other words, only the strong survive. (Max O. Hallman third edition pp 159- 166) Since Darwin’s proposal, scientists such as geologist, biologists, biochemists and others have conducted studies, gathered evidence and developed theories to explain the probable mechanisms of evolution. Modifications are constantly being made to findings and theories as new evidence is accepted. These scientists have conducted studies to compare organisms. Their research includes the study of fossil records, cell structure and function, DNA and the process of heredity (ancestral background). Their theory of evolution suggests that species that currently exist on earth, developed from ancestral species that have adapted to changing conditions. Scientist evidence suggests that life on earth probably began billions of years ago with a unicellular organism. This information has been obtained through Radio-carbon dating which is a method of obtaining age estimates on organic materials. It has been used to date samples as old as 50,000 years. The method was developed immediately following World War II by Willard F. Libby and coworkers, and has provided age determinations in archaeology, geology, geophysics and other branches of science. Radiocarbon determinations can be obtained on wood; charcoal; marine and fresh-water shell; bone and antler; peat and organic-bearing sediments, carbonate deposits such as tufa, caliche, and marl; and dissolved carbon dioxide and carbonates in ocean, lake and ground-water sources. Darwin hypothesized that changes in species is due to the concept of natural selection (only the strong survive). Organisms with favorable traits to those environments are more likely to survive, reproducing and passing on the better traits to the next generation. The new off spring world have an increased chance of survival. Over time, the fittest of the species will survive with different characteristics from those of the original species. This will now be recognized as a new species. (William P. marryA. cunningham chapter 4. Pp 75-90) While absolute proof of the existence of God cannot be realized by any human being, the great weight of evidence, when rationally evaluated, clearly balances the scales heavily in favor of God. We can demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that He is, and that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) Creationism is the religious belief that all life on earth is the creation of a supernatural being- god. This relates to the history of religion as described in religious text and the bible. As described in genesis, humans, the world, the universe and all that exists was created by god: Creatio ex nihilo- Latin for creation from nothing.

Features of best practice models of HRM

Features of best practice models of HRM The term human resource management (HRM) has a wide definition and there is still no universal agreement on it. (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007) As the advent of the new economy, HRM had a deeper and wider development in order to support the businesses operates in a more complex environment. It is concluded in both theory and practice that employees matter and that HRM is a potential source for achieving organizational goals. (Boselie, 2010, P2) Kellogg (2010) argues that employees are more than a resource. For most contemporary organizations, organizational changes have become a common practice. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) focuses on issues of linking HRM to the business strategy to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Fit is likely the most important word in SHRM. There is a debate linked to the issue of fit between two competitive schools: the best-practice school and the best-fit school. The best-practice school advocates a universalistic perspective all firms will see performance improvement if they adopt it. (Boselie, 2010) There are three main gist of best-practice theories should be mentioned. First of all, the models enhance employee ability and knowledge through good recruitment and training. The second one is motivating desired behaviour through strong incentives. The last one is encouraging ideas and contribution from motivated and better trained workers. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003) Pfeffer (1998) claims seven HRM practices that all firms could success if they apply these seven. The first one is selective recruitment and selection. The selective is a central part of it and a sophisticated way to recruit and select the talents. The second one is extensive training-employees get development through training programmes. The third one is performance-related pay (PRP). PRP related to personal and team performance and the best-performance employees in a department will get yearly bonuses. The forth one is teamwork. Employees take responsibility to work design and planning for a group of employees. It is an effective way to break through the hierarchical model and decentralize responsibility. The fifth one is information sharing and communication through the Internet, newspaper, face-to-face talks and, last but not least, top management presentations. The sixth one is reduction of status differences, avoiding status symbols, such as special parking spaces for high mana gement. The last one is employment security. Pfeffer (1994) also lists 16 practices for competitive advantage through people. The advantages of the best-practice models can be defined as, firstly, much agreement on basic best practice. The second one is the recognition of bad practice. The third one is establishing rules of thumb for selection; training; appraisal methods. The last one is that no need to re-invest. Some evidences in reality can prove that there is a positive relationship between the best-practice and organizational performance. Richardson and Thompson reported that: there are 30 empirical studies that have sought to address the relationship between HR practices and business performanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The published research generally reports positive statistical relationships between the greater adoption of HR practices and business performance. (Richardson and Thompson, 1999) According to another paper reported by West, Patterson, Lawthom, and Nickell (1997) firms could gain a substantial and measurable improvement to organizational performance if they invest in developing and maintaining effective HRM policy and practice. Some criticisms also should be mentioned. The first criticism of best-practice models is diversity of best-practice. Lists of desirable practices vary significantly. (Becker and Gerhart 1996, Dyer and Reeves 1995, Youndt et al. 1996) Secondly, the collective issues of work organization and employee voice may be lost. (Marchington and Grugulis, 2000) Thirdly, Legge (1978) argues that supporters of best-practice try to fabricate the question of interests and goals. There are some other criticisms that should be considered. One is that it might be difficult when we go beyond these practices. Another one is that these models may not be suitable for every situations or sections of same business. The Best-fit school argues that HRM is more effective when it is aligned with its internal and external context. (Boselie, 2010, P21) The notion of a linkage between business strategy and performance of every employee in the organization is central to fit. (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007) There are two most common fit in HRM- external and internal. External fit refers to that HR practices should fit the organizations strategy, development, and goals. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003) Golden and Ramanujam (1985) present a model to distinct four linkages: administrative linkage, one-way linkage, two way linkage, and integrative linkage. The internal context represents the organizations history, culture, and the administrative heritage. Porter (1985) presents a typology of competitive strategies, advising firms to specialize carefully in competitive strategies. Schuler Jackson (1987) developed a linkage between competitive advantage, employee behaviours and HR practices. (Boselie, 2010) There are some criticisms that should be mentioned. The first one is that they can overlook employee interests. In other words the need to align employee interests with the firm is generally failed to recognize. The second criticism is that some firms are good at everything so HR practices likely to be based on more than one strategies. There is evidence that the most resilient firms in some sectors are good at everything: they are superb all rounders, not just good at differentiation or cost leadership. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, P55) However, the criticism dose not invalidates the idea of a fit between HR strategies and competitive strategies. Boxall and Purcell argue that: there are some supports for the argument that firms try to relate a variety of HR practices to their competitive strategy. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003 P57) The last, but not the least, one is the leak of attention of dynamics. A useful model for practice if one in which fit with existing competitive strategy is developed simultaneously with flexibility in the range of skills and behaviours that may be needed to cope with different competitive scenarios in the future. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, P56) Internal fit refers to the linkage between individual HR policies, and is thought to be a crucial part to gain success. Internal fit emphasize that HR policies must be aligned with HR practices. Policies which work in opposite directions should be avoided. There is an example, encourage teamwork then rewarding individual performance. Eaton (2000) examined issues of HRM and organizational performance in 20 nursing homes in the USA. In her report she argues that a new set of practices, including cross-training and job enlargement results a better performance in some homes. Rondeau and Wagner examined the impact of HRM practices and the best-fit models on 283 Canadian nursing homesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦They reported that the best-performing homes were found to be more likely to have implemented high performance HRM practices and to have a workplace climate that strongly values employee participation. (Buchan, 2004, 2:6) Baron and Kreps (1999) define 3 types of desirable fit. The first one is s ingle employee consistency which emphasizes that make sure selection approaches aligning with the investment in training and promotion policies. The second one is the fit across employees doing the same kind of work. The last one is temporal consistency which is consistency of employee treatment across a reasonable period of time. There are some criticisms should be considered. Firstly, HR managers should avoid policies which against the directions. For example, a firm emphasizes teamwork but operates a reward system which focuses on individual performance. Secondly, firms should avoid duplication of practices. Boselie (2010) argues that there are two important mechanisms that determine the external context faced by the organization: market mechanisms and institutional mechanisms. The HR strategy scan model, developed by Boselie, contains six components: the external general market context, the external population market context, the external general institutional context, the external population institutional context, the internal organizational context, and HR strategy. (Boselie, 2010, P30-36) External context is a crucial part in most contemporary organizations. It has a significant impact on HRM activities. The unique culture and history in different countries always require different HRM policies and practices. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003) It is impossible to isolate HR policies from the context whatever internal and external. However, it is also sensible to take best practice models because of the existing of generic processes, such as recruitment and appraisal. HRM in production industries are of more concern to financial sector or the high tech industries. An analytical distinction between the surface level of HR policy and practice in a firm and an underpinning level of processes and principles could be made for this debate. The surface layer refers to those HR policies and practices that are driven by context. The underpinning layer refers to those HR policies and practices that are generic processes and principles with essential applicability. (Boxall and Purcell, 2003, P69)

