The Impact Of Interpersonal Skills On A New Age Of...

Aaron Lichtenwalter S. Markell Managerial Communication October 23, 2014 The Development of Interpersonal Skills in a New Age of Telecommunication Jasmine Fowlkes, a writer for USA Today declares, â€Å"Social media interaction dominates both online and offline conversations.† There is a common understanding of the overwhelming impact the Internet and specifically social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter has had on today’s society. We live in a world where people take classes such as e-Marketing or a new class that is being implemented in the spring of 2015 at the University of Pennsylvania called â€Å"Wasting Time on the Internet† in order to grasp a better understanding of the potential impact these forms of social media have because it is not fully understood. Because of the ever-changing ways in which people use telecommunication, the average persons ability to develop interpersonal skills have been drastically influenced by the ways in which contributions are given, conflicts are handled, and how relationships are built over Facebook and Twitter. In this developing technological age where information flows freely and quickly due to a large increase of devices such as smart phones and portable tablets, the average person has never felt more connect to the unlimited access that social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The Pew Internet Research Project states â€Å"67% of cell owners find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts, or calls — evenShow MoreRelatedPersonal Narrative : Future Of Nursing1521 Words   |  7 PagesThis includes improving access to quality health care, an objective of the Healthy People 2020. (The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2015) This objective involves many health communication and health IT that can create a positive impact on health and health care team, including the option for nurses to provide and help patients virtually with telehealth. It’s called telenursing. As a home care nurse, I am trained to use my clinical experience and direct physical assessments to makeRead More Army to College Essay1127 Words   |  5 Pagescome to realize that my military experiences have tremendously enhanced my self-worth. From those first eight weeks of Basic Training to the day I walked out with an honorable discharge, I gained an enormous amount of skill and confidence. I grew as a person, and I learned life skills: discipline, tenacity, leadership, and problem solving abilities, all of which will enhance my potential as a student.    In the military, training makes the difference between failure and success. So whether onesRead MoreTechnology and Crime2530 Words   |  11 PagesCriminal Law Research Paper Whenever a new technology is found, like a double-edged sword, it often brings both more convenient life and possibility of danger in which potential exploitation of gap that might occur in its initial developing stage. For the past 20 years, computer related technologies and industry have been continuously advancing at radical speeds that greatly changed our way of life. The introduction of internet and digitalization of data has saved us enormous time and work requiredRead MoreAttributes Of Mice And Ieng Mice Essay2494 Words   |  10 Pagesdegree from the university, all the evidence for the below ICE attributes will be entirely based on my academic and personal experience to date. 4 – Independent Judgement and Responsibility A Ability to identify the limits of personal knowledge and skills. − After completing my A – Levels, I wanted to pursue my degree from a reputable university from abroad, therefore I decided to come to UK. I knew that my English would not be of the standard required by the university but I did not limit myself toRead MoreSocial Impact of Technology4403 Words   |  18 PagesCommunity and Family Studies HSC COURSE Social Impact of Technology Assessment Task Annalise Wood Due: Friday 17 August, 2012 ‘Technology has positive and negative effects on the satisfaction of individual needs.’Discuss the statement using examples to illustrate your answer. Technology is the study, development and application of devices, machines and techniques to manufacturing and productive processes. Technology is developed in response to a human want or need. The acceptance of technologyRead MoreThe Preparation of a Workforce: Socialization of Students in Traditional vs. Online Learning Environments3932 Words   |  16 Pages(Wojciechowska) The debates weigh in on both pros and cons to online learning. One of the many subtopics of this debate is the lack of social skill development and interactions found in online learning environments. I feel that due to the limited opportunities for face-to-face interactions between an instructor and their students, distance education has brought many new challenges to the teaching and learning process. Wang and Newlin (137-143) point out that little is known about the characteristicsRead MoreThe End Of Education By Neil Postman1882 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction: Education in today’s day in age has evolved to become an intricate system of developing individual knowledge on social values and academic knowledge in the context of a technologically advanced global society. Neil Postman in his book, The End of Education, argues that the educational crisis is complex and that the ‘technical’ problem of building academic skills is just a scratch in the surface. Postman believed that schools focused more on teaching economic utility, consumerismRead MoreEffect of Globalisation on Management Accounting6683 Words   |  27 Pageschange. The three major drivers of change were discussed in paragraph 3.3, namely computer and communication technology, globalisation and the influence of knowledge management in business organisations. Verma (2002:9), in her deliberations on the impact of change on the development of accounting (based on research by Gray and Hofstede (1988), Robson (1991), and Doupnik and Salter (1995)), came to the conclusion that accounting developed because of the complex interaction between it and the externalRead MoreImpact of Hrm7495 Words   |  30 PagesIMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FUNCTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF KENYA PUBLIC CORPORATIONS Hazel Gachoka Gachunga1 Abstract Globalization has a major impact on the management of human resources in developing countries including Kenya. It has led to homogenization and convergence in organization strategies, structures and processes as well as in consumer choice. With accelerating globalization, organizations have had to change and new trends have set in evenRead MorePest Analysis of Telenor11594 Words   |  47 Pages Medical amp; Hospitalization 38 Mobile Connection and Handset Allowance 39 Mobile Connection for Family and Friends 39 Pick and Drop Service for Females 39 Provident Fund 39 Recognize Heroes at Work and In Life 39 Relocation 39 Retirement Age 40 Salary Increments and Salary Adjustments 40 Travel 40 Working Hours Normal Working Hours 40 Working on Holidays and Late Sittings Objective 40 Procedures and Rules 41 General Guidelines 41 Human Worth 41 Loyalty, impartiality and conflict

Mexico`s Megalopolis` by Jonathan Kandell Free Essays

Nowadays, the city of Mexico is one of the largest megalopolises, with enourmopus population density and industrialization rates. Jonathan Kandell in his book ‘I Saw a City Invincible’ provides a wonderful historical excurse in terms of urban, technological and social development in the city. The issue of migration was particularly obvious between the 1940s and the 1970s, when the inhabitants of small towns and rural areas suddenly began to move into the city, searching for their fortunes at factories and plants. We will write a custom essay sample on Mexico`s Megalopolis` by Jonathan Kandell or any similar topic only for you Order Now As Kandell notes, â€Å"Factories, commerce, and service jobs sucked in hordes of rural migrants who swelled Mexico City’s population from 1. 5 million in 1940 to 8. 5 million in 1970† (Kandell, p. 183). Furthermore, the author describes the stuggle between time-honored Latin American values and globalization trends, brought by the country’s nearest neighbor, the United States. The phenomenon of tourist infrastructure also emerged under American influence: the new cafes and traditional cuisine restaurants were being adjusted to ‘American demands’ and standards (p. 184). In sociopolitical meaning, the country in that period was literally obsessed with social radical views: â€Å"Revolutionary slogans continued to exalt the ideals of land for the rural dispossessed, living wages for the proletariat, and a determinant voice for the state of economic affairs† (ibid). The ambitiousness of Mexican politicians enjoyed stable and sustainable growth between the 1940s and the 1970s, parallel to the growth of ordinary Mexicans’ aspirations, as increasingly more citizens sought rapid career and social protection in the capital. In reality, the needs of majorities were satisfied: there was a plenty of work, due to the development of service and mass-communications spheres, in which females, traditionally marginalized as reliable employees, got an opportunity to find themselves. Due to the fact that by the 1960s, the average Mexican urban family contained no unemployed members (except children), household incomes were growing proportionally to the overall economic and political progress. Nevertheless, the metropolis also experienced certain problems, such as housing crisis: â€Å"In the 1940s and 1950s most migrants settled first in the old downtown tenements [the so-called’ vecindadez] abandoned generations before by the middle class† (p. 185). These quarters seemed completely distinct dimension that in the course of time obtained a kind of autonomy, as such miniature settlements had their local factories, shopping malls, saloons and bars and, certainly, their own markets, which appeared the centers of social life, peculiar ‘offspring’ of Ancient Roman forum or Greek agora. Kandall provides a description of the typical vecindad: â€Å"†¦Tepito was now populated mainly by artisans, vendors, factory laborers, unskilled workers, waiters, office clerks, messengers and porters†, who earned about $20 per month (p. 85). Notwithstanding the rapid economic development, the migrants’ well-being had been very limited up to the 1960s: due to the fact that flat rent was unjustifiably high, the families huddled together in small windowless apartments and could afford meet only once a week. Another apparent trend in urban development was the gradual growth of small enterprises, to which local governments de legated their responsibilities for food, health facilities and education. Nevertheless, the main institutions remained bureaucratic and centralized, so private capital hadn’t enjoyed considerable flow until the end of the 1970s. Due to the fact that the factories of Mexico City were controlled by local authorities, so the working-class suffered from poverty and lack of dwelling conveniences: â€Å"[only] In 1977 Jaras’ dwelling [situated in the typical working-class ‘reservation’] was legally connected to the municipal electricity grid and water system† (p. 90). The present-day ecological catastrophe, notable in Mexico City, is rooted in the negligence, demonstrated by government as well as local enterprises: â€Å"The primitive recycling of garbage, often carried out illegally by small businesses that are unsupervised by the municipal authorities, poses serious health hazards to the population at large† (p. 192). The author notes that the ‘garbage problem’ had remained extremely sharp up to the end of the 1980s. In addition, Kandall addresses the progress of charity and human services: affluent urban entrepreneurs contributed to the development of local communities in the best Mexican traditions: ‘He sponsored local soccer teams, supplied the uniforms and built for playing fields, which he named Rafael Sports center† (p. 194). On Gutierez’ example the author shows businessmen’s [caciques] bourgeois ambitions: after the establishment of the enterprise, they normally tried to penetrate into the city’s or national political arena, so their charity was nothing more than well-planned PR. Human services, although popular in Mexican culture, were institutionalized only in the 1970s, since the religious traditions prescribed that urban dwellers helped their neighbors and compatriots on the voluntary basis, Mexican cultural collectivism was extremely noticeable in the working-class quarters. With beginning of the 1980s, the country was paralyzed by environmental accidents like earthquakes, but the government appeared incapable of handling the resulting problems in a proper way: â€Å"The small parties of left and right were unable to claim the loyalty of potential dissidents†, whereas the young volunteers seemed the major rescuers, which means, Mexican urban citizens were always ready to support each other, and in spite of the pessimistic ending of the article: â€Å"Throughout its existence the city has been scourged by war, social upheaval. Plague, flood, earthquake† (p. 201), its overall context shows that social problems and emergencies haven’t managed to separate the city dwellers, but rather have united them and created a powerful humanistic basis for the reinforcement of Mexico City. How to cite Mexico`s Megalopolis` by Jonathan Kandell, Papers

