Consensus

Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent of all participants. Consensus may be defined professionally as an acceptable resolution, one that can be supported, even if not the â€Å"favourite† of each individual. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its origin in the Latin word consensus (agreement), which is from consentio meaning literally feel together. [1] It is used to describe both the decision and the process of reaching a decision.Consensus decision-making is thus concerned with the process of deliberating and finalizing a decision, and the social and political effects of using this process. Consensus decision making is an alternative to commonly practiced adversarial decision making processes. [5] Robert's Rules of Order, for instance, is a process used by many organizations. The goal of Robert’s Rules is to structure the debate and passage of proposals that win approval through majority vote. This process does not emphasize the goal of full agreement.Critics of Robert’s Rules believe that the process can involve adversarial debate and the formation of competing factions. These dynamics may harm group member relationships and undermine the ability of a group to cooperatively implement a contentious decision. Consensus decision making is also an alternative to â€Å"top-down† decision making, commonly practiced in hierarchical groups. Top-down decision making occurs when leaders of a group make decisions in a way that does not include the participation of all interested stakeholders.The leaders may (or may not) gather input, but they do not open the deliberation process to the whole group. Proposals are not collaboratively developed, and full agreement is not a primary objective. Critics of top-down decision making believe the process fosters incidence of either complacency or rebellion among d isempowered group members. Additionally, the resulting decisions may overlook important concerns of those directly affected. Poor group relationship dynamics and decision implementation problems may result. Consensus decision making attempts to address the problems of both Robert’s Rules of Order and top-down models.Proponents claim that outcomes of the consensus process include:[3] * Better Decisions: Through including the input of all stakeholders the resulting proposals may better address all potential concerns. * Better Implementation: A process that includes and respects all parties, and generates as much agreement as possible sets the stage for greater cooperation in implementing the resulting decisions. Better Group Relationships: A cooperative, collaborative group atmosphere can foster greaConsensus Process There are multiple stepwise models of how to make decisions by consensus.They vary in the amount of detail the steps describe. They also vary depending on how deci sions are finalized. The basic model involves * collaboratively generating a proposal, * identifying unsatisfied concerns, and then * modifying the proposal to generate as much agreement as possible. After a concerted attempt at generating full agreement, the group can then apply its final decision rule to determine if the existing level of agreement is sufficient to finalize a decision. [edit] Specific models [edit] Consensus decision-making with consensus blockingFlowchart of basic consensus decision-making process. Groups that require unanimity commonly use a core set of procedures depicted in this flow chart. [23][24][25] Once an agenda for discussion has been set and, optionally, the ground rules for the meeting have been agreed upon, each item of the agenda is addressed in turn. Typically, each decision arising from an agenda item follows through a simple structure: * Discussion of the item: The item is discussed with the goal of identifying opinions and information on the top ic at hand.The general direction of the group and potential proposals for action are often identified during the discussion. * Formation of a proposal: Based on the discussion a formal decision proposal on the issue is presented to the group. * Call for consensus: The facilitator of the decision-making body calls for consensus on the proposal. Each member of the group usually must actively state their agreement with the proposal, often by using a hand gesture or raising a colored card, to avoid the group interpreting silence or inaction as agreement.The number of blocks is counted to determine if this step's consent threshold is satisfied. If it is, dissenters will be asked to collaborate on a minority position or statement so that any unique or shared concerns with proceeding with the agreement, or any harms, can be addressed/minimized. This can happen even if the consent threshold is unanimity, especially if many voters stand aside. * Identification and addressing of concerns: If consensus is not achieved, each dissenter presents his or her concerns on the proposal, potentially starting another round of discussion to address or clarify the concern. Modification of the proposal: The proposal is amended, re-phrased or ridered in an attempt to address the concerns of the decision-makers. The process then returns to the call for consensus and the cycle is repeated until a satisfactory decision passes the consent threshold for the group. [edit] Quaker model Quaker-based consensus[26] is effective because it puts in place a simple, time-tested structure that moves a group towards unity. The Quaker model has been employed in a variety of secular settings.The process allows for individual voices to be heard while providing a mechanism for dealing with disagreements. [27][28] The following aspects of the Quaker model can be effectively applied in any consensus decision-making process, and is an adaptation prepared by Earlham College: * Multiple concerns and informati on are shared until the sense of the group is clear. * Discussion involves active listening and sharing information. * Norms limit number of times one asks to speak to ensure that each speaker is fully heard. * Ideas and solutions belong to the group; no names are recorded. Differences are resolved by discussion. The facilitator (â€Å"clerk† or â€Å"convenor† in the Quaker model) identifies areas of agreement and names disagreements to push discussion deeper. * The facilitator articulates the sense of the discussion, asks if there are other concerns, and proposes a â€Å"minute† of the decision. * The group as a whole is responsible for the decision and the decision belongs to the group. * The facilitator can discern if one who is not uniting with the decision is acting without concern for the group or in selfish interest. * Dissenters' perspectives are embraced. [26]Key components of Quaker-based consensus include a belief in a common humanity and the ability to decide together. The goal is â€Å"unity, not unanimity. † Ensuring that group members speak only once until others are heard encourages a diversity of thought. The facilitator is understood as serving the group rather than acting as person-in-charge. [29] In the Quaker model, as with other consensus decision-making processes, by articulating the emerging consensus, members can be clear on the decision, and, as their views have been taken into account, will be likely to support it. [30] [edit] CODM ModelThe Consensus-Oriented Decision-Making[31] model offers a detailed step-wise description of consensus process. It can be used with any type of decision rule. It outlines the process of how proposals can be collaboratively built with full participation of all stakeholders. This model allows groups to be flexible enough to make decisions when they need to, while still following a format that is based on the primary values of consensus decision making. The CODM steps include: 1. Framing the topic 2. Open Discussion 3. Identifying Underlying Concerns 4. Collaborative Proposal Building . Choosing a Direction 6. Synthesizing a Final Proposal 7. Closure [edit] Overlaps with deliberative methods Consensus decision-making models overlap significantly with deliberative methods, which are processes for structuring discussion that may or may not be a lead-in to a decision. [edit] Roles The consensus decision-making process often has several roles which are designed to make the process run more effectively. Although the name and nature of these roles varies from group to group, the most common are the facilitator, a timekeeper, an empath and a secretary or notes taker.Not all decision-making bodies use all of these roles, although the facilitator position is almost always filled, and some groups use supplementary roles, such as a Devil's advocate or greeter. Some decision-making bodies opt to rotate these roles through the group members in order to build the expe rience and skills of the participants, and prevent any perceived concentration of power. [23] The common roles in a consensus meeting are: * Facilitator: As the name implies, the role of the facilitator is to help make the process of reaching a consensus decision easier.Facilitators accept responsibility for moving through the agenda on time; ensuring the group adheres to the mutually agreed-upon mechanics of the consensus process; and, if necessary, suggesting alternate or additional discussion or decision-making techniques, such as go-arounds, break-out groups or role-playing. [32][33] Some consensus groups use two co-facilitators. Shared facilitation is often adopted to diffuse the perceived power of the facilitator and create a system whereby a co-facilitator can pass off facilitation duties if he or she becomes more personally engaged in a debate. 34] * Timekeeper: The purpose of the timekeeper is to ensure the decision-making body keeps to the schedule set in the agenda. Effec tive timekeepers use a variety of techniques to ensure the meeting runs on time including: giving frequent time updates, ample warning of short time, and keeping individual speakers from taking an excessive amount of time. [23] * Empath or ‘Vibe Watch': The empath, or ‘vibe watch' as the position is sometimes called, is charged with monitoring the 'emotional climate' of the meeting, taking note of the body language and other non-verbal cues of the participants.Defusing potential emotional conflicts, maintaining a climate free of intimidation and being aware of potentially destructive power dynamics, such as sexism or racism within the decision-making body, are the primary responsibilities of the empath. [32] * Note taker: The role of the notes taker or secretary is to document the decisions, discussion and action points of the decision-making body. * ter group cohesion and interpersonal connection.

