Performing Purchasing Agent Duties Research Paper - 1

Performing Purchasing Agent Duties - Research Paper Example It operated in large scale with very flexible approaches to business decisions concerning the entrepreneurial skills where there is hierarchy but the ideas flows from the bottom-up and top-down. This paper therefore seeks to assess the role of the purchasing agents in the Waters Inc. company and develop a request for proposal for companies dealing in computer soft wares To obtain the information on the project that the company is yet to get into, this gives the opportunity for the company to learn about the project and determine whether the client is a good match that can help the company to prepare their bids and draw up contracts (Cheng, Farooq & Johansen, 2011). The questions will also help to make the client to be aware of the basic requirements and find out whether they are capable of meeting them. The company of the Waters Inc. has issued this request for proposal for an integrated document management software system that are set for implementation to meet the operational requirement of the of the various departments that may include building safety, finance and management services and even the administrations. The company request for Five Pentium two computers, each of the computer to be powered by 500 megahertz microprocessor that has a RAM of 32 MB and can be expanded up to the capacity of 500 MB of RAM and a hard drive of 8 gigabytes with 3.5 inch floppy disk drives. The purpose of this request for proposal (REP) is to give information that is sufficient to allow the interested parties (offerors) to prepare and submit their detailed proposals to the Waters Inc. finance department that is the treasury for consideration. Office in charge of issuing the computer soft wares (treasury) has issued this REP on behalf of the Waters Inc. Company. The only person to be contacted on matters relating to the soft wares in the Waters Inc.

Reaction Paper Essay Example for Free

Reaction Paper Essay The untold history Rizals reflections during the Spanish occupation had led him to predict and reveal the potential conditions that will come into existence in the Philippines after a century. Which in fact happened in the country. No one knows what was in his mind during that time but one can easily assume that he wrote a narrative description of the past events that accounts the unenlightened state of the Filipino people. These circumstances directly imply that the country is the ultimate victim of a disease diffused by Spain. This was the other side of the story that was not presented to numerous spectators of European discoveries. In line with this analysis, let me refer to the elementary teachings about the goal of European colonizers in establishing settlements in the country, the 3 Gs God, Gold, Glory. To be able to apply this in a consistent manner, the Spaniards tried to implement rules and policies to its colony to sustain its glory which was the source of the reduced number of Philippine inhabitants. In this case, this was a successful move made by Spaniards to maintain its supremacy. Furthermore, they continued to saturate them with their foreign beliefs. This then was the beginning of their God goal, they infused to the natives the Christian faith which exposed them to their so called higher faith which communicates that they are better and more intelligent than the natives. With this newly introduced faith, natives were attracted to a different lifestyle and culture. A culture filled with repeated prayers, songs, images of white-skinned saints and any other religious rites taught and performed by friars. Constantly practicing this, the natives became ashamed of what they originally have, their indigenous knowledge and activities were then condemned. Most of the Filipino people took them three centuries to realize that their culture and practices had undergone evolution. However, this does not suggests that Filipino people lack intellectual acuity to be fully aware of their impoverished condition. Because they are also humans conditioned to learn from their physical environment and with this they have the capacity to discover things that are happening around them. They found out that they can not anymore tolerate the new culture they are engaged to because it brought tension and stress to them. This was then a message to the Spaniards that they can no longer fool the natives whom they thought, in their first encounter with them, as ignorant and uneducated. Maybe what drove the Spaniards to describe the nature of the natives is their inferior feelings towards them. Their rich resources and environment wherein they easily adapted and their capacity to create implements and tools out of it. Of course there are several reasons why any colonizer would feel inferior to the Filipino people, not to mention Rizal who embodied the country through his achievements. Having realized all their misfortunes during the Spanish period, the Filipino people failed to use their culture as a form of resistance. This was the most brilliant and successful idea so far carried by the colonizers because they penetrated through the core of their civilization which eventually dismantled their diversed cultures. Which is also the reason that caused them to be indolent and moribund. They are so fond of peace that kept harmonious relations with the colonizers which also brought them to the extent of adhering to the established customs and doctrines. Rizal mentioned that improvement and growth of the country can be hindered due to the continuous brutalization of the Filipinos. The Filipino people during the Spanish colonization were divided in terms of ways how to overthrow the colonizers, as mentioned in class, the revolution from above and the revolution from below sets the division. Brutalization can either set a revolution in light of freedom or stagnation which causes primitiveness to remain among the people. As long as the Spaniards maintain their superiority to the natives, they are depriving them of its ability for self-determination which then their progress remains to be under control. Rizal wanted change by using reason and not through military engagement that is the reason he wrote several essays including this one to make the people be aware of its present condition. The Spaniards coerced the natives to indulge to the benefits of the newly found faith, however, we can not assumed that every move done by the Spaniards brought undesirable qualities to the native culture. Because in any particular situation, their contributions somehow caused the people to unite with other groups of the island. But going back to the three goals God, gold and glory, we can argue that God was taken advantaged by the friars to exploit the natural resources of the country. Taking for example the practice of giving tithes and offerings, ten percent is only asked for the tithes and offering is an act of contributing unconditionally to the church as an extension the Lords kingdom. And as long as Christianity is concerned, giving by coercion can not bring salvation to a certain person. The previous observations about the Spanish domination exposed the issue of monopolizing the knowledge and intelligence of the Filipino people. No one knows the exact reasons for such activity since they were pampered by the natives in such a way that the colonizers presumed that they are the superior race who have the power to dominate the lower ones. Even though colonizing the Philippines is not the real plan since it seems like a serendipitous one, they declared to the whole world that the new soil is another comparative value of which they are not for a reason that the treatment given to them by the original inhabitants of the island entails their superiority. This does not suggests that the blame is on the early natives who made contact with the dying visitors, instead it proposes the idea that the Europeans were only depending on their hypothesis about the unknown world found on the other side of the planet. It doesnt mean that the first people to develop navigational technologies and to set out to exotic places are those who can manipulate the entire world. With Rizals observations concerning the establishment of the Spanish colony and its creation of intitutions in the country. He laid the future conditions of the Philippines in great and careful detail. It is very astounding to find that he has a great mind in comprehending the conditions in the next hundred years! However, to avoid misinterpreting his abilities again, he is not a prophet who speaks predictions, he is just a mere writer interpreting and examining the general state of the country with the hope of bringing it to its own independent state.

The Third Parent :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Third Parent Once there was a princess who was born with three parents- a lovely mother, a wonderful father, and a third who was neither. The princess lived with her mother and father in a humble but charming little castle near the sea. The third parent lived inside the princess's head. The princess did not realize the existence of this parent for quite some time. It had hidden itself deep in her psyche, biding its time, waiting for precisely the right moment. It fed on her secret fears and weaknesses and grew strong on them. It watched her true parents stealthily through the princess's innocent eyes, waiting for them to look away for just one moment. They seemed unlikely to do so, as the princess was greatly cherished and well cared-for. In the princess's ninth year, however, the moment arrived. It was not the true parents' fault. They were only human. Still, it was rather unfortunate. The princess was, by nature, a blithe little soul. She loved to sing and dance and play in the courtyard with her younger brother and the royal pets. When not at play in the sun, she was equally happy retiring to her sunny yellow bedroom, where the curtains were laughing daisies and baby animals romped on the walls. There she would rest with a stack of books given her by the Old King, her father's father, and read contentedly for hours. One day the young king and queen had to face a sad matter, and for just one moment their attention was turned from their daughter. The princess came into her room one day to find her mother weeping. When told the reason why, the princess wanted to weep too, but could not. In that moment when her deepest fear had been realized, the Third Parent reached its full strength. "No crying," it said to her. "And no talking." It shooed the queen out of the little yellow room and, using the princess's own hands, locked the door behind her. There the princess remained as a prisoner to the Third Parent. The animals on the wall ceased their romping. The daisies no longer laughed. The sun disappeared from the window and the air grew heavy and still. Numbly, the princess crossed the darkened room to gaze into her mirror. She felt so cold and strange, she had to see if her appearance had altered.

College Admissions Essay: Passion for Life :: College Admissions Essays

A Passion for Life    I am a senior at Western High School. I am currently a member of the Honors program and I will be graduating in the spring of 2003. While at Western, I have been involved in many activities including; collegiate track, the fencing team, forensics, volunteer programs and foreign studies. Western has enabled me to broaden my knowledge in many areas of study. I have enrolled in many courses that have helped me become a well-rounded, educated individual.    I have a plethora of interests and experience's. My philosophy of life leads me to encounter many new adventures and challenges that I find immense interests in learning and conquering. My passion for life allows me to apply my endless energy into many hobbies, studies, and personal relationships. I will never loose my passion or my commitment to learning about life and the experience it offers.    I have enjoyed hiking the Southern Alps of New Zealand, swimming the salty waters of the Mediterranean Sea, brushing my hand over the smooth tiles of the Opera House of Sydney Australia, climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower of France, hearing the deep bells of Big Ben in London, witnessing the artistic beauty of the Sistine Chapel in Italy and many more memories that will be remembered and soon accompanied by more.    My close personal relationships are few, however, significantly important in my life and defining who I am. I have two sisters, Rebecca and Jennifer, who have helped me become the loving woman I am today. I have one brother, Nolan, who brought me under his wing as I grew and taught me the key to creativity. I have a father, John, who has shown to me the importance of honest hard work and unconditional love.

