Culture and Religion - Shrine Pilgrimage in Turkmenistan Essay - 1

Culture and Religion - Shrine Pilgrimage in Turkmenistan - Essay Example These groups find their linkage with four caliphs of Islam. Owlat people are given special respect by tribes of Turkmenistan and their property is inviolable in Turkmenistan. This status of inviolable property has strengthened the Owlat people by ensuring economic stability. Pilgrimage of shrines is the activity that kept people of Turkmenistan on the path of Islam. Despite all the banes of soviet rule on pilgrimage activities, people kept visiting the holy sites because of their emotional and spiritual attachments. After getting the independence from soviet rule, the pilgrimage activities once again flourished in Turkmenistan. Importance of holy activities and their impact on human life and on culture is discussed in detail in paragraphs to follow: Pilgrimage culture prevailed by early tribal settlement in Turkmenistan and this culture and trends were brought by â€Å"Oghuz Khan†. Turkmen follow â€Å"holy groups† known as â€Å"Owlat†. Six Owlet groups are respected according to level of their spiritual powers. These groups find their linkage with four caliphs of Islam and ultimately with Prophet (peace be upon him). Turk people started considering Owlat people for different festivals of life like, marriage, life cycle, cultivation of crops and religious guidance etc. Every important work of human life used to get started with the hands of an Owlat, for the reasons of good end. â€Å"Gonambashi† is the term used for head of a cemetery in Turkmenistan. Gonambashi is the first man buried and around him, other people of community are buried. Gonambashi was respected for its spiritual powers to help people coming to his grave. â€Å"Keramatlier† is another word used during shrine activity that means â€Å"place of miracles†. According to soviet specialists, Muslims of 20th century called themselves â€Å"half Muslims†, because of not following real teachings of Islam. Soviet rule aimed at anti religious

Manifest Destiny American Civil War Essay Example for Free

Manifest Destiny American Civil War Essay Manifest Destiny In the 1840s the United States increased its territory to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This land was acquired through treaty, war, and negotiation. The opportunities of this large area of land offered in terms of resources and trade were great. The positive of M.D. do not outweigh the negative consequences. Manifest Destiny is a historic duty, in the 1800s the Americans believed that the manifest destiny of the United States was to expand to the Pacific Ocean. The United States started as costal colonies but eventually the fulfilled their manifest destiny and expanded buy conquering and purchasing land. The Americans gained more land by buying it from France in the Louisiana Purchase and they also acquired land by cession as they did in the Mexican Cession. Other ways of expanded their land was to take it by force; many settlers killed the Indians and stole their land from them. The Americans in the 1800s believed that it was the historic duty of their nation to expand to the Pacific Ocean. They believed that the land was rightfully theirs. They ignored the fact that the land was already occupied and began to move west. They did not recognize the Indians as people; they saw them as potential slaves, so they simply killed them and took their land. Much of the land was bought from France in the Louisiana Purchase, but other lands such as Texas, California and Oregon was not theirs. Using both military strength and negotiations, the US was determined to fulfill their historic duty. The main difference between the border issues of Oregon and Texas is the way these issues were settled. The Texas issue resulted in a war with Mexico, which gained land and lost soldiers. However, this did allow the US to gain more land than just Texas. The Oregon issue, on the other hand, was more peaceful. The US negotiated and made a treaty with Britain instead of going to war with them. However, both these issues were different ways the US gained land and expanded their nation.

Anorexia and Bulimia :: Causes of Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia

A variation of Anorexia, Bulimia ranges from excessive food intake, to an out of control compulsive cycle of binge eating where extraordinary amounts of any available food, usually of high carbohydrate content, may be consumed. Once having gorged, the victims are overcome with the urge to rd themselves of what they hate eaten by purging themselves, usually by vomiting, and sometimes by massive doses of laxatives. Between these obsessive bouts, most are able to accept some nutrition. Whereas the anorexic sufferer fears fatness from anticipated loss of eating control, and unlike the anorexic sufferer the typical bulimic individual is not emaciated, but usually maintains a normal body weight and appears to be fit and healthy. However, the obsessive binge purge cycle causes them deep distress, shame, guilt, self-loathing and social isolation, and many will go to any lengths to hide their â€Å"shameful† secret from the family and friends. Typical Sufferers The anorexic or bulimic may be either sex, but the smaller percentage is in males. However the male percentage is on the increase. Most sufferers come from middle and upper income families, and are usually highly intelligent. Anorexic and bulimic people are often perfectionists, with unrealistically high expectations. They frequently lack self-esteem, with their feelings of ineffectiveness and a strong need for other peoples’ approval. Causes There is at present no generally accepted view of the causes of anorexia or bulimia. Most authorities believe the problem to be psychologically based, possibly stemming from family and social pressures, or other forms of stress in our modern environment. Where a high value is placed on slim-ness, women are most likely to be judged on their appearance, against a heavy background of high carbohydrate junk food promotion. Often, the illness is triggered by a major change in the person’s life. Age and Extent Anorexia tends to start in early the early teens, whereas bulimia usually occurs in the late teens and older age groups. Sometimes bulimia develops out of anorexia, but can occur without a previous history of anorexia. It often persists over many years. It is known girls as young as 8 years of age had displayed an unhealthy pre-occupation with dieting. The full extent of the problem is not known, but estimates very from one in every hundred school girls with anorexia, to six percent of Australian women with bulimia. Since bulimia is not a physically obvious condition, the numbers could be far higher. Social Isolation People who have anorexia or bulimia have probably been feeling isolated and friendless for a long time. This may have been one of the factors contributing to their belief that they are essentially unacceptable people. However, the condition itself increases social isolation. Sufferers dare not let people get too close to them in case their real self, which they

Mutual Insurance Company of Iowa Essay

Mutual Insurance Company of Iowa (MICI) has a major insurance office facility in Des Moines, Iowa. The MICI office facility in Des Moines is the one responsible for processing all their insurance claims for the entire nation. With this, the company is experiencing rapid growth of sales which resulted in corresponding increase in customer’s claims. However, the claiming department was unable to cope with the increasing volume of claims, which leads to the disappointment of their customers. Sally Cook, the manager of Claims Processing, suggested using a new kind of system, the JIT system. This new kind of system requires for the training of the managers and employees for them to able to be multi-skilled. JIT system also required for the restructuring of the company. If this new system will be implemented well, it will help with the current problem faced by the company and will in turn enhance production efficiency and increase customer relationships. Discussion Questions 1. Identify the attributes you would expect the Claims Processing Department at MICI to have once the new JIT system is in place. Since the company proposed that the employees should have cross-training exercises to be able to help in a variety of insurance claims processing, it will manifest that workers are flexible and are capable of working with various claims thus will result to a more efficient output by the employees. The employees who have been trained are the key success factors to the improvement of MICI with the help of the JIT system. 2. What will the restructured cell layout for claim processing in Figure 16.10 look like? Draw it. 3. What assumptions are you making about personnel and equipment in the new group technology cell layout? a. Decrease cost of labor b. Increase in assets such as equipments c. Higher utility expense d. Personnel are flexible and can handle different claim processes e. There will be specialization for each process f. Production equipment will be located in one central area g. Increase in employee training budget h. Improvement in the equipment utilization 4. How will the new JIT oriented system benefit the MICI operation? Explain. The JIT system, if installed and implemented properly, will have the benefits of the following to the MICI operation: a. The new system will reduce setup time and schedule delays since the production will be continuous. The forms will arrive and will be processed at the same day. b. Improvement in the flow of goods and services. The claim forms will be processed and cleared as soon as they arrive. c. Higher customer satisfaction. The company can offer services that can go in accordance to the demands of the customers. d. The company staff and workers will be more productive and multi-skilled since they have been trained comprehensively. e. The new system will reduce errors and defects in services since there will be quality control in the production.