Sound the Jubilee :: Essays Papers

Sound the Jubilee Slaves lived terrible lives; always being told what to do and how to live, what to eat and who to converse with. But what if all that could change? What if slaves could be free to live their own lives? That’s what Sandra Forrester writes about, in the book Sound the Jubilee. The main characters in the book are Maddie, a young slave girl, and her family, Titus, Ella, Angeline, and Pride. Titus is a sweet, strong, loving father; Ella is a kind, firm, loving mother; Angeline is Maddie’s older sister, who always does everything perfectly; and Pride is Maddie’s unhealthy baby brother. The setting is during the Civil War, from 1861-1865 at River Bend Plantation, Nags Head, and Roanoke Island. Maddie and her family are house slaves on a North Carolina plantation; their problem is how to get to freedom. The solution? When she and her family are sent with their mistress to Roanoke Island because of invading Yankees, they run for freedom. Once the Yankees take over the island, the government gives aid to all the runaway slaves and provides them with jobs and the resources to start new lives. I think the author shows how the season changes very clearly throughout the book. For example, when summer came to Roanoke Island it was stated clearly at the beginning of the chapter, (pg 92, paragraph 1). Or when autumn came to Roanoke Island, the author describes it clearly as crisp, cool, and early, (pg. 110, paragraph 3). Summer was also described again clearly as especially hot and miserable, (pg. 132, paragraph 2). The S.C.I. point that relates most to this book is The Nature of Life is to Grow. In many of the chapters at least one of the characters grows in some way.

British Irish Relations over the past 300 years :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  British- Irish relations over the past three hundred years have been troubled. There have been many tensions caused by religion in Northern Ireland and Britain's unfair rule of Northern Ireland. The British are guilty of many of the indignities suffered by the Irish people. They are also guilty of causing all of the religious and territorial conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The division between Northern and Southern Ireland dates back to the 16th century. A succession of English monarchs had used the planting of Protestant English and Scottish people on lands seized from Irish Catholics as a way of increasing loyalty to the British Crown. This is an example of how the British treated the people of Ireland unfairly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912 British parliament gave home rule to Ireland. Home rule is when a country who is ruled by another country is giving the ability to govern its self. However some people in Irelands Northern counties did not want home rule. They wanted to remain governed by Britain. So the people in the Northern Counties (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) remained under British rule while the Southern Counties formed the Republic of Ireland. Shortly after the formation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland hostilities pushed these two countries to the brink of civil war. This was prevented by the start of World War I.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English persecution of the Irish people is one cause of the tensions in Northern Ireland. Before 1793 Irish Catholics were persecuted by British law. Catholics were not allowed to buy and sell land, get proper education, marry Protestants or vote. This fueled problems in Ireland. After 1793 Britain was afraid, after loosing America, that a revolution would happen in Ireland. So the restrictions on the Irish Catholics were done away with. This however angered the protestants who formed the Orange Order, who was against the Catholics. This all came to a head when in 1798 when a small rebellion broke out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It began with a blight of the potato crop that left acre upon acre of Irish farmland covered with black rot.†(The Irish Famine, 1) This of course is in reference to the Irish Famine. The Irish Famine was another cause of the tensions in Ireland. As crops across Ireland failed, the price of food soared. This made it impossible for Irish farmers to sell there goods, the good which the farmers relied upon to pay their rent to their English and Protestant landlords. British Irish Relations over the past 300 years :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  British- Irish relations over the past three hundred years have been troubled. There have been many tensions caused by religion in Northern Ireland and Britain's unfair rule of Northern Ireland. The British are guilty of many of the indignities suffered by the Irish people. They are also guilty of causing all of the religious and territorial conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The division between Northern and Southern Ireland dates back to the 16th century. A succession of English monarchs had used the planting of Protestant English and Scottish people on lands seized from Irish Catholics as a way of increasing loyalty to the British Crown. This is an example of how the British treated the people of Ireland unfairly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912 British parliament gave home rule to Ireland. Home rule is when a country who is ruled by another country is giving the ability to govern its self. However some people in Irelands Northern counties did not want home rule. They wanted to remain governed by Britain. So the people in the Northern Counties (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) remained under British rule while the Southern Counties formed the Republic of Ireland. Shortly after the formation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland hostilities pushed these two countries to the brink of civil war. This was prevented by the start of World War I.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English persecution of the Irish people is one cause of the tensions in Northern Ireland. Before 1793 Irish Catholics were persecuted by British law. Catholics were not allowed to buy and sell land, get proper education, marry Protestants or vote. This fueled problems in Ireland. After 1793 Britain was afraid, after loosing America, that a revolution would happen in Ireland. So the restrictions on the Irish Catholics were done away with. This however angered the protestants who formed the Orange Order, who was against the Catholics. This all came to a head when in 1798 when a small rebellion broke out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It began with a blight of the potato crop that left acre upon acre of Irish farmland covered with black rot.†(The Irish Famine, 1) This of course is in reference to the Irish Famine. The Irish Famine was another cause of the tensions in Ireland. As crops across Ireland failed, the price of food soared. This made it impossible for Irish farmers to sell there goods, the good which the farmers relied upon to pay their rent to their English and Protestant landlords.