A dramatic way Essay

After the September 11, 2001 attack the civil aviation system of our nation was given a great deal of congressional attention. The Congress enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) on November 2001. The ATSA created the Transport Security Administration (TSA) within the Department of Transportation (DOT). The TSA was entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring security in aviation as well as other modes of transport. This agency hired a number of people for the deployment of both passengers and baggage. Explosives detection equipment was used to check the baggage. The agency is also working on the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS); this would use national security as well as commercial databases in order to identify passengers who could pose risk for additional screening. TSA also initiated a number of programs and research on the use of technology and information in order to advance security. The Transportation Workers Identification Card program is issued to airport workers after a background check has been conducted on them. Biometric indicators have been incorporated in them so that each worker can be positively matched to his or her credential. Though TSA takes pains to see that bombs and other threat items are not carried into the planes by the passengers on their self or in their baggage, areas such as the air cargo security, general aviation security and the airport perimeter security are still vulnerable, the air cargo is vulnerable as very little of the cargo on cargo and passenger planes are screened. Thus TSA has been advised to use a risk management approach to enhance and strengthen the air cargo security. Prior to September2001, screeners who were hired by the airlines very often failed to detect threat objects on passengers or in their carryon luggage. This could be because of insufficient training and a rapid turnover. In most of the airports the turnover exceeded 100 percent, the skilled and experienced screeners were few mainly because of low wages, few benefits and monotonous work. Moreover before September 2001 people entered the secure areas of airports, including the aircrafts as the limiting controls did not work as intended. TSA’s first and foremost responsibility was according to ATSA that of ensuring security in all modes of transportation. The security screening responsibility was also shifted to TSA. Some of the aviation security responsibility such as security of air traffic control and other computer systems remained with FAA. TSA worked to establish itself and worked at meeting the deadlines set forth by ATSA. TSA had 13 employees in January 2002. A year later it had 65,000 employees. TSA had met over 30 deadlines during 2002 to improve the aviation security. Racial profiling against the ‘young muslim male’ seems an awful idea and therefore it ought to be abolished. Still it is argued and even many minority police are of the opinion that it can be used as a statistical tool. It can be a cost effective way to tackle a certain problem e. g. most people committing X belong to Texas, then if there is a reliable way to identify people from Texas, it would certainly reduce the action X. Still it is not ethical even though police argue that they are not taking action based on any race but that they are using race as a factor to identify suspects. This is discrimination by race and religion and when such discrimination meets approval, we start heading down the slope. Besides this the practical problems are also to be met. It certainly antagonizes the group that is being profiled. The young muslim men in America would not like it and might even flare up, and it might irritate them so that they who might have helped in a terrorist investigation might just shrug their shoulders now. Moreover how many people would it affect? Numerous? Muslim looking men hail from Nigerians to Iranians to Indonesians. The muslims of Central Asia often resemble the Chinese and tree quarters of Arab Americans are Christians. It is also to be noted that even if racial profiling isn’t motivated by bigotry, over a period of time it is very likely to cause racial tension. The civilians would view all young Muslims males suspiciously, which would again inflame racial tensions. Therefore in order to preserve racial harmony an extra couple billion dollar get spent, for the security measure, it is still more worthwhile that creating disillusioned youngsters who in their anger might turn terrorists. Sources Jackson Brain A :Aptitude For Destruction: Organizational Learning in Terrorist Groups and its Implications for†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Brower Jennifer L: The Terrorist Threat and its implications for sensor technologies, Prometheus Inc.Newport . RI02840, USA 3. www. wikipedia. org 4.. Kofi Annan, Secretary General, United Nations, Keynote address to the Closing Plenary of the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security March 10 2005 5. Joan Arehart –Treichel; Terrorists’ Motives Arise From Diverse Factors Psychiatric News March 18, 2005, Volume 40, Number 6 6. Lee Tien, Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Counsel, Sep. 27, 2001 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 7. Jenkins, Brian Michael: Countering the New Terrorism (199

Animal Farm And The Russian Revolution Essays - British Films

Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution jonathan chan Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution have many similarities and ideas. The characters, settings, and the plots are the same. In addition Animal Farm is a satire and allegory of the Russian Revolution, George Orwell meant for it to be that way. My essay will cover the comparison between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution. Also it will explain why this novel is a satire and allegory to the Revolution. First of all the characters of the farm have a special role in Russian Revolution. The farm itself represents Russia, with its poor conditions and irresponsible leaders. Napoleon, the mad dictator pig who plays Joseph Stalin in real life. Snowball, the leader who gets betrayed by Napoleon and plays Lenin, Old Major as Karl Marx. And who could forget the others like Boxer, who plays the working class, and Molly as white Russia, and of course Mendez 2 the evil dogs of Napoleon who inspire the role as the secret police of Joseph Stalin. Both the novel and Russian Revolution cover the same ideas because of these reasons. In the Russian Revolution an irresponsible leader name "Nicholas the second" or how people in those days refer to him as "the Czar" was overthrown by a new leader with better ideas and ways to keep Russia alive, he was Lenin! But then he was betrayed by one of his communist comrades, Stalin. Stalin ruled for a great period of time, but everyone knows there is no such thing as immortality, and so he got kicked out too! This time by his own people. In Animal Farm a boar name "Old Major" has a dream about a world where animals rule, there are no differences, all equality, a dream about communism. This same thought applies with the idea of Stalin and his plan in ruling Russia. So when Snowball hears this him and his comrades get ready to attack the government, Mr. Jones (also known as "the Czar"). When he is ov erthrown Snowball becomes the leader and is betrayed by Napoleon. This event is when Stalin kicks out Lenin. Mendez 3 Animal Farm is a great example of a "Political Satire". The novel was written to criticize the totalitarian regimes and particularly Stalin's rule in Russia. In Chapter one its tells how the author, George Orwell, feels about the novel. Also it give reference to the farm and how it relates to Russia. But you can see all the satire in chapter two. It tells how inefficient of the idea "communism" does not work. Human nature can't handle "communism". We are too devious and too demanding for the things we want, we are "bossy". From chapter two to the last chapter shows how the novel is a Satire and in the end has a conclusion that was shown in chapter two. The characters, settings, and plot of Animal Farm is an "allegory" to the Russian Revolution. For example Napoleon symbolizes Joseph Stalin because they are both advocates of the devil and follow an idea of a certain race or species ruling everything. The farm of course is Russia with their bad conditions and no good government. And last of all the plot tells about the same thing, dictatorship never works! Mendez 4 George Orwell has made good points in his novel. I think he's a great and very smart writer because his novel was disguised as a children's novel to a Revolution where if you spoke what you thought about it you would get executed. In conclusion I think Animal Farm is a great novel and not only did I learn about a group of Animals taking over a farm but I learned more about World War one history and Russia's history.

Summary on Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Landslides Assignment

Summary on Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Landslides - Assignment Example It covers the sea beds and is the foundation of land masses. Tectonic plate shifting along fault lines is the primary cause of major earthquakes. However this is not just the sole reason for earthquakes. Localised low intensity and low impact earthquakes also occur frequently everyday at different parts of the world. They are due to the shifting of underlying layer of soil, and are confined only to small localities in cities, town or rural area. Lisbon, 1755: The Lisbon Earthquake: The Lisbon earthquake in the country of Portugal back in the 1st of November 1755 was one of the most ghastly natural calamities in the memory of mankind. Nothing every of such gigantic destructive scale had ever occurred in the near recallable future, swallowing everything from a huge civilisation, to thousands of people, human constructions etc. The Lisbon earthquake due to its sheer magnitude of destruction is till date studied by geologists, seismologists, construction firms and earthquake experts. The natural disaster on the 1st of November 1755 in Lisbon was a combination of two natural disasters: A series of high and medium intensity earthquakes followed by an equally devastating Tsunami, due to the aftershock of the earthquake. The date was November 1st 1755 at 9:30 am, one of the most scared days in the Roman calendar (All Saints’ Day), thousands of devotees and followers had gathered in the innumerable streets and lanes of Lisbon crowding near Cathedrals or flocking towards the smaller churches. The day was crisp and clear and the priest had just begun chanting â€Å"Gaudeamus omnes in Domino, diem festum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  when the cathedrals and churches started to sway and lurch from side to side. The bronze bells began to ring madly and candles toppled from their stands and fell over. Within seconds from the initial ushering of the tremor, it gathered intensity and magnitude, tossing buildings down like match boxes and dislodging large chunks of masonry that fell on fearful worshippers crushing them to their death. The second larger shock came a few seconds later and caused even more damage compared to the first one, razing damaged construction and building to dust, killing thousands. After 90 minutes from the last major shock, three devastating Tsunamis struck the coast of Lisbon one after the other wiping out human settlement along the coast line and leaving nothing but indistinguishable ruins and mangled remains of construction debris and human bodies washed up on the shores. The extensive damage caused by the earthquake triggered a massive fire outbreak in the entire city, initiated by toppled candles and broken hearths, that set flame to the highly combustible wooden buildings. Soon the entire city was engulfed in the violent lashings of flame, charring to death thousands of people and leaving nothing but roasted remains of human property and burnt dead bodies. This was the horrific natural calamity in Lisbon two and a half centuries ago t hat killed tens of thousands of people and scarred the entire city mercilessly with irreversible damage that took centuries to rebuild. San Francisco, 1906: The San Francisco Earthquake: San Francisco was no stranger to destructive earthquakes and fires. It had burnt down 6 times during the years of gold rush in the years 1849 – 1851. This was because most of the building were made of flimsy

Employment law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Employment law - Essay Example The emphasis is on the common law tests used to determine employee status. This is a particularly contentious area in the modern labour markets where the lines between the employed and self-employed are increasingly â€Å"blurred†.3 This paper demonstrates that the common law tests developed to determine the employee status is unsatisfactory and why. I. Significance of Determining Employee Status Initially, the courts treated the employee status as one defined around the concept of master and servant. As a result, during the 19th century, the employment relationship was primarily regarded as one of service in which the emphasis was on the servant’s (employee’s) duty to remain loyal and subservient rather than the master’s (employer’s) duty to â€Å"provide continuing employment.†4 In more recent times the word â€Å"worker† continues to gain currency in legislation and regulations suggesting the modernisation of employee status.5 For i nstance, Section 230(3) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides that: In this Act ‘worker’ (except in the phrases ‘shop worker’ and ‘betting worker’) means an individual who has entered into or works (or, where the employment has ceased, worked under) – (a) A contract of employment, or (b) Any other contract, whether express or implied and (if it is express) whether oral or in writing, whereby the individual undertakes to do or perform personally any work or services for another party to the contract whose status is not by virtue of the contract that or a client or customer of any profession or business undertaking carried on by the individual.6 In other words, the term worker is used interchangeably with the word employee, reflecting the varying forms of employment that can take place in modern times. For instance the individual who works from home may not be under the kind of control that the workplace employee is, but should not be denied employee status.7 The use of the word worker immediately draws attention to the changing nature of the employee status and carries with it the identification of the significance of the employee in today’s labour market. The employee is no longer a servant, but a source of human capital. In this regard, the common law tests for determining the master servant relationship which necessarily flow from the older notion of master and servant, is no longer compatible with modern notions of the employee/employer relationship. There are essentially four primary reasons justifying a more robust test for determining employee status in more recent times. To begin with, the predominance of the contract of employment as a basis for identifying the employee’s status does not take into account the relative inequality of bargaining power between the employee (the weaker party) and the employer.8 These inequities compromise the extent to which the employee may bargain for and ob tain specific benefits under the contract of employment. The fact is, a self-employed worker will obviously be responsible for its own salary and health and safety at work.9 Secondly, the

