Religious Education Coursework Assignment Essay

COURSEWORK QUESTION: a) (i) What is Hajj? (ii) Describe and explain why a Muslim would take part in Hajj and what this involves [40] b) (i) Explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim. (ii) What difficulties might there be for a Muslim performing Hajj? (iii) How might participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? [35] c) â€Å"A true pilgrimage is really a journey within.† Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer. [25] A (i)Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah, a Muslim-only city. Tourists aren’t welcome to Makkah; Hajj is for Muslims to get closer to God and isn’t meant to be a tourist attraction. It is the duty of every healthy and financially stable Muslim to complete Hajj once in their lifetime. It is a deeply spiritual journey for the millions of Muslims who complete Hajj every Muslim year, between 8 and 13 Dhul-Hijjah – the final month. Some Muslims may prefer to visit Makkah on a pilgrimage at another time in the year, but this is not considered as important as Hajj, and is called Umrah. Because so many Muslims want to experience Hajj for the first time, those who have done it before often do Umrah instead. Hajj is the fifth of the five pillars of Islam; the basis of the religion. It is meant for the sane and mature Muslim mind, and it is usually considered an honour to die during one’s Hajj, as it is widely believed burial in the city of Makkah will bring Muslims clo ser to their God, and is a good indication of their dedication to Islam. A (ii)Hajj is widely considered essential in order to be a devout Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam which are the biggest and main requirements of the religion. It is considered that Hajj is something of a ticket to heaven in the afterlife. The pilgrimage is to show ones self to Allah, and let him be the judge of character. With a good Hajj comes a peaceful afterlife and paradise. It is not just a physical practice, for true meaning a pilgrim must enter a whole new mindset and way of living, at least for the days of Hajj. This was of living is called Ihram, and is the first obligatory rite of Hajj. All men must wear two white unhemmed sheets so that all look alike, and wealth, age and status in general is not even considered. Whilst in Ihram, Muslims should not argue, swear, kill (even insects!) or participate in a sexual relationship even accompanied by husband or wife. Ihram creates an equilibrium and purity for Hajj. It unites every pilgrim and crates a pure mental canvas solely ready to think about nothing but God. The physical part of Hajj is all about recreating significant and very old events in Islam. First the pilgrims all run or walk quickly around the Ka’bah seven times, if close enough they will touch or kiss it. They then pray close to the Ka’bah, near Maqam Ibrahim. Next the Muslims rush between Marwah and Safa, two hills; seven times. The hills are linked now by a corridor for convenience and safety. After doing this, the pilgrims must make their way to the plain of Arafat, around 20km from Makkah. The pilgrims stand under the sun from midday until sunset praying to Allah, and asking for forgiveness. After this the pilgrims go to Muzdalifah to pray, collect stones and camp overnight. In the morning the pilgrims go to Mina to throw seven stones at three walls. After stoning the walls pilgrims make a sacrifice, often through companies nowadays. The sacrificed animal is the either frozen for future use or given to the poor Muslim community to eat. Men then shave their heads, and women cut off a lock of hair, usually a small amount; a few centimetres or a quarter. Muslims are then allowed to exit Ihram, changing into their normal clothes. They camp at Mina for three nights, and then return to Makkah to walk around the Ka’bah once again. They then drink water from the ZamZam well and their Hajj is complete. They are then a male Hajji, or a female Hajjah. B (i)Carrying out the actions of Hajj is not meaningful without a proper understanding for the ideas behind each procedure. It is all about representing the past and having empathy for Muhammad (PBUH), Ibrahim his son Ismah’il and others. The Ka’bah is a cube-shaped building supposedly first constructed for God by the first man Adam. It was washed away in Noah’s time, but Ibrahim and his son Ismah’il rebuilt it. It is covered in a black cloth called kiswah with verses of the Qu’ran stitched into it. The Ka’bah is rebuilt on the same foundations by the same method when it needs to be, and the cover is re-made every year, after it is cut up and given to some lucky pilgrims as a memento of their journey. The Ka’bah is the very first house of God and many prophets have visited it. It is for this reason that pilgrims feel such closeness and representation to God when they visit it during Hajj. Tawaf is the circling of the Ka’bah seve n times. To begin, the pilgrims can kiss the Black Stone al-hajar-al-aswad or just raise their hands towards it (on the east corner of the courtyard) and recite a prayer. After this the Pilgrims rush around the Ka’bah seven times to represent the fact that their lives revolve around God. It is the first