Adverse Impacts of Landscape Fragmentation on Biodiversity :: Environmental Ecosystems Essays

Adverse Impacts of Landscape Fragmentation on Biodiversity Landscape fragmentation can impose devastating and irreversible consequences on the biodiversity of ecosystems. Because of the conflicting interests between ecology and human economic benefit, it has become increasingly important to find solutions for a harmonic balance. It is imperative for people to recognize the impacts of biodiversity loss and increased extinction of many species. These impacts must be understood in order to protect landscapes and the immense biodiversity they contain. Raising environmental consciousness through education and public cooperative efforts, as well as promoting resource conservation and changing consumptive patterns, are just a few ways that we can begin to protect biodiversity. What is landscape fragmentation? Landscape fragmentation can be characterized as a break up of a continuous landscape into more smaller, less-connected patches by roads, clearing for agriculture, commercial and residential development, and timber harvesting. Clear-cutting can break up mature, contiguous forest until the clear-cut area has regenerated to a point that it does not act as an ecological barrier to interior species or species that rely on continuous, mature forests. Much of the work that has sought to measure landscape pattern and habitat fragmentation comes out of the disciplines of conservation biology and landscape ecology (Theobald 1998). These disciplines are founded on the premise that landscape patterns strongly influence and are influenced by ecological processes (Forman and Godron 1986). How does landscape fragmentation affect species diversity? Landscape fragmentation contributes to loss of migratory corridors, loss of connectivity and natural communities, which all lead to a loss of biodiversity for a region. Conservation of biodiversity must include all levels of diversity: genetic, species, community, and landscape (CNHP 1995). Each complex level is dependent upon and linked to the other levels. In addition, humans are linked to all levels of this hierarchy. A healthy natural and human environment go hand in hand (CNHP 1995). An important step in conservation planning, in order to guarantee both a healthy natural environment as well as a healthy human environment, is recognizing the most endangered elements. Biodiversity is influenced by landscape fragmentation at various scales of space and time. The extinction of ecosystem types and component species may cause an increased patchiness of the landscape, resulting in lower population sizes and decreased connectivity. As a result, inhabitants may experience decreased dispersal abilities and lowered gene flows between populations.

