Knowledge Management Essay

It involves applying the collective knowledge and abilities of the entire workforce to achieve specific organizational objectives. State agencies should feel free to adapt and use information and tools on the following pages as necessary within their organization. It is provided to be a starting point for sharing knowledge and experience, allowing those who remain with the organization to continue providing quality service. Capturing and sharing critical knowledge and expertise should be occurring continuously among employees. In many cases, however, it is not and this need becomes pressing when a valued employee is preparing to retire or change positions. When an organization is considering implementing a knowledge transfer plan it is important to answer several questions: 1. Is the organization going to fill the vacant position or reassign the duties? 2. Are all the duties of the position still important to the mission of the organization? 3. Is there a need to update the position description? 4. Will the position change, remain as is, or be eliminated once the employee leaves? What is knowledge transfer? David DeLong’s book â€Å"Lost Knowledge† describes knowledge as the â€Å"capacity for effective actions or decision-making in the context of organizational activity†. Accordingly, lost knowledge would decrease this vital capacity and help undermine organizational effectiveness and performance. The goal of transferring knowledge to others [known as Knowledge Transfer] is to: 1. Identify key positions and people where potential knowledge loss is most imminent. 2. Assess how critical the knowledge loss will be. Develop a plan of action to ensure the capture of that critical knowledge and a plan of action to transfer it. Why is knowledge transfer important? A significant percentage of the state’s workforce is nearing retirement age over the next ten years. These employees have acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge about how things work, how to get things done and who to go to when problems arise. Losing their expertise and experience could significantly reduce efficiency, resulting in costly mistakes, unexpected quality problems, or significant disruptions in services and/or performance. In addition, faster turnover among younger employees and more competitive recruiting and compensation packages add significantly to the mounting concern about the state’s ability to sustain acceptable levels of performance. What are the benefits of a knowledge transfer program? Knowledge transfer [KT] programs prevent critical knowledge loss by focusing on key areas. Some of the immediate benefits of KT programs are: 1. They provide reusable documentation of the knowledge required in certain positions or job roles. 2. They result in immediate learning and knowledge transfer when carried out by individuals who can either use the transferred knowledge themselves or have responsibility for hiring, training, mentoring, coaching or managing people within an organizational unit. 3. They reduce the impact of employee departure. 4. They integrate staffing, training, job and organization redesign, process improvements and other responses. 5. They aid in succession planning. 6. They prevent the loss of knowledge held only in employees’ heads when they leave the organization or retire. They enhance career development. Generally Accepted Definitions for Knowledge Management and Transfer Knowledge Management (KM) refers to practices used by organizations to find, create, and distribute knowledge for reuse, awareness, and learning across the organization. Knowledge Management programs are typically tied to organizational objectives and are intended to lead to the achievement of specific outcomes such as shared intelligence, improved performance, or higher levels of innovation. Knowledge Transfer (an aspect of Knowledge Management) has always existed in one form or another through on-the-job discussions with peers, apprenticeship, and maintenance of agency libraries, professional training and mentoring programs. Since the late twentieth century, technology has played a vital role in Knowledge Transfer through the creation of knowledge bases, expert systems, and other knowledge repositories. To understand knowledge management and knowledge transfer, it is helpful to examine the differences between data, information, and knowledge. Data is discrete, objective facts. Data is the raw material for creating information. By itself, data carries no judgment, interpretation or meaning. Information is data that is organized, patterned and/or categorized. It has been sorted, analyzed and displayed, and is communicated through various means. Information changes the way a person perceives something, thus, affecting judgment or behavior. Knowledge is what is known. It is richer and more meaningful than information. Knowledge is gained through experience, reasoning, intuition, and learning. Because knowledge is intuitive, it is difficult to structure, can be hard to capture on machines, and is a challenge to transfer. We often speak of a â€Å"knowledgeable person,† and by that we mean someone who is well informed, and thoroughly versed in a given area. We expand our knowledge when others share theirs with us. We create new knowledge when we pool our knowledge together.

Programming Language and Real Declare

Identify a task you perform regularly, such as cooking, mowing the lawn, or driving a car. I used driving a car as the example in this checkpoint. Write a short, structured design (pseudocode only) that accomplishes this task. Declare CarDoor as Real Declare Car as Real Declare BrakePedal as Real Declare Reverse as Real Declare SteeringWheel as Real Declare Drive as Real Open CarDoor Sit in Car Close CarDoor Press BrakePedal Start Car Put Car in Reverse Release BrakePedal Turn SteeringWheel Press BrakePedal Put Car in DriveRelease BrakePedal Accelerate Car Straighten SteeringWheel End Program Think about this task in an object-oriented way, and identify the objects involved in the task. The car is an object involved in the task. Properties include: made of metal, plastic, and rubber, has four tires, has a front and back windshield, has driver and passenger windows, has a steering wheel, a shifter, headlights, taillights, an engine, a transmission and a gas tank. Functions include: tr ansports the user to their desired destination.Works on: the road. The car door is an object involved in the task. Properties include: made of metal, has a handle and a lock, encases a window. Functions include: secures passenger into vehicle, housing for window, and mirror attaches to it. Works on: a vehicle. Identify how you can encapsulate the data and processes you identified into an object-oriented design. Class CarOperation Declare Car as Real Declare CarEntry as Real Declare CarDriver as Real Subprogram EnterCar Set EnterCar = Open CarDoorSit in Car Close CarDoor End Subprogram Subprogram DriveCar Set DriveCar = Start Car Put Car in Reverse Release BrakePedal Turn SteeringWheel Press BrakePedal Put Car in Drive Release BrakePedal Accelerate Car Straighten SteeringWheel End Subprogram Function EnterCar() as Real Set EnterCar = CarEntry End Function Function DriveCar() as Real Set DriveCar = CarDriver End Function End Class Describe the architectural differences between the obj ect-oriented and structured designs.Which of the designs makes more sense to you? Why? A programmer using the top-down, modular approach to program design begins by determining fundamental tasks. An object-oriented programmer, on the other hand, determines the fundamental objects associated with a problem. Structured designs make more sense to me because that’s what we have been working with over the past 7 weeks. However, I do see the major advantages of object-oriented programming and wish that we had been able to study it more.Right now I am still a rookie at computer programming and do not mind determining the fundamental tasks of programs, it helps me better understand things; but programmers at advanced levels wouldn’t want to have to break down every fundamental task of each program they write. Over time, and with more teaching, I will become more accustom to object-oriented programming. Once this occurs, I’m sure that I will change the answer to this res ponse. I’m sure over time and experience, object-oriented programming will make more sense to me.

Hcs 325

Week – 3 Importance of Teams Murugareddy Pattiputtur University of Phoenix HCS/325 Dawn Sienkiewicz November 10, 2012 Abstract Teams are formed when individuals with a common taste, preference, liking, and attitude come and work together for a common goal. Teams play a very important role in organizations as well as our personal lives. Teamwork is essential for competing in today's global arena, where individual perfection is not as desirable as a high level of collective performance.In knowledge based enterprises, teams are the norm rather than the exception. A critical feature of these teams is that they have a significant degree of empowerment, or decision-making authority. There are many different kinds of teams: top management teams, focused task forces, self-directed teams, concurrent engineering teams, product/service development and/or launch teams, quality improvement teams, and so on. Importance of Teams Introduction: â€Å"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping to gether is progress.Working together is success-Henry Ford† The above proverb by Henry Ford highlights the importance of working together in teams. Team work is very essential as every employee will be dependent on his fellow employees to work together and contribute efficiently to the organization. No employee can work alone; he has to take the help of his colleagues to accomplish the tasks efficiently. It has been observed that the outcome comes out to be far better when employees work in a team rather than individually as every individual can contribute in his best possible way.In organizations, individuals having a similar interest and specializations come together on a common platform and form a team. Teamwork is essential in the provision of healthcare. The division of labor among medical, nursing and allied health practitioners means that no single professional can deliver a complete episode of healthcare. In healthcare, where patient outcomes are dependent on effective interdisciplinary teamwork, there is need for better preparation of health professionals in teamwork.To improve the efficiency and customer service in my department, I would first identify and define the problem; secondly I would try generating and evaluating alternate and possible courses of action to understand in which areas they would need help on, thirdly based on a situation choosing a preferred and a relevant solution will be given, fourthly the solution will be implemented and finally to evaluate the results to see the outcomes.Teams are essential to health care because it has been suggested that â€Å"each team member's abilities, skills experience, attitudes, values, role perceptions and personality – all the things that make a person unique and they also determine what they are willing and able to contribute, their level of motivation, methods of interaction with other group members and degree of acceptance of group norms and the organization's goals†Teamwor k is important in industries like aviation to ensure flights land safely, the military uses it to protect the country, finance professionals need to practice it to keep the nation’s economy running smoothly, the auto racing unit teamwork is essential to change all 4 tires by a team. Overall, in any industry that requires reliable human performance, teamwork is a necessity. Lessons from other industries in healthcare: Teamwork in industries like aviation, healthcare, military and other industries is extremely important and crucial as reliability of human erformance is needed. It is important because the consequences of an error is very severe in those industries. A major chunk of errors is because of communication and teamwork problems. Teamwork is not only effective at saving lives but also to ensure the organization does well and is competitive , if not you lose the competitive edge overtime and eventually disappear from the market. Planning is an important organization proc ess required for problem solving. Successful managing requires thorough planning.Planning is the process of deciding exactly what you, your team, or your department wants to accomplish and how to best go about meeting your goals. Planning is the foundation on which all other managerial responsibilities rest. Health care organizations face pressures and challenges from many sources, all of which increase the importance of good planning. In today’s ever-changing work environment, good planning offers a number of benefits and advantages for your employees, your teammates, and even your own career.The 5 steps to planning which supports problem solving are: Step 1: Identify and define the problem – Problem symptoms usually signal the presence of a performance deficiency or opportunity. During this step, it’s important to assess the situation properly by looking beyond symptoms to find out what is really happening. Step 2: Generate and evaluate possible courses of act ion – At this stage, Involving others during this planning stage is critical in order to develop a range of solutions, get the most out of available information, and build future commitment for the plan.Step 3: Choose a preferred solution – At this stage, its important to make a decision and select a particular course of action. Exactly how you make a decision and who may need to weigh in on the decision varies for each planning situation Step 4: Implement the solution – At this stage, it’s important to establish and implement appropriate actions to meet your final goal. This is the stage at which you finally set directions and initiate problem-solving actions. Step 5: Evaluate results – And finally at this stage, it’s necessary to compare the accomplishments with the original objectives.If the desired results are not achieved, the process must be reviewed and renewed to allow for corrective actions References Lombardi, D. N. , & Schermerhor n, J. R. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Farrington, J. (2008). The importance of working together with your team. Retrieved from http://www. projectsmart. co. uk/the-importance-of-working-together-with-your-team. html Kotelnikov, V. (2010, November 22). Team building & teamwork. Retrieved from http://www. 000ventures. com/business_guide/crosscuttings/team_main. html Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology, Inc (2012) Retrieved from http://www. siop. org/Media/News/teamwork. aspx Salas E, Rozell, Drew, Mullen B, Driskell JE (1999). The effect of team building on performance: an integration. Small Group Research.. Knight D, Durham CC, Locke EA (2001)- The relationship of team goals, incentives, and efficacy to strategic risk, tactical implementation and performance. Academy of Management Journal. *************************