Buss & Gov Que Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Buss & Gov Que - Essay Example In order to understand the effectiveness of the system approach to innovation, it is significant to review how this system has led to strengthening of innovation in the United States of America. Innovation in the Unites States of America can be viewed as a role of free access to markets, capital, human resources, macroeconomic environment, and industrial structure (Bergek et al 2008, p 408). The Function approach has been used by policy makers in the United States, which in turn has strengthened the tendency of innovation system perspective to open up richer and more difficult innovation policies. In addition, policymakers also use the innovation system approach to define process goals of their interventions in terms of a changed functional pattern in industrial operation. They have done this by explaining the nature of these processes in terms of the outcome of a balance between various inducements and blocking mechanisms. The approach is applied to identify the key policy challenge s that exist. The components of the innovation system are networks, institutions, and actors who contribute to the function of diffusing, developing, and utilizing new products and processes. Although the system calls for collective actions and coordinated action, an innovation system approach is analytical in nature in the sense that it does not focus on how to exist as fully-fledged system. For instance, access to capital is very essential to commercializing output. Some areas in the US have taken longer periods to bring new items to market. Due to this, the availability of funds to fund the commercialization of new technologies is very essential in determining the performance of the business. In addition, the industrial structure in the United States has provided competitive environment where technological innovations can operate. Further, development is often linked with availability of technology developers whose role is to drive development by providing required technologies, resources, markets, and applications. Most industries innovate and improve on new products in order to be competitive. The level of resource mobilization in the United States is strong since it has managed to mobilize human capital through education and training in specific scientific and technological disciplines as well as entrepreneurial, finance and management. There is an association between industries and educational institutions whereby educational institutions offer educational programs that prepare students to venture into business by developing stronger association to the industrial sector via internships, cooperation, and research projects (Bergek et al 2008, p 410). The importance of innovation and diffusion process recommends the generation of positive external economies, which is a key process in the formation, and growth of business. The feature of United States markets and marketing potential has influenced the innovation and diffusion of its business. For instance, it has access to regional, local, and international markets in which it can sell its products. The nature of technological innovation changes with time so as the nature of industrial products and services in that industries and factories manufacture new products based on new and enhanced technology. Therefore, in order for commercialization to be successful like it is in the United States, it is vital to create a conducive surrounding to innovation and

Consideration In Total Quality Environment Essay

Consideration In Total Quality Environment - Essay Example Consideration in a total quality environment is to take care of all employees. It is the duty of the leaders to take care of the needs of their subordinates and to keep them motivated at all levels of management. Consideration is considered very important as it is the key to keep up the spirits of the employees and makes them loyal to the organization. Giving employees a sense of belonging to the organization is very crucial in increasing productivity which in turn increases the sales and profit margins gradually (Gupta & Valarmathi, 178). For this very reason many scholars have formed various models in order to retrench employee motivation through extended consideration like the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Fredrick Herzberg’s motivator – hygiene factors theory. Consideration in the context of Total quality management needs to be implemented at all levels as in total quality control environments the quality of the productivity of all employees has to be in good health and furthermore enhanced. Consideration is not only to take care of employees needs but it also deals with providing them with a vision to work towards as without a given direction employees tend to feel alienated from the organization. To keep employees productive and satisfied they should not only be given monetary benefits but also a set of goals and tasks that have to be accomplished within a given amount of time. This helps the employees to be satisfied with their job as they feel that they are linked with the foremost working aspects of the organization (Wu?stenhagen, 228). Therefore consideration is one of the core elements in total quality management as without proper employee consideration leadership and management an organization will not be able to succeed the qualit y of its productivity, its services and its organization and/or production processes. Consideration is now given a priority even in the organizations which are far from the total quality concept as employees are the backbone and without a strong backbone an organization cannot succeed (Total Quality Management, 312). INITIATING STRUCTURE Initiating structure is to organize the order in which information flows within the levels of the organization and the accountability of an employee to its superior, in simpler context it means getting people organized. It is also the way in which a leader sets and creates expectations for their subordinates and holds the employees accountable. Organizational structure is very important as it is responsible for a smooth flow of decisions, duties, goals and information from the up to downstream of employees. All activities are allocated in the best way to achieve the strategies and objectives of the organization. Initiating structure is to lay down a foundation of operating procedures on which routine tasks are placed and organized. It also helps to define the importance of one individual over another through their position in the organization and also decides which individuals in the organization are responsible for decision making processes. Without a definite structure an organization is more likely to break apart. In a total quality environment it is important to see if the structure of the organization is prominent enough to give the employees a direction and understanding of how things are carried out and how tasks are performed. A lack in the initiation of structure will result in ambiguity of tasks and actions of the employees, noise in the information flow and eventually directly affect the productivity of all employees. Total quality management refers to the improvement of all aspects of the organization to improve productivity on the whole and so without proper initiation of structure the total quality management pri nciple holds no value. CONCLUSION There are two types of leaders one who give importance to consideration and others who consider initiation of structure more important than consideration. Moreover, in several research

Biography of Albert Einstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biography of Albert Einstein - Essay Example Thus Einstein spent only six weeks in his place of birth. The image of Albert Einstein as an intellectual giant does not relate to skills as a kid. He could scarcely talk till the age of three. Taking this disadvantage into consideration, it was not expected that he would become a scientist whom the world would remember and respect for ever. Despite the problem in speaking, Einstein used to be very constructive and creative right from his early childhood. It has been recorded that he was really good in making tall card castles. It was also evident that he was different from his peers and had interests quite varied from that of children of his age. One ideal example of this is that he did not enjoy playing soldier which used to be a very common game amongst children of his age. Interestingly, at the age of twelve he got totally involved in a geometry book (Lewis, 1985). For a boy of this age to get interested in geometry when children of his age played around with toy cars, suggested the extra ordinary scientific aptitude he possessed even early during his childhood. Education The initial days of Albert Einstein’s schooling was done in Munich. He began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium (Lewis, 1985). He was not a bright student at this school. It has also been argued that as a young boy with high aptitude in Science, the school and the syllabus could not be of interest to Einstein. In the autobiography notes of Einstein it has been mentioned that he developed disinterest in the education system and distrust on the educators. However, the fact that Einstein does live up to the academic standards that the school doesn’t mean that he was slow student. It has been recorded in his autobiography that he came up with his own proof for the Pythagoras theory early in the age of 12 (Einstein,1987). Later, in the year 1894, the family business which was run in Munich collapsed. The family was forced to move from Munich. Young Einstein was of fifteen the n. He had to drop out of high school. The family moved to Italy. Einstein took a break from his education for a year as the family was still getting adapted to and settled in Italy. The next year he tried getting into Eidgen?ossiche Technische Hochschule which is the Federal Institute of Technology.. However he couldn’t pass the entrance examination. He then studied for a year in Swiss high School. He graduated from this school in the year 1896 (Lewis, 1985). This qualification further helped him get admitted to Eidgen?ossiche Technische Hochschule. He was not a bright student here in the Federal Institute as well. It has been reported by a number of researchers that Einstein’s teachers didn’t even expect him to pass this course. He continuously tried to organize a University scholarship to support his studies and living expenses. Attributing to the poor academic records all these efforts were turned down by the University. He also tried to get into a job of a h igher secondary teacher along with his studies so that he could manage his living expenses. He was not successful in getting this as well. He successfully graduated from Eidgen?ossiche Technische Hochschule in the year 1900. An analysis of the schooling and education of Einstein suggests that he never had been a bright student. He studies in three different countries including Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Early Years of Work Albert Einstein’s initial days of professional endeavors were unduly in nature. He had to survive with small scale jobs for many years. He had been relying on temporary tutoring and teaching jobs for his survival. Being a mediocre in terms of academic performance, he couldn’

The Challenges of Cash Flow Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Challenges of Cash Flow - Assignment Example This will enable customers to mail payments and checks processed by the bank as quickly as possible. Companies should use one bank to centralize and easily manage their cash. Tightening credit requirements – It is a marketing strategy to extend credit to customers to increase sales. Businesses often have to extend credit to customers, particularly when starting out or growing. Businesses should also scrutinize individual customers to assess the risks related to selling to customers on credit. Additionally, companies should accept credit cards although it will attract a small percentage of interest (Linzer, 2006). Increasing sales – increased sales would defiantly increase cash inflow. In order to achieve this objective, a company should sell more goods to existing customers and get new customers through advertisement of products and services (Jones, 2008). Pricing discounts – discounts on accounts receivable motivate customers to pay early in order to claim the discount offered. This will definitely improve cash inflow. However, this will reduce the firm’s profit margin. A company may delay payments to the suppliers as a counteraction. This must be done with a lot of precaution so as not to affect the firm’s credit rating. Securing loans – bank overdraft or other short-term loans can also be used to solve short-term cash flow problems (Linzer, 2006). A long-term amortized loan is also another way to solve cash flow during financial difficulties but it should sum up principal and interest until the loan is finally settled. Set cash flow targets- proper cash flow projections will enable your firm to properly estimate and project the required cash flow. The use of cash flow analysis tools like use of cash budget and projected cash flow statement are also effective (Jones, 2008). Make payment by your customers as