Qualitative Versus Quantitative

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research There has been a large amount of complex discussion and argument surrounding the topic of research methodology and the theory of how studies should push forward. Majority of this debate has centered on the issue of qualitative versus quantitative study. Different methods become popular at different social, political, historical and cultural times in our development, and, both methods have their strengths and weaknesses. The researcher and/or the culture of the organization is a key factor in preferred choice of methods.Data can be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative data answer questions like â€Å"how many? † or â€Å"how frequently†, and are measured/reported on a numerical scale, permitting categorization of pooled data, numerical reporting, statistical analysis and mathematical modeling. Qualitative data are non-numerical. Qualitative research seeks to analyze verbal discourse through interviews, written documents, or p articipatory field observations. This paper will break down both qualitative and quantitative methods individually to explain each one in depth.Also a chart will be included to understand and see the features of each side by side. In conclusion of the paper will be an example of both methods being used to understand how women felt about shopping at QuickStop stores and why. As researchers Ulin, Robinson, and Tolley (2006) have explained, three most common qualitative methods are â€Å"participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups† (p. 2. * Participant observation is appropriate for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviors in their usual contexts. In –depth interviews are optimal for collecting data on individuals’ personal histories, perspectives, and experiences, particularly when sensitive topics are being explored. * Focus groups are effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group and in generating broad overviews of issu es of concern to the cultural groups or subgroups represented. Qualitative methods are typically more flexible and allow more interaction between the researcher and the study participant.For example, qualitative methods, ask mostly â€Å"open-ended† questions that are not necessarily worded in exactly the same way with each participant. In regards to open-ended questions, participants are free to respond in their own words rather than simply â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no. † Also in qualitative methods, the relationship between the researcher and the participant is often less formal than in quantitative research. Participants have the opportunity to respond more elaborately and in greater detail than is typically the case with quantitative methods.Open-ended questions have the ability to provide responses that are: * Meaningful and culturally salient to the participant * Unanticipated by the researcher * Rich and explanatory in nature The three most common sampling meth ods in qualitative research: purposive sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling. Purposive sampling, one of the most common sampling strategies, groups participants according to preselected criteria relevant to a particular research question. In quota sampling, while designing the study how many people with characteristics to include as participants.The criteria used is to focus on people that we think would be most likely to experience, know about, or have insights into the research topic. A third type of sampling, snowballing also known as chain referral sampling. In this method, participants with whom contact has already been made use their social networks to refer the researcher to other people who could potentially participate in or contribute to the study. According to Carroll (2010), â€Å"qualitative studies frequently use primary data (e. g. interviews), others involve analysis of media reports and other secondary data sources. For example, community attitudes about road safety might be explored through interviews (primary data) or by analyzing newspaper articles on rights of bicyclists (secondary data). † (pg. 3480). Quantitative research can be defined as a means for testing objective theories by examing the relationship among variables. The variables will then be measured, typically on instruments, so that numbered data can be analyzed using statistical procedures.According to Creswell (2008), â€Å"the final written report has a set structure consisting of introduction, literature and theory, methods, results, and discussion† (p. 4). You measure variables on a sample of subjects, which can be tissues, cells, animals, or humans. You then express the relationship between variable using effect statistics, such as correlations, relative frequencies, or differences between means. Features of Qualitative & Quantitative Research Qualitative| Quantitative| The aim is complete, detailed description. The aim is to classify features, cou nt them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed. | Researcher may only know roughly in advance what he/she is looking for. | Researcher knows clearly in advance what he/she is looking for. | Recommended during earlier phases of research projects. | Recommended during latter phases of research projects. | The design emerges as the study unfolds. | All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is collected. | Researcher is the data gathering instrument. Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to collect numerical data. | Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects. | Data is in the form of numbers and statistics. | Subjective-individuals interpretation of events is important, e. g. , uses participant observation, in-depth interviews etc. | Objective seeks precise measurement & analysis of target concepts, e. g. , uses surveys, questionnaires etc. | Qualitative data is more ‘rich’, time consuming, a nd less able to be generalized. | Quantitative data is more efficient, able to test hypotheses, but may miss contextual detail. Researcher tends to become subjectively immersed in the subject matter. | Researcher tends to remain objectively separated from the subject matter. | (the two quotes are from Miles & Huberman (1994, p. 40). Qualitative Data Analysis) An example with qualitative and quantitative research project was designed to understand how women felt about shopping at QuickStop stores and why. This research project was completed by Chris Hawkes, a Senior Market Researcher at MarketResearch101. At some point a staff member realized that QuickStop seemed to be patronized by many more men than women.About two dozen current or potential female customers were paid to come into a research facility to discuss the use of convenience stores in general, and later in the interviews the discussion was directed specifically to QuickStop convenience stores, in particular. Studies showe d that women viewed the convenience stores to be primarily for men, with little or no consideration for women. The bathrooms were believed to be the dirtiest that could be found in the city. It was also viewed as the kind of place for a man to buy gas, and to buy a six-pack of cheap beer and cigarettes.Once the management team had an understanding of what issues they faced they needed to use quantitative research to get numbers. For the quantitative research they conducted 250 telephone interviews with a combination of female respondents. Over 76% of all female QuickStop customers were women under 30 years old, without children. The good news is 64% who did not use QuickStop said that if these stores were to update their color schemes, clean up their bathrooms and update their health and feminine products they would be willing to try QuickStop again.In general when conducting two phases of research it’s most often the case that the qualitative research phases is conducted fir st as a â€Å"lead-in†. Qualitative research tends to help the management team understand the underlying issues, and then the second phase (quantitative in this case) helps to understand how pervasive these feelings/attitudes are among a certain target audience. References Carroll, Linda (2010). Levels of Reconstruction as complementarity in Mixed Methods Research: A Social Theory-Based Conceptual Framework for Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. (p. 3480). Creswell, John (2008). Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Research Design, Third Edition. (p. 4). Hawkes, Chris (2011). Retrieved from http://www. streetdirectory. com/travel_guide. Miles & Huberman (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. Retrieved from: http://www. gifted. uconn. edu/siegle/research/Qualitative/qualquan. htm Priscilla, Ulin. , Elizabeth, Robinson. , & Elizabeth, Tolley (2006). Qualitative Research methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide. Qualitative Methods in Public Heatlh.

Geronimo, Apache: A Defined Leader Essay

Geronimo, or Goyathlay, was a great leader from the Native American Bendokohe Apache tribe. Although Geronimo was not a chief, the tribe depended on the wisdom of his position as medicine man. Geronimo gathered such influence that he led the last force to formally capitulate to the United States by upholding the core Apache values that embody aspects that define a leader: aggressiveness, diligence, and courage. Geronimo displayed the core values of the Apache tribe, that of courage, diligence, and aggressiveness. These core values were what kept them relatively safe from the increasing white settlement of the west, including Arizona and New Mexico (theinitialjourney.com.) Aggressiveness, or assertiveness, and diligence are key aspects of a leader. A leader must be assertive as well as persistent in order to maintain a certain level of self-confidence and influence over those who are being led, even in the face of adversity. Geronimo was a great example of an assertive leader. Geronimo led the last major Native American Fighting force to surrender to the United States; thus having the longest resistance period. Upon the discovery that his mother, wife, and his three young children had been murdered by Spanish troops, he vowed to avenge his family by retaliating against as many Mexican settlements as possible. It was not until this time that he received his ‘power’ of seeing visi ons (Indigenouspeople.net.) It was because Geronimo held out the fight for so long, that he became the most famous Apache of all. By asserting himself and applying himself in order to uphold his values of family and justice, Geronimo became an essential force as medicine man, acting in and out of combat as a spiritual and intellectual leader of the people (not a chief.) He escaped from a reservation three times, the final time bringing thirty five warriors and one hundred nine women and children into freedom. It was through these acts that Geronimo transcended above and beyond advisor. Geronimo became an icon of freedom and persistence in the face of difficulty (indiginouspeople.net.) Through assertiveness and diligence, Geronimo led his people towards their goal of freedom, also exhibiting another leadership trait: courage. Geronimo was exceptionally courageous in the face of difficulty. After vowing to avenge his family and tribe after their murder was an extreme test of character and will. It was a desire for freedom that continued his ability to evade capture. â€Å"Geronimo, the most legendary Apache war leader, along with seventeen warriors, fourteen women, and six children had evaded capture despite pursuit by 5,000 U.S. troops, 3,000 Mexican soldiers, and numerous Indian scouts for more than six months. To the U.S. Army and the settlers in the area, the supremely resilient and determined Geronimo had personified the Apache problem and every raid on a village or wagon train was attributed to him. In the years following his surrender, Geronimo came to personify resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.† Tfaoi.com Geronimo became a legendary force against the involuntary capture of Native American Apaches. His courage against adversity compelled many to follow him. His statements of â€Å"coming from a land with no enclosures† inspired people to follow a dream of living simply as they once did; without white influence (indigenouspeople.net.) It was though this notion of courage to follow one’s true intuition in life. Geronimo was an exceptional leader, exuding leadership through the qualities of assertiveness, diligence, and courage. Geronimo led his people to freedom against white influence many a time over, evading capture the longest out of all Native American fighting forces. It was through diligence in repetition of effort, assertiveness of his character and moral intuition, and courage in the face of danger and difficulty that makes Geronimo a great leader. Works Cited: www.indigenouspeople.net/geronimo.htm http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/4aa/4aa494b.htm www.theinitialjourney.com/features/geronimo_01.html