Molarity and Percent Solution Lab Essay

Objective: The objective of this lab was to determine the molarity and percent solution of a solution with an unknown concentration. Background: Molarity is the number of moles of a solute per liter of a solution. Percent solution is the percentage of a solute in a specific mass or volume of a solvent. A solute is a solid that gets dissolved in a solvent or a liquid that is a smaller amount than the solvent. A solvent is a liquid that dissolves the solute and it always is a larger amount. Solvation is when solute particles are surrounded by solvent molecules. A lab technique that was used during the lab was to boil the solution in order to separate the solute from the solvent. Materials List: – 10mL graduated cylinder – Solution with unknown concentration – Hot plate – Pipette – Hot grip – Scale – 100mL beaker Procedure: 1. Obtain the solution with the unknown concentration from Mrs. Magdaleno. 2. Measure the volume of the solution by pouring it in the 10mL graduated cylinder. Use the pipette to take out solution in the graduated cylinder until the volume was at 6mL. Record it in the data table. 3. Measure the empty 100mL beaker using the scale. Record it in the data table. 4. Pour the solution in the 100mL beaker. 5. Find the mass of the beaker and solution using the scale. Make sure to subtract original beaker mass from the mass of the beaker and solution. 6. Boil the solution to separate the solute from the solvent by using the hot plate set to nine. 7. Once all the water has evaporated use the hot grips to remove the beaker from the hot plate and let cool. Find the mass of the beaker and solute using the scale. Make sure to subtract beaker mass from the beaker and solute mass. 8. Use the data from the data table to solve for molarity and percent solution. Observations: – The water started to boil and evaporate when it was on the hot plate. – It smelt like the salt was burning. – Some salt spilled out on the lab station when the water completely evaporated. Data Table: |Volume of solution (L) |6mL=0.006L | |Mass of beaker (g) |68.95g | |Mass of solution and beaker(g) |75.06g | |Mass of solution(g) |6.12g | |Mass of solute and beaker(g) |69.41g | |Mass of solute(g) |0.46g | Results: A: Molarity B: Percent Solution Conclusion: The molarity that was calculated for the unknown solution was 1.31M. The percent solution that was calculated for the unknown solution was 7.52%. A procedural that would have led to a lower concentration value was when some salt spilled out onto the lab station after all of the water had evaporated from the beaker. Another error that would result in a higher concentration would be if the beaker was not dry when the mass was measured with the scale. Something that could be done differently to lead to a more accurate concentration would be to take the beaker off the hot plate sooner and not let the salt sit and burn or come out of the beaker.