thing that the pilgrims do when they arrive in Makkah. Tawaf is the second rite of Hajj, after Ihram, mentioned earlier. The second event is called the sa’i, where pilgrims rush between the hills Marwah and Safa, to show perseverance and patience. This is what Ibrahim’s wife Hajar did as she desperately searched for aid as her and her thirsty son came close to death in the desert. This part of Hajj can be very tiring and difficult under the blazing sun, despite there being a modern corridor built especially for sa’i. Hajar’s patience was rewarded by God with a spring of water that appeared at her son Ismah’il’s feet, which was named the ZamZam well; today it is in the courtyard of the great Mosque in Makkah. Sa’i is not a compulsory part of Hajj but is usually included in the pilgrimage, and has a deep meaning. The pilgrims travel to Mina, a city of tents near the plain of Arafat. In Ihram, the Muslims are united and equal; they sleep side by side often grouped only by language if anything. All of the pilgrims sleep in tents in their Ihram clothes, poor and rich sleep aside each other as the devout, proud and fellow Muslims of Hajj. The following day the pilgrims travel to Mount Arafat for the most important part of Hajj, where they stand before Allah and ask forgiveness for all of their sins. This is the third obligatory rit e of Hajj. Mount Arafat is also known as the ‘Mount of Mercy’ and is supposed to be where God forgave Adam and Eve for their sins and reunited them, after previously separating them for wrongdoing. Here the Muslims stand before God, the wuquf. The pilgrims stand from midday to sunset praying, weeping and meditating, all under the searing Saudi sun. The afternoon of wuquf is purely concentrated on Allah, and some pilgrims have to rush to make the stand, as without it their Hajj is invalid. Everyone is expected to stand alone and analyse every wrong doing individually, and pray to Allah for forgiveness for their sins. In this rite, repent is essential, and if pilgrims are truly sorry for their sins, it is said they will be completely purified and forgiven by Allah, and can start again, as pure as the day they were born. It is an unforgettable experience and is savoured by every pilgrim. After wuquf, pilgrims travel to camp in Muzdalifah in time for prayers in the evening. Here they usually collect 49 pebbles for the ramy al-jamarat (stoning of the devil) the following day. In 2004 Saudi authorities got rid of the pillars and replaced them with long walls, to make the stoning the devil process easier and therefore safer. Hund reds of people have died in the large crowds all trying to get a good shot at the pillars. On the first day of the process, after a night in Muzdalifah, the first wall is stoned 7 times. The following days each of the three walls has to be stoned 7 times for two consecutive days. This means 49 pebbles are required, but if the pilgrims miss any shots they may need at least 21 extra pebbles to stone all three walls 7 times the following day. This seems like a strange ritual when no background is supporting it, but there is good meaning. Ibrahim was told by God one day he had to sacrifice his son Ismah’il. Ibrahim made his way to the place of sacrifice, abiding Allah’s instruction, after consulting his son who told him to do what he had to. On the way the devil appeared before him first to try and tempt him not to sacrifice his son, and the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God told him to â€Å"pelt him†. Ibrahim threw 7 pebbles at the devil and it disappeared. It soon reappeared along the way, this time representing the temptation of Hajar to stop her husband sacrificing her son to God, and Gabriel told Ibrahim to â€Å"pelt him† again. He did what he was told and threw 7 stones at the devil who once again disappeared. The devil appeared a third time along the road, to tempt Ismah’il to avoid being sacrificed. Gabriel’s order to â€Å"pelt him† was followed by Ibrahim, and the devil then disappeared for the final time. Ibrahim’s loyalty and resistance to the devil was rewarded by God when Ibrahim was told to stop as he prepared to kill his son. He was told by God to sacrifice a ram instead, and Ibrahim’s resistance to temptation paid off. Ramy al-jamarat shows the pilgrim ’s dedication to God’s wishes, and rejection to the temptations of the devil. Most Muslims make a sacrifice after stoning the devil, to recreate Ibrahim’s experience as closely as possible. Because there are so many pilgrims who want to make a sacrifice, there are special companies, who make it on their behalf and feed the poor. What cannot be used immediately to feed the poor Muslim community is frozen and used later. After making a sacrifice, male pilgrims have their heads shaven by a person who is not in Ihram and women have usually around an inch cut off. Pilgrims usually change into their normal clothes and do a single Tawaf; this is the fourth obligatory rite of Hajj. After doing this single Tawaf the Muslims are now officially Hajjis or Hajjahs as a female. They can then return home but most choose to stay and visit other places such as Medina, where the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was buried. B (ii)There are many