Themes in Little Women

Themes in Little Women English 472 Devotion to the family and parental approval are themes weaved throughout Little Women, a novel by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott details the lives of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy to show their gradual maturation and acceptance of traditional familial roles as they would have been in 19th Century New England. The story opens with the father of the March family away at war and the women in the family pull together to get by in his absence. The scenes of them working together in the house to be sure that everything was done, and the scenes of them passing time together were very touching.During the hardship they stayed together and grew closer together. This tone in the family is set by Mrs. March. She is the voice of faith and reason in Alcott’s story. The girls not only heed her advice but seek it out frequently as if she were an oracle. Alcott introduces the reader to the four March sisters with descriptions of their general look and characteristics. Jo is utterly unladylike, Meg and Amy are vain and envious of other girls and Beth is a painfully shy homebody. As soon as Mrs. March enters the room, all girls rush immediately to attend to their matriarch. Even Mr.March gives direction from the warfront in a letter to his family. â€Å"I know they†¦ will do their duties faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women (p. 12). The enemies the sisters must face in the first few chapters are selfishness, temper, discontent and quarrelsomeness. The will defeat their enemies as long as they can exercise self-control. To fail in theses endeavors would be to deny the wishes of their mother and father: possibly the worst offense they can imagine.Jo is most obvious example of subversion of cultural and parental norms. Initially she wants nothing to do with marriage and the domestic life. Jo feels her temper is her greatest fault. When she has nearly given up on her efforts to control herself, Marmee steps in to advise her. â€Å"I am angry nearly every day of my life, Jo. But I have learned not to show it; and I still hope to learn not to feel it, though it may take me another forty years to do so. † Mrs. March is the model of the virtue. It does not matter if she is speaking from her own experience or not. It is that Marmee knows exactly what to say to mend her frazzled daughter (p. 8). Laurie, who is a male equivalent to Jo, is kind and generous, but also spoiled, undisciplined and lazy. His family demonstrates the consequences of not loving and caring before family above all else. Laurie’s father ran away from the elder Mr. Lawrence to marry a woman against the wishes of his father. Whatever happened to Laurie’s father and mother we do not know; only that they had died. Of course Laurie changes over time with the influences of all the March women. In fact his becomes a member of the family long before he is wed to Amy. They called him â€Å"brother† throughout the novel.Laurie embraced the March girls like a brother in speech and manner. When Beth was sick with Scarlet fever he called for Mrs. March to return without the girls knowledge. (p. 179) He made this decision against the will of Hannah and it demonstrates his important place as a loving member of the March family. By the time Meg has married John Brooke, she is living away from the family home but is as dedicated to her mother as ever. When the Demi and Daisy are young Meg struggles to care for her little ones, forsaking all other responsibilities. Her marriage suffers and John soon felt like an unwelcome figure in his home.Meg feels she has been wrong and pleads her case to Marmee. Meg is surprised to discover she is the one responsible for the stained relationship. â€Å"You have only made the mistake that most young people make,—forgotten your duty to your husband in y our love for your children† (p. 376). Once Meg allowed John to take care of the discipline of Demi, she finds he is better at controlling their son and she is saved the energy and fret. While Mrs. March never insisted all her daughters be married, there is suggestion that whatever choices they make must meet the approval of their parents.When Jo learned Mr. Brooke was interested in marrying Meg, she protests the idea of a marriage. Mrs. March assures Jo that Meg will not leave the family quite yet. â€Å"Your father and I have agreed that she shall not bind herself in any way, nor be married, before twenty† (p. 196). This line suggests that such a life decision was not wholly up to Meg, but would be made at their discretion. Often Little Women seems to be a guidebook for women transitioning from girls to motherhood. Despite their different hopes for the future all of the women become adoring wives and mothers.Joe gives up writing â€Å"trash† for money and writes what is in her heart, but her work became secondary to her job as mother to her own children and the boys in her little school. Amy never stops drawing but gives up her dreams of painting in Rome and Paris for a domestic life with Laurie. Meg, who wanted to be married all along, gives up her desire for money and servants for the love of a good and decent man. Through the characters and events in the book, Alcott promotes devotion, self-restraint and loyal for the betterment of family and above all else.