Lit short paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lit short paper - Essay Example He goes on further to say that he loves not only the Supreme but also the infinitely small – the thimble, spurs, plates and flower vases. The Supreme would point to god and that adoration comes naturally to creatures of God (which would include the poem himself). The enumeration of the above objects point to a consideration of their usefulness. The reader is given an inkling next of the poet as being a man who smokes. He starts the stanza by saying â€Å"For heaven’s sake, the planet is beautiful† as though to imply that it goes without saying that the world we live in is not only beautiful but filled with things like â€Å"smoking pipes cupped in the hand† which are sources of enjoyment for men (and also for women). This rather long stanza goes on to mention other things not only useful to man but handmade by man – keys, salt cellars. This is followed by a description of the intricacies that make up the things stated – the curve of the shoe, the weave, the smokiness of chairs. He does not stop here. He continues enumerating other things that man needs to make life easy and clean and comfortable – spectacles, nail, brooms, clocks, compasses and coins. In the next stanza which is shorter, he marvels at the multitude of pure things has made of wool, wood, glass, rope, tables, ships and stairs. Then the poet waxes sentimental when he remembers feathers, love’s blossoms vanished – glasses, knives, scissors that bear â€Å"finger marks of a distant hand†. It seems that the poet associates these things within easy reach with someone else’s hand – probable that of the loved one who is no longer around. He writes of them as â€Å"lost in the most forgotten oblivion†. How strange that he banishes them to oblivion and yet remembers them. Is he applying reverse psychology here? Sadly, he looks for objects he loves but does not own in houses, streets, elevators

Operational Management - ASOS online clothing (logistics) Assignment

Operational Management - ASOS online clothing (logistics) - Assignment Example The findings showed that the performance of any company entirely depends on the Operation Management (OM) frameworks of that particular company therefore the researcher gave a way forward of improving the performance of ASOS considering OM Issues. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Table of Contents 2 ASOS Online Clothing 3 Introduction 4 1. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FOR ASOS 4 Problem with Positioning the Firm in the Supply Chain 4 Problem in the Environment of Supply Chain 5 Logistical Problems at ASOS 5 Unrelated Trade-off Elements 6 SOLUTION 1 6 2. CONNECTIONS BETWEEN STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS 8 Functional Areas for ASOS 8 SOLUTION 2 9 The ‘Operation’ at ASOS 9 The ‘Strategy’ for ASOS (Market Entry) 11 Beyond immediate boundaries of the firm are other parties with a direct connection with the businesses’ OM. Amongst these stakeholders, the most important of all are the customers. Customers have a number of interests in the activities of a business. These in terests can only be enhanced by an effective operation system of the business. Service, Availability, Price, Reliability are some of the issues that are concerned with the operations management of every company. The supply chain elements affect customers directly and indirectly. Shareholders and employees also contribute and provide support to the company whenever called upon; therefore, in order for the ASOS Company to maintain good relations with them it should be able to meet stakeholder needs. This ability cannot be accomplished without an effective OM system that will implement strategic and tactical operations that will ensure stakeholders needs have been met (Ashman, & Vazquez, 2012, p.975 – 996). 12 Conclusion 12 Reference 13 Cooper,  R.G.  (1999), â€Å"The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation.† The Journal of Product Innovation Management, 6 p. 1–17 14 ASOS Online Clothing Introduction Founded June 2000, ASOS Online Clothing is one of th e leading online-only fashions store in the UK. With revenue of ?753 million and a net income of ?29 million per annual, has kept ASOS on top of their game as the largest online fashion retailer. The company sells branded women and menswear including jewellery, footwear, and accessories. ASOS online clothing, just like any other industry, has adopted the various Operations Management (OM) characteristics for the sake of the smooth running of the business. This report seeks to investigate theoretical cases, problems and peculiarities in relation to the Operational activities of ASOS online clothing industry. 1. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FOR ASOS ASOS online clothing is an online store; it automatically qualifies as a global industry since the internet is accessible globally. The Company has adopted a few aspects regarding to logistics and its operations systems. As an international product distributor, it has embraced logistical activities that have gained them a global strategic suppl y chain advantage. However, there are peculiarities that hinder the operations supply chain as the industry grows (Inkpen, 1998, p.2–30). Problem with Positioning the Firm in the Supply Chain ASOS Company relies entirely on ‘

Discuss the extent to which foreign multinational enterprises have Research Paper

Discuss the extent to which foreign multinational enterprises have contributed to technological development in a specific indust - Research Paper Example 23-37), which have now become essential forces behind survival and success of a country internationally. Literature and course readings (Cantwell, 2001) have indicated that multinational enterprises are equipped with a number of tools through which it promotes innovation and development across nations, especially developing countries, such as trade, ventures, collaborative efforts, etc. Among these options, one major actor that plays a significant role is foreign direct investment that is also known as FDI (Balasubramanyam & Salisu, 1996, pp. 92-105). It has been an observation that for developing countries, FDI does not only bring business to the country but it also enables multinational enterprises to bring in their technologies, as well as assets from abroad that results in extraordinary outcomes for the country itself (Blomstrom & Kokko, 2003, n.p). This incoming of assets is one of the fundamental reasons that incline developing countries to give value to foreign direct investme nts in their regions. ... Particularly, economic development is not a simple notion, which has often been limited to economic progress of a country in terms of its GDP; however, analysis (Borensztein & Lee, 1995, pp. 115-124) has indicated that economic development revolves around economic, as well as social advancement of a country that often does not allow quantitative analysis. Thus, experts usually overlook aspects, such as social justice, political freedom, etc that directly or indirectly results in enhancement of standard of lifestyles of country’s population. One can understand this relationship of FDI with economic development of a country by considering evidence (Borensztein & Lee, 1995, pp. 117-131) that shows that countries with higher rate of economic growth are more likely to develop rapidly in the sectors of education and health resulting in progression in the political system, and subsequently, allocation of wealth and rights. In this regard, while one cannot quantify the relationship of economic growth and social development, it is evident that economic growth creates a positive environment for social progress, and this relationship analysis gives an idea of the role of multinational enterprises through their foreign direct investment in economic development that is holistic development of a country. Discussion In order to exemplify understanding of the above relationship, this section of the paper will include efforts of the research to analyse the role of multinational enterprises that they have been playing by contributing towards technological development in industrial sector of India. Although globalisation (Barnes & Kaplinsky, 2000, n.p) has resulted in an overflow of knowledge and information, developing countries, such as South Africa, India, etc are now depending

Hard factors of TQM implementation in the Project division at GASCO Essay

Hard factors of TQM implementation in the Project division at GASCO - Essay Example Proper implementation of the procedure IP-PR-021 would offer solutions to this problem. The CTN format does not have provisions for the history of the CTN. As a result, the CTN goes through the approval process of the GASCO shareholders without their knowledge of the history of the CTN in the firm. They need adequate knowledge on the importance of CTN, in order to determine whether it is worth the budgetary allocations. Modifying the formats of the CTN to would include its history would provide adequate knowledge. Since there is no analysis of the main cause of CTN, there is a wrong evaluation of the KPI. The main factor put into consideration when evaluating KPI is CTN. Therefore, understanding the causes of CTN in the organization would help in preventing their occurrence in future. This is however possible if there was a proper procedure of solving the CTN put in place. GASCO, while calculating the average KPI does so division wise. This omits the evaluation of the actual performa nce in each department. There is however a high likelihood of some of the departments doing very well, while others have poor performances. There is however no reflection of this in the KPI. Applying KPI at the department level would solve this problem. Finally, there is poor and low communication of the KPI to the engineer’s level. This makes information flow in this level inadequate. As a solution, proper communication of the KPI to all parties would solve all communication problems available. Research questions With reference to the hard factors of TQM, this research will try to establish how effectively GASCO utilizes these factors to achieve organizational performance. How efficiently does GASCO use TQM in achieving its organizational goals? To what extent does GASCO staff exhibit high quality standards in serving their customers? How effectively does GASCO as an organization use TQM in managing its projects? What is the overall impact of TQM in satisfactorily serving cu stomers at GASCO? To what extent does GASCO use TQM in its Business Support Activities? Objectives of the report TQM, being an important element in achieving organizational performance, contributes to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives (Salaheldin 2009, p. 216). The main objective of this report is establishing the extent to which TQM contributes to organizational performance, with reference to GASCO. Further, since there are two types of TQM, the soft factors and the hard factors, this report hopes to establish the impact of proper use and application of the hard factors in an organizational setting. Finally, it will establish whether there is any relationship between proper maintenance of QMS, relative to GASCO QMS. Aims of the report The main aim of this report is to establish whether GASCO has QMS and the impact that hard TQM factors have on the overall performance of the organization. Data analysis The time taken by employees in assessing resources significa ntly determines their output (Grover, et al. 2006, p. 450-458). Subsequently, this determines the overall organizational performance. The longer an employee takes while assessing resources; the lower is their level of productivity. According to data obtained, 11 respondents agreed that the period it takes for an employee to access resources was good. This positively contributes to overall organizat