Business Proposal

Customers can print cards for free, which means they don't have to purchase the card in-store. It is my Job to provide an effective solution. Background Each employee must make a standard of 480 per week equaling out to 100% order filling, with an acceptance of 90% for the week. Fillers should also have no errors with an acceptance of one error per one hundred cards. All orders should be accurate according to the consumers pick list. We thought it would help the company if we had a way for customers to access cards via internet. Cards are free and you can design them yourself.They can be printed or sent via email. Proposed Approach and Work Plan In our first approach we will observe the fillers in this department to make sure that loitering is the only underlying issue. We do not have a problem with employees socializing, but there is a Job to be done. If our consumers are not satisfied with our delivery then that puts the company in a hard place. We are falling behind, which causes us to lose money. Employees must be able to complete the work required of them in order for our business to remain steady. The issue that we are having is not with all of the employees, but it is effecting everyone.Each filler will have to check their orders before taking them to the line. After the orders are placed on the line, a ICQ checker will recheck the order to make sure it is correct according to its specific pick list. Since the orders are being double checked there should be little to no errors. The point of checking the orders more than once is to cut down on the number of errors in each order. The way the employees are working will also be observed. I think it would be best if we put someone on the floor hey are unfamiliar with rather than their team leader or a supervisor.Most times when employees see authority they change their routine so that it is pleasing in the eyes of the supervisor. The person that we put on the floor will be able to observe them for a week. At the end of the week he/she will report to us and we will go further from there. Employees lack the training and development required to perform their Job duties to the high standards of their employer (Scott, 2014). If this is the case, it is the employer and human resource responsibility to produce an action plan to help the employee develop the skills necessary to improve Job performance (Scott, 2014).It is important that you address performance issues as they arise and pursue a progressive approach to discipline (Rutgers). If the report from our source reveal that loitering is the main issue, we will then conduct a department meeting. In the department meeting we will discuss the issue with the employees. We will also discuss how it is effecting the company. After the discussion, we will tell them the consequences of not performing their Job duties to the best of their ability. If tankard is not met in the week, they will receive a write up.After they receive three write ups the employee will be terminated. Disciplining employees is a difficult part of supervision and management (Rutgers). Our customers enjoy the Cards. I don't feel we should stop the free services, but they should be limited. All of the cards should not be free. I know the goal is to draw in more customers, but the goal is also to make money. I think we should offer a certain amount of free Cards when the customers sign up and when they recommend the website to other people. I think if we take this approach we would ran more money.We may lose some customers, but I think in the end we would still profit. Conclusion The graph displayed is Just an example of the possible projections of our employees. The numbers are displayed as a single number but it is actually in hundreds. Each week their standard progresses. We hope the actual projections are better because these are Just average. Our goal is to make our consumers, customers and employees happy. In order to make this happen we need to wor k together. If we have employees that are willing to work and be productive, our company will continue to grow.Employee motivation is suppose to be a good way to get employees to do what you want them to do, according to Deed Parr. It is important to get to know your employees. Showing and being concerned about your employees motivate them, which produces better production. A strong and healthy work environment is always needed no matter what kind of business you are operating. When you find out what your employees interests are it is good to use them as positive reinforcement. The more personalized the incentive is the more motivation you will achieve and the greater the productivity (Parr, 2004). Unfit the company. Getting know your employees are important, but you do have those employees that are Just outright stubborn. You Just have those people that Just don't want to work (Stone, 2014). It will be up to human resources to come up with some vital information to help with the in terviewing of the potential employees. I believe that with proper information our employees will benefit as well as the company. I think we would also need to conduct an observation of the Cards on the website after the proposed changes. Business Proposal Customers can print cards for free, which means they don't have to purchase the card in-store. It is my Job to provide an effective solution. Background Each employee must make a standard of 480 per week equaling out to 100% order filling, with an acceptance of 90% for the week. Fillers should also have no errors with an acceptance of one error per one hundred cards. All orders should be accurate according to the consumers pick list. We thought it would help the company if we had a way for customers to access cards via internet. Cards are free and you can design them yourself.They can be printed or sent via email. Proposed Approach and Work Plan In our first approach we will observe the fillers in this department to make sure that loitering is the only underlying issue. We do not have a problem with employees socializing, but there is a Job to be done. If our consumers are not satisfied with our delivery then that puts the company in a hard place. We are falling behind, which causes us to lose money. Employees must be able to complete the work required of them in order for our business to remain steady. The issue that we are having is not with all of the employees, but it is effecting everyone.Each filler will have to check their orders before taking them to the line. After the orders are placed on the line, a ICQ checker will recheck the order to make sure it is correct according to its specific pick list. Since the orders are being double checked there should be little to no errors. The point of checking the orders more than once is to cut down on the number of errors in each order. The way the employees are working will also be observed. I think it would be best if we put someone on the floor hey are unfamiliar with rather than their team leader or a supervisor.Most times when employees see authority they change their routine so that it is pleasing in the eyes of the supervisor. The person that we put on the floor will be able to observe them for a week. At the end of the week he/she will report to us and we will go further from there. Employees lack the training and development required to perform their Job duties to the high standards of their employer (Scott, 2014). If this is the case, it is the employer and human resource responsibility to produce an action plan to help the employee develop the skills necessary to improve Job performance (Scott, 2014).It is important that you address performance issues as they arise and pursue a progressive approach to discipline (Rutgers). If the report from our source reveal that loitering is the main issue, we will then conduct a department meeting. In the department meeting we will discuss the issue with the employees. We will also discuss how it is effecting the company. After the discussion, we will tell them the consequences of not performing their Job duties to the best of their ability. If tankard is not met in the week, they will receive a write up.After they receive three write ups the employee will be terminated. Disciplining employees is a difficult part of supervision and management (Rutgers). Our customers enjoy the Cards. I don't feel we should stop the free services, but they should be limited. All of the cards should not be free. I know the goal is to draw in more customers, but the goal is also to make money. I think we should offer a certain amount of free Cards when the customers sign up and when they recommend the website to other people. I think if we take this approach we would ran more money.We may lose some customers, but I think in the end we would still profit. Conclusion The graph displayed is Just an example of the possible projections of our employees. The numbers are displayed as a single number but it is actually in hundreds. Each week their standard progresses. We hope the actual projections are better because these are Just average. Our goal is to make our consumers, customers and employees happy. In order to make this happen we need to wor k together. If we have employees that are willing to work and be productive, our company will continue to grow.Employee motivation is suppose to be a good way to get employees to do what you want them to do, according to Deed Parr. It is important to get to know your employees. Showing and being concerned about your employees motivate them, which produces better production. A strong and healthy work environment is always needed no matter what kind of business you are operating. When you find out what your employees interests are it is good to use them as positive reinforcement. The more personalized the incentive is the more motivation you will achieve and the greater the productivity (Parr, 2004). Unfit the company. Getting know your employees are important, but you do have those employees that are Just outright stubborn. You Just have those people that Just don't want to work (Stone, 2014). It will be up to human resources to come up with some vital information to help with the in terviewing of the potential employees. I believe that with proper information our employees will benefit as well as the company. I think we would also need to conduct an observation of the Cards on the website after the proposed changes. Business Proposal MAGALANG CHRISTIAN ECUMENICAL SCHOOL, Inc. Marbea Subd. , Sta. Cruz, Magalang, Pampanga In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirement in Technology and Livelihood Education IV Business Proposal â€Å"COCO KNOTS† Submitted by: Lean Carlo R. Gamboa Submitted to: Mrs. Alelie Sapnu-Duldulao Date submitted: February 4, 2013 I. Introduction The scientific name for coconut is Cocos nucifera. Early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means â€Å"monkey face† because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resemble the head and face of a monkey. Nucifera means â€Å"nut-bearing. † Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.It is classified as a â€Å"functional food† because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. The coconut palm is so highly valued by many as both a source of food and medicine that it is called â€Å"The Tree of Life. † The coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, mil k, and oil that has fed and nourished populations around the world for generations. Naturally refreshing, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sugar and electrolytes. Coconut water has less sugar than many sports drinks and much less sugar than sodas and some fruit juices.Plain coconut water could be a better choice for adults and kids looking for a beverage that is less sweet. I choose this business because coconut water is becoming popular nowadays. People also are becoming health-conscious and they pick coco water instead of sodas or other fruit juices. Coconut is also cheap and affordable. II. Objectives 1. To earn profit. 2. To gain knowledge about the nature of business. 3. To help people and give them satisfaction. 4. To promote coconut water/coconut juice. III. Management Plan Management is the act of managing, controlling or conducting a business.Organizational structure is under the management plan. These are the p eople who provide labor that receive salaries while the owner receives the profit. * Organizational Structure -FIGURE 1- * ————————————————- Owner: responsible for controlling or administering all or part of a company; activities and business dealings. * ————————————————- Cashier: responsible for the payments and receipts of the costumer. * ————————————————- Worker: responsible in producing the products that are for sale. Table 1:Salaries of the employees. Employees| Working Hours| Monthly| Yearly| Cashier| 9:00am – 7:00pm| P 5, 000. 00| P 60, 000. 00| Worker #1| 9:00am – 6:00pm| P 3, 500. 00| P 42, 000. 00| Worker #2| 11:00am – 8:0 0pm| P 3, 500. 00| P 42, 000. 00| Table 2: Time Frame Activities| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Aug| Sept| Oct| Nov| Dec| Preparation of business| | X| X| | | | | | | | | | Negotiation of financing| | | | X| X| | | | | | | | Registration of business| | | | | | X| X| | | | | | Setting-up production| | | | | | | | X| X| | | | Start of business| | | | | | | | | | X| | |IV. Marketing Plan Marketing  is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It includes all the activities to develop a product and to move it from the producers to the consumers. Marketing can be divided into four categories called 4 – P’s: the product, price, place and promotion. * Product and Price ITEMS| PRICE| 1 Liter| P100. 00| 1 500 ml bottled coconut water| P55. 00| 1 250 ml bottled coconut water| P30. 00| 500 ml bottled coconut shake| P70. 00| 1 250 ml bottled coconut shak e| P40. 00| * Channel of Distribution Schools/Students: 50% Office Workers: 20%Walk-in buyers: 30% Figure 2: Coco Knots will be located near the AUF School and Hospital. It is the best area for my business since my target clients/customers are mostly students and employees of nearby business establishments. * Place: In front of Angeles University Foundation and Hospital. * Promotion: First I will advertise my products online, we all know that the net is widely-use nowadays.I will put streamers, posters and tarpaulins along the roads and at highly-populated places. On my opening day, I will offer free 250 ml bottle coconut water for every purchase of 1 liter of coconut water or 500 ml of coconut shake. For the first 10 persons to buy two 500ml of coconut shake gets a free Coco. Knots notebook. V. Production Plan Production is the act of creating ‘use' value or ‘utility' that can satisfy a want or need. It is the process on how certain products has been made or produced. * Flow Chart: Figure 1. ————————————————-Buy ingredients and equipments in the market: buy all of the ingredients and equipments needed for the production of your products. 2. ————————————————- Cleaning and preparing equipments: clean the equipments that will be use. Arrange the equipments needed. 3. ————————————————- Set up store area: Check the store if it has defects. 4. ————————————————- Packaging: It will be packed and ready for selling. VI. Tables A) Income Statement COCO. KNOTS’INCOME STATEMENT|Gross Sales | | P1, 019,520. 00| Beg inning Inventory| P0. 00| | Purchases | P693,000. 00| | Total cost of goods available for sale| P693,000. 00| | Less: Inventory End| P27,720. 00| | Total cost of goods sold | | P665,280. 00| Gross Profit on Sales| | P354,240. 00| Less Operating Expenses| | | Selling Expense| P 74,300. 00| | Salaries and Wages| P 144, 000. 00| | Total Expenses| | P 218, 300. 00| | | | Net Profit| | P135,940. 00| | ASSETS| LIABILITIES| Cash P478, 220. 00 | Advances from Parents P300,000. 0 | Equipments P30, 000. 00| | Inventory 27, 720. 00| Coco Knot’s Capital P 100,000. 00 Net Income P135,940. 00| | | Total Assets P535, 940. 00 | Total Liabilities and Prop. Capital P535,940. 00| | | . A) Owner’s Equity/ Proprietorship Assets – Liabilities = Owner’s Equity/Proprietorship ASSETS| LIABILITIES| OWNER’S EQUITY/PROPRIETORSHIP| P535,940. 00| P300,000. 00| P235,940. 00| Business Proposal Customers can print cards for free, which means they don't have to purchase the card in-store. It is my Job to provide an effective solution. Background Each employee must make a standard of 480 per week equaling out to 100% order filling, with an acceptance of 90% for the week. Fillers should also have no errors with an acceptance of one error per one hundred cards. All orders should be accurate according to the consumers pick list. We thought it would help the company if we had a way for customers to access cards via internet. Cards are free and you can design them yourself.They can be printed or sent via email. Proposed Approach and Work Plan In our first approach we will observe the fillers in this department to make sure that loitering is the only underlying issue. We do not have a problem with employees socializing, but there is a Job to be done. If our consumers are not satisfied with our delivery then that puts the company in a hard place. We are falling behind, which causes us to lose money. Employees must be able to complete the work required of them in order for our business to remain steady. The issue that we are having is not with all of the employees, but it is effecting everyone.Each filler will have to check their orders before taking them to the line. After the orders are placed on the line, a ICQ checker will recheck the order to make sure it is correct according to its specific pick list. Since the orders are being double checked there should be little to no errors. The point of checking the orders more than once is to cut down on the number of errors in each order. The way the employees are working will also be observed. I think it would be best if we put someone on the floor hey are unfamiliar with rather than their team leader or a supervisor.Most times when employees see authority they change their routine so that it is pleasing in the eyes of the supervisor. The person that we put on the floor will be able to observe them for a week. At the end of the week he/she will report to us and we will go further from there. Employees lack the training and development required to perform their Job duties to the high standards of their employer (Scott, 2014). If this is the case, it is the employer and human resource responsibility to produce an action plan to help the employee develop the skills necessary to improve Job performance (Scott, 2014).It is important that you address performance issues as they arise and pursue a progressive approach to discipline (Rutgers). If the report from our source reveal that loitering is the main issue, we will then conduct a department meeting. In the department meeting we will discuss the issue with the employees. We will also discuss how it is effecting the company. After the discussion, we will tell them the consequences of not performing their Job duties to the best of their ability. If tankard is not met in the week, they will receive a write up.After they receive three write ups the employee will be terminated. Disciplining employees is a difficult part of supervision and management (Rutgers). Our customers enjoy the Cards. I don't feel we should stop the free services, but they should be limited. All of the cards should not be free. I know the goal is to draw in more customers, but the goal is also to make money. I think we should offer a certain amount of free Cards when the customers sign up and when they recommend the website to other people. I think if we take this approach we would ran more money.We may lose some customers, but I think in the end we would still profit. Conclusion The graph displayed is Just an example of the possible projections of our employees. The numbers are displayed as a single number but it is actually in hundreds. Each week their standard progresses. We hope the actual projections are better because these are Just average. Our goal is to make our consumers, customers and employees happy. In order to make this happen we need to wor k together. If we have employees that are willing to work and be productive, our company will continue to grow.Employee motivation is suppose to be a good way to get employees to do what you want them to do, according to Deed Parr. It is important to get to know your employees. Showing and being concerned about your employees motivate them, which produces better production. A strong and healthy work environment is always needed no matter what kind of business you are operating. When you find out what your employees interests are it is good to use them as positive reinforcement. The more personalized the incentive is the more motivation you will achieve and the greater the productivity (Parr, 2004). Unfit the company. Getting know your employees are important, but you do have those employees that are Just outright stubborn. You Just have those people that Just don't want to work (Stone, 2014). It will be up to human resources to come up with some vital information to help with the in terviewing of the potential employees. I believe that with proper information our employees will benefit as well as the company. I think we would also need to conduct an observation of the Cards on the website after the proposed changes.