factors to prevent Muslims going to Hajj. It is said Allah excuses these factors. It is intention or niyyah that counts with the pilgrimage, and when there is something to prevent Muslims from attending it, they will be excused by Allah. The most common circumstance is poverty. There are around 1.4 billion Muslims in the world, and many live in poverty. Lots of Muslims will save up most of their life to do Hajj, and by the time they have enough money to go, they are of old age and aren’t physically able. In this case the Muslim can pay another existing Hajji to attend on their behalf, or donate their savings for Hajj to charity. If they do this they will be blessed as fully as if they had completed Hajj themselves. For those who can’t afford Hajj, they can donate their available savings for Hajj to charity. They will receive the full Hajj benefits also. If a Muslim passes away on their way to carry out Hajj, they will receive the full blessing also, they have died making a commitment to their religion, this shows devotion and niyyah if anything does! Of course there are difficulties that could occur during Hajj. Because around two million pilgrims undergo Hajj every year, and are all dressed in near identical garments, it is very likely that groups will be separated for the period of Hajj. This may seem like a panicking time but Muslims in Ihram will be very sympathetic and helpful with each other in such circumstances, and probably take on new members into their travel groups. The overwhelming feeling of closeness to God on Hajj is enough to eliminate any feelings of worry for the meantime anyhow, so separation doesn’t cause much of a fright. Those unfortunate enough to die during Hajj are proud. It is a blessing to be buried in or near Makkah, close to God. Passing away making commitments to Islam is an honour, and a will is usually written before leaving for Hajj anyway. For those who fear the physical strain of Hajj, or are encouraged not to repeat the journey if they have already, Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage which can be carried out all year round. It involves the seven rotations of the Ka’bah (Tawaf), the Sa’i (Between Marwah and Safa) and a halq or taqsir; which is to cut the hair. Taqsir is shortening hair; halqis the complete head shave. B (iii)Hajj creates equilibrium, and a sympathetic atmosphere among the pilgrims who share the highs and lows of the journey. For most, the journey strengthens and confirms their commitment to Islam. After Hajj, a Muslim is more likely to be more courteous to people in general, and more at ease with life. Once a good Hajj is completed, the afterlife should be more peaceful and happy. Some Muslims like the experience of the pilgrimage so much they move to a Muslim country if they do not live in one already, as they like the convenience and feeling of togetherness and empathy. Hajj strengthens the belief of many Muslims, and if they weren’t a very good Muslim before Hajj, they might feel the need to be more committed to their faith, and practice Islam more regularly. Although for most the pilgrimage of Hajj is a blessing experience, some may have felt let down and disengaged during the journey. For those who could not get into a good Ihram, or feel true belief in God on the mount of mercy; their belief in Islam and Allah may have been hindered. C To me, this statement means that although all of the processes of a pilgrimage are physical, the true idea is the thoughts within the pilgrim’s mind and the intention, empathy and symbolism of what they are doing in the pilgrimage. The vast majority of Hajjis find the sacred journey to Makkah nourishing and feel they have found forgiveness from Allah. As they travel around the different rites of Hajj they cherish the experience and remember the meaning of each process, going back as far as the time of Adam and Eve. They enter a new realm as they stand before God on the Mount of Mercy, are unable to hold in their tears and are swept with emotion. On the other hand, Hajj is purely a physical process for some pilgrims. It isn’t supposed to be, but some can’t get into the frame of mind which is intended during the pilgrimage. The journey is supposed to be emotional, deeply thoughtful and soul cleansing. To some Muslims, their belief may be slightly hampered by the fact they struggle to get into a real Ihram. They will get their money’s worth on the trip and see people from all different cultures following the same rituals, but not feel truly engaged in the experience. Some people might argue that if you go on Hajj, and carry out the same processes as the prophets did, that is adequate in displaying your devotion to Allah and Islam. Some may say the fact that so much is physically required of them in Hajj, that alone shows they are a devout Muslim. Personally, I fully agree with the statement, because I would say that Hajj is a journey to Makkah to carry out the rites, and a true Hajj is a deep and thoughtful journey not only to Makkah, but to the bottom of a pilgrim’s heart. Although carrying out Hajj is a blessing experience cherished by Muslims, it is not truly meaningful unless they feel a certain dedication and spiritual enrichment on their journey.