Music of the Baroque Period Essay Paper Example For Students

Music of the Baroque Period Essay Paper Review Questions 1. What is a symphony? A symphony is an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements, at least one of which is traditionally in sonata form. 2. What is a sonata? How is it related to the sonata form? A sonata is a composition for an instrumental soloist, with piano accompaniment, in several movements with one or more in sonata form. Sonata form is a piece of music in three sections, in ABA form, which are exposition, development, and recapitulation. 3. What is a coda? A coda is pieces at the end of a musical piece that are extended past the capitulation. . What are the three different parts of the sonata form? Describe each part. The first part of sonata from is the exposition. The exposition is where the composer exposes the themes of the music which are the first subject group and the second subject group. The second is the development. The development is the section of the music where the composer builds on the themes that were introduced in the exposition. This is also where the tension in the piece is built up. The recapitulation is the third and final part of the sonata form and it is the exposition is slightly repeated. The tension from the development eases, and the sound is subtle again. 5. What are the three different periods of Beethovens work? Describe each part. Beethovens work was organized into the early, the middle and the late periods. The early period was from 1779-1802, and thats when he composed his first and second symphonies. The middle period was from 1803-1814. He experimented with different techniques at that time. The late period was from 1815-1827, and his works reflect the transition into the Romantic period. Critical Thinking Questions 6. What are the characteristics of the music of the Classical period? When referring to the music of the classical period, people think about the Viennese school. Many great composers attended the school, such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. The Classical music period was a mix of many different ideas, as everyone was sharing thoughts, and music. 7. How does the music of the Classical period differ from the music of the Baroque period? The music of the baroque period was said to be classified as a period of elaborate music. The music of the Classical period is more down to earth music and sought after beauty rather than complex melodies. Music of the Baroque Period By representatives

What Can I Do to Fight Racism an Example of the Topic Personal Essays by

What Can I Do to Fight Racism? Racism has existed throughout human history. It entails the abhorrence of one person by another due to the belief that that other person is less than human being because of his or her language, customs, especially his or her skin color or any other factor that exposes the essential nature of that person ("Racism"). For me, the belief with regards racism still depends on one's upbringing. Family is the basic foundation of one's beliefs and points of view of an individual, and as such, one's family background and upbringing either helps or avoid the development of a racist attitude. It should start in the parents' advices and lessons with their children. As a daughter and sister, I will treat all my relatives, whether they are of different races, equally. I will love them just like how I love my parents and siblings. Being a student, my viewpoints regarding racism has been altered when my eyes has been opened into different perspectives. I learned that all humans, whatever race they be long, are equal, especially in God's eyes. Therefore, I, as an individual and as a human, must treat all human beings with respect, without discrimination and prejudice. I need not be an ethnocentric who believes that the basic standard and principles of life and everything around me is anchored to the culture where I belong and to the country where I live in. Need essay sample on "What Can I Do to Fight Racism?" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed As a neighbor: I will respect all my neighbors, whether he or she is from the same race that I came from or not. If someone talks to me who has a different color of skin, I will speak to him or her in such a way that he or she will not be intimidated or will not feel different with me. I will establish a good rapport with my neighbors who belong in a different race, especially those of my same age so that they can also feel that they belong in our community. If there are new neighbors of different color or language, I will introduce myself to them and address them with their names. I will let them tell stories about the place they come from so that I can have their background; in return, I will listen to them and tell some personal anecdotes too. As a student: I will talk to my classmates of different color, tradition or language, courteously and treat them just like everyone else. I am aware that they are sensitive with regards to race treatment, so I will watch out for my words and action and make sure I will not hurt them.If a professor has given reading assignments written by authors of the different nationality and ethnicity, I will read them and pay attention to what they want to say. I will pull out from my thinking the notion that non-American or non-European authors are inferior to those Americans and Europeans.I will or I can join organizations advocating the equality of races and eliminating discriminations. If I have professors of diverse colors and language, I will respect them just like how I respect the professors of my same race. I will listen to their lectures, as a sign of respect and value, do my assignments and perform well in class. I will talk to them politely because I have this conviction that all people are equal regardless of the place they came from, the color of their skin, the language that they speak and the traditions and customs that they live with and believe in. Work Cited "Racism." 2001. Anti-Defamation League. 16 January 2009

Free Essays on Attitudes And Intentions, Dealing With The Consumer

Attitudes and Intentions, Dealing with the Consumer Attitudes and intentions have always been a major part of the marketers’ research. Attitudes, a person’s overall evaluation of a concept, is used in the integration process to see how an object is thought of and viewed. Intentions also determine most voluntary behaviors. Measures of consumers’ intentions may not be perfect indicators of the actual intentions that determine the behavior. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the relationship between attitudes and intentions and the part they both play on the marketing plan. Attitude has been called â€Å"the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary American social psychology.† (Fishbein 1-19) And it is one of the most important concepts marketers use to understand consumers. This is because marketers have been able to use attitudes as key tools in the research process. Over the years, researchers have tried a variety of approaches to studying attitudes in an attempt to provide a more complete understanding of behavior. This behavior of consumers has thought to be strategically dependent on the attitudes of the consumers. Although the dominant approach to attitudes has changed over the years, nearly all definitions of attitude have one thing in common: they all refer to a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. (Fazio 204-43) Evaluations are affective responses at relatively low levels of intensity and arousal, created by both the affective and cognitive systems. The affective system automatically produces affective responses – including emotions, feelings, moods, and evaluations or attitudes – as immediate, direct responses to certain stimuli. These stimuli may or may not affect the response, depending on the environment at which the test is being performed. The cognitive processing model of consumer decision making shows that an overall evaluation is formed when consumers combine knowledge, meani... Free Essays on Attitudes And Intentions, Dealing With The Consumer Free Essays on Attitudes And Intentions, Dealing With The Consumer Attitudes and Intentions, Dealing with the Consumer Attitudes and intentions have always been a major part of the marketers’ research. Attitudes, a person’s overall evaluation of a concept, is used in the integration process to see how an object is thought of and viewed. Intentions also determine most voluntary behaviors. Measures of consumers’ intentions may not be perfect indicators of the actual intentions that determine the behavior. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the relationship between attitudes and intentions and the part they both play on the marketing plan. Attitude has been called â€Å"the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary American social psychology.† (Fishbein 1-19) And it is one of the most important concepts marketers use to understand consumers. This is because marketers have been able to use attitudes as key tools in the research process. Over the years, researchers have tried a variety of approaches to studying attitudes in an attempt to provide a more complete understanding of behavior. This behavior of consumers has thought to be strategically dependent on the attitudes of the consumers. Although the dominant approach to attitudes has changed over the years, nearly all definitions of attitude have one thing in common: they all refer to a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. (Fazio 204-43) Evaluations are affective responses at relatively low levels of intensity and arousal, created by both the affective and cognitive systems. The affective system automatically produces affective responses – including emotions, feelings, moods, and evaluations or attitudes – as immediate, direct responses to certain stimuli. These stimuli may or may not affect the response, depending on the environment at which the test is being performed. The cognitive processing model of consumer decision making shows that an overall evaluation is formed when consumers combine knowledge, meani...

