Hotel Chains and Marriott International free essay sample

In the following paper, I would like to focus on Ritz Carlton, Inc. , a leading lodging company with over 3,100 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories (Marriott International, Inc. Corporate Headquarters, 2008). My key task is to discuss market segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies of the company with the following brands: Marriott Hotels Resorts and Courtyard by Marriott in the same marketplace, Asia-Pacific. As the fast expansion in economy of Asia-Pacific, the hospitality industry has a bright perspective in this region. Especially in China, the hospitality industry during the past 30 years is a prime example of how the nation’s economy has also sharply developed. In recent years many big hotel chains became aware that seizing the market in Asia-Pacific is pretty important for their development. Marriott International is one of them. Since 1989, Marriott International has grown from one property in Asia-Pacific to over eighty properties. Over the past 16 years, Marriott has expanded its resort portfolio to include 15 resorts across the region. We will write a custom essay sample on Hotel Chains and Marriott International or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And in China since 1989, Marriott has grown from one property in Hong Kong to 32 hotels throughout the country (Marriott International, Inc. Corporate Headquarters, 2008). The hospitality industry today, customers don’t just need a place to stay and eat; people choose a hotel for more complex reasons like the location, hotel category and services provided. Given that the needs and wants became more and more unique, the target marketing for hotels became micromarketing. It is not only a local marketing for hotels to adjust in different location and cultural, but also an individual marketing for they provide tailored services to special guests and VIPs. For segmenting the consumer markets, we have to involve the geographic segmentation and behavioral segmentation. Hotels normally segment their markets between region and then by other means like behavior. After analyzing the market opportunities, the company has to evaluate the segment attractiveness and the company fit. The market Asia-Pacific did develop but obviously not all the segments are profitable. The main reason which make the industry increase could be described as the Asia-Pacific became more and more western. The hotel developing trends turns to the guest who demands the international hotel, which has better service, higher theology of facilities and delightful amenities. Add that many developing countries change their policy to foreign investors to a better climate. The big hotel chains have a good chance to develop their middle luxury market segments. Since Ritz Carlton already entered the market over 16 years, there were many resources used to develop it in these middle luxury segments. As the hospitality marketing is micromarketing, and the Marriott hotel group is a big chain, this company used differentiated marketing to target the market segments. It has four different brands in Asia-Pacific: The Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance and Courtyard. They target in different segments: The Marriott is an all service hotel and resorts brand for the achievement guest who are seeking inspiring performance. JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts is Marriott Hotels and Resorts luxury brand extension. The target gust also is achievement people but demand a high level of personal service. Renaissance Hotels and Resorts target the enjoyment guest. These guests cherish the life well lived which means the Tech-savvy consumers like Gen X and Y. Courtyard is a brand designed to meet the needs of business travelers who desired a high quality lodging experience along with the basic needs they value most in a hotel, at moderate pricing. It is a flagship brand of quality tier, full service hotels and resorts and provides consistent, dependable and genuinely caring experiences to guest on their terms. The Marriott brand has become synonymous with exceptional quality, service and value, which have lead to consistent growth in Marriott properties through the Asia-Pacific region. As the brand continues to expand worldwide, the strategy to achieve an even greater brand preference is centered on the brand positioning of inspired performance and the goal to win over achievement guests with experiences that reflect and respond to their priorities. By combining this experience strategy with the brand’s unwavering commitment to operational excellence, Marriott Hotels and Resorts will continue to solidify its leadership position as an industry innovator. When it comes to brand positioning, Marriott Hotels and Resorts focuses on the Achievement Guest, individuals who are driven to perform who thrive in excellence whether it is for their company, their family or their own sense of accomplishments. There are three brand pillars that provide the foundation for the services, features and amenities our hotels provide to inspire the achievement guest. The professional, performance driven side of our guest and hotels, for example, large, well lit ergonomic work desks that pivot to enable the guest to create a conducive environment in their rooms. Purposeful luxury and more personal elements of the guest’s stay, for example, aromatherapy bath products, connectivity panels on a high definition TV to enable guests to connect personal entertainment devices such as iPods, and 200 thread count sheets. The culture is warm, friendly, sincere service built on our sprit to serve and providing a refreshing human touch in today’s hectic world. After researching all of the aspects of the marketing segmentation, targeting and positioning of the company, it is quite clear that this company is fully aware of the marketing situation and is quite successful at applying various marketing strategies and tools

Personal Narrative Essay

Personal Narrative Essay Free Online Research Papers Higher and higher we rose up this seemingly endless track of the â€Å"SheiKra† with the car making a squeaking and clanking noise as we ascend up the glaring red track, until we reached the top of the steel giant. With the sun shining in my eyes, I didn’t know how high we were until the coaster reached the top of the peak and I saw everything in a ten mile perimeter. My jaw dropped to see how high we were. The car made a slow eerie right turn and approached the first drop of the roller coaster. The drop is a heart-pounding dive that takes you ninety degrees straight down two hundred feet on red steel track. It is a fall of death for some but a thrill of a life time that formed a special memory for my brother, sister and me. Inching closer and closer to the drop, I began to regret my decision of getting on this ride. Seeing my sister’s eyes widen as the red and yellow car met the tip of the fall, I felt the ride suspending us hanging on the end of the drop for a few seconds to add thrill. My heart rate increased and then in a blink of an eye we went soaring down the track. The screams of the people on the ride made my ears ring as we dove farther down the red track. Air was blowing my hair back and drying my eyes as if someone was holding a hair dryer to them. Then the roller coaster made a hurling upside-down loop into a swift sharp left turn causing my stomach to churn and making my head spin. As the coaster started to straighten out and slow down, my stomach settled down and I thought the ride was coming to an end but it was far from it. There was another straight ninety degree drop leading into a dark cave. With the air once again slamming against my face with my head shaking like a raddle th at nauseous feeling in my stomach reappeared inside me. Pulling up from the steep drop, the coaster emerged from the darkness of the cave and swerved into a sharp right turn, skimming across a pool of water. Sprinkles of the cool water splashed against my face. Rising out of the pool of water, the coaster made a smooth right turn and before we knew it we were back at the starting platform. Getting off the roller coaster, my legs trembled from the breath taking ride. My sister’s hair was wild and frizzy from the ride and the color on my brother’s face looked like he just saw a ghost as he exited the coaster. Since the line was not that long, I begged my brother and sister to ride the roller coaster with once more. After several minutes of pleading with them, they agreed to join me on the â€Å"SheiKra† once more. My family and I have been going to Florida for as long as I can remember. We have a condo on Treasure Island right on the Gulf of Mexico. Since my dad works at Anheuser Busch we receive free tickets to their theme park, Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens is our family’s favorite theme park. It is filled with a variety of different rides, food, and entertainment that come together to make a day with our family worth remembering. My brother, sister and I usually don’t get along too good with each other, most likely because we are all the complete opposite of each other and are very busy with activities the we don’t often bond together to create memories, but riding the â€Å"SheiKra† during our vacation to Florida with them has created a very special one. We had the time of our lives on the ride and will share the memory created on it with each other forever. Research Papers on Personal Narrative EssayThe Hockey GameTrailblazing by Eric AndersonBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Spring and AutumnThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2PETSTEL analysis of IndiaThree Concepts of PsychodynamicQuebec and Canada