Persuasive Essay on Adoption

Homosexual Couples Should Be Allowed to Adopt New Jersey’s statewide parenting legislation espouses a progressive stance on the matters of same-sex parenting and child care in the processes of adoption and foster parenting. The Garden State allows for same-sex adoption; allows single homosexuals to adopt; and allows second parent same-sex adoption (â€Å"Same-Sex Adoption Laws,† n. d. ). New Jersey has passed progressive laws and policies that prohibit discrimination charged against gay individuals in the adoption process (Sudol, 2010).New Jersey state law also bans discrimination against gay individuals in the foster parent process (2010). New Jersey Statutes Annotated 9:3-43 enables for any person to adopt permitted the said person(s) pass a background investigation and meet adoption criteria for eligibility(N. J. S. A. 9:3-43). Unmarried joint adoptive parents petitioning to adopt a child can do so because of N. J. S. A. 9:3-43. In re Adoption of two Children by H. N . R. , 666 A. 2d 535 (N. J. Super. 995) permits second parent adoption; this statute exercises the possibility for an individual to petition for shared rights of custody with a parent who already possesses legal parental custody of a child. Several states prohibit joint adoption due to unmarried status. This statute is favorable for unmarried parents seeking to adopt in New Jersey. This New Jersey statute provides for an overall tolerant atmosphere for queer individuals and couples looking to adopt or become foster parents. In summary, laws and policies regarding same-sex adoption vary from state to state.The three common forms of adoptive guardianship are individual (single) parent adoption, joint adoption, and second parent adoption. Firstly, the most traditional type of adoptive parents is the single parent adoption. This is where an unmarried individual adopts a child that has been put up for adoption by the birth parent or by the state. Secondly, joint adoption is when an unmar ried couple can petition the court to adopt a child. Lastly, in the case of a second parent adoption, one parent has legal guardianship over a child and a second parent petitions the court to become a legally recognized co-parent.Bans on gay marriage vary state by state, as a consequence, gay couples cannot petition for adoption as a married couple but, as single individuals. This creates the opportunity for gay couples to become legal parents of foster children since most states prevent unmarried couples from adopting. As a result of state to state differences in the question of gay adoptive parents, second-parent adoptions are either permitted or the laws are unclear (Montana, 2009). Montana (2009) argues that ambiguity in court decisions are prevalent regarding gay second parent adoption petitions.Montana (2009) asserts how a state’s unclear and ambiguous position on second parent adoption places the decision on the judge to rule according to his or her personal beliefs co ncerning homosexuality rather than the letter of the law. The courts of twenty-one states including Washington, D. C. have granted second-parent adoption availability to several individuals applying to become legal second parents or co-parents of former foster children (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006).Mississippi law bars same-sex couples from all possibilities of adoption but, allows the viability for single gays and lesbians to adopt (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). In Utah and New Hampshire, all unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation are allowed to adopt (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). The following states allow adoption by openly gay and lesbian couples: Florida, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D. C. Social movements and countercultures during the 1960’s and 1970’s emerged and challenged institutionalized oppression.The Civil Rights movement addressed the pli ght of African Americans in a viciously racist society. Gay rights and the feminist movement actively subverted traditional gender norms through political activism. The American public’s disapproval of the Vietnam War served as the political platform to advance anti-war, civil rights, feminist, and queer political agendas in the increasing struggle for equal rights in a discriminatory inequitable society. The social movements of the 60’s and 70’s impacted the traditional views of adoption in the United States.The trend of challenging the dominant society’s oppressive social structures that best represent the interests of the dominant group, influenced society to question adoption laws during the 1970’s (Montana, 2009). Much like today, openly gay applicants were barred from adoption. The majorities of the cases was and still are second-parent adoptions, in which the biological parent is the legal guardian and their life partner petitions the state court to adopt (Montana, 2009). Adopting a child that is unrelated to either partner is still difficult in contemporary society; however, it is o longer illegal in most states (Montana, 2009). The seventies birthed professional organizations designed to advocate for disenfranchised oppressed groups. One of the most renowned organizations that continues to engage in public education and legal activism is Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal’s mission is to achieve full equality and secure the legal protection of the LGBT community. Throughout the 1970s, Lambda Legal was instrumental in winning some of the nation's first court cases on behalf of gay and lesbian parents and same-sex couples (Lambda Legal, n. . ). Since its inception in the seventies, Lambda Legal has battled to institute policy change, social change through political and legal activism, and to shape new positive attitudes about the LGBT community through educational awareness. For instance, a landmark court case, Finstuen v. Edmondson, was a paramount victory for LGBT individuals and same-sex parents everywhere. In 2004, the Oklahoma legislature exacted a punitive law that rendered children orphans if adopted in other states by same-sex couples.Thus, when their families returned, moved to or traveled through Oklahoma, the parents’ legal custody over the newly adopted children is not recognized by the state of Oklahoma. The three families in this case were headed by same-sex couples with children adopted in Washington, New Jersey and California respectively. Two of the families moved to Oklahoma. In the legal defense of the three families, Lambda Legal argued that the law is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment violating the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses. All legal parents have a fundamental right to care for and raise their children, which is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution (Lambda Legal, n. d. ). Lambda Legal remains active in challenging discriminatory laws and policies on the local and state level that work to invalidate the legal adoptions of children by same-sex parents. Lambda Legal secured pivotal wins for the LGBT community’s adoptive parents in its most recent trials; these trials are similar to the Oklahoma court case where the rights of same-sex couples and their adopted children were denied. The Evan B.Donaldson Adoption Institute is another notable organization that partnered with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to produce a legal document to ensure ethical practice and policy to secure the well-being of same-sex adoptive families. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and the NASW Illinois chapter are dedicated to promote the best interests of children by engaging in research regarding adoption. The adequate education and training of child welfare professionals encourages fundamentally sound and ethical practice when interacting with the gay community. In an effort to fight for ethical public policies and laws for same-sex adoption, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute immerses itself in political activism to apply pressure to local and state political officials to consider issues that inhibit the likelihood of same-sex parents for homeless foster children. The number of children in need of homes is steadily increasing; organizations like the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and Lambda Legal are instrumental in changing the willingness of adoption agencies to accept same-sex parents. Organizational response creates room for social change.Although the debate about same-sex adoptive parents continues to gain national attention, state, local courts and adoption agencies will continue to arbitrarily deny or accept same-sex petitions for adoption if the federal government does not intervene to standardize this issue by implementing an overriding national policy. Ryan Nishimoto, author of â€Å"Marriage Makes Cents: How Law ;um p; Economics Justifies Same-Sex Marriage,† suggests that society’s objections against same-sex marriage and same-sex adoptive parents are rooted in homophobic sentiments, religious views, and denigrating stereotypes (Nishimoto, 2003).The Supreme Court has historically undermined the gay rights question in contemporary American law (Nishimoto, 2003). The Supreme Court shares the general public’s sentiments about homosexuality’s immoral nature which deems same-sex couples unfit for marriage and parenting (Nishimoto, 2003). The prohibitions on same-sex marriage intimately impact the legal and economic dimensions of homosexual relationships. Marital benefits heterosexual couples receive do not apply to same-sex couples looking to adopt.Nishimoto (2003) lists how same-sex partners are excluded from insurance awards, social security benefits, public pensions, worker's compensation, income tax benefits, and estate tax benefits. Being that gays are not able to mar ry, their partners are not considered spouses. As a result, same-sex â€Å"unions† and â€Å"partnerships† are not legally recognized to qualify for the aforementioned benefits that heterosexual couples reap. This reality complicates adoption and custody cases for LGBT same-sex couples. Same sex couples must file for a second parent adoption so that both artners have legal custody over the adopted child. This process is emotionally draining and financially costly; a petitioning gay or lesbian parent faces extensive social work assessment to establish suitability (Nishimoto, 2003). State laws can prohibit same-sex second-parent adoption nullifying the possibility of a couple possessing joint custody of a child. Once again, second-parent adoption may be unclear in state legislations. This leaves the decision to appeal a petition on the court judge. A couple’s opportunity to gain joint custody relies on the judge’s personal views on homosexuality (Nishimoto, 2003).Nishimoto (2003) concludes the discussion of adoption and custody battles for LGBT couples by stating, â€Å"Thus, even if the parents overcome the lengthy, costly obstacles in their path, a judge may simply choose not to authorize the adoption. † Recommendation/Conclusion Interventions at the practice level can have far reaching benefits for same-sex parents and their children. Same-sex friendly foster agencies must engage in practice that does not further oppress the LGBT population with uninformed and unethical practice, policy, and unprofessional behavior.According to Sudol (2010) foster care agencies must cultivate a culture of inclusive practice integrated at the agency and case levels. At the agency level, staff training must have a comprehensive coverage of LGBT issues and topics; paperwork documentation, informational materials must use inclusive language, advertisements should portray a diverse representation of LGBT families, and inclusive recruitment effort s. Inclusive practice suggests that a practitioner uses culturally competent language as preferred by individual/family, avoids â€Å"outing† people, and includes other LGBT people/groups in family engagement/kin search (Sudol, 2010).In addition, Sudol (2010) adds that child welfare professionals and social workers alike, need to avoid focusing on the sexual identity of the individual/family by seeing the human not the identity. We strongly agree that the federal government must negotiate the contemporary question of same-sex parenting. It makes no sense for the federal government to give a blind eye and a deaf ear to same-sex parenting. Same-sex marriage coupled with this debate is gaining increasing attention as homosexuality gains legitimacy within the broader dominant society.The overview of current adoption law concerning lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents by the National Center for Lesbian Rights perfectly considers contemporary evidence justifying why LGBT parents are fit for adoption and why the Supreme Court must address this ensuing issue as opposed to leaving it for individual states to reconcile. One, a growing number of children lives in families with two same-sex parents. University of Maryland, Family Policy Impact Seminar, conducted research juxtaposing the rates of adoption in â€Å"gay-friendly† states in comparison to states with â€Å"anti-gay† policies.Studies showed that â€Å"gay-friendly† states adopted children and found permanent residencies as twice as much as â€Å"anti-gay† states. Two, sexual orientation is not relevant to parental ability. Discourse on the capabilities of same-sex parents to be adequate parents is governed principally by harmful stereotypes and moral judgments condemning homosexuality. â€Å"Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.Indeed, the evidence to date sugg ests that home environments provided by gay and lesbian parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children’s psychosocial growth. † (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002). Three, the need for adoptive homes and the increasing visibility of lesbian, gay, and bisexual parent families has contributed to a dramatic decrease in anti-gay discriminatory policies and practices on the part of adoption agencies and courts.Four, adoption provides legal protection to children of LGBT parents. The United States guarantees financial support, inheritance rights, social security benefits, retirement benefits, and state worker’s compensation benefits for children of heterosexual parents. The downfall to this is that current law is bias against LGBT couples. Children are not eligible for these benefits if the co-parent in a same-sex partnership is not legally recognized as a guardian.For example, if the child is sick and needs to be hosp italized, the second parent cannot give medical consent for treatment to his/her child. These incentives/benefits must apply to all children regardless of the parent’s marital status and sexual orientation. The LGBT community has made progressive strides for legal rights in the area of family law (NCLR, 2011). To strengthen and preserve the emotional health of a family in a same-sex parented household, society must change their traditional views of what constitutes a family.LGBT organizations remain fierce and persistent in advocating for equality and legal rights of the gay community. Custody, visitation rights, domestic partnership benefits, sick-leave benefits, marriage, and adoption are all arenas which the gay community continues to transform for their benefit (NCLR, 2011). Legal recognition of family relationships for same-sex families further enables courts, social welfare policies, and child welfare institutions to adopt LGBT inclusive protections. Mass media mirrors our society’s values and social attitudes.The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) encourages media outlets to recognize the highly increasing numbers of families with gay, lesbian and bi-sexual parents by incorporating their stories and experiences into the coverage of all issues related to families. The diversity of images in popular media aids in the reconstruction of the idea of the â€Å"ideal† family. It is more important than ever for literature, publication, television, cinema, advertisements, and music to be change agents in today’s society.Structural change may be slow; however, as a society we must realize that thousands of loving individuals and couples are being denied the chance of giving orphans a loving home. The numbers of orphans increasing in foster care services are disproportionate to the number of foster parents willing to adopt them. This fact alone without a shadow of a doubt calls to question the involvement federal govern ment to revise law and policy to integrate the needs of same-sex parents and the growing orphan problem in the United States.The investigation of same-sex parents continues to produce evidence suggesting that children growing up in same-sex households report feeling more tolerant of other groups. The quality of parenting and family functioning are not inhibited by the parent’s sexual orientation. Lastly, children raised by same-sex parents do not exhibit psychosocial and emotionally disruptive behaviors (Children Welfare Information Gateway, 2011). | |