To talk of a consolidated democracy is a myth. How far do you agree Essay

To talk of a consolidated democracy is a myth. How far do you agree with this statement - Essay Example The research on the practical implications and needs of democracy – as developed in the context of this paper – has led to the assumption that the existence of a consolidated democracy is not feasible; in fact, consolidated democracy should be rather considered as a myth. The above argument is justified in this paper by referring to the forms of democracy in a series of Mediterranean states – France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Malta. The political decisions developed by the governments of these countries in the context of democracy are presented and analyzed using a series of relevant examples. The comparison of these practices with those of USA, another country where democracy has been promoted, has verified the assumption that consolidated democracy should be characterized as a myth; democracy, as introduced in countries worldwide, is a political system incorporating elements of democratic behaviour and values which have been combined with the values and ethics of various political teams in order for specific political interests to be promoted. 2. Democracy – consolidated democracy, characteristics and forms In order to understand the reasons for the non-feasibility of consolidated democracy it would be necessary to refer primarily to the rules and the ethics of democracy as a theoretical framework. Then the concept of consolidated democracy would be explained and analyzed making clear the reasons for which the specific political system is not applicable – in practical terms. 2.1. Theories on democracy Through the decades, different approaches have been used by theorists in order to explain the context and the priorities of democracy as a political system which should be promoted in all countries worldwide ensuring equality and fairness for all people – reference is made to the initial aims of democracy, as included in the theoretical framework of the specific political system. In accordance with Harrison (1995) the k ey rule of democracy would be summarized as follows: ‘the citizen body as a whole meets to decide what to do’ (Harrison 14) – referring to a practice related to the Athenian democracy. On the other hand, Lane & Ersson (2003) notes that a distinction should be made between real democracy (i.e. real life democracy) and the ideal democracy, a concept related to justice (Lane & Ersson 2003). It is explained that the potential existence of democracy in real life can be explored using two important questions: ‘a) what are the conditions for democratic stability and b) what are the outcomes of a democratic regime? (Lane & Ersson 24). It is made clear that the use of the above two questions is helpful in order to realize why democracy is quite difficult to be developed in real life; there can be no ideal social conditions – social turbulences are likely to appear even in countries which social rights and ethics are highly promoted, i.e. social stability cann ot exist – at least not for a long time; on the other hand, the benefits of a democratic regime are quite difficult to be set as a priority by governments worldwide; in this context, it is quite unlikely that the public interest is set above all interests even in countries where the interests of citizens are of high importance for the political decisions. A similar approach can be identified in the

Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Essay Example for Free

Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Essay Over the years, many researchers have dedicated their time and energy to study adolescent alcohol abuse. They have found that there are many factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol abuse. These factors are psychological, environmental, social, and cultural. Not all of these factors play a part in every adolescent who abuses alcohol, but one of these factors is usually present. Psychological disorders have been found in both American, and Taiwan adolescents who abuse alcohol. The health risks of adolescent alcohol abuse are great. Alcohol affects the physiology of a young person. It disrupts the genetics and hormonal balances that are critical in the early development of youngsters. Treatment of alcohol abuse is a great state of change and development. Many therapists, doctors and counselors are trying to incorporate new treatment ideas and methods into the traditional techniques that have been used for years now. It is important to research the factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol abuse because if these factors are detected early, and an adolescent is put into a prevention program the likelihood that they will abuse alcohol will greatly decrease. Psychological Factors. See more:Â  Manifest Destiny essay According to the research, there have been many psychological problems found in adolescents who abuse alcohol. The majority of the research has been done in order to solve the question of whether or not these psychological factors are present before an adolescent abuses alcohol, or after the alcohol abuse has occurred. In the research done by Rhode, Lewinsohn, and Seeley (1996), they used a community sample of 1,507 adolescents between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. The adolescents were classified into the categories of abstainers, experimenters, social drinkers, problem drinkers, and abuse and/or dependent groups. In this study, 373 subjects met the criteria for depression, 15 were bipolar, 93 suffered from manic core symptoms, and 124 had an anxiety disorder (Rhode et al. , 1996). Furthermore, anxiety disorder and depression were psychological disorders that were more prevalent in female adolescents with alcohol abuse than their male counterparts. Males who abused alcohol tended to suffer from antisocial personality disorder. It is believed that females who suffer from anxiety disorder or depression use alcohol as a self-medication to make them feel better. According to Clark, and Bukstein (1998), one form of antisocial disorder known as conduct disorder lead adolescents to act out and seek out new experiences. This is probably the reason why adolescent males with an antisocial disorder turn to alcohol abuse. According to Rhode (et al. , 1996), More than 80% of adolescents with an alcohol use disorder had another psychiatric disorder. (p. 106). In his study, the alcohol abuse tended to follow rather than proceed the psychiatric disorder. From this, it can be concluded that certain psychological disorders such as antisocial disorder, and depression are a factor in adolescent alcohol abuse. Environmental Factors Many studies have focused on the environmental factors that adolescents are exposed to, and how these factors lead to alcohol abuse. The aim of a study performed by Clark, Lesnick, and Hegedus (1997), Was to examine trauma history and other adverse life events in adolescents with alcohol dependence or abuse and to compare them with a sample of community-dwelling adolescents without alcohol use disorder (p. 1746). This study included 256 adolescents between the ages of fourteen and eighteen (Clark et al. , 1997). Adolescents who abused, or were dependent on alcohol reported more traumas then those in the control group. The types of abuse experienced by males and females tended to differ. Females experienced more sexual abuse, and males tended to be victims of violent acts. Both sexual abuse victims, and victims of violent acts showed increased amounts of alcohol use than those adolescents who were not abused in any way. If subjects experienced a number of traumas, they tended to abuse alcohol more than those that experienced only one trauma or no trauma at all. From this study, it can be concluded that trauma and abuse leads to adolescent alcohol abuse. Social Factors A study done on Hispanic and Black adolescents in the New York inner cities concluded that there were indeed social factors that contributed to adolescent alcohol abuse. The study used a sample of 4,874 Hispanic and African American seventh graders. The purpose of the study was to identify the social risk factors that promote adolescent alcohol abuse in Hispanic and African American (Epstein, Botvin, Baker, Diaz, 1999). If an adolescents friends tended to drink on a consistent basis, he/she showed a greater amount of alcohol abuse than those who did not associate with friends who did drink alcohol. Also, family members play a major part in adolescent alcohol abuse. The family is another social factor that contributes to adolescent alcohol abuse. If an adolescent saw their parent consume alcohol, they also tended to abuse alcohol. Parents were not the only family members that influenced adolescent alcohol abuse; siblings also had an influence. If a sibling abused alcohol, the adolescent models this abuse. Their findings were present in both Hispanic and African American adolescents. Cultural factors. In the study done by Epstein and her collogues, cultural differences were also a factor in adolescent with alcohol abuse. According to Epstein (et al. , 1999), Hispanic adolescents consumed more alcohol per drinking occasion and had greater intention to drink in the future than black adolescents. This was true when the models were tested separately for girls and boys (p. 16). The use of alcohol among Hispanics could be due to the fact that it may be a cultural practice that allows an adolescent to identify with their culture. Religion is another cultural factor that plays a role in adolescent alcohol abuse. African American religions consider the consumption of alcohol a sin, so if an African American practices in their religion they are less likely to abuse alcohol than someone who does not practice their religion. However, this was not a factor for Hispanic adolescent alcohol abuse. A final cultural difference may be that more Hispanic adolescents have immigrated to this country in past years than black adolescents have. Therefore Hispanic adolescents have had the added stress of adapting to a new society. In turn Hispanic adolescents turn to alcohol abuse as a way of coping with their increased stress. Taiwan All of the studies mentioned above were performed in the United States. However, there have been studies done in other countries on adolescent alcohol abuse. One study was done on adolescents living in Taiwan. The results were very interesting. Many of the factors that are presents in American adolescents were also found in adolescents living in Taiwan. According to Chong, Chan, and Cheng (1999), Among those successfully interviewed, 411 were males and 363 were females. Their mean age was 15. 23 years (p. 1389). Like American adolescents who abused alcohol, Taiwan adolescents also had psychological factors presents. The most common psychological disorders found in Taiwan adolescents were disruptive behavior disorder, depression, and antisocial disorder. These disorders were also present in American adolescents. Alcoholism and Health Adolescent alcohol abuse is recognized as a major health concern in the United States. According to Arria and Tarter (1991), It is likely that an older adolescents who first consumed alcohol in the preteen years will experience greater alcohol-related medical complications than will an adolescent who has been drinking for a shorter period of time (p. 52). Although the length of time that an adolescent has been drinking is a major factor related to health, it is not the only one. Other factors may include how much alcohol is consumed at one sitting, and just what age the adolescent began to drink. Very heavy drinking may cause accidental injury. And, drinking at an early age may cause gross developmental complications. Arriea and Tarter (1991) noted that many adolescents also experiment with other drugs, while they are under the influence of alcohol. Other drugs may range from marijuana to crack cocaine and LSD. Using alcohol and other drugs combined can cause serious health risks and concerns. One major concern of adolescent alcohol abuse is the effects that abuse has on puberty. The results of the abuse may be most prevalent in the growth of the adolescent. It has been shown in both human and animal studies that alcohol consumption can stunt the physical growth of an adolescent approaching and during puberty. Arriea and Tarter (1991), stated that, normal physical growth is dependent on a complex interaction between genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences (P. 53). Alcohol severely effects this interaction. Treatment Whenever we talk about alcohol abuse with adolescents, we must talk about the treatment. Without proper treatment, the adolescent will end up in the same place over and over again. In the study done by Bukstein (1994), he stated that, treatment for adolescents currently are undergoing rapid changes,? , by reducing their costs and emphasizing less restrictive treatment modalities (p. 298). Many of the longer 28 or 38 day inpatient programs are being transformed into outpatient or partial hospitalization plans. Because these shorter programs have not been around long enough to gather information for testing, it is unable to tell if they are going to have any kind of affect on the adolescents rehabilitation. I feel that these cuts will have a negative effect on the treatment of youngsters. I think that these shorter programs may work for adults, but they will not work well with the adolescents because of the emotional immaturity present in young people. While many researchers believe that traditional treatment programs are the key, there has been some interest in alternative programs. According to Bukstein (1994), many programs are beginning to integrate an array of, family or behavioral treatments, health services, vocational and educational services, and recreational activities in addition to 12-step principles (p.299). This kind of treatment combines traditional 12-step programs with new innovative ideas of reaching the child through various activities. Once again, this kind of treatment is not yet able to be tested because of its immaturity. It will be very interesting to see what kind of affect this treatment will have. Conclusion There are many factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol abuse. These factors may be psychological, environmental, social, or cultural. If these factors were detected in an adolescent at an early age, it could prevent the adolescent form abusing alcohol. Health problems due to heavy alcohol abuse could also be prevented if these factors are detected early enough. Treatment is a crucial part of dealing with an adolescent that is suffering from alcohol abuse. I believe that much research must be done to ensure that methods are being executed properly. There has been some effort to combine new treatment with traditional ones. I believe that this is a good thing. It will be interesting to see if this new treatment will help. References Arria, Amelia M. , Tarter, Ralph E. (1991). The effects of alcohol abuse on the health of adolescents. Alcohol Health and Research World, 15 (1), 52-57. Bukstein, Oscar G. (1994). Treatment of adolescent alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol Health and Research World, 18 (4), 296-301. Chong, M. Y. , Chan, K. W. , Cheng, A. T. A. (1999). Substance use disorders among adolescents in Taiwan: Prevalence, sociodemeographic correlates and psychiatric co-morbidity. Psychological Medicine, 26 (6), 1387-1396. Clark, D. , Lesnick, L. , Hegedus, A. (1997). Traumas and Other adverse life events in adolescents with alcohol abuse and dependence. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 36 (12), 1744-1751. Clark, D. , Bukstein, O. (1998). Psychopathology in adolescent alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol Health Research World 22 (2), 117-121. Epstein, J. , Botvin, G. , Diaz, T. (1999). Impact of social influences and problem behavior on alcohol use among inner-city hispanic and black adolescents. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 60 (5), 595-604. Rhode, P. , Lewinsohn, P. , Seeley, J. R. (1996). Psychiatric comoribidity with problematic alcohol use in high school students. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry 35 (1), 101-109. Adolescent Alcohol Abuse Juvenile Delinquency.