IMPACT OF INTEREST RATES ON THE HOUSEING MARKET Essay

IMPACT OF INTEREST RATES ON THE HOUSEING MARKET - Essay Example In terms of the 15 and 30 year mortgage rates since 2001, the rates have remained close to the interest rates set by the Feds. The connection between the two is certainly obvious therefore an understanding of the federal rate is important to obtain an understanding of the housing market. The federal rate is the rate of interest at which depository institutes loan out their holdings in the Federal Reserve to other depository institutes on an overnight basis (Arnold, 2005). This rate is different from the discount rate which the Federal Reserve uses to calculate loan payments for financial institutions. The federal rate has many important implications for the economy of the country and changes in this rate would affect everything from mortgage rates to the stock market. It also has a significant impact on economic growth depending on several factors in the monetary policy being followed by the country. Fundamentally, the Federal Reserve System operates to ensure that all American banks keep a certain level of reserves which are normally a percentage of the value of the bank’s demand accounts (Arnold, 2005). Since this is a regulatory requirement, banks may borrow money from each other to maintain such a level of reserves and the interest rate paid between banks would be the Federal Rate. Through these means, the Federal Reserve has considerable power over the supply and demand for balances of Reserve Banks. The monetary experts at the Federal Reserve are supposed to ensure that the rate is set at such a level that it will create economic growth and stability in the economy. However, the economic demands have to be balanced with the political and social realties which may influence how and at what exact level the rate is set (Wikipedia, 2006). The Federal Reserve therefore adjusts the rate periodically to keep the economy running smoothly. However, even a

Safeguarding Adults at risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Safeguarding Adults at risk - Essay Example Abuse is defined as the improper treatment to an individual or an entity, in order to gain benefit from such practices for a better life (Pillemer & Wolf, 1986). However, this form of benefit is considered as unfair and unethical. There are several categories of abuse, which the world has witnessed. Some of the most common categories of abuse include physical abuse, wherein an individual or group contacts with others and purposes to physical pain, physical suffering, injury, or bodily harm (Summers & Hoffman, 2006). Another category of abuse, which is extensively familiar among women, is the sexual abuse. It is also known as molestation, wherein one individual forces other for undesired sexual behaviour. Moreover, there is another category of abuse, which is provided lesser importance, but has a significant impact on the victim. In this regard, the behaviour of an individual or groups leads to psychological trauma to others. This psychological trauma to the victim includes chronic de pression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (Sanderson, 2006). Furthermore, another common category of abuse, which is widely notable, is the financial abuse. In financial abuse, individuals create circumstances to obtain financial advantages from others. The victim in such circumstances undesirably has to make payments, which is considered as unethical or immoral. In addition, there is prevalence of another category of abuse, which is the neglect discriminatory abuse (Sajo, 2006). Some of the individuals or groups are highly vulnerable to the different categories of abuse. In this regard, vulnerable is defined as the possibility of being harmed or attacked by the influence of others. Thus, it is important from the perspective of benefiting the society through incorporating some of the safeguarding measures (Sanderson, 2006). Safeguarding to

Improving service productivity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Improving service productivity - Essay Example So, a higher ratio indicates higher productivity. Compared to manufacturing industries, it is much difficult to measure productivity in services industries, especially those that are enabled by Information Technology. (Saari, 2006) Yet, management gurus have identified a few proven techniques for improving service productivity, which are discussed below. One way of improving service productivity is by applying operations-driven strategies. This entails reducing costs and wastage of resources, setting production capacities to meet demands, computerizing mechanical or routine tasks, upgrading systems to latest standards, re-training employees to adapt to upgraded systems, expanding the range of tasks that an employee can perform, redesigning service process where applicable, etc. All of these improvements in operations will lead to overall improvement in service productivity. (www.slideshare.net, 2011) There is another approach to increasing service productivity, which is via Customer- driven strategies. The first component of these strategie is to â€Å"change the timing of customer demand†. The rationale is that â€Å"by shifting demand away from peaks, managers can make better use of firm's productive assets and provide better service†. (www.slideshare.net, 2011) Similarly, involving customers in the production process is also helpful.