Culture Essays

Culture Essays Culture Essay Culture Essay This Chapter attempts the review of various definitions of Culture. It also tries to bring out the common characteristics of culture In various deflations, which Include being dynamic and transmittable from generation to generation. Factors that can influence culture in a particular society and how people can come into contact with the culture of another society are also highlighted. Some aspects of the Nigerian ultra heritage were discussed while the problems of neglect of our culture, looking down on some aspects of our culture while paying more attention to other peoples cultural heritage are also discussed. Recommendations on how to preserve our cultural heritage are made to both Individuals and the Nigerian Government. DEFINITION OF CULTURE The word culture has various definitions. Different writers attach different meanings to it. Humanists, Sociologists and Anthropologists have different meanings to the concept of culture according to their orientations. Culture according to Eke (1989) Is construct (with diverse applications). Used In an attempt to analyze and interpret events and Ideas In a broad spectrum of areas of society. In Its broadest sense, culture embraces the total repertoire of human actions which are socially transmitted from generation to generation. One of the foremost anthropologists that ever lived, Tyler (1871) defined culture as a configuration of institutions and modes of life. He defined culture as that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society. Musses. 1963), on his own defined culture In terms of reservoir of knowledge that Is characteristic ways of thinking and feeling, attitudes, aspirations and ideals. Foster (1962) defined culture as the common learned way of life shared by members of a society, consisting of the totality of facts, techniques, social institutions, attitudes, beliefs, motivations and systems of values known to a group. The Comparatives Education Study and Adaptation Centre (CEASE)(1979) simply defined culture as the way people live which consists of a system of Ideals, values, beliefs, knowledge and customs transmitted from generation to generation within a social group. According to CEASE (1 979, this way of life includes arrangements and methods of obtaining food from the environment and adapting to it. It also includes beliefs, religion and moral behavior. One of the common characteristics of the above definitions includes the fact that culture is learned, acquired, transmitted or diffused through contact or other media of communications General Studies), 2001 From one generation to another and from one society to the other. Man learns culture through the process of colonization, imitation, personal experience and through deliberate indoctrination or teaching. Bearable (1970) opined that the individual inculcates the requisite values which enable the society to survive and be perpetuated. Another notable common feature of culture includes the fact that though some cultural practices die hard, culture generally is dynamic and not static and so can lie modified or changed as circumstances dictate. The learning of culture is a lifelong process, it continues from cradle to the grave. As a person grows and assumes new roles, he continues to learn the ways of life which fits his status in the society. The content of what he learns vary from society to society and from one stage o another as the society develops. On the whole, there is an important relationship between the society and the individual which is mediated by culture thus enabling the society TO attain its goals. CLASSIFICATION OF CULTURE Culture has many aspects and can be categorized into two, namely, material and non-material cultures. (a) Material Culture: Consists of the products of mans industry or works of Art e. G. Carving, food, dress, pots, paintings, weapons, cloths, houses, etc They are objects, which are peculiar to a society, and man has learned to make them using the available resources in the society and his knowledge. These objects are used to satisfy certain needs in the society. (b) Nons are language, dance, religion, music, literature, morals and values such as freedom, JusticeÃ'› honesty, love, beauty etc. Every society has its own culture. In Nigeria for example, there are several groups of people. These are the Your. Bobbie, Nanas. Fulfill, the Hausa, the Gobo, the Kanji, the Tip and the Robot Just to mention a few Each of these has its own culture FACTORS INFLUENCING CULTURE There are many factors that can-influence culture in a society. Some of these factors include: Physical Environment: Physical environment influences culture. For example, the Your live on land and this influences them to have legends and beliefs centered on land, agriculture and earth gods. On the other hand, the Jaw people who live in revering area, centre their legends on water, fishes and water goddesses. Occupation: the nature of work of people influences their culture, especially their mode of dressing, eating and thinking. While the Fulfill pastoralist lace a high value on cattle Leading issues in General Studies: Humanities Social Sciences, (Book of Reading for General Studies), 2001 And pasture, the Gobo or Your has no such values for cattle and pasture bin on agriculture and trading, affects the ways he views problems and the environment and his manner of choosing wife, getting married, raising children and caring for the aged. People tend always to judge the cultures of others in terms of their own. Generally, people feel that their culture is superior or better than any other culture. They believe that another culture s good provided it does what their culture does. For example, they feel that their own language is the best language and people who speak the same language show a higher degree of trust and love for one another. The feeling of the superiority of ones culture as compared to others is known as ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is not good because it hinders friendship and understanding between people and different cultures. No culture is superior to another. Culture Relativism: There is no universal standard which man can use to evaluate culture as either good or bad. We can understand other peoples customs only when we relate these customs to their culture, this is known as culture relativism. When we relate peoples customs to their culture, we shall be able to know what their culture is all about. For instance, it is wrong to say that because the Muslims do not eat pork, they are more civilized than the Christians are. We should be objective in our assessment of others, and in other to be objective, we need to interpret other peoples customs and behaviors in the context of their own culture. Culture relativism helps to Judge and interpret others customs objectively. It removes biases and promotes mutual understanding and peaceful living together. Sub-culture. This is when a minority culture is practiced within a larger culture. In complex industrial societies, there are sizable numbers of people who share certain Values, customs and beliefs with that larger culture, even when they have their own customs called subculture which they share within their own ethnic group but not with the rest of the society. In Nigeria for example, the Gabon-agar areas of the Hardbound, Gabbling, etc. Contain minority people who retain their own picture within the larger culture. Similarly, the foreigners living in Nigeria retain their own subculture e. G. Language, food, dress, etc. Which they share within themselves, while they still share part of the larger culture in order to keep their existence in Nigeria Language: Language is the pivot of culture because it allows human beings to express themselves in a way which can be understood by others. No society exists without the language of its own. All human cultures are based on language and all human languages even including those of non-literate people are efficiently complex to transmit the full totality of a human culture. Language, whether verbal or nonverbal enables man to acquire the culture of his society. CULTURE CONTACT This is when a society or a person acquires the language, religion, politics, etc. Of another society or person through contact. People copy some items of culture from other society, particularly neighboring societies, for example, most Nigerian copied new forms of dress, writing, speaking, eating habits, etc. From the Europeans Leading issues in General Studies: Humanities Social Sciences, (Book of Reading for General Studies), 2001 People come in contact with the culture of others as a result of internal and external movements from their societies. People move to other societies to seek marriage so as to live with family members. People also move to undergo trainings, attend schools, colleges and other institutions of higher learning. In Nigeria, the Federal Government has also established the National Youth Service Corps, the Unity Schools to pro note the movement of people deliberately Effects of Culture-contact on Contemporary Nigerian Culture-contact has helped Nigerian to have respect for and tolerate different ultras of Nigeria. It contributes to the economic development of different places. It promotes peace and harmony and reduces conflicts. Culture contact results in marriage of people of different cultures and in that way it encourages the growth of families which cut across different cultures. It contributes to the development and integration of Nigeria. It helps people to work as one people to achieve common goals. It makes Nigerian to work together to maintain one identity. Culture-related words are learnt from one society to the other. It enables Nigerian to live and work anywhere in the country. It enables Nigerian to work as brothers and sisters and as friends. NIGERIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE According to Broom and Clinics in Awed et. Al (1983), culture in itself, is a mans entire social heritage I. E. All the knowledge, beliefs, customs and skills acquired as a member of society. Thus people become distinctively human by the acquisition of culture. Culture presumes the existence of a human society and provides, the necessary skills for making society work. Below is some of the Nigerian cultural heritage as enumerated by CEASE (1980). Art: By this we mean fine arts which present whatever is beautiful or whatever appeals to the taste which man creates. Examples are carving, painting, and architecture. Some works of art can be seen in Ill-life, Benign, Ibid and Oho. They are used in ceremonies e. G. The terracotta beads of Ill-life, the bronze head of Benign and Fife, the NOOK figure of the Niger, Venue and Iron and the brass works of Ibid. Art depicts the culture of a people and the theme always reflects the pre-occupation of that community. Language: This is the pivot of all communication whether verbal or written. Every language is able to express the dead needed for life in that community. There are many languages in Nigeria. Language enables man to express what he has in mind; it helps to preserve the tradition of the community. Oral Literature: This includes poetry, play or drama, folk- tales, music and songs. Music is an integral part of ones culture. Each ethnic group in Nigeria has its own traditional music being played at ceremonies whether religious or social connected with manage, funerals. Birth house warming, hunting, etc. Music brings life and meanings to our culture and traditions. Music is usually accompanied either by drums or other musical instruments such as flutes, gongs, bells, horns, rattles and trumpets. The Hausa music for example, makes use of Kananga. The Fulfill, Gobo and Tip make use of movement alone while the Your music makes use of talking drums. Leading issues in General Studies: Humanities Social Sciences, (Book of Reading for General Studies), 2001 Dance: is used to accompany music. In Nigeria today, there are many types of dances. Examples of such dances are the Geol. of Hausa, the Juju the physique of the body and strengthens the faith of the people in their duties specially in those communities that dance during festivals to please their gods. Poetry: This is a form of literature used to record feelings about an event or experience. It is used during important occasions like funeral ceremony of a hunter, a warrior or great leader. The poet sings their dirge recounting the activities of the heroes during their lifetime. Poetry serves as a corrective weapon to erring leaders. In Your land, there are many Ewe exponents, who usually Chant about the ills of the Nigerian society Technology: These are inventions of people which include the weapons and tools seed by man. Traditional weapons like bows, arrows, hoes, cutlasses, axes are used to kill animals, to farm and to fight their enemies. Clothing: This includes the various types of clothes we wear. The various ethnic groups wear their own types of clothes; for example, a typical Your man wears gasbag, gabbier. Etc. The Husband Fulfill wear dong and turban while the Gobo wears shifts. Singled, and hats. The clothes we wear tell much about our culture. It identifies us. Through it, we can identify a king, a soldier, a prisoner, etc. Clothing also helps to communicate the mood of a person e. . One who is bereaved may show it by wearing black cloths. Agriculture: In Nigeria, agriculture reveals the culture of a people; for example, the Your people grow food crops like yam, cassava, etc. And hence they are farmers. The people of the Importance animal husbandry because the grassland favors the growth of cereals and cattle. At the seaside, people fish and thus the culture of the people include fishing. The ways by which the Nigerian ethnic groups grow their food items are associated with religious festivals, which form part of their culture. Religions: Religious beliefs include airships and ceremonies. These activities bring people together and form part of their culture. Some of the religious worships and ceremonies reconnected with important events in the society such as the death of a king and the new yam festivals, Most ethnic groups in Nigeria believe in God who cannot be approached easily hence,they approach Him through different divinities. It is as a result of this that the Your people believe in the worship of Gun (god of iron) and Gangs (god of thunder). These ethnic group also believe that they come from the earth and they will also return to the earth. They in other words believe in reincarnation or life after death and that is the reason why they offer rituals to gods for their deeds. PROBLEMS, PROSPECTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Looking at the happenings in Nigeria today, one observes that our culture has not been given the necessary encouragement it deserves. While the government attitude towards culture in recent years has changed, much has not been achieved for the development of our country. General Studies), 2001 Most of the problems we have in Nigeria concerning our cultural heritage are that most individuals and government are looking down on our irritate. Agriculture has for a long time Benedictine while the economy of Nigeria is centered on oil. Instead of making use of things belonging to us as heritage, we world today did not reach their current heights in technology by looking down on their cultural heritage. They did not start their development plans by looking for everything they needed from outside. They did not look down on their heritage as things irrelevant to their developments Japan, the leading world electronics producer started her Journey to the top by imitation. Using the available resources from thin, before perfection stage was reached. In realizing the role of culture in our development, governments must effect some developmental programmers. There is the need to revive those good and useful aspects of our culture. The Governments at Federal. State and Local levels should continue to encourage Nigerian scientists and liberal art experts in their quest towards scientific and technological feats Some Nigerian have been providing their worth and expertise whiles outside the country than when they were residing in. The country. Higher institutions of learning should e adequately funded so as to contribute their quota to the realization of the dreams of the country by carrying out more researches in the field of Arts Sciences and Technology through organization and promotion of our traditional festivals and folklores to attract tourists. The exhibition of our products both within and outside the country should be encouraged and financed by the government. Our Western- trained scholars need to be re-orientated as well as the general public on the need to promote our culture. Qualified Nigerian should be deployed to implement our developmental programmers. We do not need to bring in foreign experts with their own cultural systems entitled knowledge of our culture to man of our industries. Agriculture should . Be given more attention and the rightful pride of place in the country. Application of traditional implements will go a long way to annihilate the sufferings people encounter in practicing modern agriculture, more so when the modern implements are hard to come by. Individuals should stop deriding our culture while allowing foreigners to take such values to their countries We need to have a historical record of our past cultural activities and from this historical respective; we will be able to know our failures and achievements, which in turn would be of benefit in starting a good course for our future developments.