How effectively does Pavel Ivanov use language to persuade his/her audience?

The film review about the movie ‘I now pronounce you Chuck ; Larry' written by Pavel Ivanov is well suited to its audience who the writer describes as the ‘Adam Sandler crowd', although Ivanov does indicate that audiences who get pleasure from comical films, would probably enjoy the blatant crude humour in this movie for example the ‘dropped soap in the shower routine' Ivanov's implied meaning is that those who'd laugh at this type of humour have no taste and lack intelligence, as this ‘type of humour' has intentionally been put into the movie as it is the ‘most lucid strategy' to win over audiences One of the purposes of the review is to denigrate the movie as an unintelligent film for those who are dim-witted, as it is full of ‘primitive weaponry of toilet humour' and ‘gay-clichi?? jokes', but at the same time Ivanov maintains a neutral stance by complimenting the movie on some of its achievements ‘subverts the gambit of any other ‘serious' gay movie'. The lexis used in the review is overall formal, with some elements of colloquialism such as ‘the icing on the cake'. You can read also com/audience-adaptation-paper/">Audience Adaptation Paper He uses such conversational style lexis to amuse and engage his audience. Ivanov establishes himself with the first person singular pronoun ‘I' to identify with readers as someone who has seen the movie thus immediately capturing the readers' interest and trust. He directly addresses his readers by using the second person singular pronoun ‘you' Ivanov uses this device to draw in his readers in to the review as well as deliver a personal message to them about the film. The writer applies a subordinate clause to give additional information about the movie to the audience. By combining the sentence with a relative clause, Ivanov's text becomes more fluent to readers. ‘Interesting thing this movie does is that while staying within the constraints of a broad comedy, it subverts the typical gambit of any other serious gay film' this is also a compound sentence as it adds detail of the movie and gives it a justification it also gives it a rationale, and makes a simple sentence more compelling and informative. He describes his disbelief in the plot of the movie by using a comparative sentence ‘instead of seeing a homosexual feigning happiness in a straight marriage' he then adds supplementary information about the movie he's writing about (‘think, the hours or normal') here Ivanov displays his skepticism as to why someone would want to watch a movie with such a bizarre plot ‘straight men come from a bastion of heroic manliness- the New York fire fighting service' this is ironic as you expect straight men to be fire fighters. Ivanov uses double modifiers to describe a famous actor in the movie as ‘bizarrely bankable' by using the lexis ‘bizarrely' Ivanov expresses to his audiences his disbelief in why this actor is so ‘bankable' although Ivanov could also be amazed about the actors performance that not only can he do funny and serious but that he can do the two simultaneously in the movie as he addresses a serious message to the audience that ‘bias is bad' and still keep it comic. In the opening paragraph Ivanov uses the adjective ‘energetic' and follows it up with the post-modifier ‘crassness' Ivanov's constant emphasis on the vulgarity of the movie, leads the readers to consider whether they would watch such an offensive film at all, thus reinforcing Ivanov's earlier point that the movie is not worth watching as it is aimed at unintelligent audiences, and that the only basis one should watch the movie ought to be for ‘academic interest'. Ivanov describes a ridiculous scene in the movie ‘a three legged hippo doing ballet' his implication being that such strange humour is not only typical but it is what has made him a household name in comedies ‘still an Adam Sandler movie' The text contains lots of exophoric references (‘Big daddy, happy Gilmore') which have been put in parenthesis to add supplementary information. â€Å"Larry (Kevin James)† parenthesis is commonly used in the text by Ivanov to signify to audiences the formality of the review. The writer uses many anaphoric references one example is ‘the set up is contrived as they come, but this is part of the joke'. What both lexis ‘the set up and ‘this' share is that – they have the same reference. On the whole Ivanov is successful in keeping track of the various people and things he mentions in his review by building a reference chain this makes Ivanov's writing more coherent to audiences. The example given above is also a dependant clause as it cannot stand by it self it needs it an independent clause to make the sentence complete. Ivanov constantly reminds audiences of the crudity of the movie, but he changes his strategy this time by picking out bits of the film that he feels his readers would be alarmed by ‘feel Alex's breasts. ‘ This displays Ivanov's desperation as he is trying everything to persuade the readers not to watch the movie. The key purpose that Pavel Ivanov has written the review is to persuade audiences not to watch the movie, his underlining reason being that it would ‘offend you' rather than ‘amuse you'. I suppose he is successful in convincing readers not to watch the movie, one effective regular feature I can identify Ivanov uses in his review is the first person singular pronoun ‘I' he uses this to his advantage as he introduces himself to his readers as a reliable impartial critic, which is clearly not the case as he regularly belittles the movie and the individuals it is aimed at. This might make some readers feel uneasy as they do not count themselves part of the ‘Adam Sandler crowd' consequently readers contemplate on whether it is worth watching this movie at all this. Ivanov's unrelenting pressurising of readers makes him successful in achieving his target.