Attitudes to Risk and Entrepreneurship

Attitudes to Risk and Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship, as defined by Stevenson (1983) â€Å"†¦ is the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control†. Stevenson and Gumpert (1985, pp. 85-94) advise that the preceding definition represents both the individual as well as the society that he or she is embedded in as he or she identifies an opportunity they desire to pursue, and as an entrepreneur they thus must seek the resources from the broader society. The approach to entrepreneurship as voiced by Stevenson and Gumpert (1985, pp. 85-94) builds upon earlier scholars such as Schumpeter (1934) who identified the context of the interaction of the individual and wider society. The title of Schumpeter’s (1934) work â€Å"The Theory of Economic Development† could almost be suited to a title for entrepreneurship, as Harper (2003, p. 1) advises that one of the prominent features â€Å"†¦ of a competitive enterprise economy is the ability of people continually to seek out and seize opportunities for profitable new activities in local and world markets†. That statement mirrors the definition of entrepreneurship as put forth by Stevenson and Gumpert (1985, pp. 85-94). French economist Say, around 1800 stated that the entrepreneur â€Å"†¦shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield† (Dracker, 1985, p. 21). However, starting a new venture does not necessarily constitute entrepreneurship, and is not limited to new and or small businesses. Dracker (1985, p. 22) advises that entrepreneurship is indeed being practiced by all sizes of companies and corporations, and said activity represents the creation of something new, or different, and or the change / transmutation of value. As such, Dracker (1985, pp. 21) cites McDonald’s, which is an example of entrepreneurship. And while its product did not represent anything new, the management concepts, techniques, standardization of the product, the process of designing systems and tools, the understanding of the work that needed to be done, and devising working and training techniques to transmit this to others is what defines it as being entrepreneurial (Dracker, 1985, p.21). He also uses General Electric as an example in that the company’sâ€Å"†¦ long history of starting new entrepreneurial businesses from scratch, and raising them into sizable industries† is another example of this process (Dracker, 1985, p. 23), as well as Marks and Spencer of the United Kingdom. Sheller (2006) advises that â€Å"Entrepreneurship is a delicate organism†, continuing that â€Å"It needs the right environment to flourish†. Welsh (2003, p. 4) elaborates on Sheller’s (2006) view by stating: 1. Entrepreneurship flourishes in communities where resources are mobile, 2. Entrepreneurship is greater when successful members of a community reinvest excess capital in the projects of other community members, 3. Entrepreneurship flourishes in communities in which the success of other community members is celebrated rather than derided, and 4. Entrepreneurship is greater in communities that see change as positive rather than negative.† Given the risk taking nature of entrepreneurs, an examination of the context of this word is deemed as an important consideration before delving into the examination of the attitudes to risk and entrepreneurship. Inherent in the analysis of an entrepreneurial environment is risk, but, as stated by Culp (2001. 3) â€Å"Risk is everywhere†. Burt (2001) advises that â€Å"risk is the probability that an event will occur† and is â€Å"†¦ often used to express the probability that particular outcome will happen following a particular exposure† and also denotes the probability, or possibility of a loss. However, there are differing views and attitudes regarding risk, just as there are regarding entrepreneurship. These facets shall be examined herein, equating the various attitudes and approaches to these two areas. Chapter 1 – Introduction Implicit in understanding the context of attitudes to risk and entrepreneurship, are the words that constitute this examination. The simplistic nature of the statement belies the striations inherent in the different contexts. Follendore (2002) in commenting on that fact that words carry meaning, also states that words also can limit potential meanings. As shown by the preceding brief exploration of entrepreneurship and risk, these words have a broader dimension that one usually associates with them in general conversation, and or use. Termed linguistics, the meaning of words represents the context in which they are used in combination with other words and permits us to communicate with one another (Hill, 1969, p. 3). The character of the word stock of English has its roots in the Germanic tribes of the preromantic era and consists of French, Italian and other languages that have been incorporated into the body of words utilized by English speakers (Leith, 1997, p. 62). The foregoing is important in understanding that the word dictionary is 1. â€Å"A reference book containing an alphabetical list of words, with information given for each word †¦Ã¢â‚¬  that 3. Lists â€Å"†¦words or other linguistics items in a particular category †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). Its etymology stems from Medieval Latin dictinrium, and from Latin diction, which is a derivative of diction (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). The weakness of the English language lies in its lexical ambiguity. Lin and Ahrens (2001) provide a further understanding of the importance of words that in most instances have multiple meanings, thus the phrase lexical ambiguity. They go on to add that â€Å"†¦ multiple meanings associated with †¦ (words) †¦ can be etymologically associated†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The words utilized in the title of this examination fall into the category of words that have â€Å"†¦ greater number of meanings †¦Ã¢â‚¬  thus they are â€Å"†¦ recognized faster than words with few meanings† (Lin and Ahrens, 2001). Dictionary meanings, as stated by Lin and Ahrens (2001) are the form that is usually preferred by researchers as a result of their having standardized meanings â€Å"†¦ comprehensive, and easy to obtain†. However, semantically speaking, the meaning of the words attitudes, risk and entrepreneurship change depending upon the context, thus variables are added as a result of using these words in combination, further compounding the equation. As borne out by the limited exploration of meanings for entrepreurship and risk. Thus in exploring the attitudes to the preceding, this examination shall explore these combinations and seek to find common linkages to result in an understanding of the foregoing. Chapter 2 – Attitude The context of this examination, which represents an exploration into the ‘Attitudes to risk and entrepreneurship’, embodies looking at the relationships of these words to define the phrase and bring out its meanings. It is the context in which these words reside, as well as the implications thus resulting, represent the underlying precepts that provide for a broad field of interpretations and thus variants. In beginning with the word ‘attitudes’, Houghton Mifflin (2007) defines its â€Å"1. A position of the body or manner of carrying oneself, 2. a. Astute of mind or a feeling; disposition, 2. b. An arrogant or hostile state of mind or disposition, 3. The orientation of an air or spacecraft relative to a reference †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Its etymology is French, from the Italian word ‘attitudinal, which was adopted from late Latin‘aptitd’ (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). Schneider (2006) advises that the word ‘attitudes’ consists of two components. One represents belief, and the other represents feeling (Schneider, 2006). Beliefs are a mental concept association that are usually â€Å"†¦ associated with an identity †¦ and as Dr. Schneider (2006) states, â€Å"†¦ are often stereotypical†. He continues that these stereotypical beliefs are usually stemmed in the â€Å"†¦ socio demographic differences of a person †¦ (as well as their) †¦ personal experience†. Thus, based upon the context as well as usage, ‘attitudes’ brings with it the usage context as formulated within an individual’s historical framework as well. These historical preconceptions, however slight, represent influencing factors acting upon the individual as they mentally traverse through their personal feelings, and beliefs regarding the word sets that follow, thus triggering other memory concepts, feelings and beliefs. Schneider (2006), refers to Sheriff in discussing ‘norm formation which represents the prevailing understanding(s) associated with a particular word in contemporary common usage. We as individuals have grown through experiences, associations, and circumstances in our environments as impacted upon by family, friends, acquaintances, and our abilities to cope, to develop personalities as well as thinking patterns that are the outgrowth of these variables. We see the environment, filter out what isn’t relevant, evaluate what remains, then process this information through our individual self-images â€Å"†¦ and / or sets of expectations, and /or personal characteristics, motivational factors and life experiences †¦and then we respond with either â€Å"†¦ reflective or spontaneous behaviour†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rice University, 2003). The preceding would appear in a diagram as follows: Figure 1 – Individual Environmental Perceptions (Rice University, 2003) The next step in the process is the examination of individualbehavior in the context of two individuals as an interaction. Such can consist of one of three types of interactions, as represented by superior to subordinate, leader to peers, and leader to boss (Rice University, 2003). The importance of these distinctions is that such interactions often tend to influence, impact, change, and or colour person’s perceptions, and or processing thus causing them to arrive at differing conceptualizations. Figure 2 – Individual Environmental Perceptions in a Two Party Relationship (Rice University, 2003) Under Figure 2, it illustrates the interactive effects of environmental perceptions in a two-party relationship, and how the images of Individual A can impact upon the perceptions of Individual B. Another facet of how external influences can impact upon an individual’s thinking has been put forward by Janis (1972, pp. 15-30) who states that groupthink is the psychological drive for consensus at any costs which suppresses disagreement, and thus prevents the appraisal of potential alternatives in decision making groups. Thus, an individual in a bank will have a completely different set of mental references that will occur when he or she hears the word risk, than will an