Our Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan War Term Paper

Our Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan War - Term Paper Example The wars have been compounded by the influence of Al Qaeda and foreign fighters who have infiltrated in the country. These have seriously complicated the war on terror as a result of suicide attacks and kidnappings they employ. These have dealt a big blow to the reconstruction efforts being undertaken in the two countries and also continue to pose a big threat to global security. This is due to extremist tendencies which they seem to have perfected the world over with adverse effects to mankind. Iraq woes started with the discovery of oil and the subsequent scramble for oil by the US and Great Britain in 1930s. Since her independence in 1931, the country's political arena has been characterized by a series of coups and other political upheavals that led to the coming to power of Saddam Hussein in 1979 (The Iraq crisis, n.d, Para 5). Saddam, on coming to power immediately embarked on consolidation of his dictatorial powers and an ambitious territorial expansion campaign that led to on e of the longest battles in Asia involving Iraq and Iran. Iraq later went on to invade Kuwait in 1990 and occupy it which led to its fierce confrontation with the US alongside its NATO allies. Iraq was defeated and withdrew from the country. Saddam later went on to develop nuclear weapon facilities, a move that set him at odds with the international community. Sanctions were imposed on the country after it refused to cooperate with the UN arms inspectors. This protracted competition eventually culminated into the US invasion of the country. The ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003 led to a stream of devastation in the country caused by widespread looting and civilian bombings by pro -Saddam militias. This caused adverse effects to the countries infrastructure and a serious humanitarian crisis that called for urgent remedies. A civilian government was later installed to replace the fallen Saddam government. The move was expected to instill calm but achieved modest success due to lack of acceptance by the Iraqi people. In its counterattacks, the Iraqi forces put up fierce resistance and also attacked bases in Kuwaiti according to Lee (2009, Para. 8). Both the new government and the coalition forces continue to face heavy casualties as a result of attacks by the remaining insurgents helped by al Qaeda fighters.   Afghanistan has also had a series of uprisings since independence the most difficult period being the mujahedeen war against Russian communist occupation in the 1980s. This formed the very foundation of Al Qaeda through the inspiration of then the US-backed Osama Bin Laden. This makes the renegades a creation of US blunders in their strategies. Taliban did not pose a serious threat until they embraced Osama as their financier in exchange of allowing him to set up a base in the country. O