Irans Influence on the Balance of Power in the Middle East

Irans Influence on the Balance of Power in the Middle East Introduction The security of the Persian-Gulf region that is often influenced by the balance of power has been a problem to the security and stability of the region. The balance of power is based on the â€Å"zero-sum† basis game as well as the emergence of the rival actors in the region1.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Iran’s Influence on the Balance of Power in the Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This kind of system has resulted to wars in the region, tension, distrust, crises, and wars. With new developments in the region in terms of the political security especially in Iraq after the fall Saddam Hussein, the issue of the balance of power and the controller of the region has been a major problem. Iran and the US have been the major actors controlling the balance of power in the region. The issue of security in the region and maintaining stability in the region has been the caus e of Iran’s intention to influence the balance of power in the region. The role played by Iran in the region is often as a result of US strategy in the region. In the international zone at the moment, countries such as the United States and Russia are making attempts to reduce the production of nuclear weapons in the world, because Iran’s influence is due to its capability to produce nuclear weapons that has been a cause of concern not only to the Middle East but also the world. Iran’s nuclear weapon program has changed the balance of power in the Middle East region and with time it is likely to affect other country’s national security in the world. However, with the United States involved in other wars in the region, Iran’s balance of power influence is likely to continue through production of nuclear weapons that would further â€Å"complicate† an already volatile region2. This paper will look at the likely scenarios in the future in respe ct to Iran’s power influence in the Middle East through LAMP analysis that shall come up with future predictions based on the research questions that are â€Å"outlined† below3. This paper is not however intended to look at whether Iran is likely to continue with its nuclear power production. However, it will consider the reactions of the main actors such as the US, Israel and Egypt in relation to Iran’s balance of power influence.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Purpose of Study This paper aims to address the issue on Irans influence in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab unrest. It further discusses why Iran wanted to dominate the Middle East and its selfish ambitions and to the benefit of the region. Assumptions of the Study Some of the assumptions included: All the people involved in answering the questions would read prope rly and they were not medically unfit to prevent them from understanding the questions. Research Questions This paper aims at answering the question on why Iran has influenced the balance of power in the Middle East. It is important to know that the Iranian â€Å"subversion† has been the most feared attacks in the Middle East4. The ant-American activities led by Iran are of most concern to these states as they seek lasting peace in the region. Another question that this paper aim to answer is the potential reactions by countries such as Israel, the US, and Egypt to Irans â€Å"attainment† of nuclear power weapons5. Literature Review Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the country has a long withstanding history and the current debates that have dominated most books and the media with regard to Iran’s balance of power influence in the Middle East. Nevertheless, Iran’s history is much â€Å"complicated† disregard the recent developments and her inf luence in the region. Much of its history, shows that the country has been a key player in the region’s strategic policies and its location has given the country an added advantage in â€Å"bridging the gap† between the East Asian countries and the Middle Eastern region6. Iran had become a major trading centre for both the Eastern and the Western countries by 1935, even though this caused conflicts with other countries, Iran remained independent in its affairs at this time. However, during the period of 1700’s Turkey started to cover some sections of Persia as Iran was formerly known while Britain too came later and started to influence her power in Iran?Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Iran’s Influence on the Balance of Power in the Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Britain had managed to control Iran’s affairs however this was for a short time since by late 19 60’s Iran had changed socially, culturally and politically with the help of the outside countries. However, Iran managed to control the Middle East with the emergence of the new Emperor after the World War I. During the reign of Rezah Shah Iran changed militarily becoming a major force in the Middle East. Iran never managed to become a republic because of strong opposition from the religious leaders. With this opposition, however, developments and changes in areas such as the reformation of the judicial system, building of infrastructure like the trans-Iranian Railway, and improving the education system7. Whichever way the opposition from religious leaders would change the course of Iran’s emergence in becoming a major force in the Middle East and becoming a republican that would change the religious doctrines to approach life in a more secular way. The continued trend to modernize Iran, and the diplomatic and economic relationship with the other Middle East countries continued with future leaders who arose to power. After 1980, the nuclear weapon production issue by Iran started to become a major problem in the international community, this resulted poor relations between Iran and the Western countries, and this poor relations hold up until now. It is believed that energy, security and competition for the resources in the region are some of the main reasons for Iran’s major force in the region. The Middle East countries can therefore allow Iran to take control of most of the region’s affairs and avoid competition from the other countries of the world. This is well taken by countries such as the US who have adopted the same strategies of â€Å"containment† and implementation in the region8. Theoretical Framework Most of the information found in literature gives the required information on the historical ties and tensions between the various Middle East counties and how such relationships are likely to affect the balance of po wer in the region. This research is to show how Iran’s nuclear power program has affected the balance of power in the region.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, other research show that the wars and tensions in the region are as a result of power struggles in the region and the control of energy resources.. Clearly, Iran depends on the energy resources to implement the nuclear program and as leverage over those who are against their nuclear program. Past research do not look in depth at the various reactions to Iran’s balance of power influence in the region. Hypothesis The major hypothesis in this study is that the actions of other world states and those in the Middle East will heavily depend on the US stand with regard to Iran’s power influence in the Middle East. This is because the US is the superpower and thus likely to influence other countries in their decisions. This implies that the major actors such as Israel and Egypt will look at the US as a diplomatic, economic and military guide to base their reactions on in regard to Iran’s activities9. Research Design and Methods It can be said that there is no region in the world affected by conflicts more than the Middle East. This problem in the region is further complicated by Irans nuclear weapon possession and how its neighbors are likely to perceive this if Iran is to be confirmed as the ninth nuclear state. This research paper relies on predictions on this kind of reactions by these countries towards Irans balance of power influence and this method is the â€Å"Lockwood Analytical Method for Prediction†- LAMP method. However, current debates are concerned about stopping Iran from producing nuclear weapons; however other research papers have not looked in depth about the research questions10. However, my research through LAMP method of analysis will account for other things that are â€Å"overlooked† in Irans influence on the balance of power in the region that would give a decision maker the chance to make a more accurate assessment of the situation in the region11. The use of LAMP method for predicting the actions of the different states relative to Irans power influence in the region shall minimize biases, analytic â€Å"fallacies† and enable this research to accomplish its purpose that is debated in most of the scholarly books. None of the research books and other journals obtained in this topic used systematic analytic techniques such as LAMP, Delphi method, or the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). This method gives a more accurate prediction of events. Limitations of the research methods and Analysis The LAMP method does not often look on the alternatives of the future events that make the predictions by this method one-sided. Therefore this method is likely to make this research method loom as if it is not in depth however the results presented show the real picture of the situation in the Middle East. Findings From this research, clearly Iran has a great influence in the Middle East countries. It uses strategies such as diplomatic power, information, military, and economic factors as â€Å"levers† to exert their influence in the Middle East countries12. However, it was discovered that not all the elements used by Iran to exert her influence in the Middle East countries are a negative13. Clearly, the methods used by Iran to influence her balance of power in these countries are â€Å"two-faced†14. One of the methods is the decision by the Iranian government to offer moral support to these countries while targeting their influence in the governments of these countries, and encouraging free elections for the Middle East countries although â€Å"manipulating† the election results in favor of their mission15. However, Irans diplomatic and political influence is the most outstanding. This research shows that Iran gives 85 percent support to the Middle East countrys parties and the politicians. The government of Iran develops political relationships with the Middle East political parties with an aim of providing them financial support. Irans supp ort for these political parties especially in Iraq helps the U.S. and Iraqs â€Å"efforts† of building democracy in the country16. However, the intention of Iran is to ensure that the political parties that rule such countries as Iraq are those that are friendly to the Iranian government. The information, economic and military influence by Iran over the Middle East countries is in line with the countrys mission of dominating the region in terms of her political influence. Irans economic influence has helped to stabilize trade in the region, promote transportation and economic development. However, 80 percent of these agreements are in favor of Iran and the country benefits more in the trade agreements because of the prices of commodities. The findings show that Iran has the power over the prices of goods and services and the goods involved in trade are cheaper in Iran than in the other Middle East countries. These differences in price make it difficult for goods and services of the other Middle East countries to compete with those of Iran. Irans efforts to increase her influence in the Middle East Countries have enabled it to increase her competition with the US. Clearly after the Invasion of Israel in Lebanon in 1982, and after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, the US has struggled to be in line with Irans influence in the region. The Islamic Republic has come up with strong relations with Syria and other non-state in the region. Iran however, has been active in her military influence especially in exploiting the Arab- Israel that has made it impossible for peace in the Arab-Israel countries. Nevertheless, the US has to deal with the Arab â€Å"hostility† to realize her strategic relations with Israel17. However, both Iran and the US face difficulties in dealing with Egypt, Syria, and other Arab countries. Iran and the US have both been competing in the influence of power in the Middle East. The US wants to bring stability in the region and reforma tions in democracy that has been affected as a result of the oil in the region. However, Iran wants to â€Å"spread† its religion of Islam and therefore her ideologies in Islam are the main concern for Iran18. Iran moreover, wants to promote â€Å"Shia† in the region and provide assistance for the terrorist hit countries19. The competition for control of the Middle East has been for long between the US and Iran. The research showed that USs main intention after taking Saddam Hussein from power was to dominate the region, remove the â€Å"counterinsurgency† groups and liberate the countries of the region. However, Iran supports some of the insurgent groups but the intention of Iran is to support the region in building the economy, and infrastructure. Changes in the Middle East regarding the uprisings and other political changes have affected the US policy in the region. Most of the years, the US policies have endured the region but the rise of the â€Å"Arab Spr ing† would change such activities by US in the region. The US policy in the region is shifting with such unrests in the region20. This research shows that even before the start of these changes, there was a problem in balancing the priorities in the Middle East. The priority of establishing stability in the region and that of ensuring that the US is protected through dealing with the terrorists and â€Å"counter-proliferation† enabled the rise of Iran as an influencing power in the Middle East that ensured that the US would not invade the Middle East region with the intention of bringing democracy and protecting human rights while it had her own selfish intentions21. Many believe that such cooperation of the Middle East countries was against the US military invasion in the region. However, the provision of assistance in terms of military by the US to its allies in the region to control â€Å"interstate† conflicts was seen further as a problem with the US allies i n the region, and the relationship of the regions countries with each other. For example, both Israel and Saudi Arabia might see the US as a friend to them while taking Iran as a major threat in the region. The region has long been characterized as by wars and interstate conflicts22. The Arab unrest has resulted in several changes in the region. The US policies are becoming a problem with Irans influence in the region and as a result of the unrest, and conflicts in the Middle East. There have been changes in the region such as: Public Opinions Power The public have done away with dictators in the region during the general elections and refuted the claim that the outside countries understand the Arab world better than them and they can help in dealing with the tensions in the region. The assumption that the US can now deal with the elite group in the region in the wake of such conflicts in the region has changed. However, it is not clear from this research the types of governments th at would be formed in those states that still undergoing changes as a result of the wars. The governments are not considering the public opinion and the groups that are seeking to bring changes in these countries. Even though the Arab