Emigration Essay Example for Free

Emigration Essay Emigration refers to the process of an individual or a group of people living their place of origin or residence country to live in another country. The concept of emigration is very much similar to immigration except for the native country. It is usually used to describe the act and phenomenon that characterizes human movement between establishment states or boundaries. The act of emigration usually occurs for various reasons; some people might decide to emigrate for political, economic as well as social reasons and others for such personal reasons like the desire to find a spouse while visiting another country and in the process emigrating to settle with them in other cases, old couples may decide to move from cold climates in order to settle in warm climates so as to spend the rest of their lives (Terra D. , 2000). This paper is about the benefits and disadvantages of emigration as a process. It also tackles the issues that have been debated on increasing the number of legal emigrants to the United States. Even though the emigration phenomenon has many ups, often, there are a few downs that come with its. Thus, it is important for both the individual and the states concerned to consider these aspects, before the emigration process is complete. In the U. S there has been a recent political heat generated by both the legal and illegal emigrants to America. Various factors like the war on drugs, terrorism, as well as the national deficit have entirely added the momentum to the debate on emigration. It is projects that by 2015, the total population of emigrants in the U. S would be at about 420 million people. The population of the Hispanics who emigrated from Mexico could be at 100 million, which make about 57 percent of the total number of emigrants to U. S. The U. S offers individuals a chance that often change many lives. For example, a large number of intelligence and ambitious persons, who are seemingly dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the mother countries often, bring these skills to America. The net effect by this is that the country of origin usually loses its most skilled personnel through the brain drain process. This will hinder the development progress of the country. On the other hand the country of destination often benefit from this process as it gets to get the best-trained and skilled personnel (Terra D. , 2000). In fact English and other European citizens who risked a great deal of their lives to sail across the sea founded the U. S. The products processed the skilled individuals can help improve the lives o the people in the mother countries who may not hence have had the technology to provide them in spite of the human resource. Emigration also increases the diversity of a country and its population and at the same time expands the culture of the destination country. The multi-ethnic religion languages and cultures is in America is mothered by other nation; the aspect of diversity offers a more tolerant population which is superficially than the indigenous population. It often presents new ideas perspectives music and food, the world of entertainment is often awash with new ideas and different customs among others that were originally not present. The emigrants in most cases take up the low paying jobs that are labor intensive but which must be done all the same and are usually shunned by the indigenous population. Similarly the additional cheap labor that is provided for by the emigrants aids the flexibility of business resulting in affordable prices better quality products as well as higher profits. One of the factors that affect the cost of doing business is labor thus, when most firms are faced with the crisis of doing low skill jobs like cleaning rooms they are bound to raise wages as high as possible so as to meet the demand or eliminate them altogether. Even though the prospect of higher wages sounds good for the employees it often means higher prices or that the business must operate within lower profit margins would translate to lower stock prices and thus less investment in dollar inflow. However the option of eliminating the positions altogether is not a viable one. As for one the business denies individuals the opportunity to employment on positions it can offer and that the service offered will also be of low quality. For instance the quality of food served would be compromised if dishes cannot be properly cleaned. These issues can best be solved if the base of the labor pool is expanded through the legal emigration process being increased (http://www. balancedpolitics. org/immigration. htm). The emigration phenomenon presents individuals who are struggling in their places of origin the chance for a better life. The history of America is built on individuals who emigrated to U. S and in the process sought opportunity, political as well as religious freedom among other various factors. For instance people should pose in the midst of the debate and ask themselves very pertinent questions like whether emigration are of any significance for America and also understand the issue from the perspective of the emigrant for example imagine you were the emigrant who was faced with starvation, detention without trial or risked hanging for practicing a faith that you so much believed in. r worse still you would not afford other basic human rights like expression the right for free education, medical care among others. Faced with this kind of dilemma anyone would opt for any alternative that is able to offer him or her a better chance to live. The United States is built or the backbone or such individuals who have sacrificed much to achieve this. There are equally very pertinent issues that have been rais ed by the opponents of the emigration process. For example the inflow of may emigrants posses the risk of many opportunities for terrorists drug dealers as well as other criminals to gain access to the country legally. As was demonstrated in the 9/11 tragedy most of the perpetrators legally emigrated to US thus, any chance that would increase the opportunities for entering the country only enhances the possibility of having many terrorists and drug dealers. Once they gain entry they have the freedom to wreck have however still the illegal emigrants pose more threat than the legal ones, as there are no proper records to help trace them (http://www. alancedpolitics. org/immigration. htm). There is also the perception that the emigrant particularly the poorer ones often are a burden on the tax payers in terms of healthcare education welfare among others as they consume more than they are able to give. A majority of emigrants to the United States often starts in the job market at very low wages unless they receive additional training. Apparently the tax system makes the provision of keeping low-income earners exempt from being taxed. This often translates to the case where the level of government resources needed for social security welfare healthcare and other activities like unemployment compensation among others will heavily be increased on the groups on a large that either pays very little or no taxes at all The other issue that is often raised in this debate is that the National identity of the Americans as well the language is slowly disappearing when for instance the debate on the issue of emigrants hotel up, there were numerous protests anti American slurs and Spanish version of the American anthem. This does not auger well for national cohesion, as people would be pulling apart in classes like race, tribes, and religion among others. The other problem that is presented by the emigrants is that less skilled American citizens will continue to earn less and at the same opportunities for this group will diminish as they are in competition with the emigrants. Thus, if the government pumps in more people seeking job opportunities, the amount of opportunities for work decreases. In addition the laws of economic supply as well as demand would certainly push the wages paid to the workers down further than they would be. However with a committed government policy and economic growth some of these fears can be eliminated. In effect the act by the government to decrease or altogether eliminate the chance of legal emigration to the U. S will only serve to create a strong desire for more people to entry the country illegally, Which will eventually result in less assimilation and at the same time fewer taxpaying as well as law abiding citizens in America (Fitzgerald D. , Waldinger R. , 2004 ). Many people have emigrated from their countries to America as the prospect of having a real chance of bettering their lives their children or family. Majorities of the people who have emigrated to American have often been characterized as those who would do all in their capacity just to gain access whether legally or not. This has forced illegal emigrants to often hide. As such they will not formally attend America schools, file tax returns like the rest of the citizens or any other typical activities that Americans undertake. Besides if they are able to break the law by gaining entry in to the country illegally there is no guarantee that this act will stop once they come to America. Consequently the legal emigrants and in particular those that plan to permanently settle in the U.  S are and must pay taxes and will most likely go to school to learn like the rests of the American population. Similarly since they are legally in America, they are less likely to hide and will easily assimilate with the rest of the prospect of losing national identity, language and culture. Finally they can also engage and earn the right to vote and at the same time participate in the political process which basically means they are able to develop a decision making stake in shaping the future of America. Therefore emigration as a process has much to offer for both the country of origin and the designate one.