Reflective Portfolio The WritePass Journal

Reflective Portfolio Abstract Reflective Portfolio ). Initially, I felt I should wait until the right job came along, but I was advised by a friend that I should take any job within the organisation and then work my way into the position I wanted. Many jobs are advertised internally first in many employers, not just B.A. (Williams 2010). The airline industry as a whole is large, and is likely to expand particularly if the trend for cheap air travel continues. Globally, there are approximately 2000 airlines with 23,000 aircraft serving over 3500 airports. By 2006, air travel growth was approximately 5% year on year, and capacity was thought likely to double by 2021 (Hencke 2006). Within the UK, aviation is a significant contributor to the economy, with UK airports handling 230 million passengers a year. UK manufacturing, technology and service providers in the industry are considered world leaders. Nearly 150,000 people are employed in the UK directly within the industry, and the sector contributes nearly  £10 billion to GDP (The Air League [online] 2014). The strength and likelihood of growth of the sector, while not directly motivating me to want to join the industry, certainly give me confidence that I will be able to have a life-long career within the industry. In terms of different organisations, the industry i s dominated by a few large organisations, although low-cost players have changed the situation somewhat. British Airways is the largest operator, followed by Virgin Atlantic Airways. British Midland and Easy Jet are also well known. UK companies face competition from overseas providers as well (Belobaba et al 2009). I was especially drawn to working for British Airways as they are the largest provider in the UK, and as such I feel I will have more opportunities for career development. But because many other companies operate globally, I feel I am in a good position to move to different organisations in the future, not least because I speak a number of languages. Given the large number of jobs in the sector, it is unsurprising that there are a wide range of occupations and roles. The type of jobs available can be divided into three main sections: ground handling services (e.g. baggage handling), airport operations (e.g. terminal manager, customer support) and airline operations (e.g. ground handling, cabin crew etc) (National Careers Service 2014). Of the choices, I have decided to focus on roles which directly progress out of the role I am now occupying. In particular, I have mapped out a possible career development path. First, I will go for a Future Talent Customer Service Manager (FTCSM) position, which I can move to after 12 months in this role. After this I can progress to a Customer Service Manager (after 2 years), and, beyond this, to an In-Flight Business Manager (IBM). I have chosen this particular development path having considered and rejected another. In the other path I would take a less customer-facing role, becoming a Duty Off ice Manager (DOM) or Turn Around Manager (TRM). The first looks at the management of crew, while the second deals with the mechanics of putting aircraft back in the air quickly and efficiently. My decision to go for the first career route was guided by my skills in dealing with people. I feel I have demonstrated empathy with different types of people, and am practiced at dealing with people’s problems. I care about people, want them to enjoy their experiences and want to continue to be very hands-on, if not with the public then with other employees. I also feel that there’s a more defined and visible career path in the first set of roles, as I can move from FTCCSM to CSM and to IBM, and beyond. In terms of my chosen career progression, there are a number of skills and abilities the ideal candidate will have. These are not specific to B.A. or the aviation industry, but are needed across all customer service and people facing roles. A CSM/FTCSM should have: Good leadership skills Planning ability Understanding and acting on feedback Communication ability Networking ability Flexibility The ability to manage stress and pressure as well as cope with job challenges Be able to deal with conflict (Evanson 2011) In terms of this ideal checklist, I believe I already possess several of these requirements. That is, I feel I am able to deal with conflict in a low-key, non-confrontational manner (a skill honed during my time as a bouncer), I can manage stress and pressure, I am fairly good at planning, understanding feedback and communication. This is not to say I cannot improve in these areas, but I feel that the areas in which my personal profile is most mismatched with the ideal job candidate profile are: Leadership Networking Flexibility I will explore in more detail my personal circumstances and their match to the ideal profile in the next section. 3. Current Career Circumstances This section looks at my background in terms of career history, strengths and weaknesses. I then assess my competencies in terms of the ideal candidate profile I outlined in the last section. Finally, I identify areas for improvement in relation to this profile. Currently, I am working as a member of cabin crew. I have 6 months experience. I felt this position will help me advance in the industry as a whole. My previous career history has given me some very useful experience. I have had a variety of jobs from modelling to being a bouncer. While many of these positions might be considered ‘low level’ I feel they have taught me to deal with many different types of people, particularly people who are aggressive or who attempt to manipulate. Having dealt with so many tricky people, I feel I have a strong intuition about what people’s real motives are, as opposed to what they say they are motivated by, and also an ability to communicate with all sorts of people without making situations worse. Before I started my current job, I knew I wanted to work within the airline industry. I was also attracted to B.A. as I had heard they were a good employer (indeed.com [online] 2014). I treated the application process as a way of learning how to improve my interview skills. I applied to some organisations not because I especially wanted the advertised job, but in order to brush up on these skills, and become familiar with a range of the interview styles which exist in different companies. Some organisations, for example, use stress techniques to see how you cope under pressure (Parkinson 2002), others put you in either a very structured or an unstructured situation, both of which elicit different types of responses and require different approaches (Lehman and DuFrene 2010). During my 6 months in this job, I have come up against a number of new challenges which have made me more aware of my strengths and weaknesses in terms of the job I am ideally looking for. I have found that people tend to assume that working as a member of the cabin crew is easy particularly for men. Indeed, there’s a strong ‘trolley dolly’ stereotype (Bolton Boyd 2003), which I have found frustrating at times. In fact, cabin crew work is a difficult job demanding good time management, concentration, the ability to think ‘on your feet’ and solve problems quickly, and an ability to get on with many different sorts of people. In addition, you need to pass a number of tests. For example for the BA mixed fleet crew the tests include health, criminal record and different aircraft licenses. I have found out in this job that I am good at listening to others. I feel I have a natural empathy with others and want to listen to what they are saying, rather than try and organise them into my way of doing things. However, and perhaps this is connected with this strength, I am not naturally forceful and good at leading others. In fact, if I am faced with a domineering or overpowering customer, I tend to give in and do what they want. This creates problems for me, for example if what they want is against the company rules. I think if I had more leadership ability, I would be better able to convince such people that the way I want them to behave is the right one for them as well. I also feel I do not currently demonstrate leadership skills. When in group meetings I tend to hang back and do not put my point of view across. I also feel I do not make the best use of situations. For example, I was asked to train up a new member of my team, but I felt I did not do this well, I felt und er-confident of what I was doing and I think I confused the person I was training. In addition to the areas of improvement I need to work on, which I will discuss more in the next section, I need to look at ways in which I can achieve my goal of a management position. I believe that my experience so far has helped a great deal. I have already had 6 months experience working as a member of cabin crew, so I understand the mechanics of this industry, but also of this particular job. After all, many people have to spend several months, if not years, volunteering to get similar experience of their desired industry, and I have had the luck to be paid for getting to this stage. Another benefit of being in the industry is that I have had a chance to build contacts already. Networking is an extremely powerful tool for getting the job you want (Souza 2010) and continues to be useful once in the job. After all, networking can be defined simply as creating opportunities, improving relationships with other people and making useful contacts. In a job, these benefits deepen over time, as you develop a more permanent network (Fisher 2011). As such, it is useful to career progression. Another skill I need to learn is flexibility. After all, as Pryor and Bright (2011) point out, the 21st Century workplace is characterised by change. Being able to adapt to change, not to expect the workplace to stay the same for years (or even months) and having a portfolio approach to a career are becoming increasingly important. I recognise that I am somewhat inflexible, and that change scares me. I naturally prefer the security of some sort of routine. However, there are things I can do to become more flexible. To some extent, working as cabin crew has helped improve my adaptability and increased the extent to which I can have a positive response to change, as I am never 100% sure where I’ll be going over the next months, and I have become aware that people can be very different in their demands and expectations. As I deal so much with members of the public, I have learnt to adapt to circumstances as they come up in a consistent way. I think there is more I can do in this area though. To summarise, there are some key areas which I need to work on: developing my management skills (including communication) and improving my networking, as well as being more flexible and open to change. I have covered networking and flexibility in this section, and will look at leadership in the next section. 4. The Development of Key Skills: Leadership This section evaluates the personal development tools I have used to improve my leadership skills, as it has been identified above as one of the areas I need to work on. I have had extensive working experience in a variety of positions, but have not really worked in a position where I have had to lead others. This initially made me wonder if I had what it takes to be a leader, but a number of things we covered in the module have convinced me that I can lead others. Other gaps include networking skills and flexibility. Theoretical learning about leadership has helped expand my horizons in terms of career development. Before I started the module, I believed that leaders are born, not made, and that one either is or is not the sort of person who can lead others. However, we learnt about different theories about leadership, and also about ways leadership can be developed. The idea that leaders are born is also known as the ‘great man’ theory of leadership (Daft 2007). A similar theory is the ‘trait’ model (Komives et al 2009). Although these are old models, they were still influential in my thinking. My experience on the course opened my eyes about different leadership theories. Many hold that leadership can be learned, for example behaviour-based theories, contingency theories and transformational theory (Komives et al 2009; Bragg 2008). Of the three, I have been most influenced by transformational theories. Behavioural and contingency theories seem to lack soul for me. It seems to me, based on my working experience, that people need to relate to and be inspired by leaders. Transformational theory, introduced by Burns (1978), suggests that transformational leadership is related to morality, charisma, vision and values that is, the leader must inspire people. Leaders also need to work with the people they lead, sharing information (Lucas 2005, p.20). One problem I found was that while there is a lot written about transformational leadership, there is not so much about how it can actually be put into practice. I did find a model based on Burns (1985) ideas. Manktelo et al (2005) suggest a 4 step process involving Creating a picture of the future to inspire people Getting people to ‘buy in’ to the picture Manage the way the vision is made to occur Improve relationships between people involved in delivering the vision They also suggest ways in which each stage can be achieved. In order to attain my desired career goals I will certainly be using this model to help me. I also found some textbooks recommended for the module useful. Chapman and O’Neill (1999) broke leadership down into 6 practical steps. I found this useful as I find it hard sometimes to translate theory into practice. I also found Covey (1999) useful. This approach teaches one how to base leadership around principles. I have always felt that management should be to do with treating people fairly and involving them in decisions, no matter what level of the company they are working at. Gardner and Laskin (1996) have given me ideas about how to watch what other leaders do and incorporate their behaviours into my own approach. One writer I found less helpful was Watkins (2013). He suggests getting to understand the pivotal people in the organisation quickly, through understanding their motivations and the pressures they are workin g under as well as the way they see their choices. The strategy is then to apply tools of influence to sway them. I have two issues with this approach. First, I believe every worker in an organisation is equally important. I would rather get all people agreeable to a course of action than concentrate on those he sees as ‘pivotal’. By concentrating on a few, resentment might arise. I would also suggest that it might not be possible to get to know people as quickly as he thinks. Watkins (2013) assumes that people will be honest and open about their motivation in a short conversation, and from my experience this often is not the case. Overall, I believe that learning more about leadership and finding practical approaches to being a better leader, including coaching skills, is the key way to address the gap I have talked about in earlier sections between my current skill set and the skill set required for my ideal position. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, I have examined my career in the context of my past working experience, where I am at the moment, and where I want to be. A number of tools I have learned during this module, as well as through self-learning, have helped me work out the ideal profile for my desired job role. I have also identified how I might turn my current skill set into the desired one. In particular, I need to work on leadership abilities. I have found a number of practical tools to help me do this, and have explored them above. My networking skills and flexibility can also be improved. 6. References The Air League (2014) ‘UK Aviation’ [online] (cited 8th February 2014). Available from airleague.co.uk/about/position-papers/uk-aviation/ Belobaba, P, Odoni, A and Barnhart, C (2009) The Global Airline Industry, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ Bolton, S C and Boyd, C (2003) ;Trolley Dolly or Skilled Emotion Manager? Moving on from Hochschilds Managed Heart’, Work, Employment and Society, 17:2, 289-308. Bragg, D J (2008) The Application of Transformational Leadership, Proquest, USA. Chapman, E N and O’Neill, L S (1999) Leadership: Essential steps every manager needs to know (3rd edn.), Prentice Hall, USA Chon, K S, Pizam, A and Mansfeld, Y (2012) Consumer Behaviour in Travel and Tourism, Routledge, UK Covey, S R (1999) Principle-centered Leadership, Simon Schuster, London Daft, R (2007) The Leadership Experience (4th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason OH. Day, D V, Zaccaro, S J and Halpin, S M (2004) Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow, Psychology Press, Bristol D’Souza (2010) Brilliant Networking: What the Best Networkers Know, Say and Do, Pearson, UK Evenson, R (2011) Customer Service Management Training 101: Quick and Easy Techniques That Get Great Results, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, USA Fisher, D (2011) Professional Networking For Dummies, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ Gardner, H and Laskin, E (1996). Leading Minds: An anatomy of leadership, Basic Books, NY. Gladwell, M (2001) Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference Abacus, London Hencke, E (2006) ‘Airline Industry Overview’, [online] (cited 8th February 2014) available from columbia.edu/cu/consultingclub/Resources/Airlines_Eric_Henckels.pdf Indeed.com (2014) ‘British Airways’ [online] (cited 8th February 2014) available from indeed.com/cmp/British-Airways/reviews Komives, S R, Lucas, N and McMahon, T R (2009) Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference (2nd edn.), John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Lehman, C and DuFrene, D (2010) Business Communication (16th edn.), Cengage Learning, Mason, OH Lucas, D B (2005) A Study of the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Constructive Organizational Culture in Small Manufacturing Companies, Proquest, USA Manketelow, J, Brodbeck, F and Anand, N (2005) How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You, Mind Tools, Swindon. Moon, J A (2013) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice, Routledge, Oxon National Careers Service (2014) ‘Finding out about aviation’ [online] (cited 9th February 2014) available from ttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/LMI/Pages/aviation.aspx Parkinson, M (2002) Your Job Search Made Easy, Kogan Page Publishers, London Pryor, R and Bright, J (2011) Chaos Theory of Careers: A new perspective on working in the twenty-first century, Routledge, Oxon. Watkins, M D (2013) First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, Harvard Business Press, USA Williams, C (2010) Management (6th edn), Cengage Learning, Mason, OH