Why They Play Pranks on Dec. 28 in Spain, Latin America

Why They Play Pranks on Dec. 28 in Spain, Latin America If you should be in a Spanish-speaking country some April 1 and play a joke on your friends and follow that up with a shout of  ¡Tontos de abril! chances are youll get nothing but blank stares as a reaction. The minor holiday of April Fools Day, perennially popular in the United States, is little known in Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America, but there is a rough equivalent, el Dà ­a de los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Holy Innocents), observed on Dec. 28. The Day of the Holy Innocents also known sometimes in English as the Feast of the Holy Innocents or as Childermas. How Dec. 28 Is Celebrated The day is observed  throughout the Spanish-speaking world  in much the same way as April Fools Day. But when the prankster is ready to reveal the joke, the saying is  ¡Inocente, inocente! or Innocent one, innocent one! (See the lesson on making nouns out of adjectives for the grammar behind this.) It is also common on that day for newspapers and TV stations to print or broadcast news stories based in humor rather than fact. In its origins, the day is a sort of gallows humor. The Day of the Innocents observes the day when, according to the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible, King Herod ordered the baby boys under 2 years old in Bethlehem to be killed because he was afraid that the baby Jesus born there would become a rival. As it turned out, though, the baby Jesus had been taken away to Egypt by Mary and Joseph. So the joke was on Herod, and thus followed the tradition of tricking friends on that day. (This is a sad story, but according to tradition the babies murdered in Jesus stead went to heaven as the first Christian martyrs.) Celebrating With a Food Fight One of worlds more unusual celebrations of any kind is used to mark Dec. 28 in Ibi, Alicante, Spain, not far from the middle of the Spanish Mediterranean Coast. In a tradition more than 200 years old, townspeople engage in a massive food fight of sorts- but its all in good fun and is used to raise money for charity. After a several decades in which the festivities were suspended for the Spanish Civil War and subsequent national events, they were revived in 1981 and have become a tourist draw and major event since then. The festivities are known as Els Enfarinats in Valencian, the local language closely tied to Catalan. In Spanish, its known as the fiesta of Los Enharinados, loosely translated as The Flour-Covered Ones. (Enharinar is the verb for coating something with flour, known as harina.) The festivities traditionally begin around 8 a.m. when participants in mock military attire stage a fake coup and take control of the town and enact all sorts of crazy ordinances in program called New Justice - Justà ­cia Nova in Catalan and Justicia Nueva in Spanish. Those who brake the pretend ordinances are fined, with the money going to worthy causes. Eventually, a massive fight ensues between the rulers and the opposition, a battle fought with flour, vegetables and other harmless projectiles. Festive dancing marks the end of the battle. Other Observances of Inocentes Several other regions have distinctive ways of observing the Day of the Holy Innocents. For example, various celebrations are widespread in Venezuela, where many of the celebrations mix European and indigenous traditions. In some areas, for example, festivities are held in which children dress as the elderly, the elderly dress as children, leaders dressed in tattered clothing, men dress as women and women as men and so on, and many wear colorful masks, headgear, and/or costumers. Names or some of these festivals include the festival of the locos and locaà ­nas (the crazy ones). Although Dec. 28 is not an officially observed holiday, some of the festivities can last the entire day. Another noteworthy celebration takes place in El Salvador, where the largest observance of the day takes place in Antiguo Cuscatln. Floats for a parade are adorned with pictures of children representing those in the Biblical story. A street fair is also held. Key Takeaways In most Spanish-speaking countries, Dec. 28 is observed as the Dà ­a de los Santos Inocentes, or the Day of the Holy Innocents, commemorating the Biblical story of King Herod killing babies in Bethlehem.The day is observed in some areas much like April Fools Day is observed in the United States.Colorful celebrations are held in some other areas to observe the day.

Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisation - Essay Example Introduction Securing the effectiveness of organizational strategies is one of the most critical challenges for managers in modern businesses. On the other hand, the elimination of threats in a firm’s environment is not feasible. This means that failures cannot be avoided but they should be rather used as indicators of organizational weaknesses that need to be addressed without delay. In practice, it has been proved that the effective management of knowledge within organizations can result to the limitation of failures, either in the short or the long term. The literature published in regard to this subject shows that the establishment of appropriately customized knowledge management systems can help organizations to control all aspects of their activities so that organizational goals are achieved. The practical implications of such project are explained in this paper by referring to Speedo Ltd, a firm operating in the British automotive industry. Since its establishment, in 1 997, the organization had to face a series of critical operational problems. Through the years it was made clear that these problems were related to the firm’s inability to manage knowledge. ... the firm’s existing knowledge management strategy could secure organizational growth, even if the benefits of the relevant project could appear with delay. It should be noted that the knowledge management strategy proposed for Speedo Ltd could be also used, with minor changes, in firms in other industries that face similar problems. 2. Speedo Ltd – Company Overview 2.1 Structure The head office of the organization is in South London. The firm’s branches across UK are estimated to 12, covering all regions of the country. All key decisions are developed in the head office where the strategic planning unit of the organization is located. Managers in branches have the power to make suggestions in regard to a series of operational issues but their potential to influence the firm’s critical projects is rather limited. The central database of the business has been implemented in the head office, where all critical organizational departments, such as the HR depart ment, the PR department and the financial department of the business are based. Employees working in branches do not have full access to the database’s data; the firm’s IT network has been arranged in such way so that the information provided to the user/ employee is filtered as of its necessity for the task assigned to the particular user. This means that each employee/ user is authorized to access specific parts of the firm’s central database. This practice has helped to reduce failures in regard to the safety of the firm’s data. 2.2 Purpose and culture The firm focuses on the sale of news and used cars of different characteristics. The firm’s founder, John Peterson, has tried to promote communication and cooperation across the organization. The phrase ‘Trust and speed in communication’

E-Business Strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E-Business Strategy - Coursework Example There are two main models mentioned along with their strengths, weakness and suitability for specific business sectors that are related to the e-business. Furthermore, Model of strategic change and fit contains the elements named structure, strategy, management process, technology and individual. All elements are inter-related to each other while making and applying strategy for the business. The sequence of the elements depends on the type of the business. Different businesses apply the model to make changes and fit in the organizational operations (Fazlollahi, 2001). It is shown in the above chart of the model that all elements of the model are inter-related to each other. Any change in the strategy developed to be followed by the work force of the organization. First step is to make strategy. Strategy is needed to be made or adopt in order to make a change in the operations of the organization. Only planned and effective strategy will deliver the positive results to the organization. The Leaders of the organization often make strategies (Levy & Powell, 2004). It is recommended that the strategy should reflect on the structure of the business. Structure of the organization reflects the task and activities doe by the supervisors and managers to set the directions of the work to be done so to achieve the goal of the organization. Organizations need to change the structure and the directions of the senior employees that it should reflect the change of the strategy. It is necessary that the strategy should be communicated to the management that requires changing their process and making an effective plan for the execution of the strategy made by the leaders of the organization (Levy & Powell, 2004). Management process could play an effective role in communicating the strategy plan to subordinates and juniors so that they could enhance their performance according to the directions of

Care planning for individual needs Essay Example for Free

Care planning for individual needs Essay Care planning to meet the care needs of an individual (P4, M3, D2) What are the potential differences in Sally’s care needs at all the different life stages? Childhood: In Sally’s childhood, she grew up in mining town which may have been detrimental to her health due to the dust particles and other substance that could have been brought up from the mine, she has stated that when she was growing up, that there was ice on the inside of the window, that the house was cold and damp, and that she remembers having Bronchitis every year and having three weeks off in infant and junior school. Sally also said that she remember when she was little that she was told of for having the back door wide open because it was so hot she did not know why until a lot of years later when her mom said that she had measles which was very serious and that she could of died from it. She also states that when she was eleven, that she and her parents moved in to a house with central heating. Differences in Sally’s care: Not having central heating from an early age, she also contracted bronchitis and measles which could have been detrimental to her health. Adolescence: Sally has said that in her teens, she experienced really bad period pains and that she was taken out of education because of it, but she also says that she was prescribed with tablets that made her really drowsy and sleepy but she says that it took the pain away. Differences in sally’s care: Every girl in their teens will at some point start having periods, some girls will have really bad pains from it and some wont, in Sally’s case she would have needed medication to help relieve the pain and have a general practitioner that would be allowed to get prescribed her the medication. Adulthood: When Sally was twenty years old she said that she experienced a lot of burning in her throat, and that she could not eat properly, that’s she had to have a endoscopy (a camera put down her throat to determine what it was) and the surgeon found out that Sally had a relaxed muscle at the top of her oesophagus/gullet. This was because her stomach acid could escape in to her throat, she says that the doctor gave her some medication and that she would have to take it all her life, and that she had to be careful in bending down/over, and that she had to sleep on a slant which she says was very  uncomfortable, but she had to so that the stomach acid would not travel out of her stomach and in to her mouth. Sally also states that she had a miscarriage in her middle twenties and an ectopic pregnancy (when the embryo implants itself outside of the uterus) but she eventually had a baby and then two more. She then decided to go on to the contraceptive pill so that she could not have any more children. Difference in Sally’s care: Burning in her throat because of a relaxed muscle, having an endoscopy put down her throat that’s would have been very weird for her and a bit scary as well. Having a miscarriage would make her a bit scared of having children in the future as it would for any women and then having an ectopic pregnancy as well but eventually she have her own children, 3 of them. Adulthood and Later Adulthood Sally says that when she was in her thirties, she was in a car accident and unfortunately her teeth were smashed on impact, Sally had to have some dental work and she had to have porcelain veneers, Sally really hated the fact that she has not got her own teeth as she states that she took great care of them. Sally is now 61 years of age and she says also that that she went through the menopause in her fifties and that she still suffers from night sweats and hot flushes now and again, she has to wear glasses as that her eye sight has weakened and that she also suffers from arthritis in her fingers. Difference in sally’s care: Being in a car accident, unfortunately this is quite common as that there are a lot of bad drivers out on the road but having all her teeth smashed well that’s not as common, this would have been another life experience for Sally having to lose all of her teeth and having fake ones. Going through menopause this generally happen to all women in the fifties and it can make women quite self-conscious about themselves, to make it even worst she still suffers from night sweats which will make her sweaty and she may be concerned that she smells when around others. Eye sight she has to wear glasses so that would be something new for her but again is quite common in elder age and so is arthritis.