uprisings do not believe that their main aim is the US policies in the region, writers believe that most of the Arab world citizens argue that their leaders have looked on their interests in favor of the US and other outside powers to get military assistance, and benefit in terms of trade. Their need to be more research to know how the upcoming leaders are dealing with the external policies more so regarding the Arab-Israel peace process. Islamist Support and Success This research found out that most of the public believe that the incorporation of Islam leaders in government may be the way forward for the regions long standing unrests. They believe that such religious leaders may help in seeing sympathy with the previously targeted people for â€Å"re pression†, there would be little competition from other parties, and a belief that the Islam parties are less corrupt because of their religion. Strategic Implications Clearly the US previously relied on her friends in the Arab region in doing away with forces such as Al Qaeda, Hama, Hezbollah, and other Islamic terrorist groups and the Iran and Syrian government during the cold war. However, the emergency of Iran in the region has affected US policy in the region and therefore the US does not have any influence in the region any longer. The Al-Qaeda groups have â€Å"embraced† the issue of change as the only important factor to do away with the opposition in the Middle East and to the corrupt governments23. The Arab unrest has resulted in the emergency of Iran as the â€Å"winners† as most of the US allies came under threat from the regions countries. He continues to assert that Irans influence is still growing as there is still a problem with the violence in Sy ria. This situation prompted Iran to protect her â€Å"regime† against such uprising24. The Hamas have put themselves away from the Syrian government while the Hezbollah supported it. This forced Iran to come up with ways to protect itself as the war in Syria would have had many consequences on Iran for its allies in Lebanon and Palestine. Israels Concerns and Peace Negotiations The government of Israel believed that the Arab unrest was a threat to Israels security as it would replace the allies of the country with Islamist governments that would be a problem to Israel. Therefore Irans influence in the region would be a more threat to Israel. Analysis The Iranian nuclear weapon program has been the issue in most of the world state over the security concern. However, most of the published reports in journals, and books look at Irans influence on the balance of power in the region rather than looking at the reactions of the various countries of the region such as Israel, and Eg ypt. Therefore this predictive study looks at Israel, Egypt, and the US while looking at Irans influence of power in the region. These three countries were selected in this research because each of them brings a specific point regarding the research questions. These three countries show the availability of enemies to Iran for example Israel, Egypt being a regional rival, and the US being the worlds superpower that is looking at Iran with some degree of â€Å"suspicion† and â€Å"anxiety†25. Each of the three countries has different perspectives regarding the research questions. The current debates and the content of books as researched do not put much emphasis on the reactions of the different countries to Irans balance of power influence in the region. However, history gives a more approach to the relationship between the US and Iran, Israel and Iran, or Egypt and Iran but not much information on the reactions of the three countries to Irans power influence in the reg ion. Most of the scholarly books tend to concentrate on the possibility actions of Egypt before Iran becomes a nuclear power threat, and what methods it will use as preventive measures against such nuclear weapons. However, most literature books and journals show that Iran would become a nuclear power and influence the decisions in the Middle East with time and this situation would be more complicated based on the reactions of the three countries and those of the Middle East regarding Irans influence in the region. The weakness of the present books and journals however do not accept the possibility of a major fall out in the world and security threat should Iran continue with her nuclear production. There are various reactions from the three countries relative to Irans influence of power in the region and the course of action has been influenced by the US and the relationship of the given country among the various Middle East countries. Through the LAMP method of analysis, Israel is likely to continue with its â€Å"status quo† to have its own nuclear weapons while depending on the US to put more pressure on Irans â€Å"diplomatic and economic† situations. Irans balance of power influence is likely to force countries such as Israel to declare them as nuclear weapon producers and pursue an â€Å"open deterrence† (Friedman 2011)26. This is likely to be as a blocking stone to Irans balance of power influence. Discussions Iran was one of the most powerful states both militarily and technologically when it was a Western ally country. However, much of its powers dropped drastically after the withdrawal of the Western advisor and the imposition of arms â€Å"embargo† by the US27. This made the country lose the Iran-Iraq war and its forces were weak, and Iran was unable to recover militarily after the war. Her influence in the Middle East is a strategy to gain her lost powers in the region and the country is looking for strategies to make n uclear weapons and this has enabled it to build one of the strongest forces in the Gulf. He further believes that Iran uses the membership of OPEC and energy resources as a source of â€Å"leverage† to influence its powers in the region28. Security of the Middle East countries has been deteriorating and therefore the influence of Iran in the region has a major role to play. â€Å"Insurgent† military in countries such as Iraq has been a threat to the development of that country. The activities of this militia have caused instability and violence in Iraq in the past. Even though the rise of Irans influence in the Middle East countries has worked in the reduction of such forces in Iraq, they still have the powers to cause insecurity in the country and â€Å"destabilize† Iraq29. The violence caused by this insurgent militia in Iraq had cause civil war in Iraq in 2006. Therefore, the influence of Iran on Iraq is to build good working relations with an intention of pr omoting good security in Iraq. This is the interest of Iran in the pursuit of her influence in the region. However, the Persian-Arabs cultural differences have been a problem to Irans mission of its influence. The influence of Iran on Iraq limitations as the more country becomes stable economically, the less it is likely that the country will have power influence in Iraq. Iran is an uncertain country in her decision making that makes it difficult to know the true objectives of her influence in the region. Moreover, it important to believe that Iran has her own intentions regarding its policies towards her balance of power influence in the region. A few writers may support the view that Irans regime in the region may â€Å"cling towards one principle objective†30. However, this research proofed that Irans goals for the balance of power influence in the region can be represented in a hierarchy form in the order of highest to lowest. According to Franssen 2010, if Iran achieves her goals ranked as the highest priority then it will focus its attention on achieving the next highest set of priorities. This has greatly contributed to the shift of power in the Middle East especially seeing Iran increase her dominance in the region. However, Irans influence in the region is affected by U.S. policy towards the region and some changes in Iran policy itself. The behavior of Iran and its influence in the Middle East has been eased by the possibility of the US using the attack on Iraq to invade Iran. I believed that the main intention for the US attack on Iraq was to get into Iran. Nevertheless, the fear of the emergence of strong and unified forces against Iran in the region would arise in effect to Saddams fall from power. This would act to destabilize Iran and the rise of civil wars in the region would be harmful for Iran. Therefore taking control over the region, would act as a defense mechanism and the fear drove this factor. Answering the Research Questions Why Iran has influenced the Balance of Power in the Middle East Iran has used several strategies to effect her power influence in the Middle East. The use of diplomacy and political engagement especially in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein is worth noticing. This influence in Iraq was based on several factors. The involvement in the political and economic relations of Iraq was to ensure that Shiite dominated the Iraq power. This is because Iran wanted her Islamic religion to continue being in power as evidenced by their support of the Shiite whom shared the same religious background. Research shows that 60percent of Iraqs population consists of the Shiite. This group was oppressed during Saddams reign. Through this influence Iran would benefit through their military cooperation, energy and transportation sectors. During the Gulf war, most of the US soldiers did not help the Iraq Shia group, who wanted to overthrow Saddams government. The Iranian influences through the media has he lped to broadcast messages about the intention of the U.S. Government in the Middle East and helping to control US entry into the region. Reactions of major Actors The reactions of the major actors such as Israel, and Egypt to Iran’s influence in the Middle East are based on the influence of the US which is the world’s superpower. Conclusion The emergence of the Islamist activities and political parties in several countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have raised a lot of concern about the power of the US state in partnership with the Islam-influenced governments. Protests in the Middle East have been driven by â€Å"legitimate grievances†31. The LAMP method of analysis enables the policy makers and the researcher to have a look on the possibility of any security threat in the world soon. By looking at the various reactions of Israel, Egypt and the US relative to Irans balance of power influence in the region, the method gives a clear picture of the Middle East situation. This research nevertheless adds to the already hot debates surrounding the Middle East in an analytical manner. This research, hopes that future research on this topic shall expound, remove some assumptions that are present in the scholarly articles and journals, and give an update on the latest developments regarding Irans influence in the Middle East. The situation of Iran is a security threat not only to the Middle East countries but also to the world. It is time for the world to find a solution to Irans nuclear balance of power influence. However, the influence of balance of power by Iran remains the US top foreign policy priority and among the G-20 states. This situation is likely to get worse should no action be taken in the most efficient manner. Bibliography Boucek, Christopher and Karim Sadjadpour. Rivals- Iran vs. Saudi Arabia. Sada, (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2011, p. 66-124). Link: http: Edelman, Eric et al. The dangers of a nuclear Iran: The limit s of containment. Foreign Affairs (Chicago: University of Chicago), 66-81. Etzioni Amitai. â€Å"Shifting Sands.† The Journal of International Security Affairs. (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2011) Web. Fransen, Herman. ABU DHABI-Abu Dhabi: oil and beyond. The Middle East Journal 63, 4 (2009): 668-669. Friedman, George. â€Å"Syria, Iran and the Balance of Power in the Middle East.† Real Clear World, (2011) Web. Garrison, Jean and Ahad Abdurahmonov. â€Å"Explaining the Central Asian energy game: Complex interdependence and how small states influence their big neighbors.† Asian Perspective 35 (July-September 2011): 381-405. Kvale, Steinar. Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks California: Sage Publications (1996). Malley, Robert and Harling, Peter. Beyond moderates and militants. Foreign Affairs 89, 5 (2010): 18-29. Maloney, Suzanne. 2011. â€Å"Iran.† In The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East, ed. Kenneth M Pollack, 258-267. New York: Brookings Institution Press. Muller, Philipp. 2011. â€Å"Driving Forces behind Alliance Building in the Middle East.† BIPS 01: 1-14. Nasri, Vali and Takeyh, Ray. The Costs of Containing Iran; Washingtons Misguided New Middle East Policy. Foreign Affairs 87, 1 (2008): 85-94. Oktav, Zeynep. The gulf states and Iran: a Turkish perspective. Middle East Policy 18, 2 (2011): 136-147. Pilisuk, Marc. Rountree Jeniffer and Pellegrini Gianina. Playing the imperial game: the mindset behind the attack on Iraq. Peace Research 40, 2 (2008): 39-59,112. Roshandel,Jalil and Nathan Chapman.2011. Iran, Israel, and the United States: Regime Security vs. Political Legitimacy. New York: ABC-CLIO. Slackman, Michael. 2011. â€Å"Arab Unrest Propels Iran as Saudi Influence Declines.† The New York Times,p. 123-8. Web. Ulrichsen, Kristian. Internal and external security in the Arab Gulf States. Middle East Policy 16, 2 (2009): 39-58. Footn otes 1. Etzioni Amitai. â€Å"Shifting Sands.† The Journal of International Security Affairs. (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2011) 2.. Boucek, Christopher and Karim Sadjadpour. Rivals- Iran vs. Saudi Arabia. Sada,(Chicago: University of Chicago, 2011) 3. Ibid., p. 110 4. Ulrichsen, Kristian. Internal and external security in the Arab Gulf States. Middle East Policy 16, 2 (2009): 39-58. 5.Ibid., p. 40 6. Oktav, Zeynep. The gulf states and Iran: a Turkish perspective. Middle East Policy 18, 2 (2011): 136-147. 7.Ibid., p.138 8. Maloney, Suzanne. 2011. â€Å"Iran.† In The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East, ed. Kenneth M Pollack, 258-267. New York: Brookings Institution Press. 9. Ulrichsen, Kristian. Internal and external security in the Arab Gulf States. Middle East Policy 16, 2 (2009): 39-58. 10. Ulrichsen, Kristian. Internal and external security in the Arab Gulf States. Middle East Policy 16, 2 (2009): 39-58. 11. Edelman, Eric. The dang ers of a nuclear Iran: The limits of containment. Foreign Affairs (Chicago: University of Chicago), 66-81. 12 Ibid., p. 81 13.Ibid., p.69 14. Ibid., p.58 15.Ibid., p. 70 16.Ibid., p. 80 17. Kvale, Steinar. Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks California: Sage Publications (1996). 18. Ulrichsen, Kristian. Internal and external security in the Arab Gulf States. Middle East Policy 16, 2 (2009): 39-58. 19.Ibid., p.58 20. Nasri, Vali and Takeyh, Ray. The Costs of Containing Iran; Washingtons Misguided New Middle East Policy. Foreign Affairs 87, 1 (2008): 85-94. 21.Ibid., p. 86 22.Ibid., p. 90 23. Maloney, Suzanne. 2011. â€Å"Iran.† In The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East, ed. Kenneth M Pollack, 258-267. New York: Brookings Institution Press. 24.Ibid., p. 259 25. Garrison, Jean and Ahad Abdurahmonov. â€Å"Explaining the Central Asian energy game: Complex interdependence and how small states influence the ir big neighbors.† Asian Perspective 35 (July-September 2011): 381-405. 26. Fransen, Herman. ABU DHABI-Abu Dhabi: oil and beyond. The Middle East Journal 63, 4 (2009): 668-669 27.Ibid., p. 668 28.Ibid., p. 669 29.Ibid., p. 668 30. Roshandel,Jalil and Nathan Chapman.2011. Iran, Israel, and the United States: Regime Security Vs. Political Legitimacy. New York: ABC-CLIO. 31. Kvale, Steinar. Interviews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks California: Sage Publications (1996).