Designer Babies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Designer Babies - Research Paper Example Parents should be allowed to modify their unborn child’s genes only for health reasons, and not cosmetic reasons. There are a number of parents who are not able to give birth to children. This is because it is proven scientifically that the baby will have a genetic disease and the baby will die when they are still young or in some instances the baby might even die before they are born. Parents always wish for the best when it comes to their baby and thus, they should be allowed to modify their unborn babies but only for health reasons. Recent research has shown that by use of various genetic techniques, parents can be assisted in preventing certain genetic diseases. Thus, these genetic techniques save the baby from undue suffering and death as well as assist in reducing emotional strain that is associated in bringing up an ill baby and also reduces medical costs significantly. This will evidently lead to happier parents and their babies. Further research done recently has prov en that there a number of parents who are giving birth to spare part children in few cases whereby if one baby suffers from a serious blood disease, the parents use IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in selecting embryos in order to give birth to another baby who acts as a tailor-made, future bone marrow or blood donor. Such cases have shown that the baby will be born healthy and will assist the older baby stay well by being a donor (Bliss, 04). Where do we stop with enhancing and engineering unborn children? In instances like the spare part babies, it is unethical since doctors and parents are creating babies who act as an organ-donating factory and this should be discouraged at all cost. It is paramount to note that the fundamental issue of giving birth should be left to Mother Nature and when the spare part baby eventually grows up, they will be depressed once they discover that they born with the sole purpose of being an organ or blood donor. The principle behind giving birth is to ch erish and love the baby for what they are and not for what they can do for others (Naff, 08). Enhancing and engineering unborn children should strictly be done for health purposes only and not for cosmetic or spare part reasons. There is also a possibility of widening the already devastating imbalance between the poor and the rich since genetic techniques are extremely expensive and therefore only the rich can afford. This effectively means that only the rich will be able to eradicate genetic diseases in their families whereas the poor continue wallowing in the sea of genetic diseases (Murray and Dave Holmes, 11). The possibility of breeding a super-human race is indeed a reality since these designer babies will look down on those babies without genetic enhancements. Examples in reality are those people who are born with various disabilities and they are never comfortable when in the company of a normal person. They feel inferior and they also face intolerance. Thus, this discrimina tion against various people who are born with disabilities will evidently increase (Murray and Dave Holmes, 14). There is also the likelihood of parents being carried away in correcting perfectly healthy babies. This is possible since parents will always look for any opportunity to eliminate embryos since they have a gene for a particular disease and a dangerous trend will start

Equity and Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Equity and Trusts - Essay Example As anyone who has read Dickens, Bleak house will know, by the 18th century, equity had itself become rigid. The origins of the jurisdiction have been prevailed and the principles of equity can now be applied in every civil court in the land. One of equity’s greatest inventions has been the ‘trust’. The trust is a form of ownership that developed in England through the courts of Chancery. Trust can be defined as the written instruments that give title to or an interest in real estate. A trustee holds title on behalf of the lender, known as the beneficiary who is the legal owner. Trust law applies whenever one person has placed trust and confidence in another person to manage his or her affairs. The full force of the law of equity governs such relationships and the trust now provides a mechanism for a number of situations, family relationships, charities, pension funds, to name but a few. The common benefits that a trust offer includes are: (i) Providing financial a nd personal safeguard for family and other beneficiaries, (ii) Establishing a means of controlling or administering property, taxes, (iii) Meeting other social or commercial goals, and (iv) Postponing or avoiding unnecessary.

Effect of war on the African Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Representative and Direct Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Representative and Direct Democracy - Essay Example These systems of governance have many things in common, but despite that, they also have varying differences. The work at hand includes the relevant points linked to the actual differences between representative democracy and direct democracy. In an organization, people are supposed to be encouraged to interact and take their role as integral components of everything that is taking place. In a democratic government, people in as much as possible will have to work out everything for their interest. Policy initiatives will have to be established by the people themselves. There is a form of democracy that allows every member of a group or a nation to take part of the actual decision-making process (Lewis, 2013, p.13). This is a relevant feature of a direct democracy. In this democracy, people, especially those who have right to suffrage are required to take part in the parliament and be part of the making of the law, for instance. This activity might be politically sound if only employed in a small organization, where there is only a considerable number of participating individuals. However, in the case of a country having thousands and millions of people in a population, it might take a longer period of time prior to achieving the actual decision, because everybody, especially those who have established their rights and privileges must be able to take part of the actual making of the law. In other words, it is hard to maintain direct democracy, especially if there is involvement of higher population (Breton, 1997, p.60). Direct democracy was evident in the ancient Athens where especially the free male Athenian citizens at the age of more than 20 had the right to be part of the Assembly (Hansen, 2005, p.45). It is clear that the good thing about direct democracy is its ability to give people the power to decide, especially in voting and choosing their leaders.

Strategic Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic Information System - Essay Example y, the information system is used as an academic sort of study of the systems usually with some particular reference to information and complementary networks of software and hardware that organizations and the people use in collecting, creating, filtering, processing and distributing data. Any the information system normally aims at supporting the operations, decision-making and the management (Haav, 2009). The strategic systems usually are computer systems that normally implement the business strategies. They include the systems where the information service resources that are applied to the strategic business opportunities in a manner that the computer systems have a great impact on the organizations products as well as the business operations (Ulrich, 2010). The strategic information systems mostly are those that are developed in response to the corporate opportunities and the initiatives. The central idea usually comes from the business operational people and the information services that supply the technological abilities and the capabilities in realizing profitable results. Zara, one among the world’s largest companies of fashion had a simple and a unique type of focus in linking the customers demand to the manufacturing and consequently linked the manufacturing to the distribution. Their major issue has been related to the current information technology kind of platform that they use in operating their chain in the retail stores (Quintela VarajaÃŒÆ'o, 2010). The business model could be split into three main components which are; capabilities, concept and the value drivers. The most fundamental concept has been maintaining the production, the distribution and the design that eventually would enable the organization to be able to respond quickly to the shifts in the customer demands. The value drivers for the organization conclusively are tangible and intangible as well in the benefits that are usually brought back to the stakeholders (Barzdin, 2011).