Woodrow Wilsons 14 Points Speech

Woodrow Wilsons 14 Points Speech On Jan. 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson stood in front of a joint session of Congress and gave a speech known as The Fourteen Points. At the time, the world was embroiled in the First World War and Wilson was hoping to find a way to not only end the war peacefully but to ensure it never would  happen again. A Policy of Self-Determination Today and then, Woodrow Wilson is viewed as both a highly intelligent president and a hopeless idealist. The Fourteen Points speech was in part based on Wilsons own diplomatic leanings, but also written with the research assistance of his secret panel of experts known as The Inquiry. These men included the likes of crusading journalist Walter Lippman and several distinguished historians, geographers, and political scientists. The Inquiry was led by presidential advisor Edward House and assembled in 1917 to help Wilson prepare to start negotiations to end World War I. Much of the intent of Wilsons Fourteen Points speech was to oversee the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire, set out the overarching rules of behavior, and ensure that the United States would only play a minor role in the reconstruction. Wilson considered self-determination a crucial part of the successful establishment of the disparate states in the aftermath of the war. At the same time, Wilson himself recognized the inherent danger in creating states whose populations were ethnically divided. Returning Alsace-Lorraine to France, and restoring Belgium were relatively straightforward. But what to do about Serbia, with a major percentage of the non-Serbian population? How could Poland have access to the sea without including territories owned by ethnic Germans? How can Czechoslovakia include three million ethnic Germans in Bohemia? The decisions that were made by Wilson and The Inquiry did not resolve those conflicts, although it is likely that Wilsons 14th point creating a League of Nations, was proffered in an attempt to build infrastructure to resolve those conflicts going forward. But the same dilemma exists unresolved today: How to safely balance self-determination and ethnic disparity? Summary of the Fourteen Points Since many of the countries involved in WWI had been drawn into it to honor long-standing, private alliances, Wilson asked that there be no more secret alliances (Point 1). And since the United States had specifically entered the war because of Germanys announcement of unlimited submarine warfare, Wilson advocated for the open use of the seas (Point 2). Wilson also proposed open trade between countries (Point 3) and the reduction of armaments (Point 4). Point 5 addressed the needs of colonial peoples and Points 6 through 13 discussed specific land claims per country. Point 14 was the most important on Woodrow Wilsons list; it advocated for an international organization to be established that would be responsible for helping to keep peace among the nations. This organization was later established and called the League of Nations. Reception Wilsons speech was well received in the United States, with some notable exceptions, including former president Theodore Roosevelt, who described it as both high-sounding and meaningless. The Fourteen Points were accepted by the Allied Powers, as well as by Germany and Austria as the basis for peace negotiations. The only covenant of the League of Nations that was totally rejected by the allies was a provision pledging the members of the league to ensure religious freedom. However, Wilson became physically ill at the start of the Paris Peace Conference, and French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau was able to advance his own countrys demands beyond what was laid out in the 14 Points speech. The differences between the Fourteen Points and the resulting Treaty of Versailles raised great anger in Germany, leading to the rise of National Socialism, and ultimately the Second World War. The Full Text of Woodrow Wilsons 14 Points Speech Gentlemen of the Congress: Once more, as repeatedly before, the spokesmen of the Central Empires have indicated their desire to discuss the objects of the war and the possible basis of a general peace. Parleys have been in progress at Brest-Litovsk between Russsian representatives and representatives of the Central Powers to which the attention of all the belligerents have been invited for the purpose of ascertaining whether it may be possible to extend these parleys into a general conference with regard to terms of peace and settlement. The Russian representatives presented not only a perfectly definite statement of the principles upon which they would be willing to conclude peace but also an equally definite program of the concrete application of those principles. The representatives of the Central Powers, on their part, presented an outline of settlement which, if much less definite, seemed susceptible of liberal interpretation until their specific program of practical terms was added. That program proposed no concessions at all either to the sovereignty of Russia or to the preferences of the populations with whose fortunes it dealt, but meant, in a word, that the Central Empires were to keep every foot of territory their armed forces had occupied- every province, every city, every point of vantage- as a permanent addition to their territories and their power. Russian-Led Negotiations It is a reasonable conjecture that the general principles of settlement which they at first suggested originated with the more liberal statesmen of Germany and Austria, the men who have begun to feel the force of their own peoples thought and purpose, while the concrete terms of actual settlement came from the military leaders who have no thought but to keep what they have got. The negotiations have been broken off. The Russian representatives were sincere and in earnest. They cannot entertain such proposals of conquest and domination. The whole incident is full of significances. It is also full of perplexity. With whom are the Russian representatives dealing? For whom are the representatives of the Central Empires speaking? Are they speaking for the majorities of their respective parliaments or for the minority parties, that military and imperialistic minority which has so far dominated their whole policy and controlled the affairs of Turkey and of the Balkan states which have felt obliged to become their associates in this war? The Russian representatives have insisted, very justly, very wisely, and in the true spirit of modern democracy, that the conferences they have been holding with the Teutonic and Turkish statesmen should be held within open, not closed, doors, and all the world has been the audience, as was desired. To whom have we been listening, then? To those who speak the spirit and intention of the resolutions of the German Reichstag of the 9th of July last, the spirit and intention of the Liberal leaders and parties of Germany, or to those who resist and defy that spirit and intention and insist upon conquest and subjugation? Or are we listening, in fact, to both, unreconciled and in open and hopeless contradiction? These are very serious and pregnant questions. Upon the answer to them depends the peace of the world. The Challenge of Brest-Litovsk But, whatever the results of the parleys at Brest-Litovsk, whatever the confusions of counsel and of purpose in the utterances of the spokesmen of the Central Empires, they have again attempted to acquaint the world with their objects in the war and have again challenged their adversaries to say what their objects are and what sort of settlement they would deem just and satisfactory. There is no good reason why that challenge should not be responded to and responded to with the utmost candor. We did not wait for it. Not once, but again and again, we have laid our whole thought and purpose before the world, not in general terms only, but each time with sufficient definition to make it clear what sort of definite terms of settlement must necessarily spring out of them. Within the last week, Mr. Lloyd George has spoken with admirable candor and in admirable spirit for the people and Government of Great Britain. There is no confusion of counsel among the adversaries of the Central Powers, no uncertainty of principle, no vagueness of detail. The only secrecy of counsel, the only lack of fearless frankness, the only failure to make a definite statement of the objects of the war, lies with Germany and her allies. The issues of life and death hang upon these definitions. No statesman who has the least conception of his responsibility ought for a moment to permit himself to continue this tragical and appalling outpouring of blood and treasure unless he is sure beyond a peradventure that the objects of the vital sacrifice are part and parcel of the very life of Society and that the people for whom he speaks think them right and imperative as he does. Defining Principles of Self-Determination There is, moreover, a voice calling for these definitions of principle and of purpose which is, it seems to me, more thrilling and more compelling than any of the many moving voices with which the troubled air of the world is filled. It is the voice of the Russian people. They are prostrate and all but hopeless, it would seem, before the grim power of Germany, which has hitherto known no relenting and no pity. Their power, apparently, is shattered. And yet their soul is not subservient. They will not yield either in principle or in action. Their conception of what is right, of what is humane and honorable for them to accept, has been stated with a frankness, a largeness of view, a generosity of spirit, and a universal human sympathy which must challenge the admiration of every friend of mankind; and they have refused to compound their ideals or desert others that they themselves may be safe. They call to us to say what it is that we desire, in what, if in anything, our purpose and our spirit differ from theirs; and I believe that the people of the United States would wish me to respond, with utter simplicity and frankness. Whether their present leaders, believe it or not, it is our heartfelt desire and hopes that some way may be opened whereby we may be privileged to assist the people of Russia to attain their utmost hope of liberty and ordered peace. The Processes of Peace It will be our wish and purpose that the processes of peace, when they are begun, shall be absolutely open and that they shall involve and permit henceforth no secret understandings of any kind. The day of conquest and aggrandizement is gone by; so is also the day of secret covenants entered into in the interest of particular governments and likely at some unlooked-for moment to upset the peace of the world. It is this happy fact, now clear to the view of every public man whose thoughts do not still linger in an age that is dead and gone, which makes it possible for every nation whose purposes are consistent with justice and the peace of the world to avow nor or at any other time the objects it has in view. We entered this war because violations of right had occurred which touched us to the quick and made the life of our own people impossible unless they were corrected and the world secure once for all against their recurrence. What we demand in this war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression. All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part, we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us. The program of the worlds peace, therefore, is our program; and that program, the only possible program, as we see it, is this: The Fourteen Points I. Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view. II. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, outside territorial waters, alike in peace and in war, except as the seas may be closed in whole or in part by international action for the enforcement of international covenants. III. The removal, so far as possible, of all economic barriers and the establishment of an equality of trade conditions among all the nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves for its maintenance. IV. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety. V. A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon a strict observance of the principle that in determining all such questions of sovereignty the interests of the populations concerned must have equal weight with the equitable claims of the government whose title is to be determined. VI. The evacuation of all Russian territory and such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as will secure the best and freest cooperation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy and assure her of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing; and, more than a welcome, assistance also of every kind that she may need and may herself desire. The treatment accorded Russia by her sister nations in the months to come will be the acid test of their good will, of their comprehension of her needs as distinguished from their own interests, and of their intelligent and unselfish sympathy. VII. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated and restored, without any attempt to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they have themselves set and determined for the government of their relations with one another. Without this healing act, the whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired. VIII. All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine, which has unsettled the peace of the world for nearly fifty years, should be righted, in order that peace may once more be made secure in the interest of all. IX. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality. X. The peoples of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development. XI. Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated; occupied territories restored; Serbia accorded free and secure access to the sea; and the relations of the several Balkan states to one another determined by friendly counsel along historically established lines of allegiance and nationality; and international guarantees of the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of the several Balkan states should be entered into. XII. The Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free passage to the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees. XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant. XIV. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. Righting Wrongs In regard to these essential rectifications of wrong and assertions of right, we feel ourselves to be intimate partners of all the governments and peoples associated together against the Imperialists. We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end. For such arrangements and covenants, we are willing to fight and to continue to fight until they are achieved; but only because we wish the right to prevail and desire a just and stable peace such as can be secured only by removing the chief provocations to war, which this program does remove. We have no jealousy of German greatness, and there is nothing in this program that impairs it. We grudge her no achievement or distinction of learning or of pacific enterprise such as have made her record very bright and very enviable. We do not wish to injure her or to block in any way her legitimate influence or power. We do not wish to fight her either with arms or with hostile arrangements of trade if sh e is willing to associate herself with us and the other peace-loving nations of the world in covenants of justice and law and fair dealing. We wish her only to accept a place of equality among the peoples of the world,- the new world in which we now live,- instead of a place of mastery. Neither do we presume to suggest to her any alteration or modification of her institutions. But it is necessary, we must frankly say, and necessary as a preliminary to any intelligent dealings with her on our part, that we should know whom her spokesmen speak for when they speak to us, whether for the Reichstag majority or for the military party and the men whose creed is imperial domination. Justice to All People and Nationalities We have spoken now, surely, in terms too concrete to admit of any further doubt or question. An evident principle runs through the whole program I have outlined. It is the principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities, and their right to live on equal terms of liberty and safety with one another, whether they be strong or weak. Unless this principle be made its foundation no part of the structure of international justice can stand. The people of the United States could act upon no other principle; and to the vindication of this principle, they are ready to devote their lives, their honor, and everything they possess. The moral climax of this the culminating and final war for human liberty has come, and they are ready to put their own strength, their own highest purpose, their own integrity and devotion to the test. Sources: Chace, James. The Wilsonian Moment? The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) 25.4 (2001): 34-41. Print. Jacobson, Harold K. Structuring the Global System: American Contributions to International Organization. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 428 (1976): 77-90. Print. Lynch, Allen. Woodrow Wilson and the Principle of National Self-Determination: A Reconsideration. Review of International Studies 28.2 (2002): 419-36. Print. Tucker, Robert W. Woodrow Wilsons New Diplomacy. World Policy Journal 21.2 (2004): 92-107. Print.

The Ford Motor Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Ford Motor Company - Essay Example According to the essay findings  the employees are considered the organization’s assets. They are provided with suitable job designations as per their expertise. The proper job specification helps the employees to perform well in their respective domains. There is an exhaustive training program being conducted for the employees in their respective designations with proper learning outcomes. The employees are provided with short-term objectives in their jobs and these are aligned with the long-term objective of the organization. The strengths of the employees are being focused with more emphasis on developing the area of expertise. The employees are even encouraged to track their weaknesses and convert one of their weaknesses to leverage necessary strength. The organization encourages the employees in particular domain to become the best in their domain.  As the paper highlights  the flat structure in the organization helps in developing a more efficient communication pro cess in the business and there is a transparent mode of communication process across the different functional areas of the organization. The successful operation of the Ford motors is explained by the fact that the integration of ideas from different domains and different areas and the smooth flow of ideas across domains has led the Ford Motors to implement its strategies developed by the top management successfully which explains the successful operation of the organization.... tion of ideas from different domains and different areas and the smooth flow of ideas across domains has led the Ford Motors to implement its strategies developed by the top management successfully which explains the successful operation of the organization. Besides, the organization has different incentive schemes available for the employees, which boost them to perform better in their work. The incentive scheme available to the employees is very lucrative and it promotes a healthy competition for them to perform better. Besides, the organization provides enough recreation facilities for the employees and the organization monitors the process that the employees are not getting stressed. The teamwork culture is given enough attention in the Ford Motors where the team leader promotes healthy work culture in the team and boosts every team member to perform to the best of his ability in the project at hand as per the objective of the organization. There is also a huge flexibility where the employees can communicate with the senior managers at any point of time regarding any job issues and the managers provide effective solutions to the employees and also provide them with feedback such that the employees can learn from the past mistakes and there is a huge room for improvement of their work. This guides the employees to perform better day by day and slowly they become efficient in their respective domain, which ultimately drives the organization to success. The work culture and the work environment boost up the work motivation for the employees. All these together promote the successful operation of the Ford Motors and helped them to become one of the leaders in the automotive industry across the globe. (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006, pp.287-289) Group Level: Leadership: The