Free Essays on Rap And Rock And Roll

What’s Wrong With Rock & Roll & Rap? An idea believed by many people is that music has a significant effect on the way people think. Professional psychologists say that the lyrics used in music today has a brain-washing effect. This brain-washing effect is supposed to make the listener become so overwhelmed with the lyrics of the song that the person feels that it’s a must to act on what was heard. It doesn’t matter if what they do is accepted or not. It is common to believe that the type of music that provides unacceptable content is rap (hip-hop) music, or rock-n-roll (head-banger) music. The reason people have this presumption about rap and rock-n-roll is because both genres reputations of having or using inappropriate lyrics. A lyric from the N.W.A album F**k The Police states â€Å"Mr. Officer, I want to see you layin‘ in a coffin, sir.† This statement, as well as music that refers to women as "bitches," "whores" and sex-dispensing "hoes"(Saunders B29)is considered to be "Gangsta rap". â€Å"Gangsta Rap† has been criticized and debated over for its graphic sexual content, violent imagery and misogyny. When rappers were asked why they refer to women as â€Å"bitches† and â€Å"hoes† their replies were similar. "Snoop" uttered that â€Å"it is just for the women who are like that and if you're a real women, you're classy and elegant. Those lyrics wouldn’t necessarily affect you. Y ou’d just groove to the music".(Farley 78). Richard Shaw, A! .K.A Bushwick Bill, stated, "I call women bitches and hoes because all the women I've met since I've been out here are bitches and hoes." When asked at the National Association of Black Journalists convention what he calls his mother Shaw exclaimed, "I call her a 'woman', but I'm not f***ing my mother. If I was f***ing you, you'd be a bitch." (Raspberry A21). He then apologized for what he said to the reporter. Kevin Powell, a writer for Vibe magazine, believes that ra... Free Essays on Rap And Rock And Roll Free Essays on Rap And Rock And Roll What’s Wrong With Rock & Roll & Rap? An idea believed by many people is that music has a significant effect on the way people think. Professional psychologists say that the lyrics used in music today has a brain-washing effect. This brain-washing effect is supposed to make the listener become so overwhelmed with the lyrics of the song that the person feels that it’s a must to act on what was heard. It doesn’t matter if what they do is accepted or not. It is common to believe that the type of music that provides unacceptable content is rap (hip-hop) music, or rock-n-roll (head-banger) music. The reason people have this presumption about rap and rock-n-roll is because both genres reputations of having or using inappropriate lyrics. A lyric from the N.W.A album F**k The Police states â€Å"Mr. Officer, I want to see you layin‘ in a coffin, sir.† This statement, as well as music that refers to women as "bitches," "whores" and sex-dispensing "hoes"(Saunders B29)is considered to be "Gangsta rap". â€Å"Gangsta Rap† has been criticized and debated over for its graphic sexual content, violent imagery and misogyny. When rappers were asked why they refer to women as â€Å"bitches† and â€Å"hoes† their replies were similar. "Snoop" uttered that â€Å"it is just for the women who are like that and if you're a real women, you're classy and elegant. Those lyrics wouldn’t necessarily affect you. Y ou’d just groove to the music".(Farley 78). Richard Shaw, A! .K.A Bushwick Bill, stated, "I call women bitches and hoes because all the women I've met since I've been out here are bitches and hoes." When asked at the National Association of Black Journalists convention what he calls his mother Shaw exclaimed, "I call her a 'woman', but I'm not f***ing my mother. If I was f***ing you, you'd be a bitch." (Raspberry A21). He then apologized for what he said to the reporter. Kevin Powell, a writer for Vibe magazine, believes that ra...