Health policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Health policy - Essay Example The funds will be used to develop an advanced genetic sequencing technology (Burton, 1). 70 million dollars, will be used by the national cancer institute, to develop a genome marker that will help in much more precise cancer treatment. Further 5million dollars will be allocated to the health record information management that will ensure that the data collected is stored safely and accessible to researchers. The physicians will also have access to the information to aid them in the management of patients. This initiative, will go long way in reducing the cost patient’s incur while undergoing treatment when empirical treatment is used. This too will prevent the patients from having to take a number of medication therapies that are not helpful to their conditions. I agree with the policy and the article since it will be of much help to the patients and the physicians as a whole. It will provide a guideline on the modality of treatment hence saving on time used to figure out the best method of treatment for a particular ailment Burton, Thomas M. "Obama to seek $215 million for precion-medicne." Wall Street Jounal (2015): 1. Document, Retrieved from

UK Businesses Going Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

UK Businesses Going Abroad - Essay Example This also has various tax implications. In UK, the double taxation hit has come about due to the fact that the foreign income dividends have been abolished. By going abroad, companies like SmithKline Beecham, BAT industries, Glaxo Wellcome, RTZ as well as Reckitt and Colman, have managed to accommodate the principles of geographical diversification as a bid towards cushioning the blow of double taxation that has been proposed by the Chancellor of Exchequers. (Ahmad, 1997) There are numerous ethical issues that come up in this regard. To begin with, there has been a sharp increase in the number of companies that have chosen to pay their dividends as "Fids". This cost the UK economy and UK businesses over 400 million due to the fact that most of these UK businesses were moving abroad. Other issues include an analysis of whether or not it is ethical to make use of the various facilities in terms of fiscal, policy and financial mechanisms that are made available to developing countries. (Ahmad, 1997) Developing countries are in need of aids that will further the cause of economic progress. Therefore, the tax implications for these countries are favourable. Yet, the economics of these countries can accommodate only a certain percentage of businesses as far as the enjoinment of these benefits is concerned. In this regard, when a UK business moves to one of these countries, it is technically eating into this share that could otherwise have been enjoyed by the national businesses. This is an ethical issue that has been explained by cynics and economic scholars as making use of the next best opportunity. (Ahmad, 1997) International Marketing The arena of international marketing has become a field on its own that has revolutionised the arena of geographic diversification. UK businesses have taken the step towards international diversification due to make better use of opportunities that lie in the avenues of international marketing on today's world. This involves reaching out to developing countries like India, the Far East countries and other developed nations like US as well. While the developing countries have increasing levels of disposable income due to a growth in economies, the UK businesses are aiming at these countries. The UK businesses take to more developed countries like USA and Australia due to consistency as far as standards in management and marketing are concerned. Also, culturally the UK businesses are closer to the culture followed in USA and Australia more than other countries. In this regard, it is imperative to loosely define international marketing before moving on. International marketing is that sphere of activities that is aimed at introducing a product in a country or group of countries with the aim of creating sales and some amount of awareness regarding the brand. Customer satisfaction in today's world has come to occupy a place of vital importance. The phrase, "customer is king", is not just a phrase anymore. It is symbolic of the changing times where consumer courts are waiting to help citizens assert their rights. In this context, a traditional industry like banking has followed the trend and pulled up its socks. The characteristic laid back attitude of the banking industry has been long replaced by

Agricultural Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agricultural Pollution - Essay Example Heedless to the consequences of the over production and sole dedication to the corn production, the ground has been deprived of the nutrients it should have to nurture other plants, the water has been polluted with the many chemical dosing of pesticides and fertilizers for corn production, and production of toxic wastes as by-products of corn production and manufacture. Also, over eating of corn for steers, calves and other animals are causing health problems such as mad cow disease thereby affecting human consumers of these meats (Codesmity,2007). Corn derived food products such as corn sweeteners and syrups are causing obesity to the human population. Overwhelming production of corn results to environmental and agricultural pollution and general health degradation for both humans and animals. There are many corn derived products that dominates the market today. Products with corn ingredients such as corn starch, corn oil, lecithin, corn flour, citric acid, glycirides, Chicken nugge ts, margarine, salad dressing, cosmetics, toothpaste, mustard, corn syrup, sweeteners, linoleum, fiberglass and many more are used in the daily activities of man (Collins, D., 2006). USA has wide and dedicated farmlands for corns alone. Farms found such as in Iowa, where around 2 million farms are found are said to produce around 2 bushels of corn yield per acre. Hybrid corns are even developed and promoted which multiplied production to around 200 bushels per acre. Further, the government issued farm bills that subsidized corn farms has further encouraged more American farmers to produce corns alone forgetting all the other crops (Pollan, Michael, 2006, p 32). Corn manufacturers have also widened their research and development to process corn into various products, thus, there are many produced products in the market that includes corn as main ingredient. It is no harm to plant and manufacture corn as indeed there are many products that can be derived from the production of corn. H owever, with the intensified dedication of farmlands to the production of corn has made the balance of nature become skewed. Overwhelming the lands with one crop has degraded the soil due to the lack of nutrients that the single crop production has caused. By nature, corn is a greedy plant as described by both agriculturists and farmers. Planting corns requires intensive need for nitrogen fertilizers as compared with other crops. In fact, an island size â€Å"dead zone† has been created in the Mexico Gulf due to the accumulated nitrogen run-off from the corn fields into the water. It also requires more pesticides to drive out pests and have them grow to their desired output (Penguin Group USA, 2013). Due to this chemical application, air and water are inclined to be polluted with chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides. Water is then contaminated affecting nearby areas relying on the body of water for their daily use. In addition, massive corn production has forced many man ufacturers to include corn ingredients in almost all products thereby making these goods cheaper against the others. Thus, these food products, mostly composed of sweeteners are more easily consumed by the public causing obesity to almost majority of the population. Ergo, the massive and intensified corn production due to the single crop production of corn in many parts of the USA, agricultural pollution and soil degradation is indeed inevitable affecting the general health. There is no harm in corn production, but too much dedication of single handed crop production of this plant is not healthy. Soil needs to be planted with various crops in order to gain diverse nutrients necessary for the soil condition. Waters need to be free from pollutants derived from fertilizers