Ethical Perspective: the Role of Social Media in Recruitment and Selection Essay

Ethical Perspective: The Role of Social Media in Recruitment and Selection â€Å"A† is a Bangladeshi holding company that conducts its business all over the world. The company aims to be recognized as a global brand and is currently in the process of expanding its operation. To achieve its goal of global expansion, â€Å"A† is looking to hire new executives who are young, energetic and outgoing. The executives should have good communication skill as they will have to correspond with potential clients from all over the world. They should also possess a likeable personality as their work will be people-oriented. The executives should be technologically competent as they may have to communicate online. Mr. Rahim is a senior manager who wants to use social media as a tool to collect more information about the potential recruits. He argues that, as the candidates themselves shared the information on public, it will be completely legal and ethical to use that information in their recruitment and selection process. Look more:  google recruitment process essay As the candidates themselves shared their personal information on a public website, it would not be a breach of privacy to use that information either. He also argues that, when people are asked to share information in a job interview, they are more like to only share the information that make them look good and conceal the information that make them look bad. Thus, the information collected from their personal Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts should help the company judge the candidate from an unbiased point of view. Mr.  Karim, another senior manager, is however against the use of social media to collect personal information. From his point of view, it will be an invasion of privacy to collect information from their social media accounts as the candidates intended their accounts for personal use. He also believes that the company should only use the information provided by the candidates themselves in the recruitment and selection process. He thinks that the data collected from social media sites are more likely to be biased as the candidates may not have been serious when posting them. He argues that although the potential recruits shared their personal information on a public website, they did not give them the permission to use it as a criterion to evaluate their job effectiveness. If this information relates to some aspect of a candidate’s background that could not be requested in an interview, such as age, cultural background, sexual orientation, etc, they could be contravening discrimination law. As the job requires good communicative skills, Mr.  Rahim believes that the company should look into the social media presence of their potential recruits. He argues, that if someone doesn’t have a social media account in this age, they are most likely to be backdated and quite incapable of working in a global company. Also, people who have more friends or followers in facebook and twitter are more likely to be outgoing. As the company is looking for outgoing people to join the organization, it should be a valid and reliable selection tool. Mr. Karim is strongly against this view. He argues that a person’s personality cannot be judged by looking at their social media profile. Just because someone has more friends or followers on social media sites, it cannot be said for certain that person has a more likeable personality. It will be unethical and discriminatory to exclude quality candidates just because they are not active on social media sites. Mr.  Rahim believes that people who post sexist, racist, homophobic remarks on facebook may damage the business reputation of â€Å"A†. Some international business partners of â€Å"A† may even stop doing business with them. So, â€Å"A† has every right to discriminate against employees who post controversial content on their social media accounts. People, who identify with extremist religious or political groups on social media sites, should not be selected as employees. Mr.  Karim argues people’s behavior on social media may not be a true reflection of their views. Just because someone appears sexist, racist or homophobic on social media, that doesn’t mean that that’s how they are in real life. Also, a person’s religious and political views are completely his own. It is certainly not ethical to judge a candidate simply based on what they do in their own time away from work. â€Å"A† cannot discriminate against potential candidates just because they shared their views strongly on social media sites.