Watawala Plantations Plc Is A Pioneer Tea Plantation Marketing Essay

Watawala Plantations Plc Is A Pioneer Tea Plantation Marketing Essay The proper application and implementation of a strategic marketing plan is essential to the success of any business. A company can have a perfect product, but without proper placement, identifying an audience and a marketing plan appropriate activity would not be able to market its products to consumers. Watawala Plantations PLC was able to convert an activity performed in the home of commercial success through the implementation and respect of its strategic intentions. The company was able to convince consumers that the store offers more than just tea, but rather a rich experience they should have on a recurring basis. The company was able to translate this consumer experience of its products for an extremely lucrative. This strategic marketing plan will discuss the marketing strategy implemented by Watawala Plantations PLC, and evaluate the plan of the company in the current marketing strategies including market segmentation, targeting strategies, positioning, the competitive environment, and various other factors that affect its marketing strategy including external macro environmental forces. 1.0 Introduction Today in the rapidly changing corporate arena one of the frequently spoken subject is becoming the Strategic Market Planning and many expensive reference materials can be commonly seen in bookstores, libraries and via online sources. But what exactly is Strategic Marketing Plan, how to assess the external macro environment? What are the impacts of political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors have on developing Strategic Marketing Plan? These are some of the common questions to be answered. Without a clear strategy the organization is like a ship without a rudder, going around in circles. This strategic marketing plan prepared to Watawala Plantations PLC is essential for the newcomer Oolong tea to the market. Oolong Tea is an innovative product that is close to the tea and black tea, and this product can be a cleaner body. This strategic marketing plan will discuss the marketing strategy implemented by Watawala Plantations PLC. It is very much evident, that the strategic marketing plan for Watawala Plantations PLC has been successfully completed after gaining a substantial understanding from the various reliable sources where the information have been gathered. I strongly feel that the information that I have provided in this strategic marketing plan will definitely satisfy the assessment criteria. Last but not the least I wish to mention that, at the best of my knowledge, Ive acknowledged all the sources which I did refer to complete this strategic marketing plan. 2.0 Watawala Plantations An Overview 2.1 Company Background Watawala Plantations PLC is a pioneer tea plantation and marketing company in Sri Lanka. This is a listed company is a joint venture with the legendary Tata Group, which owns the No. 1 tea brand in Britain Tetley. Today Watawala plantations PLC has undertaken the management of selected 18 prime tea estates in all elevations of low-rise, medium-and high-grown along with a pair of rubber plantations, and the Sri Lankas only palm oil factory and employs over 15,000 people. With the joint venture in Tata Tea India, Watawala Plantations PLC has accepted the challenge of converting trade and productivity in to competition. The unique advantage of three diversified namely crops, tea, rubber and Palm has made the company to move in different directions in terms of involvement with the daily life of people in Sri Lanka. Total area of plantations is divided region 12,442.13 hectares, of which 41% is the tea, rubber is 18% and 8% less for the cultivation of oil palm. About 7% is separate for firewood and the rest is uncultivated and remains as the areas of conservation, forestry, spices, vegetable cultivation, jungle, buildings, roads, etc. 2.2 Mission, Vision Corporate Values 2.2.1Mission Statement According to David (1995, p.88) a business mission can be classified as the foundation for priorities, strategies, plans, and work assignment. In other words it can be said as the starting point for the design of managerial jobs and, above all, for the design of managerial structures. A mission statement which focuses on a businesss current activities reveals the long-term vision of an organization in terms of what it wants to be and whom it wants to serve. The Mission Statement of Watawala Plantations PLCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By the year 2015 we will get closer to our end user locally and internationally by: Adding value to our products (tea, rubber, palm oil) Being committed to producing quality products Using our own brand Fully utilize the technological advancements and land resources in an eco-friendly manner To respect and understand the community in which we do business Celebrate the diversity and the power of our people While continuing toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, Be the preferred supplier in tea, rubber, palm oil globally Enhance return to our shareholders 2.2.2 Vision A strategic vision concerns a firms future business path that is where we are going. Companys vision defines the desired or intended future state of an organization or company in respect of its basic objectives. Vision is a long-term; sometimes describing how the organization wants the world must stay where it operates. The primary role of a companys vision is to establish a dream to all its employees and stake holders to achieve the companys corporate goals. The Vision Statement of Watawala Plantations PLCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We will take a path no one has walked before and many will want to follow 2.2.3 Core Values Watawala Plantations willà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Ensure that our business is always customer focused and that we continuously strive to meet their demands with the highest level of service. Be committed to offering the highest quality products at all times to our customers globally. Recognize and motivate our employees who are the live wire of the organization, to achieve their fullest potential and provide equal opportunities regardless of gender, religion, race or colour to excel in their work. Value transparency and honesty in everything we do. Contribute positively to the long term sustainability and development of the external community and the environment we operate in. Be innovative and strive for continuous improvement in whatever we do. Recognize that our shareholders are of utmost importance to us and ensure the best possible returns to them. 3.0 Product Description Oolong Tea There are hundreds of different varieties of tea made from tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, but almost all of them is divided into three broader categories which are respectively black teas, which are fully oxidized before drying a careful fermentation process, green tea is dried quickly, while non-oxidized oolong, which is somewhere in the middle and combine the best features of both. Oolong is partially fermented (semi-fermented) tea, which is known for its rich taste and pleasant lasting aftertaste. Oolong is classified as black or dark green tea which is baked longer than Green Oolongs. Green Oolong is usually smells stronger as Dark Oolong is usually has a stronger aftertaste. Special oven baked Oolong is only an intermediate dark green. 4.0 Construction of SWOT A Situational Analysis According to David (2004, pp.156-158) no organization is equally strong or weak in all its functional areas. Objectives and strategies are established with the intention of capitalizing upon internal strengths and overcoming weaknesses. The overall evaluation of a companys strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are called as the SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is used as a framework to help the firm to develop its overall corporate, marketing, or product strategies. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors, which are controllable by the company. Whereas, Opportunities threats are external factors tend to be uncontrollable by the organization. The SWOT analysis of the Watawala Plantations PLC can be illustrated as follows: Strengths Uniqueness of the product Benefits of product are outstanding and not offered by any other product/company. Brand awareness High quality tea High quality service Expertise on the tea business Entrepreneurial spirit and commitment Complete and broad trained staff Opportunities Can open new lines of business Mass market tea prices will stabilize Consumers are living a more healthy lifestyle Consumers prefer quality products that offer true value Modern technology in the tea industry will be able to increase productivity Growth in tea market due to promotional efforts of healthy attributes of tea Threats Seasonal demand Misperception of tea consumption Competition from coffee shops Limited number of raw materials Unstable tea supply of high quality tea High quality tea prices will increase moderately Tea market is very competitive and relative elastic where strong local competitors such as Lipton, Bogawanthalaweà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. SWOT ANALYSIS Weaknesses Budget deficits Less access to modern technologies with to Oolong tea manufacturing process 5.0 Marketing Objectives All businesses, as a rule, need to set objectives on their own, for the products or services they intend to launch. Setting objectives are important; because they focus on specific aims over a period of time and can motivate the staff additionally to meet the set objectives. The marketing intention Watawala Plantations PLC is to grab a 10% market share and to achieve a sales volume worth of SLR 2,500,000 during the current year 2011. 6.0 Market Segmentation, Target Market and Positioning 6.1 Market Segmentation An organization cannot satisfy the needs and wants of all consumers. To do so, may result in a massive drain in company resources. Segmentation is simply the process of dividing a particular market for a good or service into sections, which display similar characteristics or behavior. There are a number of segmentation variables that allow an organization to divide their market into homogenous groups. There is no single way to segment a market. A good marketer has to try different segmentation methods, either alone or in combination, in order to view the market structure clearly. Segmentation can be categorized in to four major variables. They are geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. It has to be clearly understood that Watawala Plantations PLC has utilized the demographic segmentation variable to divide the market. In demographic segmentation, the market can be divided in to groups such as age, gender, income, family size, family life cycle, occupation, education, race, religion, generation, nationality and social class. But here Watawala Plantations PLC going to consider only the first three groups from the demographic variables as described above. It is very much evident that in particular, the demographic segmentation variables have been chosen because of two reasons. One is that, customer wants, preferences, and usage rates are often associated with demographic variables and the other is that the demographic variables are easier to measure. 6.2 Target Market Target Market is the specific group of customers that a company aims to capture. They have been identified as the people with needs or wants that can be met with the products or services from the company. When evaluating the market segments, Watawala Plantations PLC must look at three major factors. They are segment size growth, segment structural attractiveness, and companys growth. Considering these aspects Watawala Plantations PLC has decided its target group as anybody who is interested in good quality tea. Mass market is the strategy of the company aiming to sell their product to broad market in Spain. 6.3 Positioning After an organization has selected its target market, the next stage is to decide how it wants to position itself within that chosen segment. A products position is the complex set of perceptions, impressions, and feelings that consumers hold for the particular product compared with the competing products in the market. As marketers, Watawala Plantations PLC not only plan positions that gives our products the greatest advantage in selected target markets, but also we design marketing mixes to create these planned positions. Therefore Watawala Plantations PLC is going market its Oolong Tea under its renowned positioning theme THE ART OF TEA 7.0 Macro Environmental Analysis PEST Factors According to David (2004, p.114) the purpose of an external audit is to develop a predetermined list of opportunities that could benefit the firm and threats that should be avoided. The Relationship between Key External Forces and an organization can be illustrated as follows: Therefore while formulating business strategies, Watawala Plantations PLC should be able to respond towards the external macro environmental factors in order to take the maximum advantage of external opportunities or that minimize the impact of potential threats. PEST analysis is a framework used to scan the external macro-environment, in which a firm operates. It is an important aspect to a company, in order to begin the marketing process. The following gird represents the analysis of the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors Watawala Plantations PLC has to consider before deciding either Germany or Australia would be potential market to expand the fruity malt loaf product. The grid below examines the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors with regard to the potential impact and its relative importance towards Watawala Plantations PLC. PEST Analysis Factors Potential Impact Relative Importance Political Factors Strict trading policies Medium Important Funding grants Medium Unimportant Local pressure groups High Unimportant Government policies High Important Political influence High Important Economic Factors Economic structure Command Economy prices are determined by the government Important Taxation issues Total tax rate is 64% on Profit Critical Interest rates 3.0% Important Inflation rates 9.4% Important Socio-cultural Factors Consumer attitudes High Critical Consumer opinions High Critical Media views High Important Brand image High Important Buying access and trends High Critical Health consciousness High Critical Religious factors Medium Important Technological Factors Technology development High Important Research funding Medium Important Recycling systems Medium Important 8.0 The Marketing Mix 4Ps To achieve the marketing objectives, the company has to use the marketing controllable elements (4Ps) effectively. A company might adopt one or more marketing strategies when introducing a product newly. It can set a high or low-level trend for each of its marketing variables, such as price, promotion, distribution, and product quality. Therefore, the key elements of the marketing mix namely product, price, place (distribution) and promotion have to be utilized Watawala Plantations PLC as follows: 8.1 Product A good Oolong tea is refreshing and delicious; the Oolong spectrum has a range of aromas and tastes quite different from what you get with green or black tea. It is difficult to obtain reliable figures on the caffeine content, but its probably not entirely wrong to say that the cup of Oolong average, well mixed, has about half as much caffeine as a cup of black tea and about half again as much as a cup of green tea. The difference mainly comes from the brewing temperature, not the composition of the tea itself. Although Oolong has the characteristics of black and green tea, the taste has little in common. If not overcooked, most Oolong seems almost no trace of bitterness, and generally a stronger aroma than any black or green tea. Like other tea, Oolong is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. These help prevent cancer, keep your heart healthy and aid general well-being. 8.2 Price Price can be simply defined as the amount of money charged for a product or a service provided. A companys pricing decisions are affected either by internal factors relating to the company or external environmental factors or both. The major external environmental factor, which is going to affect the pricing decision, of Watawala Plantations PLC depends on the competitors costs, prices and their possible reactions in relation to the price fixing modes of Watawala Plantations PLC. A consumer when deciding to purchase our Watawala Plantations PLCs Oolong Tea, at the first instance evaluate the price and value of other products, which compete with Watawala Plantations PLCs products. Considering these pricing factors Watawala Plantations PLC should to apply the market penetration pricing strategy, meaning, to fix a low initial price at the introduction stage, in order to penetrate the market successfully at the outset. This is due to the fact that, it is an ideal pricing strategy which can be applied with success at the introductory stage itself, to attract a large number of buyers quickly and effectively so as to win a large market share, in a short period of time. Upon successful launch of Oolong tea, Watawala Plantations PLC can adapt skimming strategy. 8.3 Place (distribution) The distribution modes will cover all areas and all consumers coming under the target group. This is certain as the popularity grows with the demand. A competent distribution strategy will enhance the chances of attaining the goal with easy reach. Through maintaining proper contacts and application of the experience and specialization in the trade and through insuring a steady supply of goods without shortages the reach is assured with satisfactory results. Over the appointment of distributors and agents for the purpose of popularizing the product, requirements and competence in promotion, experience, market familiarity in relation to the productsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. In addition to the distributors, a careful consideration will be given towards selecting the distribution strategy. In this case an intensive distribution strategy will be utilized where it is expected to bring in quick and satisfactory results. 8.4 Promotion Promotion is one of the key elements in the marketing mix. The intention now is to inform, persuade and to familiarize Oolong tea to the market and to popularize it. In this regard sales promotion and pre publicity are two areas, which are related to public relations. To target the group, pre publicity is essential via the media namely the electronic and the print. It is through proper and efficient advertising methods, the target group mainly the consumers would be reached easily which we intend to employ. The channels, which we hope to utilize both in TV and Radio in addition to the press, will be chosen based on their popularity and result-oriented methods adopted. In this regard a careful consideration would be given to economize the expenditure for the promotion purpose. In addition to the above method e-marketing strategy will also be utilized via social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook. YouTubeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. 9.0 Proposed Marketing Budget A financial plan will be carried out since the initiation of the strategic marketing plan in order to determine the total amount of capital needed for each marketing related activity and to be completed within stipulated investment limit, which allows the marketing manager to measure the past with the forecasts actually spent during the project. Figure A illustrates the proposed marketing budget for Watawala Plantations PLC. Figure A Description Amount (SLR) Amount (SLR) Estimated Sales 10,000,000 (-) Estimated Expenses Raw Materials 500,000 Sales Distribution 400,000 Financial Expenses 200,000 HR Administrative Expenses 150,000 Production Cost 1,450,000 Promotional Expenses (posters, banners, advertisementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc.) 4,500,000 Transportation 300,000 Estimated total expenses (7,500,000) Estimated profit 2,500,000 10.0 Evaluation and Control When involving in introducing a new product into the market, it becomes necessary to plan the overall operation in advance, in addition to budgetary provision to carry forward the objective. The controlling and monitoring aspects are two areas, which need constant attention. Any deviation will tend to upset a proper implementation of this strategic marketing plan. Therefore the following action plan can be utilized by Watawala Plantations PLC in order to evaluate and control the strategic marketing activities. Marketing Strategy Action Responsibility Control and Evaluation Methodology Marketing Communication Campaign Advertisement on TV, internet, radio, newspapers, ad campaigns on the streets Marketing Managers, Marketing Executives Monthly Sales Figures Marketing Promotion Campaign Set Up Special Stand for Personal Selling Marketing Managers, Sales managers, Counter staff Supervisors Count Customers and Monitor Sales per Month Organize Promotional Event Major Cities Marketing Managers, Supervisors, Hostesses Count Participants Promotional offers e.g. free gifts with purchase Marketing Managers, Production Managers Produced Output Figures Distribution of Free Samples to Customers At cash point Marketing Managers, Cashiers, Supervisors Count Customers