Benefits of Activity Based Costing Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Activity Based Costing Essay In order to make a profit on production, the firm would have to charge a price that is greater than the cost of production. Generally, the cost of production is understood to be the cost of producing a good plus the cost of transportation to the consumer. In order to stay in business, and therefore, to avoid losses at all possible costs – the firm must cover all costs related to the production of the good and include all costs to deliver the same to the consumer at a price that is higher than the cost of production. The operating or overheard expenses of an enterprise are generated by its activities to perform its business and/or manufacturing processes successfully. As its name implies, activity based costing relates the costs facing the enterprise to its various activities. By so doing, this system of costing provides pretty accurate information about costs, allowing businesses to effectively manage their overhead expenses in order to increase their revenues (Cooper, 1988). It is but commonsensical that companies may work on cutting their costs once they know what is driving these costs. By improving their processes in order to cut costs, businesses may realize greater profits than before. What is more, by identifying high costing activities needed to produce certain goods or serve certain customers, companies may decide to focus instead on low costing products or customers by reducing their production of or service to high costing products or customers. In this way, they may shift their focus to products or customers that are more profitable to produce or to serve. Thus, management experts cite the following benefits of activity based costing as opposed to traditional methods of costing: Identifying the most and least profitable customers, products and channels. Determine the true contributors to— and detractors from—financial performance. Accurately predict costs, profits and resource requirements associated with changes in production volumes, organizational structure and resource costs. Easily identify the root causes of poor financial performance. Track costs of activities and work processes. Equip managers with cost intelligence to drive improvements. Facilitate better Marketing Mix. Enhance the bargaining power with the customer. Achieve better Positioning of products. (â€Å"Activity Based Costing,† 2008). Businesses that benefit the most from activity based costing are those with high manufacturing operating expenses or overhead costs. These costs may result from a diverse range or products, intensity of capital, or vertically integrated system of manufacturing. Activity based costing may help such businesses not only to understand but also to control their operating expenses so as to increase their revenues (O’Guin, 1991, p. 76). Organizations with large marketing, sales or distribution costs may also reap great benefits from activity based costing. As mentioned previously, this method of costing identifies those customers that are most profitable from those that are least profitable. This provides insight to management on how to improve operations. With activity based costing, such businesses may be able to answer questions such as: â€Å"What discounts are appropriate for large orders? What size accounts should salespersons no longer call on? How effective is advertising to different markets? † (O’Guin, p. 76). Firms that are experiencing sluggish or low profitability on increasing sales may be suffering from growth that is unmanaged. It may very well be that these businesses are selling products at losses to a number of customers. The accounting system of accurately measuring costs, that is, activity based costing, would allow these firms to determine which of their customers and products are generating revenues and which are not (O’Guin, p. 76). O’Guin describes another benefit of the activity based costing system thus: Even with a diverse product line or customer base and very high profitability, a company lacking an ABC system is surprisingly vulnerable. Product profitability probably varies widely across the company. Highly profitable products present an irresistible target to new market entrants. Management should know which products are reaping enormous margins, so they can erect barriers to entry. (p. 76). Also according to O’Guin, the activity based costing system provides not only strategic but also tactical benefits to businesses that implement it. Whereas benefits that are strategic in nature may be realized only once in a blue moon, for the simple reason that organizations cannot be expected to change their pricing, business operations, distribution or manufacturing processes each year – tactical benefits may be realized constantly. Indeed, activity based costing could help businesses not only with reduction of overhead costs, but also just-in-time support, improvement of quality, decisions about design, and investment in capital. Thus, businesses that implement the activity based costing system may improve their profitability on an ongoing basis (O’Guin, p. 76). In the twenty first century, companies that have a competitive edge are those that maintain flexibility, a trend that has been recognized as a critical factor for success since the 1990s. Life cycles of products have been shortened and focus on the customer has become increasingly important. As economies of scale virtually disappear, manufacturing plants that are successful are those that are able to quickly introduce innovative products and economically produce small quantities. Activity based costing system can help businesses tremendously to achieve these goals. What is more, this system of costing could assist businesses of the twenty first century to achieve their goal to increase employee motivation. With the activity based costing system in place, employees increase their understanding of business activities and therefore their involvement in business operations. So, for example, whenever they see a mound of papers they would see overhead costs, leading them to the following questions: Why do we have so many bills? Why are there so many process involved in our purchase orders (O’Guin, p. 76)? Thus, the activity based costing system encourages businesses to push their rates of cost drivers down. This helps in the reduction of time to setup, streamlines buying, in addition to time taken to development a product. When costs are attached to each of these processes or activities, management may not only measure but also plan improvement (O’Guin, p. 76). As mentioned before, some of these improvements may entail reducing production of goods or service to customers that cost more to produce or service than the others. Hence, the activity based costing system may also lead the business that implements it to improve upon its marketing mix or positioning of its products. If products and customers that cost more than the others are required by the company to produce or serve in the same quantity as before, however, activity based costing system helps the organization to improve its processes in order to decrease its costs without reducing the quantity to produce or serve. After all, it is only possible to improve inefficient processes. Because activity based costing allows the company to weigh the costs of activities against their benefits, firms that use it are in a great position to increase the efficiency of all of their processes so as to gain competitive advantages. References Activity Based Costing. (2008). Value Based Management. Retrieved Jan 27, 2009, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_abc. html. Cooper, R. (1988, Summer). The Rise of Activity-Based Costing – Part One: What is an Activity-Based Cost System? Journal of Cost Management, pp. 45-54. O’Guin, M. C. (1991). The Complete Guide to Activity-based Costing. Chicago, IL: CCH Tax and Accounting.

Current Ethical Issues Essay Example for Free

Current Ethical Issues Essay The Baderman Island Resort first opened in 2004 and is managed by the Boardman Management Group. Baderman Island features three different hotels and caters to both business and pleasure. The food is amazing and the 24 hour room service is even better. Along with housing and dinning Baderman Island offers plenty of activities to keep families busy having fun or to help the stressed businessman relax. On the Baderman Island Resort you will get to choose from three different hotels that are need specific. The first would be the Baderman Main Hotel. Here you can find good food and great lodging for you and your family. The Tenney hotel caters to more grown up tastes and is suited for romantic get-a-ways for you and your special someone. The last hotel is the Melancon Convention Center and Hotel which is more business orientated with a conference room that can hold up to 300 people. You can find packaging rates and catering options on the website. Each of the hotels feature large luxurious rooms and beds along with internet hookups, a wall safe, 24 hour room service, a mini-bar, and on- site managers available to help you with any of your needs. Along with great lodging Baderman Island Resort has five restaurants for you to choose from. If you are in the mood for something light you can check out the Baderman Island Cafà © or the Beverly Cafà ©. For something more filling check out the Morgan Bistro, the Kayfe, and the Tenney @ Night. All of the dinning at Baderman Island is freshly prepared and reasonably priced. Baderman Island is managed by the Boardman Management Group which has been in operation since 1994. The mission of the Boardman Management Group is â€Å"Founded in 1994, Boardman Management Group is dedicated to managing leisure and convention focused resorts that provide a unique and quality experience to guests and visitors. The Board of Directors and operational leaders in the organization, empowers its staff to offer unsurpassed quality of customer service, through individual acts of random kindness and specialty  services.† (Boardman Management Group, 2012). The responsibilities of the Boardman Management Group within the Baderman Island Resort are regulatory, finance and accounting, legal, marketing, IT services, and the entire human resources department. The organizational flow of Baderman Island is rather simple and easy to follow. You have your board of directors, chairperson of the board, your CEO, and your director of human resources management. Under the CEO is the Boardman Management Group and the vice president of guest services. The Boardman Management Group is responsible for regulatory, finance and accounting, legal, marketing, IT services. The vice president of guest services is responsible for the GM hotel, GM convention, GM food services, GM merchandise, and GM recreational. Under the GM support services there is security, logistics, engineering, emergency services, and guest relations. The employee services of the Baderman Island Resort feature an employee log in section of the website where employees can view memos and policy updates regarding the resort. Employees also have access to an employee only blog where they can post comments and suggest ideas; any HR issues should not be posted on the blog. Employees also have access to the different organization management charts for each division of the hotel. By having access to these charts employees can look up who their boss is and also follow up the management chain. One of the biggest moral and ethical issues facing the Baderman Island Resort is their destruction of the local forests and wildlife. Baderman Island Resort spans out over 1800 acres with 750 acres being fully developed. Baderman Island also has plans to develop the remaining acres by building a casino and expanding their botanical garden. If Baderman Island Resort wasn’t an island the destruction of habitats wouldn’t be such an ethical issue. Baderman is pushing wildlife out of the way to make room for the resort and eventually the wildlife will have nowhere to go. Another moral and ethical issue surrounding Baderman Island Resort is that of these customer service and well-being. There is the constant worry of  guests wandering off the trails and getting lost and hurt. Also there doesn’t seem to be any emergency health care located on the island. What is the plan if a guest is critically injured and needs medical help? Along with health and safety Baderman needs to work on their customer service for their international customers. Baderman has made mention that they are in the process of hiring more employees that can speak different languages in order to lessen the language barrier. Does this mean that Baderman will be laying off employees that don’t speak multiple languages to keep payroll from going over budget? Baderman Island Resort is a true paradise and a wonderful place to go to relax. There are a few issues that need to be addressed if Baderman is to be 100% successful in their industry. References * Baderman Island. (2012). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/BadermanIsland/internet/index.asp * Boardman Management Group. (2012). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/BoardmanManagementGroup/internet/index.asp * Trevino, L., Nelson, K. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