entrepreneur. In a limited and distant way, the preceding represents a variant of groupthink, or the thinking adopted by an individual as represented by being part of a group or enterprise. The symptoms can be mild to strong based upon the degree of adaptation, position and or other factors, and can fall into any of the following categorizations (Janis, 1972, pp. 174-195, 242-258): 1. Negative Outcomes The examination of only a few alternatives, Not being critical of the ideas of others, Failure to examine alternatives early, Failure to seek expert opinion, Being very selective in terms of gathering information, Failure to have contingency plans, 2. Symptoms An illusion of invulnerability, The rationalization of poor decisions, A belief in the morality of the group, The sharing of stereotypes that guide the decision process, The exercising of direct pressure on others, Failure to express true feelings, The maintenance of the illusion of unanimity, The use of what are termed mind guards to protect others in the group from receiving or evaluating negative information 3. Solutions The utilization of a policy forming group that thus reports to a larger group, thus forcing or bringing wider thinking latitudes into the equation, Having the leaders remain impartial, The utilization of differing policy groups to accomplish different tasks, The division of individuals into groups and then a discussion on differences to open up potential alternatives and additional thinking, Having discussions in sub groups that report back, The utilization of a Devil’s advocate to call into question all of the ideas raised by the group, Holding second meetings to provide another opportunity for other courses of action The idea of the preceding is to help minimize preconceived notions, ideas, and approaches to open them up to a broader field of discussion, ideas, alternatives, and possibilities. The foregoing is applied in individual situations by the individual taking the time for reflective thinking away for the instant pressures of now or of another’s influence. Chapter 3 Risk The Houghton Mifflin (2007) dictionary defines risk as â€Å" 1. The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger, 2. A factor, thing, element, or course involving uncertain danger; a hazard †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It, risk, represents a concept that carries with it the potential for a negative outcome or less that desired outcome that can potentially arise from a specific, desired or combination of actions in the present or sometime in the future (Douglas, 1992, pp. 102-105). Viscose (1998, p. 5)advises that â€Å"Individual risk perceptions are often in error †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ,explaining that â€Å"†¦ people make mistakes with respect to how they perceive risk and behave in the presence of uncertainty†. Douglas(1992, p. 102) states that it has been a long held belief that individuals are risk averse, which is based upon â€Å"†¦ the theory of rationale choice †¦ (that) †¦ assumes that the individual will always choose according to his own self-interest †¦Ã¢ €  which are choices, thus a factor of rational behaviour. Adams (1995, p. 1) simplifies the understanding of risk by personalizing it in order for us to gain aclearer perspective. He states that each and every one of us is â€Å"†¦ a true risk expert †¦Ã¢â‚¬  in that â€Å"†¦ we have been trained by practice and experience in the management of risk† (Adams, 1995, p. 1). Risk represents something that we as human being learn in infancy, starting with our trial and error processes representing learning how to crawl, walk, and then talk (Adams, 1995, p. 1). He adds to Douglas’ (1992, p.102) statement that individuals are risk averse as he points out the example of that although we as child tend to act out of â€Å"†¦ curiosity and a need for excitement †¦ (we are ) †¦ curbed by †¦ â€Å" our sense of danger (Adams, 1995, p. 1). The importance of investigating the components and foundations of risk as a part of the equation of this examination is crucial to the examination of attitudes, risk and entrepreneurship in that one needs the foundation of the theories, and usages attributed to these words and concepts. Risk, as a function of perceived uncertainty and dangerous also subject to prevailing public views, experience factors and acceptance. By any account, taking a flight in a piece of metal whose outer skin is thin, with the entire container flexing while one travels at speeds in excess of 400 km would not only sound risky to those born in ancient Rome, it would be viewed as insane. Thus risk is a changing variable based upon our degrees of exposure, the exposure of others, and its place in what we subscribe to as normal routines. Risk taking for one used to making investments, such as a financier, stock trader or venture capitalist, whose circle of acquaintances, friends, upbringing, and experiences is less than it is for a doctor, lawyer, cab driver or railroad engineer, as they lack the exposure, and mental familiarity that underpins uncertainty, and how to deal with it. The foregoing represents the third of Starr’s (1969, pp. 1234) three laws describing behavioural phenomena â€Å"†¦ 3. The acceptable level of risk is inversely related to the number of persons exposed to that risk†. The other two segments of this law are (1969, p. 1238): â€Å"1. The public is willing to accept voluntary risks about 1,000 times greater than involuntary risks. 2. The acceptability of risks appears to be roughly proportional to the third power of the benefits† Starr’s (1969, p. 1238) three putative laws however have not gained wide spread acceptance with risk specialists on all grounds, however there are those who agree with his assertion that there is a relationship between risk acceptability ad benefits. Otway and Chen(1975, pp. 76-80) however found that through a replication of the analysis that the resulting data did not support Starr’s (1969, p.1238) assertion in qualitative formulations, and instead found that individuals were indeed willing to accept high involuntary risks with large benefits. Despite the findings of Otway and Chen (1975, pp.76-80) the jury is still out regarding Starr’s (1969, p. 1238) three putative laws. And while we have been discussing risk as on an individual basis, risk exists in all forms, thus the exploration of it in institutions also has relevance as it is still a human facet. Culp (2001, p. 15) advises that we find it â€Å"†¦ tempting to associate definition of risk with measures of risk, such as the variance of returns on some asset† or in order mathematical means. Culp (2001, p.15) asserts that risk can be shown through mathematical formulas to that†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ make sense in illustrative purposes†, adding that â€Å"Risk is concept, not a particular statistical construct†. In further exploring risk, Culp (2001, p. 15) adds that attempting to glean an understanding of risk â€Å"†¦ at the conceptual level †¦Ã¢â‚¬  is a daunting task. He states that there is a tendency to use terms such as interest rate risk, maturity, accident, credit and so forth, which have their applications, and adds that the conceptualization of the â€Å"†¦ definition of risk varies with the perspective† (Culp, 2001, p. 15). Thus, he offers perspectives on how risk can be defined, and the relationships between them. Firstly, Culp (2001, p. 15) offers what he terms the â€Å"event-driven definition of risk† which works on the principle of â€Å"†¦ the type of event that can result in a loss†, such as a flood or earthquake. The second type of risk Culp (2001, p. 16) defines is ‘market risk’ thatâ€Å"†¦ arises from the event of a change in some market determined asset price, reference rate or index†. He explains that ‘delta represents the value that is the â€Å"exposure that deteriorates as a result of the price, or value of some risk factor changes†, with â€Å"‘gamma’ as the risk that delta will change when the value of an underlying risk factor changes â€Å"and ‘rho as the â€Å"risk that the interest rates used to discount future cash flows in present value calculations will change and impose unexpected losses on the firm (Culp, 2001, p. 17). Culp (2001, p. 18)defines ‘liquid risk’ as that which †Å"occurs in the event that cash flows, and current balances are insufficient to cover cash outflow requirements†, and ‘credit risk’. The other types of risk Culp (2001,pp. 18-22) defines are ‘operational risk’, and ‘legal risk’, with other risks representing a broad array of items such as intellectual risk, customer loss risk, and supply chain risks as a few examples. In equating risk with the subject of this examination, risk aversion represents the division of risk that is associated with individuals. Culp (2001, p. 34) refers to this as â€Å"†¦. the shape of a utility function dictating the degree to which an individual is risk-averse, risk-neutral, or risk-loving†. Barrett (1993, p. 2) states that inside of these risk categories is what he terms the ‘disaster threshold ‘whereby one engages in behaviour that includes risk only when it does not touch their threshold of misfortune beyond which they will not goes such would †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ be experienced as a disaster†. He adds that when individuals have a preference for â€Å"†¦ risk-aversion †¦ (it) †¦ displaces the preference for rational decision making† (Barrett, 1993, p. 79).Under this type of thinking the rule is â€Å"†¦ to take as few risks as incompatible with the perception of opportunities, and to expect corresponding attitude i n others† (Barrett, 1993, p. 79). Lane and Cheek (2000) conducted a study on risk-aversion examining theâ€Å"†¦ role of contingencies and experimental context in human decision-making†. They subjected twelve individuals to â€Å"†¦ a series of conditions that provided response alternatives of a small, high-probability reinforce (non-risky alternative), or a larger, low probability reinforce (risky alternative)†. The range of therein forcer probabilities and amounts were utilized via a discrete trial design that had repeated trials conducted in multiple sessions. In comparing the results with prior data it was found that the subjects in the study â€Å"†¦ displayed a strong preference for the non-risky response alternative, even when doing so resulted in lost earnings† (Lane and Cheek, 2000). These results support decision, and risk models that emphasize the subjective as opposed to mathematically expected value of reinforces, and â€Å"†¦ the data highlight the important role of reinforcement contingencies, and context in risk-taking behaviour† (Lane and Cheek, 2000). Risk, as explained by Adams (1995), Viscose (1998),Douglas (1992), Starr (1969), and others is inherent in any choice that involves probabilistic outcomes. Lane and Cheek (2000) found that inâ€Å"†¦ contexts with two or more response alternatives, both the probability, and size of each alternative presumably influence decisions†. Lawrence (1992) concurs with Lane and Cheek (2000) in that the choice of decision making that occurs under uncertainty usually includes options of selecting, and or choosing to use an informational system, and a set of probable messages that take in current decisions. Under this type of thinking the rule is â€Å"†¦ to take as few risks as incompatible with the perception of opportunities, and to expect corresponding attitude in others† Barrett (1993, p. 79) whereby the taking of as few risks as possible is the preference in compatibility with opportunity perception, and the corresponding attitude of others. Hahnemann and Tversky (1979, pp. 341-350), Silberberg et al (1988, pp.187-195), and Slavic and Lichtenstein (1968, pp. 1-17) all conducted studies in risk aversion, and noted the tendency toward a mild approaching conditions as represented by gain versus no-gain. Hahnemann andTversky (1979, pp. 341-350) found that under some conditionsâ€Å"†¦equivalent outcomes with real, and hypothetical outcomes, but results from other studies are not so straightforward, and suggest that there may be differences in subjects’ decision making when real payoff contingencies are implemented†. Slavic (1969) found â€Å"†¦ when choices were hypothetical, subjects maximized gains and discounted the probability of loss, but were more risk averse under conditions in which they actually played out their choices†. In equating risk as a variable of simply participating as opposed to gain and or loss Reuchlin and Frankel (1969, pp. 444-449) found that in the utilization of gambling situations that contained no payoffs, the individuals involved in the study were indifferent to the response they selected, but when the probabilities of winning, and losing were introduced whereby monetary gains, and or losses were involved, they were real sensitive to the choices made. The understanding of why people make decisions in situations whereby an alternative is the better choice based upon some attributes of values and in others the alternative is better based upon some other attribute represents a problem of preferential choice, and judgment in psychology. Castellan (1993, p. 20) advises that in general, when people are â€Å"†¦faced with more complex decision problems involving many alternatives, people often adopt simplifying strategies that are much more selective in the use of information†. He continues thatâ€Å"†¦strategies adopted tend to be non-compensatory, in that excellent values on some attributes cannot compensate for poor values on other attributes† (Castellan, 1993, p. 20). He elaborates on the foregoing by making reference to a number of job applicants with basically the same qualifications, however, the interviewer might decide that a published article background is a determining factor which he utilizes to aid in the decision process. The preceding represents a simplification strategy for getting through, and or making a decision, which is termed heuristics for choice, which can change based upon the conditions. Tversky ( 1972, pp. 281-299) referred to such a strategy as an elimination-by-aspects process. Heuristics such as the equal weighting rule, majority of confirming dimensions, and lexicographic represent differing methods for simplifying processing in the making of choices(Castellan, 1993, p. 20). The preceding represents a factor of risk as individuals work through their own history and experience base as well as any applicable organizational or society rules in reaching a risk based decision. The equal weighting strategy simplifies the decision making process by virtue of ignoring information concerning the relative importance of each attribute (Castellan, 1993, p. 21). In the confirming decisions heuristic, the general process entails the processing of pairs of alternatives whereby â€Å"†¦values for each of the two alternatives are compared on each attribute, and the alternative with a majority of winning (better) attribute values is retained †¦.† (Castellan, 1993, p.21). In this manner â€Å"†¦processing is simplified by requiring only ordinal judgments of which alternative is better on an attribute, rather than assessments of the degree to which one alternative is better than the other †¦ (thereby the) †¦ process of pairwise comparison is repeated until all alternatives have been evaluated, and the final winning alternative identified† (Castellan, 1993, p. 21). In the final heuristic, lexicographic choice works by â€Å"†¦first determining the most important attribute, and then examining the values of all alternatives on that attribute. The alternative with the best value on the most important attribute is selected† (Castellan, 1993, p. 21). In cases of ties, the second most important attribute is considered and the process repeated until the decision making tie is eliminated. The foregoing are aspects in risk decision making that some individuals use in arriving at their choices, and are usually reserved for more long term risk analysis decision making such as investment, business decisions, long term purchases of higher monetary value and so forth. These types of risk taking processes are also associated with entrepreneurs. Chapter 4 – Entrepreneurship The Houghton Mifflin dictionary (2007) defines entrepreneur as â€Å"Adperson who organizes, operates and assumes the risk for a business venture†. An entrepreneur represents an individual who is usually of high aptitude, who possesses certain characteristics that are found in only a small portion of people in general, who pioneers change(Quick MBA, 2007). The more popular definition that is thought of by society when this word is mentioned, is of a person who wants to work for themselves. The origin of entrepreneur is French, based on the word ‘entreprendre, which means ‘to undertake’. Entrepreneurship represents the practice of beginning new companies, and or organizations as usually represented by a new business as a result of new opportunities that have, or are presenting themselves. Such naturally entails elements of risk. The equation of risk in entrepreneurship is represented by the spectre of failure, which can beat result of a multitude of business, supply, sales, market condition, financing, timing, competitive, new innovations, cost, locale, another problems that are all interweaved to result in a complex series of risks that must be examined, explored, decided upon, and dealt with correctly to minimize failure, which does not necessarily translate into success. Stevenson (1983), as previously referred to, describes entrepreneurship represents â€Å"†¦ the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control†, which he further amplifies with Gumpert (Stevenson and Gumpert, 1985, pp. 85-94) that entrepreneurship represents both the individual as well as the society that he or she is embedded in as he or she identifies an opportunity they desire to pursue and as an entrepreneur they thus must seek the resources from the broader society. Given all of the research, and studies devoted to entrepreneurship no universal theory has been generated, as various disciplines have their â€Å"†¦own unique way of viewing entrepreneurship which remains relatively unaffected by the perspectives of other disciplines †¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Gartner, 2001). All of the foregoing have been engaged in as a part of the purpose of this study, which is to equate attitudes toward risk and entrepreneurship. The three critical words that comprise this examination have extremely broad interpretations as well as context that are dependent upon when, and how they are used. For Dracker (1985,p. 28) entrepreneurship is about risk. But his view does not take the skew of said risk being negative or positive, but rather that risk is inherent with the concept as it, risk, is inherent with business in general, simply that entrepreneurial risk is a different form. Thus, the attitudes concerning risk and entrepreneurship are individual and dependent upon the prevailing social circle, or societal views that can take on any the differing contextual concepts of any of the words in arriving at a mental conceptualization of what these words mean in combination. He describes entrepreneurship as â€Å"†¦ ‘risky’ mainly because so few of the so-called entrepreneurs know what they are doing(Dracker, 1985, p. 29). And continues that they â€Å"†¦ lack the methodology†¦ (and) †¦violate elementary and well known rules (Dracker, 1985, p.29). Thus Dracker (1985) is seemingly saying that the high degree of complexity inherent in entrepreneurship, as either demands or requires an individual who is usually of high aptitude, who possess certain characteristics that are found in only a small portion of people in general, who pioneers change (, 2007). The attention being devoted to an examination of entrepreurship is deemed as an important part of the risk attitude equation in that like risk, and attitude, it, entrepreurship, entails a large number of variants in how they are viewed contextually. Dracker (1985, p. 30) aids in providing clarity by advising that entrepreneurship requires innovation, as it â€Å"†¦ is the specific instrument †¦Ã¢â‚¬  of the process. It represents the factor â€Å"†¦that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dracker, 1985, p. 30). He explains that innovationâ€Å"†¦ creates a resource †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that a resource represents something that has no value until a need, and use is found for it, and thus endows it with an economic value (Dracker, 1985, p. 30). To illustrate, he points to various plants, rock, and minerals that went unused for centuries until a use were found for them. Owing to this view, Dracker (1985, p.33) advises that innovation represents an economic term, in this context, as opposed to a social or technical one. He adds that it, innovation, â€Å"†¦can be defined the way J. B. Say defined entrepreneurship, as changing the yield of resources † as well as being â€Å"†¦ defined in demand terms rather than in supply terms, that is, as changing the value and satisfaction obtained from resources by the consumer †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dracker, 1985, p. 33). Francis and Demirep (2006) address the issue of entrepreneurship in the context of â€Å"Wealth, Entrepreneurship and Occupational Experience â€Å"citing that as a factor of the probability of becoming an entrepreneur, one is likely to be male, a member of the Caucasian race, in the upper middle age bracket, and married. They cite that the theoretical aspects of the preceding profile represent facets such as risk aversion, along with entrepreneurial ability, as mentioned by Dracker (1985, p. 30) â€Å"†¦and the desire to be one’s own boss† (