Definition of Majority Opinion for the Supreme Court

Definition of Majority Opinion for the Supreme Court The majority opinion is an explanation of the reasoning behind the majority decision of a supreme court. In terms of the United States Supreme Court, the majority opinion is written by a justice selected by either the Chief Justice or if he or she is not in the majority, then the senior justice who voted with the majority. The majority opinion is often cited as precedent in arguments and decisions during other court cases. Two additional opinions that justices of the US Supreme Court might issue include a concurring opinion and a dissenting opinion. How Cases Reach the Supreme Court Known as the highest court in the nation, The Supreme Court has nine Justices who decide if they will take a case. They use a rule known as the Rule of Four, meaning if at least four of the Justices  want to take the case, they will issue a legal order called a writ of certiorari to review records of the case.  Only about 75 to 85 cases are taken per year, out of 10,000 petitions. Often, the cases that are approved involve the entire country, rather than individual people. This is done so that any case that can have a large impact  that can affect a significant amount of people, such as the entire nation, are taken into consideration. Concurring Opinion While a majority opinion stands as the judicial opinion agreed upon by more than half of the court, a concurring opinion allows for more legal support. If all nine justices cannot agree on the resolution of a case and/or reasons that support it, one or more justices can create concurring opinions which agree with the way to solve the case considered by the majority. However, a concurring opinion communicates additional reasons for reaching the same resolution.  While concurring opinions support the majority decision, it ultimately stresses various constitutional or legal basis for the judgment call. Dissenting Opinion In contrast to a concurring opinion, a dissenting opinion directly opposes the opinion of all or part of the majoritys decision.  Dissenting opinions analyze legal principles and are often utilized in lower courts.  Majority opinions may not always be correct, so dissents create a constitutional dialogue about underlying issues that can involve a change in the majority opinion. The main reason for having these dissenting opinions is because the nine Justices commonly disagree on the method for solving a case in the majority opinion. Through stating their dissent or writing an opinion about why they disagree, the reasoning can eventually change the majority of a court, causing an overrule over the length of the case. Notable Dissents in History Dred Scott v. Sandford, March 6, 1857Plessy v. Ferguson, May 18, 1896Olmstead v. the United States, June 4, 1928Minersville School District v. Gobitis, June 3, 1940Korematsu v. the United States, December 18, 1944Abington School District v. Schempp, June 17, 1963FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, July 3, 1978Lawrence v. Texas, June 26, 2003

Life and Its Lessons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Life and Its Lessons - Essay Example Socrates said that he doesn’t want to flee, though he was to be sentenced. He wants to be sentenced even though he doesn’t believe in the ways on how the government sentenced him. He would like that the public know of his ideas rather than flee. He was a philosopher and he stood with his beliefs even if it meant he had to die for it. He further stated in Apology that â€Å"A good man cannot be harmed either in life or in death† and since he believed that he did the right thing, then he knew that even if he died then he would not be harmed.It was also in the text â€Å"Apology† wherein the â€Å"Strong Promise of Defiance† showed that Socrates was willing to defy the Athenian court whether it was a legal or illegal order if it stops him from being what he is which is a philosopher. In addition to this, another example is in the story â€Å"The Lesson† by Toni Cade Bambara, one of the characters Miss Moore is a college educated woman who has co me to live in a poor African−American neighborhood and took the responsibility to teach the children living in it about the community outside and the problems that African Americans and poor people face in the world. Miss Moore was not afraid to be different from the other members of the community where she lived. She was college educated, does not go to church like the rest of the community and wore her hair in curls that was different from the African-American descent who had their hair straightened out. . This just shows that she’s comfortable with her ancestry and does not conform to what was expected of their race. She was not afraid to share her ideas even if others think she is weird. Another example came from the play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansbury, Beneatha was a feminist, her ideas and the way she thinks were that of a modern African-American woman. She even wants to works as a doctor which in his brother’s eyes was a job for a m an and wanted her to be a nurse instead. She was not afraid to speak of her ideas and what she feels (Domina, 3). In order to make right decisions people have to determine first who they really are. Because if they deny everything that they stand for, then the decision making capabilities may be hindered by conflicts within themselves. Another question that a person asks in life is â€Å"what can I know†, what people know in their lifetime came from what they learned from childhood and reinforced as they grow old. The lessons in life â€Å"what we can know† are influenced by people met in school, work, and the society. In addition, some lessons are results of the decisions or choices that are made. The story â€Å"The Things we Carried† by Tim O’Brien depicts and shows the things that soldiers carry both physical and emotional issues. It sets an example on what can one know in the workplace and the people they work

Case study #1 HRD #394 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

#1 HRD #394 - Case Study Example tance of repairing the machines and also improve the conditions and the equipments that would help reduce the cases of accidents and injuries in the work. The programs of behavioral based safety focus the employees as the main cause of accidents and injuries at workplaces. In this, many employees blame their employees for most of the accidents at workplaces, in most cases; however, behavioral based safety targets improving the safety behaviors in the workplaces by the use of employee involvement. It involves identifying the employees practices and behaviors that would help in reducing the risk of injury. Management accountability and engineering control both affect safety issues at workplaces, managers should understand that the safety of their employees also fails in their hands. They should understand that they have the responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. Management should also ensure that the organization has adequate resources focused towards ensuring that the organization meets the safety and health implementation strategies and objectives. With this in mind then the management is accountable to all its employees in regard to health and safety. Engineering control also affects safety issues at the workplace; regular fixing of the engineering systems in an organization reduces the incidences of accidents and injuries at the workplaces. This fixing of the engineering systems helps improve the hazardous conditions and equipments that help eliminate the potential causes of accidents. This paper concurs with the critics of behavior based safety, the critics of the BBS state that the employees are not always responsible for the accidents and injuries as the advocates put it. Injuries and accidents in the workplaces mainly rise from the unsafe conditions with bad designs, the failure of the organizations to provide the safeguards required and the failure of the organizations to take the best preventive measures. This proves

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Business Strategy - Essay Example Here it is essential to note that Bord Gais has a wide range of options to choose from in terms of the suppliers. Hence if one the arrangements with the suppliers do not work effectively, the company has a choice to change over the suppliers. Considering the threats of the new entrants, it is clear that the company has built a strong brand image for itself and has also been able to effectively retain its customers by staying in track with the latest market changes and requirements. Hence here the company faces Low to medium levels of threats. Although new entrants can enter into the markets, the company’s current customer base as well as the goodwill will permit Bord Gais to effectively fight against the newer entrants. The company however faces a High and Very High levels of threats in terms of the substitute products and the rivalry respectively in the current markets. The current trend in the markets where customers are opting for the ‘debt hopping’ option, the rivalry and substitute products prove to be a major level of threat for the company. However although the company does lose out on customers, they do gain customers who have hopped from other companies as well. The above figure provides a clear overview of the threats faced by the company and the intensity of the threats has also been displayed. The strategic group analysis helps the management to gain a better idea of the direct competition for the company. Here the main competitors for Bord Gais are: a) Mott MacDonald Group Limited, b) Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co. KG, c) Tembec Inc., d) Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd., and e) Phoenix Natural Gas. The figure below provides a clear view of the position of each of these companies in terms of each other and their strategies. It is essential to note that not all of the above mentioned companies act as direct competition to Bord Gais as this is determined more so by the size and the market position of the companies (Kotler, Keller,

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm Essay

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm (the RBV) there is usually less emphasis placed on the management of resources than on the - Essay Example Jay Barney’s Resource Based View (RBV) is one such interesting tool. Because of its simplicity, engineers find it easy to understand the management perspective behind enterprises. This essay explains the concept of RBV, examples of key resources in well-known companies, managements’ approach in using the tool together with opinions on its utility and limitations. All firms are built on certain resources. In common parlance, we hear of money, materials and men as the resources of any business in a very broad sense. If all firms collect these resources and start operations to produce and market the same goods or services, then there will be intense competition and few would survive. In order to survive with normal profits and grow with supra-normal profits, a firm has to distinguish itself in some ways from the others competing with it. One way of looking at such distinguishing features of a firm is the so-called ‘resource-based view’, conceived and named as such by Jay Barney in the early 1990s. Barney1 postulated that a firm has to identify the resources it has in its command, evaluate them to identify the ‘key resources’ which give the firm its competitive advantage and guard them jealously to maintain the strategic advantage. In order to identify whether a resource can be treated as a key resource or not, Barney developed a four point criterion of resource evaluation, VRIN, that stands for: As can be seen, the emphasis is on resources as internal to a firm. From the simplest Mom & Dad stores, requiring no more than a couple of people, a few consumer items and a place to store and sell, to the very complex commercial or industrial firms of today with properties, unique products, patents and trained staff, we have a plethora of resources. Many of them are quite visible for all to see; but many more are what are known as intangibles, which are not seen or easily understood; for instance,

World History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

World History - Essay Example Both men had respect from their soldiers. This respect was fostered out of comradeship. Both leaders lead their soldiers into battle personally. Charlemagne led his soldiers in almost of his battles. Ariel Sharon also led his men into battle. Unlike other generals and leaders, who stayed behind lines to make decisions, Charlemagne and Ariel Sharon believed that leadership choices should be made in the field. As the result, Charlemagne’s campaigns gained territory in Europe, while Ariel Sharon’s battles gained land in the Middle East. Both men were warriors at heart, excelling at the craft of warfare. Charlemagne and Ariel Sharon were also both statesmen. Charlemagne ruled his conquered territories until his death. Ariel Sharon, after retiring from active IDF (Israel Defense Forces) duty, joined the Knesset (Israeli equivalent of Congress). After serving in the Knesset for decades, Ariel Sharon was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Throughout Charlemagne’s rule rebellions requiring his attention occurred. The same circumstances arose for Prime Minister Sharon when the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) plagued his years in office. Both Charlemagne and Ariel Sharon were accused of ordering massacres. Charlemagne’s massacre was called the Bloody Verdict of Verden. Forty-five hundred men were beheaded on Charlemagne’s orders. Time has clouded the Bloody Verdict of Verden, making Charlemagne’s involvment unclear. Ariel Sharon’s massacre occurred when he served as Israel’s Defense Minster. Sabra and Shatila were refugee camps in Lebanon. When Israel occupied southern Lebanon, IDF soldiers surrounded the Sabra and Shatila camps. No IDF soldier entered the camp, but prevented refugees from leaving when Phalangists (a Christian faction in the Lebanese civil war) entered the camp seeking terrorists. What happened next is of great debate. When the smoke cleared a disputed amount of Palestinians were dead.