The History Of The Electoral College Politics Essay

The History Of The Electoral College Politics Essay The Electoral College is a body of electors chosen by the political parties in each state to elect the President of the U.S .The Electoral College was created because the Framers were wary of giving the people the power to directly elect the President. They felt the people were not educated enough to elect the national leader. The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote. The presidential election became a collection of state elections, which would result in a national candidate. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, which are divided up between the states according the number of representatives in the House, plus 2 votes for each of the Senate members. The political parties pick electors for each state. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Article Two of the Constitution states, Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the States may be entitled in the Congress. (U.S. Constitution,art.2,sec. 2.) Although ballots list the names of the presidential candidates, citizens do not vote for the President directly. People are voting for an elector in the college who, in turn, will vote on the states behalf. These electors votes will decide who the President is, and not necessarily the popular vote. These presidential electors in turn cast electoral votes for the Presidential Candidate. The winner take all system, also known as the plurality voting system, awards all of the Electoral College votes to the winning presidential candidate from each state. In this voting system the single winner is the person with the most votes, there is no requirement that the winner gain an absolute majority of votes. The winner will take all the votes and the loser will get none. For example, all 55 of Californias Electoral votes go to the winner of the popular vote in the state election, even if the margin of victory is only 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent. The Electoral College system plays a role in how Presidential Candidates campaign by making the candidates focuses all their attention on getting electoral votes. Parties focus on the electors because they have to convince the electors to vote for them not so much as the people themselves The parties also concentrate on large states that have more electoral votes than the small states. Big states with the most electoral votes are the key to winning the election so they concentrate their power in them. Most commonly, Presidential candidates also heavily concentrate their attention on a handful of closely divided battleground states, or swing states. These states dont have a lot of electoral votes but still will decide the outcome of the race because they do not favor a particular political party or change their preference each election. In these states, campaigning will have the most impact since a small change in popular votes could result in a big win in electoral votes. Consequently, other states considered either safe or hopelessly lost and are largely ignored in the campaign. In the elections, small states and swing states are overrepresented in the Electoral College while leaving the rest of the nations voters on the sidelines. The Electoral College hinders 3rd party candidates because the 3rd party is over shadowed by the majority vote, so 3rd parties almost never get electoral votes. Winner take all minimizes the influence of third parties. However, this can also deny fair representation to positive 3rd parties. For example if a 3rd party gets 25% of the votes in one state those votes does not matter because of the winner take all majority of the Electoral College. The power of a 3rd party is in spoiling an election by taking votes from one of the major parties that is most like it. To avoid this, major parties may take up causes and ideas from the 3rd party to keep them from becoming too popular. Although, 62% of people said they would change the electoral college system, over the past 200 years over 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College, (Office of the Federal Register, Electoral College: Frequently Asked Questions. Archives) but very little has been done to change it. The Electoral College has not been abolished because the small states and swing states would have to give up power and be equal to everyone else. The House of Representatives passed an amendment in 1969, backed by President Richard Nixon, to directly elect the president (niemanwatchdog.org Is it time to do away with the undemocratic Electoral-College system?) But the amendment was blocked in the Senate, in part by Southern senators who opposed any changes they saw as weakening states rights. The Electoral College system can end up putting in office someone who lost the popular vote, which is contrary to democracy. For example the Presidential election in 2000, George Bush won the electoral votes and Al Gore won the popular vote. (Oyez) The fairest solution is to have a Presidential election solely on a popular vote. This will solve the disconnect of the American people and election process. Candidates would need to care about voters across the nation, not just undecided voters in a handful of swing states and the large states. Almost all Americans think that democracy is One Person, One Vote, and all votes are count equally, but The Electoral College violates that fundamental American principle. Some people do not participate in elections because they know that their vote will not matter in the Presidential elections. One Person One Vote means that each person has an equal amount of representation in government. Government should be for the people, not the electors deciding the fate of the country (Annenberg Classroom). Every vote, by everyone, would be relevant and equal in Presidential elections. The election should change from a winner take all system to a proportional system. The winner does not need to reach a majority, just a plurality. The candidates with the most overall percent of votes will win. This will give a stronger chance for 3rd party groups in the elections, by still having their votes count and not be outshined by the two major parties. Another improvement is the use of ranked base voting where voters order the candidates from least preferred to most preferred. To be practical, the top three choices could be chosen. The election is decided by picking everyones top choice and removing the candidate with the least votes. This process is repeated so that candidate is removed and the top preferences are only counted for each elimination round. This allows a voter to pick the candidate they want the most for their top choice followed by a slightly lesser desired candidate. And the third choice could be a main party safety candidate. This allows for a 3rd party candidate to come in and not steal votes away from a similar party. The system has been used in San Francisco since 2004. Its been proposed everywhere from Los Angeles to Modesto, but only the three Alameda County cities have signed on for it. (Williams, Lance California Watch) The Electoral College does not provide a straightforward process for selecting the President. Instead, it can be extraordinarily complex and has the potential to undo the peoples will at many points in the long journey from the selection of electors to counting their votes in Congress, (George Edwards). The government should be for the people and the Electoral College is not since it treats people unequally. Many American people want the Electoral College abolished, but so little has been done to improve the outdated system. It makes the candidates campaign unfairly, making them focusing on swing states and forgetting all other states. The winner takes all system over shadows 3rd parties giving them unfair representation in the elections. The US needs to elect Presidents by popular vote; it is fair to all people. One Person One Vote should be used to ensure equality in voting. The American people should be able to choose their leader as equals. Work Cited Bach, Stanley, and Jack Maskell . Overview of Electoral College Procedure and the Role of Congress . Library of Congress Congressional Research Service. electoralcollegehistory.com, November 17, 2000. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . BUSH v. GORE. Oyez. Oyez, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . Bush v. Gore United States Supreme Court Oral Arguments. American Rhetoric. americanrhetoric, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . Edwards III, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America People, Politics and Policy. AP 12. Illinois: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print. Edwards III, George C. (2011) (in English). Why the Electoral College is Bad for America (Second edition ed.). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 1, 37, 61, 176-7, 193-4. ISBN 978-0-300-16649-1. . .Electoral College: Frequently Asked Questions. Archives: The Electoral College. Office of the Federal Register, 9/26/2012. Web. 26 Sep 2012. . . Electoral College (United States). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 18 September 2012 at 19:38.. Web. 26 Sep 2012. Fobes, Richard. VoteFair Ranking. votefair.org. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . Kimberling, William C.. The Electoral College . The Electoral College . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. . . Is it time to do away with the undemocratic Electoral-College system?. http://niemanwatchdog.org. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . Leip, David The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College System. The Electoral College. US Selection Atlas, n.d. Web. 7 Sep 2012. http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php Neale, Thomas H. . The Electoral College: How it Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections . Library of Congress Congressional Research Service . electoralcollegehistory.com, July 21, 1999 . Web. . . . One Person, One Vote. Annenberg Classroom. Annenberg Classroom, 02 2001. Web. 13 Dec 2012. . One Person, One Vote. One Person, One Vote. Ciros Books, Inc., 2008. Web. 26 Sep 2012. . . Plurality voting system. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2 September 2012 at 21:36.. Web. 26 Sep 2012. U.S. Constitution,art.2,sec. 2. Williams, Lance. Ranked-choice voting complicates elections. californiawatch.org. California Watch, 13 2012. Web. 13 Dec 2012. .

Solar Access Laws :: Essays Papers

Solar Access Laws Brief History of Solar Access Ralph Knowles’ paper, â€Å"The Solar Envelope† further discusses the high priority given to structures that reflected the path of the sun in ancient civilizations. The Acoma Pueblo Settlement west of Albuquerque, New Mexico has been occupied by over one thousand years. In Acoma, buildings are arranged in rows oriented to the south at intervals down the hillside. The buildings collectively face south, toward warming rays of winter sun and away from heating east/west sun of summer. In the winter the low sun warms thick masonry walls that in turn warm interior rooms into the night. In the summer the sun passes overhead hitting (and reflecting off of) roofs and terraces. The Acoma houses are spaced to offer protection in summer by sharing sidewalls and so as not to shade one another in winter. Necessity of Solar Access Laws As societies have placed value on solar access for centuries, we are faced in a time of extreme exponential growth with the challenges of maintaining equal solar access for all. Equal Solar Access is important in two fundamental ways. The first is science based. Solar access saves energy. In 1988 the Tacoma Energy Office conducted the â€Å"Tacoma Solar Access and Economic Benefits Study† and found that solar lot orientation reduces energy use by between ten and twenty percent per single-family housing unit (Aalfs 1997). As in Acoma, the Tacoma energy office recognized the fundamental role the sun could play in efficient energy use and ultimately energy conservation. In Tacoma, energy savings were identified as the primary goal of solar access standards. In Tacoma they cited further that energy savings would be likely to go up in the future with the development of solar technologies and diminishing supplies of petroleum products. Individuals and businesses in both the private and public sectors must have equal opportunity to alternative energy systems that may use the infinite (at least until the sun super novas) supply of solar energy. It is necessary to maintain equal access for not only current energy savings but for alternative energy strategies in the future. Ultimately, the sun is integral to all life. Knowles states that it is the warmth, energy and rhythm of our lives. It â€Å"informs our perceptions of time and space and our scale in the universe.† Knowles goes as far as to say, â€Å"Without the assurance of solar access, we face uncertainty and disorientation.

Opposing Viewpoints in Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five Essay

Opposing Viewpoints in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five The Allied firebombing of Dresden has been called the worst and most unnecessary air raid in military history. The German city was home to no military bases or stations, but on February 13, 1945, death rained down from the air on nearly 135,000 people, most of them civilians, compared to the 74,000 deaths caused by the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima (Novels 270). Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a Allied prisoner of war during this raid, hidden underground in an abandoned slaughterhouse. After surviving the war, Vonnegut came home to the United States to become an author. Though he had published several books before Slaughterhouse Five, this book became his most famous and best-selling book. Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut's breakthrough work because he finally addressed the most distressing and pivotal point in his life, the Dresden firebombing (Novels 270). Vonnegut writes in the first chapter that he was once given advice against writing an anti-war novel, because "...there would always be wars, [and] that they were as easy to stop as glaciers" (Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse 3). However, rather than writing an anti-war novel, Vonnegut writes a response to the tragedy of war through the eyes of a soldier (Novels 272). Vonnegut narrates the story of Billy Pilgrim, a soldier who went through the same experiences as Vonnegut did. Narrating the story of someone else allows Vonnegut distance and separation from the painful events at Dresden (Harris). Through Billy's story, Vonnegut introduces opposing ideas throughout his novel, creating tension between conflicting forces and philosophies. The opposing ideas in Slaughterhouse Five are differing views of time, and inco... ...s, it is the one that states war is stupid, pointless, and cruel, yet it is inevitable. Works Cited Harris, Charles B., "Time, Uncertainty, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: A Reading of 'Slaughterhouse Five,'" Farmington Hills: Gale Group. October, 2001. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/DC/ Reed, Peter J., "Authenticity and Relevance: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five," Farmington Hills: Gale Group. October, 2001. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/DC/ Schatt, Stanley, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Farmington Hills: Gale Group. October, 2001. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/DC/ "Slaughterhouse Five" Novels For Students. Vol. 3 1998 ed. Vonnegut Jr., Kurt. Fates Worse Than Death. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1991 ---, Palm Sunday. New York: Delacorte Press, 1981 ---, Slaughterhouse Five. New York: Dell Publishing, 1969