Measurement of Blood Pressure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Measurement of Blood Pressure - Essay Example the systolic blood pressure or the blood pressure when the heart is contracting and it also reads the diastolic blood pressure or the blood pressure when the heart is relaxing. The systolic blood pressure is therefore also the highest pressure exerted by the blood and the diastolic blood pressure is the lowest pressure exerted by the blood. Before the blood pressure of the patient is taken, the nurse must first gather as much information from the patient as possible. Relevant information includes the patient’s age, gender, weight, and such other pertinent information like the patient history of cardiovascular diseases; hypertensive medications, and if at the time his blood pressure is about to be taken if he is tired or has been physically fatigued. These elements often affect blood pressure reading, indicating it to either be too high or too low. Moreover, normal blood pressure ranges are different for every patient depending on age or current history of heart diseases and hypertension. After establishing the information as mentioned above, the nurse must now prepare her equipment. This would include the aneroid or the mercury sphygmomanometer, the stethoscope, a chair where the patient can sit, and a table where the sphygmomanometer can be placed. The table and chair must be placed in close proximity to each other to ensure that the patient can lay his hand on the table near the sphygmomanometer. The sphygmomanometer has a cuff which is wrapped around the patient’s upper arm; it inflates with air from the air valve. The sphygmomanometer also has a rubber tube connecting the cuff to the air reservoir or to the mercury meter. Such tube is also connected to a rubber bulb which is pumped in order to fill the cuff with air. Before taking the patient’s blood pressure, the nurse must remind the patient to keep still and to be quiet.  

Glaciation in Ohio and impacts of glaciation in Ohio Essay

Glaciation in Ohio and impacts of glaciation in Ohio - Essay Example The most important impact of glaciation is the materials that have been left behind by the sheets of ice. These materials includes particles of clay, sand, gravel and rock debris. Most of the materials that had been deposited both above and under the surface of water as a result of glaciation has resulted in formation of geographical features called eskers and kames (Peacefull, 1996). The numerous kames that are found in Portage and Summit counties are a result of deposition of glaciation materials in-between ice sheets that protruded southwards. Comparatively eskers are rare in Ohio although one may encounter eskers in Portage County. Another major impact of glaciation in Ohio is the formation of the glacial lakes. The deposits of these lakes were primarily constituted of fine clay and silt particles. Changes in the drainage pattern of Ohio is also a result of glaciation which disrupted the northwest flow of the River Teays and its tributaries which helped in the formation of Lake Tight in southern

A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz Essay

A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz word web 2.0 and the technologies that will define it - Essay Example It is difficult to talk about internet without mentioning the Web. Internet started as a communication tool for U.S. military for sharing information over a distance. In 1958 the U.S. Department of Defense started the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The main aim of APRA was to develop defense technology but later it also became a hub for computer research and technology. APRA wanted to develop a method to connect its base site with its computer research laboratories dispersed at different locations in U.S. In 1960’s, Paul Baran (at RAND) and Donald Davies (at UK National Physical Laboratory) developed a new technique called ‘packet switching’ (as opposed to circuit switching) in order to make the data transmission more reliable and efficient. In 1969, four computers (located at computer research labs of University of California at Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah) were connected thus creating APRAnet. In 1971, more computers joined the APRAnet (including NASA and Harvard) and number increased to fifteen. The year 1973 saw ARPAnet going global and Norway (Norwegian Royal Radar Establishment) and England (University College of London) also joined the net. The networking protocol was called Network Control Program. The total number of host computers connecting through APRAnet increased from 40 in 1973, to 111 in 1977 (Hobbes Internet Timeline). After APRAnet, other similar networks were created for special purposes. UUCP connected the computers having UNIX operating system and USENET (Users Network) connected academic community. Networks like CSNET (Computer Science Network) and BITNET (Because It’s Time Network) were also developed to connect universities and research centers. These networks had the capability to exchange information with APRAnet and among each other. APRAnet was split into two networks in 1980’s and a separate

Final Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Ethics - Assignment Example This is to mean that altruistic individuals live for the sake of the good of others. As seen in the research conducted by Albee (2014), the author also explains that individuals have the obligation to act not on their own needs but on the needs of others. On the other hand, utilitarianism works on the grounds that a good act is one that increases the satisfaction of individuals as well as the society at large (Albee, 2014). However, the individuals in question are expected to lead a happy life. A maximization of utility is the basis on utilitarianism such as individuals seeking to lead a successful life, having stability in life, minimize chances of them suffering (Albee, 2014; Braybrooke, 2004). This means that the ends substantiate the means for the case of utilitarianism. The proponents of utilitarianism include Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. One of the major differences between altruism and utilitarianism is that altruism does not advocate for any form of individualism while utilitarianism advocates for general good, but the individual can to satisfy their needs. Utilitarianism produces happiness while altruism focuses on reducing any chance that unhappiness may occur in individuals (Albee, 2014; Braybrooke, 2004). Altruism and utilitarianism are similar in that both advocate for happiness as the end result of all actions of humans. Both ethical perspectives have some element of morality in them. The two also have some form of pain and satisfaction after an action (Albee, 2014; Braybrooke, 2004). The case of altruism can be well explained in the case of volunteering in a job as opposed to getting a job that would be well paying. When an individual forego a well-paying job to go for a volunteer job such as planting trees or caring for the elderly or sick patients, this may be termed as altruism since the individual has opted to sacrifice

A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz Essay

A Comprehensive research project into the next generation of the buzz word web 2.0 and the technologies that will define it - Essay Example It is difficult to talk about internet without mentioning the Web. Internet started as a communication tool for U.S. military for sharing information over a distance. In 1958 the U.S. Department of Defense started the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The main aim of APRA was to develop defense technology but later it also became a hub for computer research and technology. APRA wanted to develop a method to connect its base site with its computer research laboratories dispersed at different locations in U.S. In 1960’s, Paul Baran (at RAND) and Donald Davies (at UK National Physical Laboratory) developed a new technique called ‘packet switching’ (as opposed to circuit switching) in order to make the data transmission more reliable and efficient. In 1969, four computers (located at computer research labs of University of California at Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah) were connected thus creating APRAnet. In 1971, more computers joined the APRAnet (including NASA and Harvard) and number increased to fifteen. The year 1973 saw ARPAnet going global and Norway (Norwegian Royal Radar Establishment) and England (University College of London) also joined the net. The networking protocol was called Network Control Program. The total number of host computers connecting through APRAnet increased from 40 in 1973, to 111 in 1977 (Hobbes Internet Timeline). After APRAnet, other similar networks were created for special purposes. UUCP connected the computers having UNIX operating system and USENET (Users Network) connected academic community. Networks like CSNET (Computer Science Network) and BITNET (Because It’s Time Network) were also developed to connect universities and research centers. These networks had the capability to exchange information with APRAnet and among each other. APRAnet was split into two networks in 1980’s and a separate

ABBREVIATION ERRORS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ABBREVIATION ERRORS - Assignment Example d that the Institute of Medicine reported that more than 7,000 deaths a year are due to medication errors which was published in their 1999 review To Err is Human (Landers ). Due to this disturbing report, a campaign was launched in 2006 by FDA and IMP to reduce errors, wherein one of the main thrusts of that campaign was to eliminate some error-prone notations like U and IU ( FDA press release 2006 ) The following three abbreviations chosen that were prone to error are the following : BT ( bedtime ),q1d ( once a daily), and u ( for units ). BT is commonly mistaken as BID ( twice daily ) which can be lethal when the medication can cause extreme reactions to the patient when an over dose is given. Another mistake would be q1d which can be thought of as 4 times daily since it closely resembles qid .;thus, administering a dosage four times the original dosage can have produce other unwanted symptoms such as allergy or even shock that can complete the doctor’s treatment. The third abbreviation is u ( units ) which is commonly mistaken 0 or 4 thereby increasing the dosage as much as ten times. Consequently, the result would be an overdose that would stress out the liver or kidneys of the patient which can cause serious complications or even death. The Purpose of the safety goals is to promote safety when using abbreviations in prescribing. The Goals main focus is clarity in written communication that will result to correct administration of