Cultural Differences Between Hong Kong and the U.S. Essay -- American

Cultural Differences Between Hong Kong and the U.S. Hong Kong has been one of the most prosperous cities in the world for many years. The idea of Hong Kong being returned to China was frightening many Hong Kong people in the early 80s, but the handover turned out to be a memorable moment for most of the citizens. Today, Hong Kong is no longer a colony of Britain and Chinese are holding most of the top positions in the government. Not only the political and economic issues have been changed a lot, but also the school system has. Before 1997, most subjects at schools were taught in English. Although it has been hard for students to learn materials with their second language, they have been pushing themselves to move along with it. However, after Hong Kong was returned, many of the secondary schools had been forced by the Chinese government to change almost all the subjects to Chinese. It is true that the contents of the books would be more understandable for the students, but the sad thing was that everything would be changed back to En glish at universities, which would course a pain for the students. Also, the studying style in Hong Kong is different from the one in the United States. Most of the people in the U.S. pay more attention to the process while Hong Kong students mostly focus only on the result of the courses. In average, students in Hong Kong usually do not have much work to do between the first day and the final two weeks of a semester, but they will put al...

differences in buying and leasing :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Buying and leasing are two very different approaches to obtaining a vehicle while both have their advantages and disadvantages both can also benefit the purchaser. There are many differences between the two but the primary difference is with buying money is paid to own the vehicle and with leasing money is paid to use the vehicle. According to the site www.towtrucknet.com/financing.htm, of the 15.5 million new vehicles sold in 1998 a record 5.3 million were leased. The three main differences are payments/price,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   depreciation value, and valuable differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monthly payments and the money put down play a big roll in obtaining a vehicle. Buying requires a down payment in the form of trade or cash whereas leasing requires little or no down payment. Monthly payments are based on the purchase price of the vehicle if bought, but if leased payments are based on the use of the vehicle. Although if leasing, the payment terms are incredibly shorter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vehicle depreciation also varies with a purchase or a lease. If someone is buying, the tax deduction will equal the full depreciation of assets per the I.R.S. schedule. If leasing it is optional to buy out the lease at the end of the term, rather than go by the I.R.S. schedule. With buying, the finance period can extend beyond the warranty period, unless warranty options are added. In contrast, with leasing, the warranty will last for the full term of the finance period no matter what.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The valuable differences in the two make the decision a lot easier. Like stated earlier the main difference is with buying, money is paid to â€Å"own† the vehicle with leasing money is paid to â€Å"use† the vehicle. If buying insurance companies are very flexible however if leasing insurance companies are more complex. More miles can be put on a car if it is bought, like as many as 500,000 if the owner wishes. Conversely, only 12,000 miles a year are available on the average with a lease program. Not only can newer vehicles be bought more often with leasing, but also more and better vehicles for the price. Large amounts of money are paid out to own the vehicle, whereas with leasing the payments are smaller.