Graduation Speech: Importance of Change :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Change is a word that I have constantly heard throughout my high school years. It is a transformation through which everyone goes whether it's for the better or for the worse. For me the meaning and value of change has helped me to focus on the goals I have to accomplish. For others, it is simply just a phase we go through. All of us here have been able to learn and develop from our changes to be come a better and successful person. Motivation is an important source of help towards succeeding. We can receive it from our family, friends, and our teachers. The one thing that I have realized about the alternative school is that the teachers and staff will never give up on you. In most public schools the teachers tend to give up easily on a failing student because they don't have the time and opportunity to get to know you and work with you. It is different here at Rose Alternative High School. The teachers continue to push you to work harder, to never give up. Friends have the biggest impact and influence in our lives. They can lead us to the path of success or path of failure. So everything that our parents have told us about choosing the right friends is absolutely true. As you get older, you realize that everything your parents have said or have taught you starts to make sense. You are more aware about situations and are a lot more careful so that you don't make mistakes like we often did when we were younger. Age is not a factor when it comes to completion. As you can see, many of us are a lot older than others. Most of us took different steps in achieving this goal. Some took a few months while others took a few years. But even though we arrived here with different routes, we will all receive the same prize for finishing, which is a high school diploma. This quote from William Arthur Ward reflects upon me and maybe even others here: "If you can imagine it, you can create it.

Gangs

Gangs Inclusive Community Practices- CJS304 Written Reflection Assignment Submitted by: Vanessa B. Smithers Submitted to: Professor Treisha Hylton Date Submitted: Friday, November 30, 2012 Inclusive Community Practices- CJS304 Written Reflection Assignment Vanessa B. Smithers Gangs/Youth GangsThe Service de  police  de la Ville de  Montreal (Montreal Police) have defined a youth gang as â€Å"An organized group of adolescents and/or young adults who rely on group intimidation and violence, and commit criminal acts in order to gain power and recognition and/or control certain areas of unlawful activity† (Public Safety Canada- National Crime Prevention Centre, 2007).Youth gangs have become an urban phenomenon and since the mid 1980’s youth gang violence has increased in amplitude and severity, although the crime rate amongst twelve to seventeen year olds has been decreasing. The Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs states that youth gangs are a present and growing concern within Canadian communities, but we have not yet reached the magnitude of severity that is present in the United States of America.According to various Canadian studies, it has been demonstrated that: youth becoming involved in gang related activity are getting younger in age; the level of violence within these groups is rising; that more female youth are joining gangs; school boards are reporting more gang violence within their institutions; school yard bullies are being replaced with groups of youth who perform acts of â€Å"swarming†; and that extortion and drug dealing are becoming daily routines in some Canadian communities.I chose the topic of Gangs/Youth Gangs because it peaks a very high interest for me in regards to my current career as well as my hopes for my future career endeavours. Currently I am a Youth Worker at a shelter for male youth in the downtown Toronto core. Each and every day I encounter a number of youth who have gang involvement or who have p reviously been involved with gangs, some leading to involvement in the Ontario Justice System. Also, for my current Humber College placement I chose to work at Carleton Village Junior and Senior Sports and Wellness Academy located at Weston Road and St.Clair Avenue West. Through engagement and interaction with a variety of multi-cultural youth and children, I have learned that there are a number of students within the school who are in contemplation about joining gangs, some whose siblings and parents are involved in gangs, and a number of children who are on a path to becoming involved in gangs in the future. I have always had a fascination and a keen interest in acquiring knowledge as to why people, more specifically, children and youth choose to become active gang members and what in their lives are catalysts and causes them to resort to gang activity.When I think of the topic of gangs, it brings sadness to me because I am aware that most gang members become involved in gangs dur ing their adolescent years, continuing into their adult years. Although this is a reality for some, through having an abundant amount of experience in working with children, as well as youth with a large amount of potential to be amazing, law abiding citizens, the topic of gangs is something that I feel very passionate about.The part about gangs that brings the most sadness to me is the fact that there are children who strive to be gang members, children who at the age of seven find the idea of gangs to be a phenomenon. They walk around with red bandanas to represent the â€Å"Bloods† and blue bandanas to represent the â€Å"Crips† without actually knowing what it is to be in a gang, until they reach an older age and recruit themselves into the gang life. Within the text book â€Å"Special Needs Offenders in the Community,† Jeff Rush and Rob Hanser state numerous important points which I will briefly touch on.The authors say that working with gangs is difficult because individuals deny that there is a gang problem, ignore the problem, and delay a response to the gang issue, also known as the â€Å"DID syndrome. The authors also state that the following characteristics are ones that are used in defining a gang: formal organization structure, identifiable leadership, identified within a territory, recurrent interaction and engaging in serious or violent behaviour. Within the text book it also states that prison gangs are referred to as â€Å"security threat groups. They mention that most prison gang members were street gang members at one point. The authors extenuate the fact that community collaboration (police and community members) is extremely important in tackling the issue gangs. Unfortunately the book states that gang involvement is usually life-long. The individuals have an abundant amount of forces pushing them to remain within the gang life, undermining most treatment regimens that are assigned to them once they are released from prison.Drawing from the presentation and the text book, I found most of the information presented important although, the most important ideas in relation to the Community Justice field I found were: the DID syndrome discussed earlier ( denying that there is a gang problem, ignoring the problem when it arises, and delaying a response to the problem), prison gangs, and the various stages of the comprehensive problem-solving model : the scanning stage ( looking for and identifying problems), the analysis stage ( to develop a further understanding of a problem), the response stage (developing response options that are consistent, and implementing the responses), and the assessment stage ( provides useful feedback on how well the response is working). I also felt as if studying the gang’s turf is an important factor for prevention and suppression programs in the city.Lastly, I felt as if the Gang Exit Program is a very important strategy where there is an assessment and intake, gang member intensive training and personal development and gang member case management. Within a Canadian context, all of the above points are very prevalent. In relation to the DID syndrome, there are many agencies within Canada, more specifically Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, that do not ignore or practice ignorance pertaining to gangs. There are ones that focus on identifying gang related issues and determining an appropriate response. Such agencies and programs consist of: Project Prevention & Intervention, Breaking the Cycle and Operation Springboard. All of these listed agencies try to implement comprehensive problem-solving models, prevention, interventions and gang-exiting strategies.In regards to prison gangs, correctional facilities take proactive moves towards preventing any prison gangs and they do this through: segregation of prison members who appear to be in the same ‘gang,’ keeping a close eye on the inmates through direct observation and survei llance, acquiring knowledge regarding gangs locally, provincially and country wide, as well as having the skills to pick up on cues that may be identifying key factors of gang activity. During the class’s presentation on Gangs, amongst all the interesting points, there were two that I took a keen interest to. Firstly, it was stated that the last Canadian Police Survey on gangs was in 2002, and it reported that Canada has four hundred and thirty four youth gangs with Ontario ranking the highest and British Columbia next. Ontario has two hundred and sixteen youth gangs with a total of three thousand three hundred and twenty members, almost half (48%) of all youth gang members are under the age of  18 of which (39%) are between 16 and 18 years old. The second one was regarding the Labelling Theory.Due to stigmas created by media such as newspapers, magazines, movies, books, and music, people have conjured up a set of ideals and norms about races, ages, religions and genders an d use these ideals and norms to anticipate how that specific group is going to act. According to the book, ‘Issues and Perspectives on Young Offenders in Canada,’ Franklinn Tanenbaum developed the social-reaction/labelling theory where he states that â€Å"once a youth has been identified as having committed a delinquent act, the person becomes the thing he or she is described as being† (p. 38). In conclusion, the topic of gangs is something that sits close to my heart. It is my job as a future Community Justice Worker to not turn a blind eye to gang activity.In my opinion, it is the role of me, community members, families and caretakers to lay down and model the fundamental building blocks at a young age to ensure our children feel safe, creative, motivated, cared for, respected, heard, not labeled, not judged, powerful, intelligent and self-empowered. With this approach individuals will hopefully not resort to outside means in order to obtain these feelings art ificially within gangs. Bibliography (2003). Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs. Canada: Minister of Public Safety & Emergency Prepardness. Hanser, J. R. (2007). Gang Members as Special Needs Offenders. In R. D. Hanser, Special Needs Offenders in the Community (pp. 229-243).New Jersey, United States: Pearson Prentice Hall. (2005). Youth Gangs in Canada: A Preliminary Review of Programs & Services. Calgary, Alberta: Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family. Public Safety Canada- National Crime Prevention Centre. (2007). Youth Gangs in Canada- What do we Know? Canada: Government of Canada. Wynterdyk, J. A. (2005). Issues & Perspectives on Young Offenders in Canada. Canada: Thomson Canada Limited. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. (2003). Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs. Canada: Minister of Public Safety & Emergency Prepardness. [ 2 ]. Victims of Violence. (2011, February 28 ). Gang & Group Violence.