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm Essay

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm (the RBV) there is usually less emphasis placed on the management of resources than on the - Essay Example Jay Barney’s Resource Based View (RBV) is one such interesting tool. Because of its simplicity, engineers find it easy to understand the management perspective behind enterprises. This essay explains the concept of RBV, examples of key resources in well-known companies, managements’ approach in using the tool together with opinions on its utility and limitations. All firms are built on certain resources. In common parlance, we hear of money, materials and men as the resources of any business in a very broad sense. If all firms collect these resources and start operations to produce and market the same goods or services, then there will be intense competition and few would survive. In order to survive with normal profits and grow with supra-normal profits, a firm has to distinguish itself in some ways from the others competing with it. One way of looking at such distinguishing features of a firm is the so-called ‘resource-based view’, conceived and named as such by Jay Barney in the early 1990s. Barney1 postulated that a firm has to identify the resources it has in its command, evaluate them to identify the ‘key resources’ which give the firm its competitive advantage and guard them jealously to maintain the strategic advantage. In order to identify whether a resource can be treated as a key resource or not, Barney developed a four point criterion of resource evaluation, VRIN, that stands for: As can be seen, the emphasis is on resources as internal to a firm. From the simplest Mom & Dad stores, requiring no more than a couple of people, a few consumer items and a place to store and sell, to the very complex commercial or industrial firms of today with properties, unique products, patents and trained staff, we have a plethora of resources. Many of them are quite visible for all to see; but many more are what are known as intangibles, which are not seen or easily understood; for instance,

Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Marketing - Term Paper Example The main strength of the Wild planet is the quality and the product pricing. All the products of the Wild Planet’s are tested several times before they come to the market for sales. The internal strength of the company is the idea generation team. They have a tremendous branding and marketing strategies which attract the kids as well the parents towards the brand. Mattel: Mattel is the market leader in the United States. While the Mattel acquired the third largest toy manufacturing company Tyco Toys Inc in 1996, the company became extremely confident over the future performance. The Barbie and the Hot Wheels are the two show stoppers in the toy market. However, the companies combined sales represented only 19 percent of the total American Toy market. (Snyder, 2002, p 14) The Mattel Inc is a giant company in the toy industry. It is rated as the biggest toymakers in the world. The main strengths are the two brands and they are the Barbie and Hot Wheels. The company’s sales are being driven by these two brands. However, Soul Mate is in manufacturing innovative toys and they don’t manufacture small scale models of cars. Mattel is a threat to any toy manufacturing company as the deep financial pockets can allow them to buy any company in the toy industry. Mattel is a big company with a global exposure. However in the United States kids are boarded with the same old Barbie and Hot Wheels cars and may be that is the reason it contributes only 19 percent in the total sales of toys in United States. The new product idea is not that strong. From the above analysis it is very clear that the Wild Planet is the main competitor for the company. To differentiate soul Mate from its competitor it is very vital to understand the strength and weakness of the competitor. The business strategy of the Soul Mate and that of the Wild Planet is more or less same. The Wild Planet sells the innovative toys like Soul Mate and some of their products are Spy gadgets, Spy

Blood Spatter in Crime Scene Investigation Essay Example for Free

Blood Spatter in Crime Scene Investigation Essay Checking all aspects of a crime scene is a crucial part of investigating a crime. The thorough sampling of all suspicious items in a crime scene, like footsteps, hair strands, and even the changes that took place in the pieces of furniture may help in leading the authorities to the doer of the crime. Oftentimes, even the way the blood splattered from the victim to the walls and floors of the crime scene can help pave the way to the solution of the crime. Blood may be like any other piece of evidence in a crime scene. It is what everyone else immediately sees. It does not talk, yet it can tell so much information. Through analysis of blood splatter, an investigator can tell how the person was killed and from what angle it was done. It can also tell whether the act done fast or as slowly as possible. Blood splatter can greatly help in crime investigation through the analysis of it. Human Blood Normally, the human blood comprises seven to eight percent of the body weight. It carries the essential functions of carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body cells. It also rids the body of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and other body wastes. The blood also serves an important role in the body’s immune system and in maintenance of the body temperature. It is a specialized tissue that has various components. It is a four to six quarts tissue with many components being pumped throughout the body. It circulates constantly in the body, making everything function normally. This is the reason why, when this circulation is disrupted by any action, it spatters (O ‘Neil, 2008). There are various ways that can greatly disrupt the circulation of the blood. Definitely, the most disturbing are violent confrontations like, bullet-shot trauma, blunt force trauma, or knife trauma. The effects of these acts on the blood may vary into two. It can either spill or the blood may spurt out of the body into scattered drops. These differences in the effects of action to blood can help tell the forensic experts of what truly happened in the crime and to the victim (Castillo, 2009). Blood Spatters and the Crime Scene The positions of the blood stains or the patterns of the blood can greatly help in the solving of crimes. As was mentioned, there are numerous ways in which blood may come out from the body once a violent act is done to disturb the circulation. Through these various effects on the blood spatters, forensic scientist are able to conclude what really took place in the scene. Blood spatter normally tell the experts five important and oftentimes incriminating pieces of information about the crime. The positions of the blood spatters tell first, the activity at the scene. Second is the number of blows the victim received from the suspect or suspects. Third is the position of the victim and the assailant within the crime scene. Fourth is whether the death of victim was immediate or delayed. The fifth and last things that blood spatters tell are the characteristics of the weapon utilized by the assailant in attacking the victim (Waldrip, 2008). There a number of ways to analyze a blood spatter pattern. Given a room where blood is all over the wall, a person may conclude that the traumatic attack have been done all over the room. However, carefully following the rules on blood spatter analysis, forensics will definitely disagree. One way of knowing this fact is through the string convergence analysis. The string analysis is a common means of analyzing blood spatters. It utilizes strings that are attached to the points where blood has dropped. For instance, on a wall filled with blood droplets, an end of a string is pasted while the other end is pasted on another wall with a droplet. This is done with each remaining blood droplet all over the crime scene. If looked at by ordinary people, the pattern that will be formed by this activity may mean nothing. It will only look like a web created from a ball of yarn of string. However, for forensic experts, doing this will immediately tell them what they need to know (Carter, 2009). The pattern that was formed from the strings may look like a cobweb in the eyes of ordinary people, but to forensic experts, it already told the position where the victim was attacked. If observed carefully, the strings which were connected always meet in one area. The intersection or convergence point of all strings is the exact position of the victim when the attack occurred. From this, any lie or alibi given in relation to the position of the body will immediately be dismissed. The blood spatters unlike men, can not lie. As such, it is commonly believed more by judges and jurors (Carter, 2009). After the position of the victim is found, another form of blood analysis is done. The distance of the blood from victim is then measured. The measurement that is acquired from the distance always corresponds to a certain spatter velocity. This velocity also corresponds to a certain type of attack done to the victim (Waldrip, 2008). Low velocity blood spatter is typically indicated by five feet per second and three millimeter diameter and is usually dripping. Medium velocity blood spatter is on the other hand, indicated by five to twenty-five feet per second with less than three millimeter diameter. This type of velocity is commonly caused by blunt force trauma or sharp pr knife trauma. The third type of velocity is the high velocity spatter, which is more than one hundred feet per second with a spatter of less than one millimeter. This is indicative of gunshot trauma, power tools, and objects striking with extreme velocity or an explosion (Waldrip, 2008). Through the analysis of these different velocities of blood spatter, forensic investigators easily learn what the weapon of attack was used (Waldrip, 2008). This helps in identifying the weapon even if the suspect has disguised it, hid it, or completely eliminated it. This may incriminate the suspect or point the true criminal during litigation. Another use of blood spatter is in telling the angle of the impact of attack. This will point the position of the attacker from the victim and from where his arms began the movement for the attack. The tail of blood spatter is the most important aspect in this analytic strategy (Waldrip, 2008). In this analysis the most important things to look at are the positions of the drops. Drops that are circular are always from vertical positions. This means that the attack and position of the victim is above. This drop is commonly on the floor. If the blood droplets are on the wall, its elongation should be checked. As the angle increases, the drops usually elongate. This points that there is an existing distance between the attacker and the victim. If the angle is decreased, this may point that the attack was done point blank or in shorter distance from the victim (Waldrip, 2008). Other than these strategies, there still remaining other ways in blood analysis. Sometimes, when the blood flowed freely on the floor of the crime scene, forensics can easily tell that there are objects removed from the crime scene, perhaps by the criminal or accomplices. When the blood flowed freely on the floor of the scene, the area where there is no blood indicates that there had been an object in that place during the time of attack. The shape that was left by the object may help in locating this object which may be used as evidence against the criminal (Waldrip, 2008). Given these strategies or ways in analyzing blood spatters, it may be said that blood spatters or patterns of blood spills is a crucial part of a crime scene investigation. The many ways in which the blood patterns in a crime scene may be analyzed helps in deciphering certain information that other pieces of evidence may not be able to tell. Even though blood spatters are hard to look at, looking closely at it may actually help in incriminating the suspect of a crime. Criminals should keep in mind that even though the victims died the blood they leave behind will point out what really took place, where it was done, how exactly it was done and more importantly, who had done it. References Carter, F. (2009). â€Å"Blood Spatter Analysis†. Iprimus. com. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from http://home. iprimus. com. au/ararapaj/craigslea_testbed/Forensic%20Web%20Test%20 Site/blood_spatter_analysis. htm Castillo, F. (2009). â€Å"Forensic Blood Spatter Analysis- Stains and Spatter from Blood†. Ezinearticles. com. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from http://ezinearticles. com/? Forensic-Blood-Spatter-AnalysisStains-And-Spatter- From-Bloodid=934816 O ‘Neil, D. (2008). â€Å"Blood Components†. Palomar. edu. Retrieved May 3, 2009 From http://anthro. palomar. edu/blood/default. htm Waldrip, E. (2008). â€Å"Blood Spatter Analysis†. Basepairlibrary. com Retrieved May 3, 2009 From http://72. 14. 235. 132/search? q=cache:SqqvCngUOhAJ:basepair. library. umc. edu/FBL M/BASE%2520PAIR%2520LABS/CSI%2520UMMC/H%2520- %2520Blood%2520Spatter%2520Analysis. ppt+blood+splatter+analysiscd=8hl=tl ct=clnkgl=ph Abstract The blood spatters in a crime scene greatly help in identifying the truths in a crime. There are ways to analyze the blood spatters in a scene. The spatters can tell the acts that were done in the scene. It can also tell the area in the scene where the act was done. It can also tell the weapon that was used. Through this, the criminal who did the act may easily be incriminated and the judge and juror may easily give a decision.