General Psychology and the Study of Human Behavior Essay Example for Free

General Psychology and the Study of Human Behavior Essay Psychology is the study of the human behavior especially how the mind of the human beings works. For many years, the behavior of human beings has been studied by very many scholars and they have come up with very many reasons as to why people behave in such a manner. However, as a student my main ambition is to become a drug and alcohol counselor. Therefore, this class of general psychology has helped me in building my career very much due to the course content value. Variation is one of the most obvious characteristics of human behavior. An individual’s every day life is marked by an expansive fluctuation in almost every aspect of behavior such as the intelligence he exudes, the speed with which he moves, his expression of emotions, goals he pursues, humor, energy, anxiety, shyness, among others. Even the most intelligent of human individuals have ordinary thoughts most of the time as they too are confronted with the normal activities like choosing the right mode of dressing, brushing in the morning and carrying out normal transactions. There is sufficient evidence towards the fact that one of the most striking features of a child’s behavior is its dynamic aspect of the stream of behavior recorded continuously (Barker, 1968). Any individual with no knowledge of psychology comprehend this dimension of human variation from their observation and experience. However, this is not prominent in scientific psychology. The concern of scientific psychology is another dimension of behavior variability with emphasis on individual differences. This is a major step in psychology that despite the variations that occur within every individual’s behavior, the methods for measuring and identifying individual behavior constants have been devised. Scientific psychology’s concern is with the varied number of constants measured and how they relate with each other. There is however a difficulty in achieving a stable behavior measurement. For the stability of behavior measurement to be achieved, their must be an imposition of stable measurement upon the individual, land the same conditions must be reintroduced every time the measurement is being repeated. The employment of this method offers measures of individual constancies under certain conditions but terminates individual variations under varied conditions thereby destroying the such contexts of behavior that occur naturally. This problem is not however unique to psychology. A beam’s strength can be measured under given specific conditions and under this very condition each time the measurement is being carried out. However, depending on the structural context, a beam possesses many strengths. This is also true for the meaning of words since words too have a range of meaning, the actual one being determined by the context in which it has been used. With this regard, an individual is like a beam or a word, possessing many strengths, intelligences, moralities, speeds and social maturities. However, it is clear where this intra-individual behavior variation comes from. An individual’s behavior is both internally and externally connected, though in a very complicated way. The internal parts of an individual such as the neurons, hormones or muscles and the external context such as the class, field or the game he is playing has a complex connection. The psychological individual who reads a book, plays some game and walks on some road poses as an identifiable entity between the interior parts and the exterior contexts that are unstable, being linked to both the entities, yet profoundly separated from them. This separation emerges from the fact that the internal parts and the external contexts of an individual involves an entity that functions according to laws that are not the same as those that govern his behavior (Cromwell-Davis, 2008). Such things like the actions of the brain, contraction of muscles and the concentration of hormones are not psychological phenomena. With the current state of understanding, the operation of such phenomena involve laws that are not compatible with that of psychology. The same applies to the environment with which an individual operates. The school or class where an individual is a student, the library he studies and the road he walks operates according to laws that are foreign with regard to that govern his behavior as an individual. The external context involves what has been referred to as the molar ecological environment which includes those phenomena that occurs naturally outside an individuals skin with which his molar actions are incorporated but operate according to laws that are incompatible with those laws that dictates his molar behavior (Baker, 1965). There is a difference between the psychological and ecological environment. One of the interesting aspects of human behavior is the course it takes when different variables are introduced within the environment. In the study below, behavior of individual was observed with regard to the distance between them and other human subjects. Theory Statement An individual’s mode of behavior is dictated by the distance between him and other subjects. According to Adam Kendon, every human behavior is located (Kendon 1990, p. 210). Human behavior takes place within a given space which has objects and people upon which the behavior is directed. The space and what it contains on the other hand influences the behavior of an individual. The space occupied and maintained by an individual’s behavior can in this respect be termed as the transactional space. The transactional space between two individuals influences their behavior. Experiment In the following experiment, a study was conducted to investigate the extent to which transactional space influences the behavior of individuals in college. The investigator walked through the college in different areas where different activities were being carried out. The exercise took three hours and findings were recorded. The experiment was conducted in the campus park because of the diversity of activity and human interactions that takes place in it. Methodology Since the study involved the study of behavior in face to face interaction, a major problem encountered was how to define the structural units in which the subjects were organized. In particular, it became difficult to delineate the distinct units of interaction with regard to the organization of observable behavior into their components for analysis. However, the observations were made randomly with neither of the subjects aware of the experiments. As such, the experimenter walked from one point to another, looking at the group formation and identifying individuals who did not have any company. The behavior which was recorded included eye focus, body movement and the degree of engagement in a particular action. In particular, the reaction of the subjects were observed whenever the experimenter approached an individual or a group of individuals. In all the instances, the experimenter did not engage the subjects in any form of conversation. Observations and results Behavior of individuals was varied depending on the activity and whether one was alone or in groups. Among the individuals who were alone, there seemed to be an absorption with either something that was going on around them or an absorption with an activity that they were involved with. They also seemed to react whenever an individual came within three meters of their transactional space. Of the notable behaviors, five out of six subjects looked directly at the individual who came within three meters of their transactional space. Among groups of individuals, there was a variation in behavior with regard to the number. In a group of two, the subjects engaged in conversation with momentous eye contact. Whenever one passed within a distance of three meters, they all turned and depending on the behavior or gender of the individual, some responded with either greeting the individual or looked briefly and continued with their conversation. The latter instance was rare with groups of three or more. Discussion A behavior setting is composed of one or more standing patterns of behavior. There are numerous patterns of behavior that have been recognized such as a molar unit or group activity. This is a bounded pattern in holistic human behavior. It is thus a discrete behavioral unit with coordinates which are univocal within space and time. As such, a standing pattern of behavior cannot be said to be a character of the subjects involved but rather, it is a phenomenon outside the individual with unique characteristics which remain whenever there is an alteration of the participants. One apparent thing among the subjects observed is that their behavior with regard to reacting to an individual coming within their transactional space is dependent among various factors which may not be open to the experimenter as human behavior is derived from both external and internal conditions. As such, every observable behavior exhibited by an individual has various roots even though behavior can be predicted to some extent. The first thing that the course has helped to understand in relation to drug and alcohol is the different terms that are used when counseling a person. This are the general terms that are used when counseling a patient. For example, it is not good to use terms like â€Å"you are wrong,† â€Å"you do not know† or â€Å"you are foolish.† The course has helped to learn the new terms that I will be using like, â€Å"instead of saying you are wrong,† you can say, â€Å"that is another good reason.† Additionally, it has helped us to learn the tone of language that is to be used. When counseling a patient, one should always be calm and always be positive about what the patient is feeling and thinking. It is also in this unit of general psychology that we have learnt how very different people behave in the different ways. This is where the course has taught me why different people behave as they do and why they end up drinking. Stress is one factor that makes people to end up becoming alcoholic or turning into drugs. Additionally, drug abuse and alcoholism has also been known to be hereditary from the resent research studies that have been done by the different scholars. It is through this course that we have learnt the very many reasons as to why people behave in different ways and why they take drugs or alcohol. I have learnt the different forms of therapy that are used in counseling in this course. This is where the introduction to therapy is done. One way of helping a drug or an alcohol addict to stop the addiction is through therapy. Therapy is the solving of personal problems of a person that occurs daily. In therapy, talking with a trained professional is the method that is usually used to solve the different problems. Therefore, this unit of general psychology is helping me gain that knowledge and become a professional therapist in treating the different problems that different drug and alcohol addicts have. It is also in this lesson of general psychology that I have learned the intelligence of the human thinking. In the growth graph, since the time somebody is born, the brain usually undergoes several stages intelligence. For example, when somebody is at the age of the teenage the brain starts to develop the ability to solve problems in reality. This means that the thinking capacity has grown and the person is able to think critically as compared to the person was young. Therefore, this lesson has helped me understand the different stages of intelligence in the human beings, making it easy for me when it comes to counseling the different people. Motivation is another very important factor in counseling especially in the counseling of drug abusers and alcoholics. It is in this class where the subject of motivation is introduced and taught in detail to prepare the students as they go ahead with the studies of psychology. I have learnt the different methods that are used in motivating the different drug and alcohol addicts. This is very important because when counseling people who are drug or alcohol addicts, the people need to be motivated so that they can be able to quit easily without the need of turning back. Therefore, this lesson of general psychology has taught me a greater lesson in motivation and how it should be applied in the field of practice. This class of general psychology has taught me a great number of different personalities that different people tend have. It is important to note that there is no way that two people can have the same personality. According to this chapter, it is because of how the different kinds of people have very different thoughts from one another. For this reason, the study of this lesson has been a very influential topic in my career as a counselor of drug addicts and alcoholics In addition, this class has opened up my mind on the different perceptions that I always had about drunkards. When I had started this class, I had the wrong impression/perception of how the drug addicts and alcoholics behave. I thought that this people, are people who are just lazy in life and they only abuse drugs as an excuse to their many problems. However, this class of general psychology has changed my perception about the different drug addicts and alcoholics and it has given me an open mind, which is required by counselors when it comes to helping others during therapy. Lastly, this lesson has been able to introduce some of the topics that are very useful in the study of counseling, and they are going to be learnt deeply in other classes especially at the level of specialization. Additionally, it is this unit, which has helped me realize that people are not always drug addicts or alcoholics because they want to be, but it is because of the different behaviors that they exhibit, which are affected by external factors like stress. These external factors can drive somebody crazy leading to drug abuse or alcohol abuse. Therefore, this subject has introduced me into the topic of human behavior in relation to drug abuse, alcoholism and how the following problems can be solved by the use of counseling.