Althussers Ideology :: Ideological State Apparatus, God

In the first half of his essay â€Å"Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses†, Althusser says that, â€Å"the resistances of the exploited classes is able to find means and occasions to express itself there† (99), by which he means in the Ideological State Apparatuses. In the second half of the essay, Althusser argues there are places that can be found in the ISA that allow expression of the exploited class, but this expression is an illusion as they can only express themselves in terms of being subjects. Althusser separates the State Apparatus into two sections, one being the Repressive State Apparatus (RSA) and the other being the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). The RSA encompasses things like the military, police and government, whereas the ISA contains things like education, religion and family. The RSA is fundamentally different from the ISAs for two reasons, the first being that the RSA is strictly in the public domain whereas the ISAs can exist in both the public and private domain. The second difference is that, â€Å"the Repressive State Apparatus functions ‘by violence’, whereas the Ideological State Apparatus functions ‘by ideology’†(97). Althusser qualifies this statement by saying that the RSA truly functions by both violence as well as ideology since no apparatus can function by one alone. Therefore, conversely, the ISAs function primarily by ideology and secondarily by violence, although most of this violence is usually internal to t he apparatus. Althusser ends his discussion of the distinction between the RSA and ISA by saying that, â€Å"the Ideological State Apparatuses may be not only the stake, but also the site of class struggle, and often of bitter forms of class struggle† (99). By this, Althusser means that it is inherently difficult to take the ISA’s from the â€Å"formal† ruling class since they can retain their roles for a longer period of time than being thrown out of power in the RSA. This also leads us back to the question at hand; how do the resistances of the exploited classes find means and occasions to express themselves in the ISAs? The occasions for expression come from ideology. For Althusser, ideology is, â€Å"conceived as a pure illusion, a pure dream, i.e. as nothingness. All its reality is external to it† (108). Althusser differs from Marx on who controls this reality. Marx argues that this illusion is controlled by those who are in power and is used to control those who are not in power.

Contributions and Drawbacks of Marxism

Contributions and Drawbacks of Marxism Marxism is a theoretical system that created by Marx and Engels based on labor movements in the 19th century. Marxism was written upon a materialist interpretation of history. The Marxist theoretical system consists of three parts: Marxist philosophy, Marxist political economy and scientific socialism, which were created on the basis of the German classical philosophy, the British classical political economy and French utopian socialist influence respectively.In their writing the two most important terms are â€Å"socialist† and â€Å"communist†. When reading them, it is always important to know what the writer means by them. For Marx socialism was the more comprehensive term; communism was an advanced stage of socialism. Socialism would prepare the way by nationalizing the â€Å"means of production† (factories, farms, mines, transportation, etc. ) and putting them under the control of those he viewed as the sole producers o f wealth: the workers.He viewed political equality and freedom as incomplete (or even illusory) without economic equality. Therefore this redistribution of economic power was aimed at extending democracy far beyond the limits envisioned by earlier democratic revolutions. Social services like health, education, and housing would be provided free, but people would still be paid wages according to their work. When all nations had developed socialist economies, they would begin to evolve into an international communist society.The vision of communism was very similar to that of anarchism: a stateless society in which central government had â€Å"withered away,† local, ground-up control of all affairs by strictly democratic processes based at the place of work, abolition of the market system (no money, no buying and selling) and its replacement by a system according to which people would voluntarily work for the common good to the extent they were able under the understanding that they could receive whatever they needed for free (â€Å"from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs†).National boundaries and governments having been eliminated, war would cease. Since Marx published the â€Å"Communist Manifesto† in1848, the banner of the communist was high erected, from Europe to the Americas, Asia, hundreds of millions of people struggled to achieve this beautiful ideal. People’s enthusiasm changed from faith to practical action. Communist revolution had continued for more than a century and had significant impact on the world’s modern history: 15 socialist countries were born, two global camps were formed and the conflict of different ideological forms evolved into conflict of international relations.After World War II, socialist practice developed from one country into multi countries. The formation of the socialist camp ended the dominance of capitalism. However, after nearly half century’s development , the Soviet model of socialism did not fully demonstrate its superiority. They became rigid, dogmatic and stagnated. At the same time, capitalist forces gathered together to against the socialist countries, and launched the â€Å"peaceful evolution† plan.Through the economic warfare, political warfare and the culture wars, finally in the 90s, the Soviet Union collapsed and majority of Eastern European Socialist Countries changed to capitalist. Since then the international communist movement entered into a setback stage. There is always a question been asked: if the socialist system is more superior than capitalism system, why most socialist countries failed and the remaining countries haven’t catch up with capitalist country?Because the development of socialist countries and that of capitalist countries lack a comparable basis: First, they have different starting points of economic development. Most socialist countries originally are feudal, colonial or semi-colonial countries. They don’t have any accumulated capital and wealthy like capitalist countries do. Under the control and plunder of western countries for decades, they barely have anything left. The difference between the two kinds of countries is significant. Second, they use different means of economic development.The history of capitalism is a history of bloody fortune. As Marx said, capitalist production process is the process of exploitation. Even today, with the advance of technology and dominant of capital, they are still doing unequal exchange with developing countries, which helps them to grab wealth. But the development of socialist countries mainly relies on people’s hard working. Third, they have different lengths of the economic development. From the establishment of the first socialist countries, only 80 years has past. Most of the socialist countries only have a history of forty or fifty years.They are still in the early stage of development, their economic, p olitical and social operating mechanisms haven’t been fully developed. And they are still on their way searching for proper methods for improvement. But capitalism has three hundred and sixty years of history. It has accumulated a solid capital foundation and rich experience. Even so, among the capitalist countries, only around twenty of them are in the category of â€Å"developed countries†. Especially for those newly independent countries in the 20th century who use capitalist system, none of them is in the â€Å"rich club†.Fourth, the development environment is different. From the establishment of the first socialist state, the world’s capitalist countries start to apply economic blockade, military siege and even the armed aggression, the development environment for socialist countries is very dangerous. However, when the capitalist start developing, the old feudal system are almost collapse thoroughly from a global perspective. The international envir onment for the development of capitalism is very favorable. From the reasons above, I think it is not fair to compare the development level of socialist countries and capitalist countries.Even socialism did not success in a global point of view, it should be noted some of them have had great achievement. Before the collapse, the Soviet Union maintained an average industrial production growth rate of 21% from 1928 to 1940, ranking first in Europe and second in the world. And they completed in twelve years what capitalist countries achieved in 100 years. From 1951 to 1980, the Soviet major economic indicators are1 to 2 times higher than the U. S. In 1950, the Soviet industrial output is less than 30% of U. S. ’s industrial output, while in 1980 it reached 80%.In addition, the Soviet Union has significant achievement in science and technology, education, culture, military and many other fields. From the development of the Soviet Union, we can see the socialism has certain kinds of advantages. We should also notice that the eighty years of socialist development history has a huge and far-reaching impact on the human social history. The establishment and development of socialism, breaks the operation system of colonialism and imperialism, propels the international political and economic order to a more equal and reasonable direction.The socialism analysis of the conflict between productive forces and production relations also helps with the improvement of the capitalist system. So socialism is conducive to the common progress of human society. But like other theories, Marxism, by the limitations of the era, has a series of shortcomings: The class struggle theory. It is easy for the dogmatists and violence advocates to take advantage of. Some people exaggerate the power of class struggle. They do not realize the probability of class change (proletariat to propertied class) and the class cooperation, so it can lead to widespread violence, legalized terrorism e asily.The proletarian dictatorship theory. The starting point of protecting people is good. But if the bad guys control the government, they may suppress people and dissent in the name of proletariat comrades. The theory of surplus value. Marx thinks, in a market economy, the exploitation of surplus value is from production. Surplus value is the value worker created minus the employment expense of that labor. Although this theory of exploitation has a positive side in recognition of exploitation, its bias and extreme part is obvious. Marx's mistake is that he ignores capitalists’ management of complex operation and the business risk they bear.Capitalists’ income should include their general labor income (he works as a worker), complex management income (he conducts the operation and management, decision-making and other complex activities), capital income (he puts in capital), the risk income (the principle of market economy is the risks and benefits equals; he bears t he investment risk, so he should have a higher income). Moreover, Marx does not realize that in the old socialist society, because of high concentration of power in planned economy, some problems will be created: corruption, plunder of resources and people is a more serious exploitation. The plan economy theory.Marx negates the market economy, advocating elimination of private ownership and replace with full ownership. He promotes the idea of â€Å"distribute according to the work contributed†. He encourages eliminating commodity and currency and replacing them with a comprehensive economic plan, distributing consumer goods by needs. Moreover, Marx states that full ownership will become state ownership, the planned economy will be under the control of government, and distribution by work is actually by the length working time. Those policies will certainly leads to unclear property rights, irresponsibility and egalitarianism.There will be no competition and people will have n o incentive to work. Some other problems also need our attention: Is public ownership really efficient? Will egalitarian distribution inhibit creativity? Will planned economic encourage bureaucracy, and lead to laziness and waste? And so on. Sources: http://www. douban. com/group/topic/4691689/ http://baike. baidu. com/view/680726. htm http://baike. baidu. com/view/8059. htm http://public. wsu. edu/~brians/hum_303/manifesto. html http://wenda. tianya. cn/wenda/thread? tid=0aa8581c30d4c1ea;hl=vbgood http://www. marxists. org/archive/bukharin/works/1933/teaching/intro. htm

Automobile and South Africa Essay

1.) Cultural differences have a great effect on how Renault-Nissan operates in South Africa. South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Therefore, in my opinion they would need managers that know the country and how its people do business. Though some of South Africa is a lot like Western Europe, there are eight different languages spoke in South Africa, so having a person from Rosslyn managing the plant would be beneficial. South Africa has been referred to as the â€Å"rainbow† nation, I believe that in order for Renault-Nissan to be successful they will have to do their homework and find a person that knows the country’s customs and traditions to lead them into an emerging market in South Africa. 2.) Culture is a huge factor in Auto sales. For example, in Europe gas is around $8.00 a gallon, if Ford took their F-250 (which gets around 12mpg) into the European market it would fail miserably. It is not because the Ford F-250 is not a quality truck, it is because this truck does not fit into what is now part of the European culture. Also Europeans do not have the same tastes in cars that Americans do so, car companies do research to find out what Europeans look for when they are buying a car. This is how culture affects the auto industry. 3.) I do not believe that it is possible for a car company to transcend national culture and produce a global automobile that is accepted by people in every culture. Though car companies can get away for making a regional automobile for a specific region of the world, there are too many cultural differences that that affect each market to make a â€Å"worldwide† vehicle. Like I said before Europeans have different tastes in automobiles than Americans, Africans, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and the rest of the world.