High School vs. College Essay

High school and college are similar in some ways and different in a lot of ways. They are similar in such ways that you still have to go to class, do class work, home work, take test, and study hard. They are different in such ways that we can have cell phones in class, walk out of class, wear anything to class, and the thing that sets it off is living on campus. I don’t know if my college experience will match up to my high school experience but, we shall see. I will compare and contrast high school and college. I use to drive to high school. For some reason South Carolina State University will not let freshman drive their first semester. I use to drive ten to fifteen minutes to get to school, now it’s about one hour and a half. So instead of doing that everything, I stay on campus and walk to class. I must admit that I didn’t think it would be difficult at first but, it is. I hate relying on someone else to take me to Wal-Mart. That’s one thing that’s different about the two subjects at hand. And the way they’re similar is that I didn’t drive as a freshman in high school. In high school, there was a lot of freedom. We got to change classes on our own, the classes were mixed up with students in different grades, and we didn’t have to walk in a single or double filed line. In college, you don’t even have to go to class. Although it would be wise, too. In high school if you miss a day in class, the teacher would call home. In college, they don’t call anybody, not unless their name is Mrs. Pinson. In high school, I lived with my mother. In college, I live with a roommate. Technically , I’m out on my own but, my mother is paying for my education and family is putting money in my pockets. I was always curious to know what it’d be like to get out on my own. I must say, I’m one step closer. Now that I’m in college, I wish we stayed in dorms in high school. If that would have went down in high school though, there probably wouldn’t be any need to go off to far away colleges. So to sum everything up, I can’t drive, there is a lot more freedom, and I don’t stay in my mother’s house any more. I drove, had freedom but not this much, and I stayed with my mother in high school. Some things that were similar are the work, tests, quizzes, and studying. Those are some things that I chose to compare and contrast on high school versus college.

Online MBA Project Management Programs Essays

Online MBA Project Management Programs Essays Online MBA Project Management Programs Essay Online MBA Project Management Programs Essay Becoming a great project manager requires special education, just like the one you can get from an online MBA project management program. Before getting to know little bit more about project management, it’s important to make a difference between overall management functions, but on individual project management. This program focuses more on managing, defining and reaching the goals of a project. An online MBA project management degree includes work in quality management, project procurement management, quality management, risk management, team dynamics and control and planning. What does it cover? If this was your next question, than the answer is: everything related to managing projects. It tends to reach out the goals and basis which all organizations and businesses run. In order to deliver a product or service, employees together with the project managers need to work together to maintain the business level or increase it. Online MBA project management students will learn the three simple steps how to finalize a project. This includes: breaking down the project into focus parts, focusing on the main definition, execution. These students will get the chance to work with many professionals, lead people through the whole project process and allocate the resources in order to complete it. If you are one of those people who are working for some company and decided to increase its role, than you should apply to get an online MBA project management degree. This is also for those who want to increase their chances into getting this role before they apply for this position in a company. Getting into this program is easy if you meet all requirements. The students must own a bachelor degree from an institution that has been accredited. The average grade point must be 3.0 or higher, but some depending on the school this number can vary. If you don’t have a bachelor business degree, you have to complete some courses before beginning with an online MBA project management program. These courses include: Business Law and Ethics Foundations of Business Financial Accounting Principles of Management For getting the proper information about a school you are about to apply for this program, you must visit their official website. Some schools require GMAT scores and some don’t. You will be asked to send recommendation letters and essays along with your application. What are the benefits from getting online MBA project management degree? As any other online MBA degree, this too has its own benefits. Increased role at work or bigger possibility for employing stands as the biggest possibilities. Different MBA degree means different position for you and with project management you can reach: IT Project Manager: Person who is responsible for developing the budget, schedule, requirements and even policies for IT projects. Web Content Project Manager: They are responsible for the website content. Gathering information to value and use it is their second nature. They use the reader feedback in order to evaluate the needs and implement changes. Project Manager: Everyone who is in management wants to become a project manager. These people have the biggest responsibility for a project. This means planning, executing and monitoring the whole project process. Project managers are focusing in organizing the budget, staying within it, maintaining the main goals, and meeting the deadlines.

Business Management

Business Management Essay Task: Choose a company and identify all motivational (employee-centered) programs that the company has in place. Then ascertain the significance and objectives of these programs. Next provide a critique of these programs. Finally, recommend changes that will improve on the programs and/or new programs that will better meet the objectives articulated above. Overview: The company that I have chosen as the subject of my research is the AAA Travel Agency. More specifically, I have interviewed several travel agents from the Reno, Pennsylvania location, which serves patrons from Western Pennsylvania as well as West Virginia. The bulk of the information for my analysis has come directly from the in-office interviews with Ms. Tiffany Pacior, the senior travel agent for the Reno office. She has provided me with information directly out of the AAA employee handbook as well as personal information covering the positive and negative effects she has experienced from the programs I will be discussing. There can be little doubt that the backbone of every successful business or company is its staff of employees. Employees are the vital parts of the business machine that can aid in its success or contribute to its failure. It is for this reason that it is imperative to possess the ability to acquire and maintain effective employees. The chief method by which a business or company can accomplish this task is through employee-centered motivational programs. The goal of these programs is to encourage employees to maximize their performance by targeting three specific motivational stimuli. These include morale, satisfaction, and rewards. After researching their policies and interviewing employees, I have came to the conclusion that AAA of Reno, Pennsylvania has adopted Fredrick Taylors approach to motivating their employees. In this paper I will demonstrate how AAA applies Taylors scientific management approach to target the three motivational stimuli stated above. I will also provide some insight from the employees perspective as to how effective the programs are at what they are designed to achieve. The scientific management approach to motivation evolved from the work of Frederick Taylor. He believed that when highly productive people discover they are being compensated basically the same as less productive people, then the output of highly productive people will decrease. Consequently, the scientific management approach to motivation is based on the assumption that money is the primary motivator. This seems to be the ideology that AAA has adopted to produce high morale, achieve satisfaction, and reward their employees. Morale, as it applies here, may be defined as the overall feeling of the members of an organization. Generally speaking, a company with a high morale among its employees enjoys above average performance and a lower than average employee termination rate. AAA has several programs in practice, which support the scientific management approach to motivation to produce high morale. First, it is not uncommon for a travel agent to work beyond the scheduled forty-hour workday to complete the tasks of a heavy business day. It was for this reason that the company offers overtime compensation for the dedication of their employees. The company pays one and a half times their regular hourly rate of pay when an agent works more than their scheduled hours per week. Also, for those individual days when an agent works more than ten hours per day, they are entitled to overtime dinner pay. The employees stressed that this is a worthwhile program because it allows overtime workers to order dinner from local delivery shops. The objective here is simple, no one likes to work on an empty stomach and so why not use a little give and take to make the employees feel like they are not being taken advantage of. It has proven to be effective from the opinions of the employees I interviewed. The final program I was made aware of designed to bolster company morale is the paid time off program. This allows employees to take time off from their work for various reasons and to be regularly paid as if they were working for that period of time. Acceptable reasons for this privilege cover a wide spectrum including personal vacation, minor illness, funeral leave, jury duty, holidays, military leave, and marriage. READ: Business Law and Ethics : Physicians and Professio Essay Ms. Pacior explained that although these programs .