Benefits and Strategies of Performance Management

Benefits and Strategies of Performance Management Armstrong and Baron define performance management as a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance. As such, it establishes shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure that it is achieved. They go on to stress that it is a strategy which relates to every activity of the organisation set in the context of its human resource policies, culture, style and communications systems. The nature of the strategy depends on the organisational context and can vary from organisation to organisation. In other words performance management should be: Strategic it is about broader issues and longer-term goals Integrated it should link various aspects of the business, people management, and individuals and teams. It should incorporate: Performance improvement throughout the organisation, for individual, team and organisational effectiveness Development unless there is continuous development of individuals and teams, performance will not improve Managing behaviour ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships. Armstrong and Baronstress that at its best performance management is a tool to ensure that managers manage effectively; that they ensure the people or teams they manage: know and understand what is expected of them have the skills and ability to deliver on these expectations are supported by the organisation to develop the capacity to meet these expectations are given feedback on their performance have the opportunity to discuss and contribute to individual and team aims and objectives. It is also about ensuring that managers themselves are aware of the impact of their own behaviour on the people they manage and are encouraged to identify and exhibit positive behaviours. So performance management is about establishing a culture in which individuals and groups take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes and of their own skills, behaviour and contributions. It is about sharing expectations. Managers can clarify what they expect individual and teams to do; likewise individuals and teams can communicate their expectations of how they should be managed and what they need to do their jobs. It follows that performance management is about interrelationships and about improving the quality of relationships between managers and individuals, between managers and teams, between members of teams and so on, and is therefore a joint process. It is also about planning defining expectations expressed as objectives and in business plans and about measurement; the old dictum is If you cant measure it, you cant manage it. It should apply to all employees, not just managers, and to teams as much as individuals. It is a continuous process, not a one-off event. Last but not least, it is holistic and should pervade every aspect of running an organisation. How does performance management work? Because performance management is (or should be) so all-pervasive, it needs structures to support it. These should provide a framework to help people operate, and to help them to help others to operate. But it should not be a rigid system; there needs to be a reasonable degree of flexibility to allow people freedom to operate. Performance management is a process, not an event. It operates as a continuous cycle. Corporate strategic goals provide the starting point for business and departmental goals, followed by agreement on performance and development, leading to the drawing up of plans between individuals and managers, with continuous monitoring and feedback supported by formal reviews. Tools of performance management It is impossible to go into details of each of the tools used by performance management, so the following paragraphs simply provide an outline. Performance and development reviews Many organisations without performance management systems operate appraisals in which an individuals manager regularly (usually annually) records performance, potential and development needs in a top-down process see our factsheet on performance appraisal for more information on this topic. Go to our Performance appraisal factsheet It can be argued that the perceived defects of appraisal systems (that line managers regarded them as irrelevant, involving form-filling to keep the personnel department happy, and not as a normal process of management) led to the development of more rounded concepts of performance management. Nevertheless, organisations with performance management systems need to provide those involved with the opportunity to reflect on past performance as a basis for making development and improvement plans, and the performance and development review meeting (note the terminology; it is not appraisal) provides this chance. The meeting must be constructive, and various techniques can be used to conduct the sort of open, free-flowing and honest meeting needed, with the reviewee doing most of the talking. Learning and development Employee development is the main route followed by most organisations to improved organisational performance, which in turn requires an understanding of the processes and techniques of organisational, team and individual learning. Performance reviews can be regarded as learning events, in which individuals can be encouraged to think about how and in which ways they want to develop. This can lead to the drawing up of a personal development plan (PDP) setting out the actions they propose to take (with the help of others, not least their managers) to develop themselves. To keep development separate from performance and salary discussions, development reviews may be held at other times, for example, on theanniversary of joining an organisation. Increasing emphasis on talent management also means that many organisations are re-defining performance management to align it to the need to identify, nurture and retain talent. Development programmes are reflecting the needs of succession plans and seeking to foster leadership skills. However, too much of an emphasis on talent management may be damaging to overall development needs and every effort needs to be made to ensure that development is inclusive, accessible and focused on developing organisational capability. Coaching Coaching is an important tool in learning and development. Coaching is developing a persons skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. Coaching is increasingly recognised as a significant responsibility of line managers, and can play an important part in a PDP. They will take place during the review meetings, but also and more importantly should be carried out throughout the year. For some managers coaching comes naturally, but for many they may not and training may be needed to improve their skills. See our factsheet oncoaching for more information. Go to our Coaching factsheet Objectives and performance standards Objectives (some organisations prefer to use goals) describe something to be accomplished by individuals, departments and organisations over a period of time. They can be expressed as targets to be met (such as sales) and tasks to be completed by specified dates. They can be work-related, referring to the results to be attained, or personal, taking the form of developmental objectives for individuals. Objectives need to be defined and agreed. They will relate to the overall purpose of the job and define performance areas all the aspects of the job that contribute to achieving its overall purpose. Targets then need to be set for each performance area, for example, increase sales by x per cent, reduce wastage by y per cent Alongside objectives are performance standards. They are used when it is not possible to set time-based targets, or when there is a continuing objective which does not change significantly from one review period to the next and is a standing feature of the job. These should be spelled out in quantitative terms if possible, for example, speed of response to requests or meeting defined standards of accuracy. Competences and competencies Some organisations, but by no means all, use competences and competencies as components of performance management. Competences describe what people need to be able to do to perform a job well (the descriptions in National Vocational Qualifications are examples of competences). Competencies (more helpfully, behavioural competencies) are defined as the dimensions of behaviour that lie behind competent performance. Though the language used does not help in making the distinction, to perform well it is necessary both to be able to do a job at a technically competent level and to have behaviours that reinforce those technical skills; an obvious example of behaviour is the surgeon who needs a good bedside manner and to be able to communicate with colleagues, in addition to surgical skills. There are various techniques for measuring competence (some organisations prefer to use capability) and once an analysis has been made, it provides a tool for measuring performance and, of course, for pr oviding development activities to help people meet the required standards. For more information, see our competencies factsheet. Go to our factsheet on Competency and competency frameworks Measurement To improve performance, you need to know what current performance is. Measurement provides the basis for providing and generating feedback, and thus can build the platform for further success or identify where things are going less well so that corrective action can be taken. But what gets measured? Measure the wrong things, perhaps simply because they are easy to measure, and an entire performance management system can fall into disrepute. Use too many measures and you cant see the wood for the trees. For measuring performance, the achievement of objectives, levels of competency, standards of performance, and work outputs are used but the emphasis varies according to categories of staff for example, a senior manager would be mainly measured by meeting objectives, but a production worker mainly by achieving outputs. Increasingly organisations are using more sophisticated measuring techniques such as balanced scorecards or ROI (return on investment). Individual and team performance needs to be capable of being linked in an understandable manner to organisational performance, and there are various approaches to this. They include the balanced scorecard, a set of measures that looks at the business from customer, internal, learning and financial perspectives; the European Foundation for Quality Management, which indicates that customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and impact on society are achieved through leadership; and other economic measures, including traditional financial measures. Measures used will depend on the organisation; for example, public service organisations are likely to use different measures from private companies. Pay Performance management is often linked with performance-related pay (PRP), although by no means all organisations claiming to use performance management have PRP. Nevertheless, PRP is an important element in many performance management schemes because it is believed to motivate; it is said to deliver the message that performance and competence are important, and it is thought to be fair to reward people according to their performance, contribution or competence. Others, though, believe that other factors are more important than PRP in motivation; that it is usually based on subjective assessments of performance, that it inhibits teamwork because of its individualistic nature, and that it leads to short-termism. See our factsheet for more information on performance pay. Go to our performance-related pay factsheet An alternative to PRP is competence-related pay, which provides for pay progression to be linked to levels of competence that people have achieved, using a competence profile or framework. The difficulty here is measuring competence, and some organisations use a mix of PRP and competence-related pay. Further possible pay systems are team-based pay, a kind of PRP for teams; and contribution-related pay which means paying for results plus competence, and for past performance and future success. Performance may be used to determine all or some aspects of pay. In many instances only non-consolidated bonus payments are linked to performance which tend to reflect organisational, team and individual performance whilst salary progression is linked to service, market rates and pay scales. Many organisations believe that when performance management is linked to pay the quality of performance discussions will inevitably deteriorate. Teams Team working has become an important part of life in many organisations, and where teams are permanent or for longstanding projects, measures can be based on team performance. They will mainly be concerned with output, activity levels (eg speed of servicing), customer service and satisfaction, and financial results. Indeed, team measures are not very different from those for individuals, and of course team members need to agree their objectives and receive feedback in the same way as if they were not part of a team. Other team members can contribute towards this, in a process of peer review. See our factsheet on wrking in teams. Go to our factsheet on teamworking 360 degree feedback 360 degree feedback became increasingly talked about in the 1990s, if not widely used. It consists of performance data generated from a number of sources, who can include the person to whom the individual being assessed reports, people who report to them, peers (team colleagues or others in the organisation), and internal and external customers. It can also include self-assessment. 360 degree feedback is used mainly as part of a self-development or management development programme, and is felt to provide a more rounded view of people, with less bias than if an assessment is conducted by one individual. See our factsheet on 360 feedback for more information. Go to our factsheet on 360 feedback Performance problem solving Performance management is a positive process, and good systems will create a culture in which success is applauded. Nevertheless, poor performance will exist. It may be a result of inadequate leadership, bad management or defective systems of work, and if so, remedies (often involving learning and development) can be put in place. But individuals may under-perform and improvements can be achieved through continuing feedback and joint discussion between them and their managers, involving analysing and identifying the problem, establishing the reasons for the shortfall, and deciding and agreeing the action to be taken. If all this fails, disciplinary action may need to be taken, as in any organisation. CIPD viewpoint Performance management is not easy to implement. It should be owned by everyone in the organisation, and especially line managers it is emphatically not about guardianship by personnel departments. Surveys suggest that individuals and managers in organisations with performance management systems quite like it, and especially its emphasis on personal development, although performance-rating (often linked to PRP) often provokes hostility. Schemes can be over-detailed and require too much form-filling, and there can be a lack of definition in terms of what is meant by performance and how to achieve it. Schemes can be less successful than they might be because of lack of training, especially at the beginning. In its most positive form, performance management will help individuals not only to understand what is expected of them but also how they contribute to achieving organisational goals. The keys to the successful introduction and application of performance management are: being clear about what is meant by performance understanding what the organisation is and needs to be in its performance culture being very focused on how individual employees will benefit and play their part in the process understanding that it is a tool for line managers and its success will depend on their ability to use it effectively. References ARMSTRONG, M. and BARON, A. (2004) Managing performance: performance management in action. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development