Reading, Writing and Children’s Literacy Essay -- Education, Language,

In order to assist children in their education, educators must have a vast knowledge of various text types and how children will learn most effectively the components of each text type as well as when and where to use them within society. As educators, we need to constantly be aware of how we can support students to use language in order to learn effectively. The purpose, structure and language features of all the various text types are essential components of an educators understanding of the subject in order for them to educate students. Halliday’s functional approach to language as well as a much broader understanding of the socio-cultural approach to language is crucial to take into consideration when planning programs to educate students about language and text types. The purpose of writing to socialise is to help writers maintain or improve relationships. It is frequently used to explain, advise, request and describe events, experiences and information important to the writer. Different text forms used to socialise include thank you notes, greeting cards, invitations, social sites, emails and letters. These forms of writing can be formal or informal in tone, depending on the relationship between the writer and the audience. This particular text type is used help to share information important to the writer, there may be an assumed knowledge of some of the content included and information is generally written as the writer would speak. The structure and language features of this particular text type vary greatly according to the purpose and audience, but generally each will contain first and second person pronouns, specific participants, questions or statements. Concise language is used as well as simple past tense re... ...ate fully in the society in which they live. Educators must ensure students have a deep understanding of writing as a social construct and provide students with opportunities to practice using language as a social tool so as they can express themselves with confidence. Works Cited Emmitt, M., Zbaracki, M., Komesaroff, L., Pollock, J. (2010). Language & learning: An introduction to teaching (5th ed.). South Melbourne VIC: Oxford university press. Steps professional development. (2005). First steps: Writing resource book (2nd ed.). Belmont WA: Author. Win Jan, L. (2009). Write ways: Modelling writing forms (3rd ed.). South Melbourne VIC: Oxford university press. Winch, G., & Ross Johnston, R., & March, P., & Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literacy (4th ed.). South Melbourne VIC: Oxford university press.

How did the Nazis use conditions of the time to establish popularity? Essay

The rise of the Nazi which began in January 1933 and eventually took over Germany still amazes many. Some historians relate this to the rise of Hitler, who was able to mobilize many people through his lies and alluring speeches, others speak of the god of the Nazi propaganda who was able to capture the German society, but still this does not give a total explanation of how the Nazi were eventually able to capture the German political customs. This is why William Sheridan Allen in his book, The Nazi Seizure of Power, uses Thalburg, a town in Germany, to elaborate what happened politically at the local level, which led to such a hasty rise and turn around of events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To Allen, Thalburg offered such an ideal place for the Nazi owing to its passive involvement in politics. It was a local town and the population did not understand the intentions of the Nazi. While the Nazi were busy organizing themselves at the local level of the town, the Social Democratic Party was unable to form a stand on the issue and the rest of the population did not understand what the Nazi intended to achieve; all these taking place amidst a harsh political and economic depression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Thalburg, political activities were mainly speechmaking. The Nazi held their rallies in the Cattle Auction Hall. The rallies presented various ideas which were intended to show the rest of the people that the Nazi believed in the ideas they preached. They were young, dedicated and patriotic to their ideas. In the elections of 1930, the Nazi held more rallies and the halls were often full. They managed to attract new 800 voters to their party and stole 1000 votes from other parties. This increased their popularity and ushered in a new face of their campaign efforts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Social Democratic Party on the other hand, had powers to do what the Nazi were doing. They held rallies in a much bigger hall, but what they failed to do according to Allen is that, they failed to recognize the Nazi as a political threat since it was based at the local level. Also, they lacked a stand as to whether they were reformers or adherers to the status quo, which they needed in order to attract the middle class voters. They failed to realize that by trying to beat the Nazi at their own game, they scared the people away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people blamed the SDP of not being radical enough; hence they opted for the Nazi. The SDP therefore lost by trying to oppose rather than coming up with more sensible ideologies that would counter the Nazi. During the presidential elections in 1932, the Nazi’s popularity rose further. They rented out the hall for eight running days, held very successful rallies and their campaigns totally destroyed any opponents of Hitler. According to Allen, â€Å"This was an example of Nazi agitation and organizational ability at its best.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The German people were oblivious to the intentions of the Nazi. What they expected when they voted for Nazi, was change. They had no idea that they would legitimately bring to power a man who would later lead to the largest war in history, and a genocide of six million people and affect the economy of the world. They voted for peace although they had no idea of the kind of change that was forthcoming. Therefore the Nazis were able to rise into power swiftly amidst a nation that was trying to stabilize from a brutal war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to an article http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/etc/20/FC134, Adolph Hitler was born 1889, in Australia. He served the German army with merit and enjoyed the war and the solidarity of the army. He served as a reservist after the war, spying on other political parties to ensure that they did not add more chaos to the already concluded war. One such party was the National Socialist or the Nazi. It fascinated Hitler due to its racism ideas, which he soon joined. He had a talent in speech making which attracted more crowds to the Nazi gatherings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the war was over,Germany was still unstable. There were political struggles as well. A major problem occurred especially when they printed huge sums of money to support a strike against French troops. When they failed to account for the money, a series of inflations were inevitable. The Germans felt let down by a few inferiors and this gave room for the rise of the Nazi in the early 1920s, prompting Hitler to overthrow the government in 1923. It earned Hitler a good deal of publicity as a national hero defending German honor against domestic hostility and foreign embarrassment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The higher tariffs that came as a result of the war raised international tension and Hitler used this as a tool for the Nazi to gain popularity. The war had also created an unstable economy that largely depended on financial support from the United States. The stock market dragged Germany down and many Germans were unemployed. This played right into Hitler’s hands. Through the democratic process, he would gain power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Nazi took advantage of these factors. The Brown shirts, the Nazi thugs, started riots with opposing groups especially the Communists, but instead blamed the Communists for the instability and riots. This embarrassed the government for failing to maintain law and order, at the same time portraying the Nazi as the perpetrators of peace and order. They also gave out free food and made festivities to show that they were nice concerned Germans who held huge rallies to demonstrate their popularity and to obtain support from many more Germans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1932, Hitler became the prime minister. He used his political power, propaganda and lies to divide his opponent parties, destroying them one by one. He then called for new elections, hoping to win more seats for the Nazi. In order to scare people further into supporting the Nazi, they burned down the parliament and blamed the Communists for it. Hitler therefore was able to suspend civil rights and arrest the Communist leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He eventually eliminated the government as well as the democratic process, and instead established the Enabling Act, which gave him power for four years, which was plenty time to gain power in Germany. With the brown shirts threatening the crowds, the law was passed and henceforth Hitler’s dictatorship was evident. He was able to disband all his political rivals and through dictatorship, it was impossible to legally accuse the Nazi of injustices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the contrary, it is bizarre how a small party, despite its ingenuity could manage to convince the majority vote, in a conservative manner, when a nation was trying to recover from economic and political upheavals. There was also the inability to discover the Nazi threat and stop it from electoral dominance. Maybe it was possible in Thalburg, due to its inability to conceptualize the problem correctly. As much as the SDP was not powerful at the local level, still it had power nationally and should have maximized its power to identify the threat that lay ahead, because it is the abuse of power rather than the electoral victory at Thalburg that managed to seal the fate of Germany. But according to Allen, local factors played a major role in creating a dictatorial government in Germany. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a democratic regime, it is quite hard to separate the sovereign variables that lead to victory in elections. This is even worse when most of the parties use the same tactics in their campaigns. Allen does not answer the question how or why German elected Hitler and not someone else. However, he elaborates how vigorous local level politics can contribute to adverse effects in a given nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There could be a number of reasons why Germany went along with the madness of that period. Hitler was sly and could easily win the people’s confidence using tempting promises. This way he was able to counter all his opponents at the face of the people. He used propaganda to make people believe that they were absolutely under no threat at that time. This deceived the people of the truth, until much later when it was already too late to save the situation they had gotten themselves into. Finally, Hitler’s approach temporarily restored a bit of national pride, relieving some misery, but in return the people had to pay a huge price for this temporary bit of comfort. Still, as Allen would put it, we should not just watch the steps of one mad man, rather the delusions we take to the polls ourselves when exercising the right to choose our leadership. Works Cited William Sheridan Allen, The Nazi Seizure of Power: the experience of a single German town http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/etc/20/FC134