Long-term financing of companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Long-term financing of companies - Essay Example If a company that has already undergone an IPO needs to raise substantial capital again and it chooses to issue new equity in order to finance it, this is called seasoned equity offering (Butler, Grullon & Wetson 2005). Seasoned equity offerings come in different variations as regards the terms of the offer such as offering the stocks at investors-at-large or through a rights offerings. Under the rights offering, the company can issue rights to the purchasing the new shares to recipient investors on a proportionate basis (Weller 1962). These rights can either be sold or utilised depending on the recipient investors (Weller 1962). In 2008, Tesco Plc has seasoned equity offering that amounted to 130 million pounds; this is consist of 3 million pounds in issue capital, and 127 million pounds in share premium (Tesco Plc 2009). According to Tesco Plc, part of this seasoned equity offering is to issue shares as stock options are exercised. The rest of it is used for additional financing to the company. On the other hand, Marks & Spencer has issued 0.5 million pounds in equity (Marks & Spencer 2009). In contrast to Tesco Plc, this issue of shares by Marks & Spencer is due to exercise of options. However, seasoned equity offerings are used by the two companies in raising funds to finance their operations. One major advantage of this source of long-term funding is the huge amount of capital that large companies such as Tesco and Marks & Spencer have access in the form of the stock market. As regards the size of the capital raised, seasoned offerings in the stock market really provide huge advantages to these companie s. Seasoned equity offerings also have some shortcomings. For one, after an SEO, it is very usual that the stock price of the company gets lower because of the increase in price. There is a period of time before the price of the stocks will incorporate the information about the company, and this

CLIMATE CHANGE AN OUTCOME OF ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS Essay

CLIMATE CHANGE AN OUTCOME OF ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS - Essay Example The Intergovernmental panel on climate change at the Kyoto protocol determined in 2007 that â€Å"most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations† [2]. Furthermore, based on the assumption that significant anthropogenic warming has taken place over the past 50 years over each continent except Antartica, it has been concluded that anthropogenic climate change is having a significant impact on physical and bilogical systems globally [3]. Climate change is occuring on all continents and in most oceans. Changes in the natural system since 1970 have been occuring where temperature increase has taken place. These changes cannot be explained by natural climate variations alone. This implies that climate change is primarily attributable to anthropogenic factors. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conclude that the earth is warming and tha t humans are probably the cause. Technologies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and strategies for carbon sequestraion have been found to be essential as species extinction has been found to be related to climate warming [4].

Strategic HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Strategic HRM - Essay Example The third principle reflects that a systematic approach should be developed by an organization in terms of human resource management for defining the objectives of the organization and the plans as to how these objectives can be attained. This report is prepared with the aim of identifying the core strategic issues in one of the fastest growing and largest companies operating in the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) industry, Foxconn Technology Group. The core strategic issues in the company which have acted as impediments in the way of successful management of the company are identified and evaluated with the use of established strategic HRM theories and concepts. The report also includes the identification of suitable solutions for the existing strategic problems in the company which are presented as recommendations to the management. The report is concluded with a summary of the overall case study analysis. Strategic HRM is a process which includes the formulation of suitable approaches for developing human resource strategies in an organization (Smit and Trigeorgis, 2004). The development of strategic human resource systems and processes is important for every organization because strategic HRM is considered to be a major source of generating competitive advantage. Also, the human resource strategies can be vertically integrated with the business and corporate strategies and horizontally integrated among the different groups of strategic HRM strategies. These strategies are aimed at defining the plans of the organization with respect to the specific business considerations like people management, organizational effectiveness, employee relations management, reward and appraisal systems, learning and development, resource management etc. (CCH Australia, 2011). Foxconn Technology Group is a leading