Stereotypes of Gender, Race and Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stereotypes of Gender, Race and Class - Essay Example The ages of women mostly depicted in the show are those in their 20s and 30s, and the ideal look is someone who is sexy and sleek. The black American woman was, however, once treated inferior to the white woman, and was once associated with slavery, especially in the early 20th century even years after the Civil War, and that their black hair is even â€Å"part of the legacy of slavery† (My Black is Beautiful, Episode 3). Aside from these, no other such comments are given regarding African-American women, as the whole show seems to be one that empowers them. In fact, although neither the host of the show or the panelists said it, the show was somehow aimed at African American women in the United States who somehow still have the inferiority complex due to their skin color. The show is actually almost 99% positive, praising the Black American woman in every way possible – through their intelligence, physical appearance, and natural charm. Nevertheless, the mere presence of a special video presentation as this means that there is actually stereotyping of African-American women. Admittedly, the stereotype of an African-American woman, especially outside the United States, maybe that of someone who is inferior not only because of skin color but also because of both the dark skin color and the fact that they are women. Black American women, therefore, although they do not explicitly say it, may actually be facing discrimination all the time from those who look down on both women and dark-skinned people. This may even actually be the ma in reason for having such a TV show on empowering black women. In fact, the show is full of comments which are  geared to uplift the status of black women. Most of these comments like â€Å"We make any color work regardless of what color that is,† or â€Å"We come in different shapes and sizes,† are actually also true of any other race of women (My Black is Beautiful, Episode 1).

Data base design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Data base design - Essay Example ReqLayout EquipmentType Room Roomno (PK) Name (Room Name or Eating area description) Roomtype (Conf. Or Eating) Capacity Costpersession Openfor RefreshmentMealDetail OrgCode (PK) RMdate (PK) (where RM is refreshment and Meal) RMtime (PK) Roomno/Mealroom (PK) OrderId (PK) Ordertype (refreshment / meal) Quantity Order OrderId (PK) Description (beverage name, lunch, dinner, evening) 3NF Eliminate columns not dependent on the key. If attributes do not contribute to a description of the key, remove them to a separate table. All non-key fields must be exclusively dependent on the key field. Over here all tables in 2NF are already in 3NF as follows: Organization Orgcode (PK) OrgName OrgAddress OrgPostcode OrgContact OrgTel OrgFax OrgEvent NosExpected Booking OrgCode (PK) BookDate (PK) Roomno (PK) Session (PK) ReqLayout EquipmentType Room Roomno (PK) Name (Room Name or Eating area description) Roomtype (Conf. Or Eating) Capacity Costpersession Openfor RefreshmentMealDetail OrgCode (PK) RMdate (PK) (where RM is refreshment and Meal) RMtime (PK) Roomno/Mealroom (PK) OrderId (PK) Ordertype (refreshment / meal) Quantity Order OrderId (PK) Description (beverage name, lunch, dinner, evening) 4NF Isolate independent multiple relationships. No table may contain two or more 1:n or n:m relationships that are not directly related. All tables which are in 3NF are already in 4NF except "Booking" table. Organization Orgcode (PK) OrgName OrgAddress OrgPostcode OrgContact OrgTel OrgFax OrgEvent NosExpected Booking OrgCode (PK) BookDate (PK) Roomno (PK) Session (PK) Layoutid EquipId Layout Layoutid (PK) Description Equipment EquipId (PK) Description Room Roomno (PK) Name (Room Name or Eating area description) Roomtype (Conf. Or...All non-key fields must be exclusively dependent on the key field. Over here all tables in 2NF are already in 3NF as follows: Isolate independent multiple relationships. No table may contain two or more 1:n or n:m relationships that are not directly related. All tables which are in 3NF are already in 4NF except "Booking" table. Isolate semantically related multiple relationships. There may be practical constraints on information that justify separating logically related many-to-many relationships. All tables in 4NF are already in 5NF except "Room" table.