Globalization in Sub-Saharan Africa Essay

ABSTRACT It is factual that globalization began before the industrial revolution was existent in the colonial period and continues to be a major influence on how governments worldwide operate. When analyzing the effects of globalization, a common controversial debate is whether globalization has maimed the society or has brought significant benefit. The African society is used severally by anti-globalists to defend their views. This paper explores the negative dynamics of globalization in Sub-saharan Africa e.g. undermining of state sovereignty and hastening of environmental degradation of the continent. However, it does not suggest that globalization is entirely bad nor does it say that globalization is the only cause of Africa’s problems. It proposes some measures that can be considered when globalizing the African market so that this negative effects can be minimized. INTRODUCTION The nations of the world have synchronized their trading goods and services, financial markets, Ideologies, innovations and cultures through globalization. The free flow market policy adopted by many countries has led to significantly positive outcomes in the broader African region for example, creating new job ventures and advancements in technology. However, globalization has also cast a dark shadow on some sectors of the African economy , an issue that this paper will put into perspective with a particular case study on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some proposed consequences of globalization addressed here include increased conflicts in the area, erosion of state sovereignty, imbalance in the ecosystem and income inequality. Sub-Saharan Africa is a term used to refer to all of Africa except the Northern region. Most of their economies are agricultural based and are not as stable as those in the Western world. The average income in sub-Saharan Africa is below the poverty line level. Nevertheless, this region enjoys a large comparative advantage on raw resources in the extractive industries for example minerals and oil. The demand for these minerals can perhaps explain why immediately before the great recession in 2008,there was the 27% increase in FDI; the highest ever seen(Jaja:3).Foreign companies can obtain these minerals at a very low cost in some African countries and reap huge marginal benefits. Some of the avenues they use to get them are questionable as is the case with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Congo Zaire) is a central African nation that borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its neighbouring countries include Central African Republic Southern Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola and Tanzania (the two are separated by Lake Tanganyika).It is the second largest nation by area with over 65 million people. It was a Belgian colony and gained independence in June 1960. DRCongo has the most variety in biodiversity in Africa and enviable amounts of rare natural resources such as diamond, copper, gold, cobalt, timber and coltan. With its resources one would expect that such a country would be awash with prime economic developments, projects to exploit all agricultural potential and high standards of living. On the contrary, most of the civilians in DRC live in poverty and have not benefited from the rich well of resources they have. They are victims of years of civil war, propelled by power- hungry, conniving national leaders and part of the international community. A sneak peak into the colonial history of DRCongo reveals that the exploitation of the minerals for self-intrests is not a recent phenomena. POLITICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DRC In the late 1800s, King Leopold of Belgium acquired full rights of ownership of the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin. He governed it like private property and the area experienced some developments. However, this came at the expense of the local people because they were treated as slaves and could not reap any fruits from their labour. Intense pressure from the international community on the Belgian parliament led to the reclaiming of the Congo region from the king’s hands. It was renamed The Belgian Congo state from 1908. There was significant economic growth at the time but the indigenous people were on the losing end again, exploited and enslaved. The fight for independence was won on June 1960 with Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president. Lumumba would later be fired and Joseph Mobutu, chief of staff of the new army, aimed to ‘restore’ the relationship between the two leaders with the help of the USA and Belgium governments. In January 1961, Katanga forces and Belgian troops executed Patrice. The Katanga succession ended in 1963 with the help of UN forces. There were several governments afterwards; the most notable one being that of Mobutu Sese Seko. His ‘career’ as president began in 1971. He was largely dictatorial; for example he revoked the powers of the legislature, fired the prime minister and conducted an election where he was the only candidate. Funds were mismanaged, state cooperations collapsed and the country was in debt. He renamed the country several times but officially used Congo-Zaire. Note that he had several billions of US dollars in a Swiss Bank account and still had favour with the USA government. It is believed that he even had a world bank official as a personal assistant. This in turn gave him â€Å"confidential information about granting aid to Zaire†. (Reno 1998:152) In 1994, the DRC was a refuge for the many Rwandese Hutus fleeing the Rwandan genocide. Refugee camps a few kilometers from the border with Rwanda were planning zones for attacks into Rwanda. Mobutu cheered them on. However in 1996, Rwandan led forces backed by Uganda and the The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, led by Laurent Kabila, advanced into Kinshasa to close down Hutu camps in Eastern DRC.As a result, Mobutu’s government was overthrown when he was away and Laurent Desire Kabila was declared president. Kabila’s leadership was no different from his predecessor’s. Conflict between his government and rebel groups ensued in August 1998 because Kabila saw the Rwandese rebels as threat to his government. The Ugandan group, led by Congolese warlord John Pierre Bemba, formed the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, joined the Rwandese and together they terrorized the citizens and the government .Kabila requested for military assistance from the international community but they hesitantly supported him since they did not know him enough to trust him. In 1999, the rebels and the government signed a peace accord and six other countries were witnesses. A new constitution was promulgated in May 2005 and in 2006 the first free and fair elections were held. Tension increased just before elections and the government, backed by the UN, disarmed all non- governmental factions to keep the nation stable. The trail of this civil war commonly equated to Africa’s first world war has left a trail of death, despair and pain amongst the people with over 5 million dead, several displaced, and thousands of women and children raped. It is interesting to question the ability of the rebel groups to oust governments sequentially. Could someone be funding them? Are there some hidden interests? The minerals in the DRC, and coltan in particular, are treasured gems in the technological era. When raw, coltan, which is composed of columbium and tantalum, looks like black mud or sand. It is used to produce capacitors. Capacitors are used to conduct electrical charge in high tech equipment for example cellular phones, computers and some jet engines. The DRC has the world’s largest reserves of the mineral. Four fifths of the world’s supply of coltan is in Africa and DRC has eighty percent of it. In the late 1900s,the sales of tantalum increased by three hundred percent. This time period coincided with the times of civil war in the DRC.As Dena Montague states in her article, â€Å"Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo†, international cooperations such as Banro-resources cooperation, Finconcorde and Raremet imported DRC coltan via Rwanda for use in Asia, Europe and US A. In response to UN accusations of involvement in illegal trading H.C Stark, one of the largest producers of capacitors commented that they only purchase raw materials from established companies. However, established companies were indeed involved in illegally obtaining goods from DRC. Investors restructured deals in support of Desire Kabila instead of Mobutu in 1996.This was a violation of the constitution which stated â€Å"The soil and subsoil belong to the state-prospecting, exploration and exploitation requires permits from Ministry of Mines and Energy.† Local militia backed by Ugandan and Rwandese forces got supplies in form of food, money and military equipment in exchange for smuggled goods. The militia men took stronghold of areas with huge deposits of gold and coltan e.g. Bukavu, Lubumbashi and Mayi. Gold was exported through Uganda and into United Arab Emirates. It was difficult to trace from there. It is worth noting that between 1995 and 2006,gold was one of Uganda’s main exports. Additionally, Uganda had GDP growth rate of 6% per annum in 1999 yet the average GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa was about 2.5%in the same time. These trade revenues undermined the power of the central Congolese government because the Ugandan economy gained more from D.R. Congo’s resources more than the DRC’s economy did. The fact that the international community was in one way or another involved in increasing conflict in the DRC is undeniable. If the corporate investors were genuinely trading with DRC to improve the state of the country, they would have questioned the legitimacy of the DRC based enterprises and suppliers. Another simultaneous consequence of the years of instability was an imbalance in the ecosystem. Wildlife products such as elephant tusks and animal skin were and are still very marketable globally. They were sold or bartered in exchange of food, ammunition and other goods. With a nation in strife, this meant that there were neither environmental regulations nor expensive wildlife products. In the 1990s, there were increased rates of elephant poaching and habitat encroachment in the forest areas of Kahuzi Beiga National Park. Statistics by the UN reveal that in the area of Garamba Park, north eastern DRC, 4000 out of 12000 elephants were killed between 1995 and 1999.[61]The area was controlled by Ugandan troops and Sudanese rebels. This created a human-animal conflict. The militia fed on wild meat when on their missions. Wild meat was also the only easily available food source for the displaced persons. Rebel leaders disarmed the guards in national parks, thus they were unable to patrol the forested areas. Local conservationists also raised the alarm on the decreasing numbers of the bonobo monkeys; famed for language learning abilities when in captivity and complex social behavi or in the wild(Gretchen Vogel).Another result of the clash between man and animal as suggested in the article â€Å"Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats†, was the spread of human monkey pox and bubonic plague. The people were exposed to more diseases other than water- borne and tropical diseases. With lack of adequate healthcare and restricted movements, the people’s lives were at risk too. The flora and soil were not spared either. The people burned the vegetation and cut trees to get timber and to create room for living and farming. Due to the uncertainty they were in, it is unlikely that their methods of farming were conservative e.g. overharvesting and thus leading to soil erosion. Timber, which is a fundamental raw material for the building industry, was cheaply available to local and international traders thus they found the political situation in the DRCongo very favourable to their activities. Globalization of trade and financial commodities in the world has a general pattern where most of the trade and investments are dominated by a few nations. They make policies that work to their advantage, a fact clearly outlined by Joseph E. Stilitzp in his article â€Å"Globalism Dis contents†. Agriculture, which is the backbone of many African countries, is sometimes left out in some of the import tariff reliefs given internationally on account of globalization. Some regional agreements also exercise some form of discriminatory trade towards agricultural products. Additionally, globalization has led to liquidity of funds due to free financial markets. This means that capital investments can quickly be converted to cash. African states are become vulnerable to liquidity perhaps because of several sectors of the economy that need quick monetary solutions and overreliance on foreign loans as Stiglitzp highlights. One probable outcome from this phenomena in the period of conflict in the D.R.C would be that the rich political leaders in the country became richer and richer whereas the common people sunk deeper into poverty. It is likely that the agricultural sector was neglected(and this is where the people economy was/is based)and the mining industry prioritized. Middlemen from some countries traded weapons and money, with the rebel groups and some political elite, for coltan and other minerals. It is also likely that some foreign companies were given full ownership rights of some mines after giving the leaders of the time were given some money. The Congolese will indeed find it hard to trust their leaders again. The harsh reality right now is that so many families are focused on the primary needs of fending for their families so the idea of demanding for their rights is would sound unpractical. The fragility of this state can be traced to the days of state formation and the nature of subsequent governments. If the leaders who came into power prioritized the formation of a strong army and building of the nation, then we would perhaps tell a different story. This region and several others in Sub-saharan Africa have faced a humanitarian,environmental and political turmoil for too long. To avoid a repeat of the civil war situation and its consequent effects, specific codes of conduct that promote economic and political stability should be considered in the globalization aspect. Foreign investments into Africa require strict policies and an end of the bargain that considers the welfare of the people e. g a company that wants to invest must contribute directly or indirectly towards building a hospital, school or social hall. This will be effective in ensuring that the transition between a globalized market and the previous one involves the whole society in all dimensions of life. This can only happen with government system that is dedicated to building a brighter future for these great nations. The effective building of DRCongo’s economy will involve Congo’s immediate neighbors, the whole of Africa and the world. Conservationists should develop programs in war torn areas so that resource conflicts do not arise in the future. Global gatherings that address environmental issues should also prioritize the critical environmental crisis the Democratic Republic of Congo and in other areas affected by similar or even worse conditions. REFERENCES Globalization, Culture and the Great Disruption: An Assessment International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences February 2012, Vol. 2, No. 2 Dena Montague, Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, SAIS Review 22.1 (2002) 103-118 Joseph P. Dudley1,*, Joshua R. Ginsberg2, Andrew J. Plumptre2, John A. Hart2, Liliana C. Campos3Conservation Biology Volume pages 319–329, April 2002 Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats Alan Cowell, Letter from Britain: Lack of African Dream Lets a Nightmare Prevail by The International Herald Tribune, 2 August 2006 Stiglitz Joseph.Globalism Discontents Conflict in Congo Threatens Bonobos and Rare Gorillas * Gretchen Vogel Science 31 March 2000: 287 (5462), 2386-2387. [DOI:10.1126/science.287.5462.2386] Report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2002. Reno, William. 1998. Warlord Politics and African States. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner.(preface of the book)