Lufthansa airlines bankruptcy to profitable airline

Lufthansa airlines bankruptcy to profitable airline This report will take a closer look at the turnaround of Lufthansa airlines which went from near bankruptcy in 1991 to a now profitable airline. The evolutionary patterns of strategy and structure are identified in this report as well as how strategic leadership and German culture contributed to the turnaround. Furthermore, this paper will analyse the airline industry in terms of Porters five forces and will also take an extensive look at Lufthansas current situation by means of a SWOT and TOWS analysis. Additionally, Lufthansas business-level and corporate-level strategy will be identified and the Star Alliance, the worlds most important airline alliance, will be discussed in detail. 2.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company Background The Lufthansa Aviation Group is considered to be one of the worlds leading air transport corporations. It includes a number of independent group and affiliated companies with business segments in passenger airlines, logistics, aircraft maintenance, catering, tourism and IT services. Lufthansas headquarter is located in Cologne, Germany and its operational centre for passenger and cargo services is situated in Frankfurt (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). Lufthansa is 78 years old and has currently about 93,000 employees worldwide and in 2003-reported revenue of about 16 billion Euros (Lufthansa Key Figures 2003- see also Appendix I). In terms of traffic performance, Lufthansa is in third position in worldwide passenger transport. For many years the company has also been the market leader in international cargo traffic. In 2002, Lufthansas 368 aircrafts operated on routes to 327 destinations, carrying 50.9 million passengers and 1.63 million tons of airfreight. Lufthansa was also one of the founding members of the Star Alliance in 1997, when 16 partners joined into the worlds largest airline alliance (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). 3.0 The Industry Background The organization also has to deal with cyclical risks. General economic fluctuations as well as geopolitical developments can have a large impact on the performance of the Lufthansa Group. As good examples serve the events of September 11, the Iraq conflict and the outbreak of SARS in Asia along with a stagnating global economy which seriously influenced the business activity of the entire airline industry in a negative way (Heerkens 2003). Lufthansa is also confronted with some capital market risks as its international business activities expose it to exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations in the international money, capital and also the foreign exchange markets (Zea 2003). A substantial threat is the price of fuel since fuel consumption remains one of the main cost items for the whole airline industry. In 2003, it contributed 7.6% to Lufthansas total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices can have a significant affect on the organizations operating result (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Furthermore there is the threat of higher costs of insuring Lufthansas fleet. Insurance costs increased dramatically after the events of September 11 and since then stayed at a very high level. The reason for that are the massive additional premiums that are being charged for insuring against war and similar events. In case of more wars and terrorist attacks the premiums are likely to increase even further (Zea 2003). There are also a number of infrastructure risks that Lufthansa will have to deal with. There are plans for an extension of the runway system at Frankfurt Airport, which is a major hub for Lufthansas operations, and is extremely important for the long-term competitiveness of the German airline. The extension project is also crucial for securing Frankfurt Airports future as an international air traffic hub, which also applies to the building of the maintenance hangar for the new Airbus A380 super jumbo that will be used from 2007 onwards. Nonetheless, a range of operational restrictions on extending the airport has recently been debated which would hinder its efficient use. In case a solution cant be found, Lufthansa would have relocate part of their business to alternative hubs. Additionally, bottlenecks in many European air traffic control systems cause many flight delays. The infrastructural limitations are a huge burden on the profitability of all European air carriers. On top of t hat, they are inhibiting the industry to keep up with the growing demand for air transport services (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). There are also a few risks relating to the development of alliances. One of the foundations for Lufthansas commercial success was its integration into the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline partnership system. Currently, many of the airlines worldwide are in a loss-making situation which, in the case of a few of Lufthansas partners like United Airlines and Air Canada, reached proportions that threatened their existence and also affects Lufthansa negatively. In regards to the Star Alliance, there are also challenges of coordinating and incorporating strategic activities like the establishment of a common global brand, a shared technology platform as well as joint training and personnel development (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Being part of the Star Alliance also poses the threat that Lufthansa might lose its identity. It is vital for them to preserve the Lufthansa brand (Bruch Ghoshal 2002). Labour unions are an additional threat; especially in Germany they have a lot of power. Labour unions can initiate strikes, which in the past have already led to delays of departures and substantial costs to Lufthansa (Steinborn 2003).   4.0 The Company Objectives Structural analysis of an industry is a useful way of determining a companys long-term profitability. Comprehending the dynamics of the competitive forces in an industry can give an insight whether an industry is attractive and whether there are any chances for returns on capital. Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, created a framework for understanding the structure of an industry. According to Porter, the five competitive forces that can have an impact on an industry are threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining powers of buyers, competitive rivalry, as well as the threat of substitutes (Analysis of industries 2003). 4.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants offers the possibility that new firms are going to enter the industry, which will consequently lead to a reduction of industry returns by generally passing more value to consumers in terms of lower prices and also increasing the cost of competition. Factors like economies of scale, capital requirements, product differentiation, access to distribution channels, switching costs as well as brand value determine the threat of entry (Analysis of industries 2003). From my point of view it currently seems very difficult to enter the airline industry as this area of business as well as the world economy is facing a period of recession. Due to large product differentiation the entry barriers are fairly high. There is a range of flag carriers, charter airlines as well as a number of low-fare airlines in the industry. All these different types of airlines offer an extensive range of products that seem to satisfy most customers needs. Additionally, entering the aviation industry requires very high capital investments because aircrafts, technical support and IT services need to be purchased or leased. This industry is also very labour and fuel intensive which requires a lot of funds. Companies with an interest in entering the market also require access to distribution channels. This means that it is necessary to gain trust within the industry so as to get access to take-off and landing spots. This can be quite challenging as national policies still p lay a major role in the aviation industry. Furthermore it is a requirement to obtain permission from governments to enter airspace. Moreover once the market is entered, it is very difficult to exit which raises switching costs to a high level. Throughout the last decade the market opened due to the deregulation policy, which provided low budget airlines with an opportunity to enter the industry. The first entrants like Ryanair and Easyjet utilized this opportunity and developed strong brand names due to their first-mover advantage. Airlines that recently entered the market that have a similar price and cost structure generally find it more difficult to generate the traffic that is required to fill the seats in their aircrafts (Jacob Jakesova 2003). All in all it can be said that the threat of new entrants is not that high in the airline industry in the current business environment. 4.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bargaining power of suppliers Factors that are connected with the bargaining power of suppliers include the threat of forward integration as well as the concentration of suppliers in the industry. Supplier power decreases the ability for competitors in the industry to earn higher profits (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 64). The main suppliers within the airline industry are the manufacturers of aircrafts like Airbus and Boeing, fuel suppliers such as Shell, British Petroleum and Chevron Texaco. Furthermore there are technical support and IT services as well as the catering services. Suppliers are very concentrated in the airline industry as Boeing and Airbus supply most commercial fixed-wing aircrafts. The concentration of suppliers makes it difficult for the airlines to exercise leverage over the two manufacturers and negotiate lower prices or play one supplier against the other. Moreover, at the current stage, aircrafts for long distance travel cannot be substituted by any other product, which strengthens the bargaining power of the suppliers even more. Fuel providers have an excellent bargaining position as they can increase fuel prices without regarding the airlines as an important customer group. Forward integration, which is the expansion of a business products or services to related areas in orde r to directly satisfy the customer needs, is fairly low. The reason for this is that it can be assumed that neither aircraft manufactures, fuel providers nor technical support companies will purchase an airline and staff it with flight attendants, commercial pilots, a maintenance crew and operate flights across the world (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Nevertheless, the strong position fuel suppliers as well as the relatively strong position of manufacturers of aircrafts need to be taken into account when operating an airline. 4.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bargaining power of buyers Buyers can have significant power, as they are able to push down prices, and negotiate for better quality and service. Buyer power is determined by relative volume of purchase, switching cost, standardization of the product, brand identity, elasticity of demand as well as quality of service (Del Vecchio 2000). Since customers are not very concentrated and generally dont purchase plane tickets in large volumes they do not have a strong bargaining position. A single purchase of an airline ticket does not represent a significant fraction of the amount offered. Switching costs are quite low as consumers have a range of choices when selecting an airline. Due to the Internet, information about prices is also less fragmented and much easier to compare. Quite frequently, a customer can find price differences for the same flight and one seat is generally not any better, since everyone arrives at the destination at the same time. Considering the worldwide recession as well as the psychological effects of September 11, airline companies are under substantial pressure as customers switch to alternative transportation like trains. Vacation travelers also tend to shop around for the best price. Traveling by plane is quite expensive and can make up the largest part of the expense of a family vacation. For that reason, demand is quite elastic for some buyers. As soon as the price drops, the demand increases. However, airlines can move their prices in tandem with other airlines, which forces customers to purchase tickets for the market price until a price war starts (Analysis of Industries 2003). Nevertheless, all in all it can be said that the bargaining power of buyers is relatively low. 4.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threat of substitute products The airline industry is threatened by a number of substitutes. This threat is quite substantial within Europe, where Lufthansas main customer base is located. Many European countries have an excellent railway system with high-speed trains like the ICE in Germany and the TGV in France. These trains can travel up to 300km/h fast and can cover large distances within the countries in just a few hours. Trains can be considered the largest threat as they offer a variety of advantages over flying. From my point of view it seems that flying is much faster, but on a domestic flight in a European country there is not much of a difference in comparison to trains. The reason for that is that it always takes a while to get to the airport, as they are mostly located further away from cities; check-in and security checks usually require being there at least an hour before take-off. After the plane has landed, it usually takes at least another 30 minutes to get out of the plane, claim the baggage an d organise transportation to leave the airport. Railway stations on the other hand can be much more easily accessed than airports, there is no check-in and security check required and the destination railway station is generally in a very central location close to hotels or offices that need to be visited on a business trip. Furthermore, trains offer generally great scenery while travelling and also offer more legroom. Most importantly the prices are generally lower than those of prestigious airlines like Lufthansa. Alternatively, travellers could use their own car, which would be more time consuming, but would have the advantage of increased flexibility and having transportation at the destination location and not having to use public transportation or taxis. Depending on the distance, this substitute can be either more costly or less expensive (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Moreover, short international trips to major European capitals are often done by bus and also by ferry if it is a tr ip to the United Kingdom. From my experience this is the most inexpensive way of travelling throughout Europe. However, there is no real substitute to flying if the desired destination is overseas. The only alternative to planes would be ships and unless the customer is looking for a relaxing trip on the oceans, it will just take too long to reach the destination. Recently there is also a tendency of larger companies towards purchasing corporate jets rather than flying first class. According to Costa et al. (2002) corporate jets might reduce first class traveller by 10% by 2005. 4.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competitive rivalry Highly competitive industries are generally less profitable as the cost of competition is high or customers are receiving the benefits of lower prices. Competitive rivalry is affected by industry growth, brand identity, fixed costs, as well as barriers to exit (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 63). It can be said that the airline industry is highly competitive and that industry growth is fairly moderate with airlines struggling in taking away market share from each other. The barriers to exit are considered to be very high. Planes that are grounded dont earn any returns and it is quite complicated to dispose of these assets. Due to bankruptcy laws, airlines that are in financial stress can often remain competitors for a long time (Del Vecchio 2000). In Lufthansas home market, the European airline industry has seen some recent changes with the development of low budget airlines that compete with the more mature airlines. Additionally, recent airline crises like September 11 put even more pressure on all competing airlines. This leads to a process of consolidation and the creation of strategic alliances. Airlines within one alliance dont tend to compete directly with each other anymore, which lead to a slight decrease of the pressure (Jacob Jakesova 2003). By utilizing a range of strategies a company can have an effect on the five forces of competition and thus reform the attractiveness of an industry. Historically, various strategies shifted the principles of competition and future events like war or new inventions are likely to reshape the airline industry again. Lufthansas ability to be very cost effective is also of advantage. As part of its strategic change, Lufthansa implemented Program 15, a strategic cost management program. The goals of this program included an improvement of the competitive position through a reduction in cost, internationalisation of cost-structure and making staff conscious of reducing costs in their daily work. This cost management contributed substantially to Lufthansa making profits again in 1999 (Bruch Goshal 2000). Generally it can be said that Lufthansas change management during its crisis was outstanding. Its management was able to identify the signals for the potential problems, showed great strategic leadership through CEO Jà ¼rgen Weber and transformed the organization into a profitable company. This experience in strategic change management is very valuable and will surely help the organization with any challenges in the future (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). Furthermore, Lufthansas management is very conscious of the need for innovation and customer service. They developed the brand ambassador concept where employees with use of personality and dedication create brand loyalty through day-to-day interactions with the customer (Rubens 2004). They recently also introduced a range of innovations and quality improvements at their passenger airlines and some innovations will be implemented in the near future. A special focus is on the business class on long-haul routes as this segment is the most profitable one. The key feature of Lufthansas new business class is a technically sophisticated seat that converts into a flat bed, which is 2 meters long, the longest bed in this class (Manuelli 2003). Lufthansa is also the first airline in the world that offers broadband Internet access on board its planes (Anonymous 2003). On the ground, they are also improving procedures for their status customers with Lufthansas Priority Service by relying on the Internet, mobile phones and check-in terminals simplify reservations and ticket sales as well as to reduce check-in times. A good example of Lufthansas innovative strength is their new terminal at Munich Airport, which was build to optimise operational procedures. In accordance with the best international standards they reduced the minimum connecting time to 30 minutes (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). An additional strength of Lufthansa is that it has a policy of operating a young and modern fleet. They recently started a fleet renewal program in 2003 and by 2005 they will replace older aircrafts with ten new Airbus A340-600 jets, as well as ten new Airbus A330-300s. By 2007 the new Airbus A380 super jumbo will go into service that can carry 40% more passengers than the currently largest aircraft. The average age of Lufthansas fleet is just under 9 years, which puts them into a good position in comparison to airline world average of almost 15 years (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Another strength, which gives Lufthansa a comparative advantage, is the use of a premium executive jet service on North Atlantic routes like Dà ¼sseldorf-Newark and Munich-Newark. This involves flights in Boeing and Airbus aircrafts that were remodelled so they fit 48 business class seats only and no economy class. Lufthansa introduced this service, because they identified that these routes were in high demand for business class travellers (Ghazvinian Fragala 2002). Lufthansa also offers a very good website that has a lot of features the customers can utilize. Online bookings have more than doubled in 2003. Lufthansa are also constantly expanding their destinations, which can be reached with etix, the companys electronic tickets that offer convenient paperless travel. The number of passengers that use etix is gradually increasing as it can be used to fly to 70 per cent of Lufthansa destinations (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Lufthansas Miles More customer loyalty program is also a great tool to encourage customers to fly Lufthansa again. The program has grown in popularity since it was introduced ten years ago and developed into the leading frequent flyer program in Europe (Miles More). Furthermore, Lufthansa is one of the founding members of the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline alliance. The alliance was voted Alliance of the Year in 2003 on three different occasions (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). The Lufthansa group consists of seven independent subsidiaries. Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. A principal element of the Lufthansa group is clear customer-supplier-relationships between the seven companies. However, the relationships between the individual companies are a weakness, as they dont function as planned. Lufthansa has not reached the required relationships for a market-based internal coordination. So far, the internal customers dont act as normal customers yet since the demand conditions, which they would never demand with other external business partners (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness is that the openness for change has almost vanished since Lufthansas amazing turnaround was achieved. During the turnaround, changes were implemented very quickly, but today it takes a very long time for small innovations to take place. Lufthansa also admits not to be perfect in the areas of punctuality, luggage safety, waiting periods, technical reliability and telephone availability, but is in the process of improving this situation (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness could be that Lufthansa does not do anything about their low-budget competitors in the European market. Lufthansas management claims that they would not start a low-fare airline under its name, as it would cannibalize its own traffic and damage its brands (Anonymous 2002). 5.0 Economic strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt (2003, p. 122), a Economic strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product markets. The literature suggests that there are a number of different business-level strategies. However, I believe that in the case of Lufthansa an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy is used. The reason for this is that Lufthansa operates globally and therefore it is vital for them to implement cost leadership strategies as well as differentiation strategies in order to develop competitive advantages. Lufthansas Program 15 serves as a good example of a cost leadership strategy. After Lufthansa had undergone privatization they implemented this extensive strategic costs management program with the goal of reducing overall unit cost by 20% within five years (Bruch Sattelberger 2001a). In terms of a differentiation strategy, Lufthansa constantly tries to come up with a range of innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition. A list of these ideas could be seen in the strengths section of my SWOT analysis of Lufthansa. It can be concluded that Lufthansa has made the right decision to implement an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy, since the literature also suggests that there is a relationship between the successful use of this strategy and above-average returns (Hitt 2003, p. 135). 5.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corporate-level strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt, a corporate level strategy involves specific actions by a company to gain a competitive advantage by having a group of different businesses competing in several industries (2003, p. 183). In the case of Lufthansa, the organisation consists of seven economically independent subsidiaries that include LH Passenger Service, LH Cargo AG, LH Skychef, LH Ground Services, LH Technical Services, Thomas Cook Travel Agency and LH IT services. The individual Lufthansa companies are quite successful. LH Technical services, LH Skychef and LH Ground Services are number one in their market (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Product diversification, a primary corporate-level strategy deals with the scope of the industries and markets in which the company competes in addition to how managers buy, establish and sell different businesses to equal skills and strengths. In regards to Lufthansa, the organisation uses a related diversification corporate-level strategy which means that Lufthansa generates more than 30% of its sales revenue outside a dominated business and its businesses are related to each other since Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. Lufthansas motives for such a corporate level strategy are likely to be issues such as taking advantage of economies of scope, sharing activities, transfer of core competencies, and an increase in market power as well as blocking competitors through multipoint competition (Hitt 2003, p. 187). 5.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategic Alliances While concentrating on internal costs and structural redevelopment, Lufthansa also worked on its external relationships by implementing the strategy: growth through partnerships (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). While in other industries globalization triggered a wave of mergers of companies that operate internationally; airlines had to look for alternatives because national ownership regulations do not allow cross-border mergers. No airline worldwide has the capacity infrastructure to offer a suitable network by itself. Only through cooperating and alliances can the industry cater for the mobility requirements of the world economy. Therefore, founding the Star Alliance was a logical consequence and Lufthansa was one of the key-founding members of the first airline network in the world (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). The purpose of the Star Alliance is to realize higher revenues and decrease costs by exploiting synergy effects. The synergies range from shared use of ground facilities like check-in-counters, a city office in Paris and also airport terminals. At the airports in Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Beijing the Star Alliance has its own check-in area with staff member of partner airlines. In addition the first Star Alliance Lounge went into service 2001 at Zà ¼rich airport. Other advantages include common frequent flyer programs, joint travel agency contracts collective market research and joint purchasing of materials and equipment (Economic effects for the airlines). Alliance members can also use code sharing a system by which two or more airlines agree to use the same flight number for a flight in order to attract more business by means of extending their networks through partner airlines (Collis 1998). Besides cost-saving synergies, the combined networks of Star Alliance members also offer many customer benefits. In comparison with other industry alliances, the Star Alliance is the recognized market leader (see Appendix 2). For 82 % of all offered flight connections, the Star Alliance is the fastest network. Every four seconds an aircraft of the Star Alliance starts or lands somewhere in the world and it possible to fly once round the world in 36 hours with Star Alliance airlines. Other fundamentals of its brand value include the presence of its members in important home markets and large international hubs, a high degree of customer recognition, excellent service and good cooperation between the frequent-flyer programs of the individual airlines. Furthermore each airline has its individual strengths with a strong market position in its home bases and regional hubs like Lufthansa in Germany. Due to the good cooperation, a whole network of these hubs was established and regional str engths complement each other (see Appendix 3). Additionally, most members also have regional alliances with smaller airlines, which improve the Star Alliance network even further (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). Research has also shown that alliances result in lower ticket prices and more flight connections. It is suggested that there is a price advantage of an average 6% in comparison with conventional tariffs. In terms of the Star Alliance this leads to estimated passenger savings of between 50 and 82 million dollars per year. Additionally due to the sharing of terminals service counters of the airlines are more easily seen and found and walking distances are decreased. Having counters in the same area at airports also creates a single contact point and improves changes and baggage loading. Staff members of partner airlines can also help and advise customers with enquiries on behalf of the entire alliance. For the alliance to work properly certain level of quality needs to be ensured. This is achieved through frequent mutual quality checks. Jointly agreed quality standards in the areas of security, services and environmental protection are checked on a regular basis (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). 5.3 Strategic Leadership and German Culture Strategic leadership, which is the ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility and empower others to create strategic change as necessary (Hitt 2003, p. 386) was extremely important in Lufthansas turnaround. The main responsibility for effective strategic leadership generally rests at the top, especially with the CEO, but also with other recognized strategic leaders like members of the board of directors and the top management team. In the case of Lufthansa, the formulation and implementation of strategies was also in the hands of the top-level management, in particular Dr. Jà ¼rgen Weber, who was Lufthansas CEO at the time. In 1992 Jà ¼rgen Weber realized the full extent of Lufthansas problems and called for a crisis management meeting with 20 carefully selected senior managers. The outcome of this meeting was Program 93, 131 key actions aimed at drastically cutting about 8,000 jobs, lowering non-personnel costs, reducing the aircraft fleet as well as increasing revenues by DM 700 million to reduce the losses of DM 1.3 billion. The Executive Board then appointed a number of different teams that had the task to achieve the implementation of these 131 projects. Line management was responsible for the implementation of the staff cuts. It was seen as important for the success of Program 93 that line managers took that responsibility to realize the unavoidable cuts, on the one hand, but also to motivate the remaining employees, on the other hand. Jà ¼rgen Weber also created the OPS team (Operations Team) as a forceful engine in the process of implementing the 131 actions. They constantly monitored, created activities, advised and supported the line managers who were ultimately responsible for the implementation process. Weber showed his total support for the OPS team and personally supported them in many ways. He also implemented visible actions like a 10% reduction of the salaries of all Executive board members (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Furthermore, to convey and spread these actions, Lufthansa implemented Town Meetings, which were initially an idea by General Electric. A typical agenda of a Town Meeting would mainly involve a talk with the particular Lufthansa units management about problems a