BMM notes Essay

Attempt all the questions. Read the question carefully before answering. Figures to the right indicate full marks. Illustrations/ Layout is not Compulsory. But ensure to give a clear and concise description of the visual. 1. Answer any four : (a) What is the difference between Political Advertising and Government Advertising? Give one example of each. (b) What is creative? How important creative brief is for writing copy for a product? (c) How is reason why copy different from slice of life copy? (d) What are the essential qualities to become a good copy writer? (e) Explain the importance of sub-head for the print media. (f) What are the different types of copy? Explain one in detail. (g) Explain the following terms (Any three) :(i) Zoom in (ii) Dissolve (iii) Wipe (iv) Pan. 12 2. Answer any four of the following question :(a) Write short note on, Copy for Children as the Target Audience. (b) Give two examples each of comparative and demonstration type of advertising. (c) What are the essentials of a Good Poster? (d) Give your comment on ‘Daag Achche Hain’, Television commercial. (e) Analyse any one of the recent public service television or print advertisement. (f) (i) ‘Maine poocha kya’? is the base line of which detergent brand ? (ii) ‘Insan Phone lete hain baat karne ke liye,’ is the line of which television commercial? (g) Explain the various stages of producing a TV commercial? 12 3. Answer any two : (a) Radio advertising creates a ‘Picture in the Mind’. Explain? (b) Write a 30 sec Radio spot for Shopper’s stop, Highlighting, Range and Location. (c) Write a direct mailer to the prospective Customer in Bandra, persuading them to place their monthly grocery requirement to ‘Sangam’, A Hindustan Lever Limited Venture. Sangam provides free home delivery within an hour. 10 4. Multimedia campaign and strategy (Attempt any one):(a) VIP luggage is launching a new campaign to reinforce its new image of a company marketing trendy luggage for upwordly mobile young professionals. They have added new design and different colours in their portfolio of products. i. Prepare a creative brief for Making Impact on the Target Audience. ii. Create a press advertisement campaign based on the creative brief. iii. Prepare a storyboard for television commercial based on the creative brief. PDF Powered By BMMBox.com 5 6 5 www.bmmbox.com www.bmmbox.com (b) PDF Powered By BMMBox.com The recent cases of corruption among a few police officers tarnished the image of Mumbai Police. The Commissioner wants to improve the public image of the Mumbai Police. i. Advice them on strategy and baseline. ii. Develop a 3 advertisement press campaign. iii. Develop a storyboard for a 30 sec TVC. PDF Powered By BMMBox.com

World Wide Web and E-commerce Winter

Introduction to E-Commerce Revenue Models Objectives In this chapter, you will learn about: Revenue models How some companies move from one revenue model to another to achieve success Revenue strategy issues that companies face when selling on the Web An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 2 1 Objectives (continued) Creating an effective business presence on the Web Web site usability Communicating effectively with customers on the Web An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 3 Revenue Models Mail order or catalog model Proven to be successful for a wide variety of consumer items Web catalog revenue model Taking the catalog model to the WebAn Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 4 2 Computers and Consumer Electronics Apple, Dell, Gateway, and Sun Microsystems have had great success selling on the Web Dell created value by designing its entire business around offering a high degree of configuration flexibility to its customers An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 5 Books, Music , and Videos Retailers use the Web catalog model to sell books, music, and videos Among the most visible examples of electronic commerce Jeff Bezos Formed Amazon. com Jason and Matthew Olim Formed an online music store they called CDnow Used the Web catalog revenue model An Introduction to E-CommerceWinter 85, 6 3 Luxury Goods People are still reluctant to buy luxury goods through a Web site Web sites of Vera Wang and Versace Constructed to provide information to shoppers, not to generate revenue Web site of Evian Designed for a select, affluent group of customers An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 7 Clothing Retailers Lands’ End Pioneered the idea of online Web shopping assistance with its Lands’ End Live feature in 1999 Personal shopper Intelligent agent program that learns customer’s preferences and makes suggestions Virtual model Graphic image built from customer measurements An Introduction to E-CommerceWinter 85, 8 4 Flowers and Gifts 1-800-Flowers C reated an online extension to its telephone order business Chocolatier Godiva Offers business gift plans on its site An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 9 Digital Content Revenue Models Firms that own intellectual property have embraced the Web as a new and highly efficient distribution mechanism Lexis. com Provides full-text search of court cases, laws, patent databases, and tax regulations ProQuest Sells digital copies of published documents An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 10 5 Advertising-Supported Revenue Models Broadcasters provide free programming to an udience along with advertising messages Success of Web advertising is hampered by No consensus on how to measure and charge for site visitor views Stickiness of a Web site: the ability to keep visitors and attract repeat visitors Very few Web sites have sufficient visitors to interest large advertisers An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 11 Web Portals Web directory A listing of hyperlinks to Web pages Portal or Web portal Site used as a launching point to enter the Web Almost always includes a Web directory and search engine Examples: Yahoo! , AOL, AltaVista An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 12 6 Advertising-SubscriptionMixed Revenue Models Subscribers Pay a fee and accept some level of advertising Typically are subjected to much less advertising Used by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 13 Advertising-Subscription Mixed Revenue Models (continued) Business Week Offers some free content at its Business Week online site Requires visitors to buy a subscription to the Business Week print magazine An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 14 7 Fee-for-Transaction Revenue Models Businesses offer services and charge a fee based on the number or size of transactions processed DisintermediationRemoval of an intermediary from a value chain Reintermediation Introduction of a new intermediary An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 15 Fe e-for-Service Revenue Models Fee based on the value of a service provided Services range from games and entertainment to financial advice Online games Growing number of sites include premium games in their offerings Site visitors must pay to play these premium games An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 16 8 Fee-for-Service Revenue Models (continued) Concerts and films As more households obtain broadband access to the Internet, companies are providing streaming video of concerts and films to paying ubscribers Professional Services State laws are one of the main forces preventing U. S. professionals from extending their practices to the Web An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 17 Revenue Models in Transition Subscription to advertising-supported model Microsoft founded its Slate magazine Web site An upscale news and current events publication Charged an annual subscription fee after a limited free introductory period Was unable to draw sufficient number of paid subscribers Now operated as an advertising-supported site An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 18 9 Advertising-Supported to AdvertisingSubscription Mixed Model Salon. om Operated for several years as an advertisingsupported site Now offers an optional subscription version of its site Subscription offering was motivated by the company’s inability to raise additional money from investors An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 19 Advertising-Supported to Feefor-Services Model Xdrive Technologies Opened its original advertising-supported Web site in 1999 Offered free disk storage space online to users After two years, it was unable to pay the costs of providing the service with the advertising revenue generated Later switched to a subscription-supported model An Introduction to E-CommerceWinter 85, 20 10 Advertising-Supported to Subscription Model Northern Light Founded in August 1997 as a search engine with a twist Revenue model Combination of advertising-supported model plus a fee-base d information access service January 2002 Converted to a new revenue model that was primarily subscription supported An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 21 Multiple Transitions Encyclop? dia Britannica Original offerings The Britannica Internet Guide Free Web navigation aid Encyclop? dia Britannica Online Available for a subscription fee or as part of a CD package 1999 Converted to a free, advertiser-supported site 001 Returned to a mixed model An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 22 11 Revenue Strategy Issues Channel conflict Occurs whenever sales activities on a company’s Web site interfere with existing sales outlets Also called cannibalization Channel cooperation Giving customers access to the company’s products through a coordinated presence in all distribution channels An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 23 Strategic Alliances and Channel Distribution Management Strategic alliance When two or more companies join forces to undertake an activity over a long period of time Account aggregation servicesIncrease the propensity of customers to return to the site Channel distribution managers Companies that take over the responsibility for a particular product line within a retail store An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 24 12 Creating an Effective Web Presence An organization’s presence The public image it conveys to its stakeholders Stakeholders of a firm Include its customers, suppliers, employees, stockholders, neighbors, and the general public An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 25 Achieving Web Presence Goals Objectives of the business Attracting visitors to the Web site Making the site interesting enough that visitors tay and explore Convincing visitors to follow the site’s links to obtain information An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 26 13 Achieving Web Presence Goals (continued) Objectives of the business Creating an impression consistent with the organization’s desired image Building a trusting relationship with visitors Reinforcing positive images that the visitor might already have about the organization Encouraging visitors to return to the site An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 27 Profit-Driven Organizations Toyota site A good example of an effective Web presence Provides links to Detailed information about each vehicle modelA dealer locator page Information about the company and the financing services it offers An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 28 14 Toyota U. S. Home page An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 29 Profit-Driven Organizations (continued) Quaker Oats Web site does not offer a particularly strong sense of corporate presence Site is a straightforward presentation of links to information about the firm Redesigned site is essentially the same as the previous version An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 30 15 Quaker Oats Old Home Page An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 31 Quaker Oats Home Page: 1999 RedesignAn Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 32 16 Not-for-Profit Organizations Key goal for the Web sites Information dissemination Key element on any successful electronic commerce Web site Combination of information dissemination and a two-way contact channel An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 33 Web Site Usability Motivations of Web site visitors Learning about products or services that the company offers Buying products or services that the company offers Obtaining information about warranty, service, or repair policies for products they purchased Obtaining general information about the company or organizationAn Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 34 17 Web Site Usability (continued) Motivations of Web site visitors Obtaining financial information for making an investment or credit granting decision Identifying the people who manage the company or organization Obtaining contact information for a person or department in the organization An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 35 Making Web Sites Accessible One of the best ways to accommodate a broad range of visitor needs is to build flexibility into the Web site’s interface Good site design lets visitors choose among information attributes Web sites can offer visitors multiple nformation formats by including links to files in those formats An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 36 18 Making Web Sites Accessible (continued) Goals that should be met when constructing Web sites Offer easily accessible facts about the organization Allow visitors to experience the site in different ways and at different levels Sustain visitor attention and encourage return visits Offer easily accessible information An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 37 Trust and Loyalty A 5 percent increase in customer loyalty can yield profit increases between 25% and 80% Repetition of satisfactory service can build ustomer loyalty Customer service is a problem for many electronic commerce sites An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 38 19 Usability Testing Companies that have done usability tests Conduct focus groups Watch how different customers navigate through a series of Web site test designs Cost of usability testing is low compared to the total cost of a Web site design or overhaul to E-Commerce An Introduction Winter 85, 39 Customer-Centric Web Site Design Putting the customer at the center of all site designs Guidelines Design the site around how visitors will navigate the links Allow visitors to access information quicklyAvoid using inflated marketing statements An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 40 20 Customer-Centric Web Site Design (continued) Guidelines Avoid using business jargon and terms that visitors might not understand Be consistent in use of design features and colors Make sure navigation controls are clearly labeled Test text visibility on smaller monitors Conduct usability tests An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 41 Connecting With Customers Personal contact model Firm’s e mployees individually search for, qualify, and contact potential customers Prospecting Personal contact approach to identifying and reaching customersMass media approach Firms prepare advertising and promotional materials about the firm and its products An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 42 21 Connecting With Customers (continued) Addressable media Advertising efforts directed to a known addressee Also called mass media One-to-many communication model Communication flows from one advertiser to many potential buyers One-to-one communication model Both buyer and seller participate in information exchange An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 43 Business Communication Modes An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 44 22 Summary Models used to generate revenue on the WebWeb catalog Digital content sales Advertising-supported Advertising-subscription mixed Fee-for-transaction and fee-for-service Companies undertaking electronic commerce initiatives sometimes Form strategic allia nces Contract with channel distribution managers An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 45 Summary (continued) Firms must understand how the Web differs from other media Enlisting the help of users when building test versions of the Web site is a good way to create a site that represents the organization well Firms must also understand the nature of communication on the Web An Introduction to E-Commerce Winter 85, 46 23