Quality caring in nursing: applying theory to clinical practice, education, and leadership Essay

Leadership styles Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the utmost and futurist leaders that the world has ever experienced. His mark is consummate and the weight of his endeavors will be realized by many generations. There are numerous traits that molded Martin Luther King to the universal rights principal during his days. This very leadership proficiency can be duplicated in nursing practice that would mould us into professionals, partner, person and friend all around. Martin Luther King possessed a lot of traits that explain why he was very vibrant and prominent as a civil rights leader. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Martin Luther King leadership skills can be applied in nursing and health care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Myers Briggs model of personality is very effective since it greatly helped me to identify my personal traits. I also came to learn that I share some characters with other people. I completed the MMDIâ„ ¢ personality test, to identify these traits which helped me to identify some of the similarities and differences. I believe this will help me to find a pleasant career, expand my self-awareness, become an influential leader or improve affiliation skills in nursing and health practices. However, there are eight Myers Briggs personality types. To become a fulfilled and effective leader I have to maintain an excellent balance between my contextual demand and my preferences. Leadership profile is a unique combination of preferences for the eight styles. I prefer to use a balance of all the styles. In addition, being a good leader depends on the culture and context. I am a participative leader since I love to engage people in the directive t aken and its achievement. I love valuing other people to attain the objective through cooperative teamwork (Duffy, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am also a change-oriented leader. I believe this is a very crucial tool which enables me to cope with the changing world. I love exploring and inventing new ways of carrying out my duties in nursing and health care. I am also an ideological leader who likes to achieve via endorsement of some values, ideals and maintaining the focus of the group on significant issues. As a visionary leader, I like developing unique sense of the unknown by focusing on future plans, evaluating the client’s demands and evaluating the trend in the market. As an executive leader, I introduce the nursing and health care organization into the manner things are carried out. I am also a goal oriented leader where I have to set specific and achievable goals based on my competence. As an action-oriented leader I love leading as an example in the institution. Lastly, as a theorist leader I like identifying appropriate models of how the institutions can be admi nistered (Goldsmith,2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Martin Luther King on the other hand had set of qualities that marked him as an inspirational leader. He was a persistent leader. One of the famous traits of Martin Luther king, Jr. was his persistent endeavors to lead, inspire and change. He was also a committed leader since no matter how much he achieved, he continued to seek for more. He was also a goal-oriented leader since regardless of many hindrances Luther kept restating the end goal. He was an inspirational leader since he acknowledged that to achieve his objectives; he had to inspire those who had faith in his vision. Dr. Martin Luther King was also a change-oriented leader who constantly pursued new directions. He addressed the issue of civic rights from all directions regardless of violence, attacks or violence. He was also a visionary leader since his objective was beyond sharing his message with the public. Retrieved from http://brandredresume.com/10-leadership-qualities-of-d r-martin-luther-king-jr   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Martin Luther King was an executive leader since he demanded for respect and tolerance to everyone thus becoming the pioneer. He was also a theorist leader since he made efforts was to transform his followers. Martin Luther was an ideological leader who was not afraid to uncover unchartered territories in civil rights. Lastly, he was an action oriented leader who was straight forward in his message. These traits made Martin Luther King a famous inspirational leader whose leadership styles can be emulated by generations. Martin Luther King transformational leadership was very effective since most transformational leaders are charismatic in nature. He had an exceptional approach of making people to work in unity rather than involving in frequent clashes. He listened calmly as other people argued and lastly call off the debate by coming up with the way forward. These traits helped Luther to unite people to work together in unity. I share vari ous traits with Martin Luther King such as visionary, change-oriented, action-oriented, and executive leader. These traits can be very effective if applied in the nursing and health care since it is a field that requires dedication and innovativeness. Retrieved from http://brandredresume.com/10-leadership-qualities-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, there are several leadership styles which a leader should possess in order to be influential in their role. However, it is very crucial to balance between preference and contextual demand. Good leaders must have an objective so that they may lay down appropriate strategies to attain those goals. This also calls for persistence and commitment in attending the duties which will enable leaders to achieve their end goals. Martin Luther King left an irreplaceable mark as his exceptional leadership styles inspires many leaders and can be emulated in different leadership roles in organizations. The nursing and health sector require people with good leadership styles since it is a very demanding organization. In addition, the constant changing world requires organizations to be change-oriented so that they can cope with these changes. References 10 Leadership Qualities of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. (n.d.). BrandRed Resume. Retrieved June 6, 2014, from http://brandredresume.com/10-leadership-qualities-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr Code of conduct for nurses. (2012). Wellington: Nursing Council of New Zealand. Duffy, J. R. (2009). Quality caring in nursing: applying theory to clinical practice, education, and leadership. New York: Springer Pub.. Goldsmith, M. (2010). The AMA handbook of leadership. New York: American Management Association. Source document