The Effect of Politics and Race on Identity of Puerto Ricans Essay

The Effect of Politics and Race on Identity of Puerto Ricans As is present in many articles we read about Spanish rule and American rule, there were always references to race, and the mix of races that the Puerto Ricans are, and how that has affected their identity. Kristen Moran hypothesized as to what was the origin of Spaniard's need to assert their clean lineage: "The attitude of the Spaniards concerning pure lineage, which can be traced back to the Muslim occupation of Spain, further complicated race interaction in Puerto Rico." The Ferrà © novel begins with Buenaventura's arrival to Puerto Rico from Spain, who is a member of a bourgeoisie family. Immediately there are references to the importance of a â€Å"clean lineage† and books which tracked marriages to make sure that families were remaining true to their roots. Families wanted to assert that there was no â€Å"bad blood† running through the family when another bourgeoisie family is ready to marry off their son or daughter. David Bernstein expands on this idea by writ ing that, "Buenaventura preaches his racial superiority and separation from others to his children, in the hope that this will ensure the 'purity' of future generation's white blood." This is why early on the citation by Gonzà ¡lez of â€Å"returning to Spanish era† as â€Å"returning to a society in which the white and property-owning part of the population has always oppressed and despised the non-white and non-property-owning part.†(Gonzà ¡lez, p4) was utilized in the conclusion of my first paper on early Spanish rule and has not left the schema I have created in my mind of how each set of rulers viewed Puerto Ricans. Ferrà © touches on an area that I had not connected myself, nor had read anywhere yet. This realization that... ...n the Twentieth Century. 2nd.ed. (Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1996). Ferrà ©, Rosario. The House on the Lagoon (NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995). Gonzà ¡lez, Josà © Luis, â€Å"Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country,† from Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country and other essays (Princeton and NY: Markus Wiener Publishing, Inc.), 1-30. Moran, Kristen. Home page- H378. http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/kmoran2/project.htm Morris, Nancy. Puerto Rico: Culture, Politics, and Identity (Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1995). Pearson, Stacie. Home page. 10 December 1998. <http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/spearson/puerto2.htm>. Puerto Rico Herald Vol. 2 No. 25. <www.puertorico-herald.org> Rivera, Fabian. Home page-H378. http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/frivera/newpage3.htm Rodriguez, Richard. Home page- H378 http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/rrodrigu/h378p.htm