Blaming Khrushchev for the Cuban Missile Crisis Is Wrong

Blaming khrushchev for the Cuban missile crisis is wrong, for it is kennedy who precipitated the crisis and no one else. Cuban missile crisis does not consist only the placement of missiles in cuba , but also the things before it, cubas nationalization of industries ,like the bop, the embargoes , the soviet giving of aid to ussr, Subject: outbreak / origins of the Cuban missile crisis Focus: role of superpower involvement Timeframe : 1959 to 1962 Keyterms to note: precipitation of crisis Arguments 1. Khrushchev was to be blamed as well as kennedy 2. Only krushchev should be blamed The personalities of who was to be blamed for the Cuban missile crisis can be traced as one looks at the events in th1950s which led to Cubas deteriorating relations with the USA and its subsequent alignment with the USSR, which led to the placement of missiles in Cuba and the consequent tensions that followed. This relations has its origins in the quest for self interest by newly elected leader, Fido Castro, as while as search for national security by both superpowers from the tension passed down from the cold war in Europe ( qualify). Kennedys search for national security precipitated the crisis when his search translated into actions that directly went against Cuba and pushed Cuba away from the US and into support of the USSR. Kennedy failed to consider that Castros intention to establishing diplomatic relations with the USSR was not to antagonize the US or threaten its national security but mostly for economic benefits. ( the US had earlier refused to grant a loan to Cuba and there were continuing disputes over American property in Cuba). This failure to interpret events correctly led US on its intense quest for national security by instituting economic embargoes on Cuba and direct intervention as seen in the Bay of Pigs invasion. However, such actions were needlessly aggressive for its national security was not threatened in the first place. This however caused a deep rift in the US-soviet relations which was an opportunity for USSR to gain a foothold in the Caribbean ; and thus allowed the opportunity for issiles to be placed on Cuba and arising to the tensions that followed. Khrushchev had a part to play in the Cuba missile crisis as well because his action of giving aid to Cuba, a traditional backyard of the USSR, further fuelled the already intense mistrust the US had of the USSR; eventually cumulating in the Cuban missile crisis, leaving Cuba on the edge of brinkmanship. The role of Castro in starting economic reforms directly affecting American industries also contributed to the US suspicions in the crisis. His actions of turning to the USSR for economic aid ( even though he was not communist) also reinforced US perceptions, and his final agreement for missiles to be placed in Cuba (although he knew the implications of doing so) was the ultimate trigger for USs knee-jerk response and the subsequent tensions that followed. Kennedys misinterpretation of Castros actions ( aligning close to the USSR)-as threatening its national security- stemmed from his perception of monolithic communist aggression and the loss of china to communism. communism expousedeventual showdown and triumph over capitalism. Communism has already extended to parts outside Europe such as China, and as such national insecurity has grown; thus the need to safeguard their national security. This misinterpretation of Castros actions , coupled with Kennedys inexperience in dealing with world affairs, caused the US to embark on its quest for national security through economic embargoes on Cuba the initial bay of pigs as a direct intervention . However, such actions were needlessly aggressive for its national security was not threatened in the first place when castros intentions were for economic benefits rather than to deliberately antagonize the US. Furthermore, due to his inexperience,Instead of turning to diplomatic action, kennedy set on the institution of a military solution (With the aim was to oust Castro from power and to reverse the effects of the reforms) caused Castros fear of more direct American intervention ( demonstrated by the case of Guatamalan) and the desire for military protection in anticipation of it and to seek protection from future efforts to unseat his revolution. This further motivated Castros shift to the USSR and his subsequent nationalizing of American owned industries, banks, etc, which created the conditions for the Cuban missile crisis to happen. Castros shift to the USSR directly coincided with Khrushchevs quest for a successful foreign policy and need to address nuclear strategic imbalance. Khrushchevs search for USSRs national security could be traced from the need to spread the Solidarity movement worldwide, to extend communist zeal into Cuba so that there would be countries supporting USSR and its line of communism. his need aroused due to events like the humiliation of the Berlin wall and the failed ultimatum over berlin, where the credibility of krushchev (in narrow terms) and Khrushchev( in broad terms) was lost. Krushchev also believed that it was right for soviets to extend their influence into the backyard of the us since the US has extended their influence in Europe. khrushchevwas aware of the weakness of Soviet weakness in terms of the number of nuclear warheads and missiles. Given the weakness of Soviet nuclear capability , placing missiles on cuba could be a quick solution to addressing the strategic imbalance. Khrushchev also had an overtly simplistic view that he must return the same medicine the us had been administering in turkey with the jupiter and thor missiles. thus his action of sending missiles to Cuba. However, the US did not see developments in the way that the USSR did. The US saw the placement of missiles as a provocative and aggressive threat to US security, given that the Soviet missiles could reach major US cities on the eastern coast. The fact that the US had seen Soviet tendencies to lead to aggression against the capitalists from the soviet testing of the atomic bomb, the collaboration with stalin during the nazi soviet pact, and the confrontational Berlin Blockade led the US to think that not only was Cuba turning communist ( that the USSR had indeed extended her sphere of influence and Cuba was a breeding ground for states hostile to the US, followed by states within Latin america), but the placement of missiles would mean a high probability of a pre-emptive first strike from the USSR . Put together with the fact that any changes with the political status qup (with US as a leading political power) would severely undermine the credibility of kennedy and america, and how the US was not prepared to forsake economic interests in Latin America where western Europe can overcome its dollar shortage and pursue economic revival, atop of its search for national security, the uss response was to choose a quarantine. alsothey to produce plans for an American invasion of Cuba and put all American bases around the world on high alert with the expectation that an American nvasion of cuba would provoke a soviet response in Europe. This equated to the intensification of the nuclear arms race when clearly it was dangerous; and led the countries to be on the edge of mutually assured destruction. as it reached crisis level It threatened the existence of the entire world. While it is undeniable that the issue that kickstarted the intensification of the nuclear arms was the soviet placem ent of missiles in cuba, it should be noted that both superpowers played a part in their quest for national security and self-interest. Kennedys perception of monolithic communist aggression led it to its attempts to try to cripple Cuba to prevent it from posing any threat to the US national security through the institution of actions that were needlessly hostile towards Cuba, causing it to turn to the USSR. This granted the USSR the opportunity to place its missiles there to address nuclear strategic parity and to spread the zeal of communism to safeguard its national security; which was again viewed as aggression by the US. This led to the oncoming of the Cuban missile crisis, where the nuclear arms race threatened the existence of the entire world.