Admirable or Significant Person †Scholarship Essay

Admirable or Significant Person – Scholarship Essay Free Online Research Papers Select a person you admire or a significant life experience. In what way has this person or experience affected you? Running in a line, clumped unevenly together, my team ran out of the locker room with a burst of energy as the crowd slowly acknowledged our arrival on to the court. I glanced around to see who might be watching this anticipated win, and to look for my moms face up in the stands. I nervously waited for the ball to complete my first lay-up of the night, to ease my way into the game atmosphere. My fear of getting hurt again haunted my mind, and the fear was affecting my athletic performance. The thought of spraining my ankle again chilled my body with apprehension. It really hurt me as a player not being able to play the sport I loved. I knew that the only thing to do was to stay strong and cheer for my teammates. The game had begun and my team had the ball. I watched my teammates hustle around the court and look for an open shot. Scrambling for time and an open player, the girls tried to keep the ball under control. Eventually, a point was scored and the other team brought the ball out. I can still remember cheering for my friend, after her fifteen-foot jump shot. I yelled more encouraging words to my teammates hoping that my coach would somehow notice my efforts. I sprang up out of my seat to acknowledge a great steal by another team player, and I gazed with excitement in suspense for her to score. I watched and cheered throughout the whole game. I finally heard my name called, Trace! said Coach Hanover; and she gave me my directions. I patiently waited for an out of bounds ball to come so that I could get on the court. The buzzer rang, and the referee signaled for me to come in to replace one of my teammates. My mom cheered frantically because she knew my playing time was at a minimum, and she knew how important getting a few minutes of playing time was to me. I remember distinctly that I ran to the left side of the court and set in position for a corner shot. I seemed to have perfected this shot while being out because of my beat up, bruised ankle. I made eye contacted with my teammate, and the ball was passed to me. Nervously I grabbed it and took the shot. Swish. My first two points of the season were scored! From that moment on I cant remember quite what happened. Although if I could go back in time to the feeling I had when my team came together to congratulate me, I would sprain my ankle all over again. The idea of being able to show my ability coming off from an injury was incredible. That shot I made was the emotional release I had been waiting for. I wont forget the feeling I had when my coach smiled at me and told me how well I did. I cant imagine my life without the experience of sitting the bench due to injuries for a whole season. I most definitely became a stronger person, and I a lot of people asked me why I didnt just quit. I told them that quitting was not my forte, and I could not quit on something for which I had such a passion. I explained to them that even though I may not be on the track to becoming a professional basketball player, I was determined that I would never quit for something so silly as not enough playing time. I learned that a team is not a team without encouragement from every teammate. I also learned that even though life is not always full of what you want, it does not always mean you should quit. I think that my will power for issues surrounding my life have definitely been put into perspective. Once I set my mind to something, there is no stopping me from achieving that goal. If I fail than I will just have to try, try, and try again. Research Papers on Admirable or Significant Person - Scholarship EssayThe Hockey GameTrailblazing by Eric AndersonThe Spring and AutumnHip-Hop is ArtPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentResearch Process Part OnePETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

René Laennec and the Invention of the Stethoscope

Renà © Laennec and the Invention of the Stethoscope The stethoscope is an implement for listening to the internal sounds of the body. It is widely used by doctors and veterinarians to gather data from their patients, in particular, breathing and heart rate. The stethoscope may be acoustic or electronic, and some modern stethoscopes record sounds, as well.   The Stethoscope: An Instrument Born of Embarrassment The stethoscope was invented in 1816 by the French physician Renà © Thà ©ophile Hyacinthe Laà «nnec (1781-1826) at the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris. The doctor was treating a female patient and was embarrassed to use the traditional method of Immediate Auscultation, which involved the doctor pressing his ear to the patients chest. (Laà «nnec recounts that the method was rendered  inadmissible by the age and sex of the patient.) Instead, he rolled up a sheet of paper into a tube, which allowed him to hear his patients heartbeat. Laà «nnecs embarrassment gave rise to one of the most important and ubiquitous medical instruments. The first stethoscope was a wooden tube similar to the ear horn hearing aids of the time. Between 1816 and 1840, the various practitioners and inventors replaced the rigid tube with a flexible one, but documentation of this phase of the device’s evolution is spotty. We do know that the next leap forward in stethoscope technology took place in 1851 when an Irish doctor named Arthur Leared invented a binaural (two-ear) version of the stethoscope. This was refined the next year by George Cammann and put into mass production.   Other improvements to the stethoscope came in 1926, when Dr. Howard Sprague of Harvard Medical School and M.B. Rappaport, an electrical engineer, developed a double-headed chest piece. One side of the chest piece, a flat plastic diaphragm, rendered higher-frequency sounds when pressed to the patient’s skin, while the other side, a cup-like bell, allowed sounds of a lower frequency to be discerned.

Review of Accounting Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review of Accounting Ethics - Research Paper Example Current Business and Regulatory Environment-Conducive to Ethical Behavior In light of the continuing and current scandal related business environment people working in the corporate environment tend to indulge into unethical business practices. However, it is to be determined that the ethics whether qualitative or quantitative in nature have undergone a rise or decline in the conduct of the business of the respective organization. In reality the tension between the quantitative and the qualitative ethics are resulting in the increasing tensions and conflicting needs of the company. The company bears the responsibility of providing timely information to the shareholders that is relevant and easily understood by the shareholders of the company whereas the responsibility of the accountant of the company is with meeting assigned ethical duty. But mostly there lies a clash between the ethics and the economical status of the country in which the company is operating and unfortunately econo mies of the country turn the winner, making the regulatory environment conducive to the ethical behavior (Kushniroff, 2011, p.103). The Organization SNC-Lavalin is one of the largest construction and engineering company in Canada at Montreal. The company has come up with new inventions and innovations in the field of core engineering business so as to encourage the new activities and skill to meet the ever changing requirements of the markets and the clients. The company concentrates on reaching the sustainable growth in areas like world class products. The company also places the importance of ethics and quality of the product thus manufactured by the company for the achievement of the ongoing improvement of the company. Thus the company pays great importance to the achievement of the financial objective of the company in accordance with the code of ethics of the company. The Accounting Ethical Breach A complex ethical breach resulted in the accounting failure of the company. This was identified from a certain number of the executives of the company leading to the misallocation of the costs of the company in relation to payments to agents valuing a total sum of $ 56 million. The rationale behind this was irrespective the CFO of the company refusing to sign the transaction it was readily passed by the head of the company. Though the company accepted that weakness persisted in its internal controlling over the financial reporting of the company which occurred due to the management failing to comply with the code of ethics and policies on commercial agents; yet it was too late (Lemer, 2012). The impact on the organization related to ethical breach The breach in the accounting of the company resulted in the chief executive of the company resigning after the internal investigation taking place. The reason behind the resignation of the chief executive of the company was due to false payment to third party agents against the company’s code of ethics. The inte rvention of the media made the matter more gruesome leading to project the actual news being blown out of proportion. Detection of Organizational Ethical Issue As per the report of SNC it was found that Mr. Duhaime the chief executi

Customer Relationships Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Customer Relationships - Article Example The vertical integration on mighty franchise ensured that they distributed their auto parts to customers in more than forty states without causing delays. Moreover, the company realized the shift in the market that preferred prevention of their motor rather than repair. Through the integration, the company diversified and grew making it record better financial performance. Mighty distributors ensured that they remained in partnership with the motor makers who provided them with the required information on the current changes in market and production. Customers’ satisfaction was measured from the repeat purchase. The company also pegged satisfaction on customer loyalty and customer comments about mighty corporation. Furthermore from mighty financial statements, increment in sales from the diverse locations could be traced thereby helping in the analysis of customers’ satisfaction and response. Mighty distributors further ensured that they maintained monitoring the trend in the market to enable them satisfy changing preference in the industry. The president asserted that their leadership model ensured the company remained abreast of the changes in the automotive industry (Wall Street Journal, n.d). The success in attracting and retaining customers was therefore supported by the integrated operations and strategic partnership. Taylor, M. (2009). A model of B2B e-commerce, based on connectivity and purpose. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 27(2), 205-225 retrieved from