Investment Analysis of BHP Billiton Company Case Study

Investment Analysis of BHP Billiton Company - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that Commonwealth Bank of Australia is a company that is based on Sydney Australia, it as founded in 1911 and its main line of business is provision of various banking and financial products and services to retail, small businesses corporate customers as well as institutional customers in Australia, New Zealand, the Asia pacific region, United Kingdom and the United States. An event study was carried out to determine the impact of the announcement of the 25 basis points decrease in cash rate by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 6th December 2011. The event window used to carry out this event study is the 10 days before the event announcement date, the event announcement date and the 10 days after the event announcement date denoted as day -10 to day +10 and the event announcement date is day zero. The estimation period on the other hand is period between day -510 and day -11. The closing adjusted weekly prices for the Commonwealth Bank of Au stralia and the all ordinaries index were obtained from yahoo finance for the estimation period and the closing adjusted daily prices were also obtained from yahoo finance for the event window. The all ordinaries index represents the market returns. The weekly returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the weekly logarithmic returns of the All Ordinaries Index were calculated using the formula ln (Pt/Pt-1) where Pt is the adjusted closing price of the security at time t and Pt-1 is the adjusted closing price of the security at time t-1.... indicating that regressing the returns of the CBA on those of the All Ordinaries index would yield a better result that will incorporate the effect of the outliers (Uliana Flynn & Correia, 2007). The regression result is as shown in table below. As shown in the table above, the value of alpha as represented by the intercept is equivalent to 0.00094 while the value of beta is equivalent to 1.00742. This indicates that the regression equation representing the relationship between the CBA returns and the Market returns as represented by the All Ordinaries Index is equal to Y = 1.00742x + 0.00094. This is the market model where Y is the dependent variable which is the expected returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window while x is the independent variable which is the market returns during the event window and alpha is the constant which is otherwise referred to as the intercept (Uliana, Flynn and Correia, 2007). Market model adjusted abnormal returns The market model adjusted abnormal returns is equivalent to the difference between the expected returns and the actual returns of Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window. The abnormal returns are the accumulated to arrive at the cumulative abnormal returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window as shown in the table below; As shown in the table above, the abnormal returns are given by the actual returns minus the expected returns of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia during the event window. The expected returns are calculated using the market model shown above. Findings As shown in the market model above, the beta of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is equivalent to 1.0074 indicating that it is a growth stock because it has a beta that is more than one. In

Hurco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hurco - Essay Example Hurco Inc. specializes in providing customized automated programs to the metal industry. Their products cover interactive personal computer (PC) based control systems and software to aide their machine tools (â€Å"Investors – Corporate Profile†). On the other hand, as other market players, Hurco also offers sale and aftersale service. It is important to note that where other firms in the IT industry offer products compatible with the tools and machinery used by their customers, Hurco Inc. has a primary product line comprising machinery tools meant for the metal industry, and software as a peripheral product. Their products are meant to enhance productivity and efficiency in the operations of their customers by introducing user-friendly automation. Their core competency comprises specialization in microprocessor technology and software meant for machines tools used in the metal industry. In addition, interactive programmable software patented by Hurco allows users of th eir programs to produce peripheral software that can be either made part of an actual program through blueprints or computer-aided design and ensure speedy production processes without interruption, with maximum efficiency in operations (â€Å"Investors – Corporate Profile†). ... Due to customization available according to customer’s needs, Hurco is able to cater customers all around the globe. However, they have solely focused on the metal parts industry, which makes them a niche player. Hurco’s strengths and weaknesses along with industry attractiveness can be analyzed with the help of Porter’s five forces analysis. It is important to note that Hurco’s product line comprises machine tools that are considered as capital products or goods. The cyclic nature of the industry makes manufacturers in it highly vulnerable to market changes (Hurco Inc. 2). For supplies, Hurco relies on foreign suppliers and also their own subsidiary (Hurco Inc. 24). Presence of a fully-owned subsidiary makes them less susceptible to delays that can be caused by failure of other suppliers to meet the deadline. On the other hand, buyer’s power leaves Hurco vulnerable. It is important to note that the metal tools industry is greatly dependent on econo mic conditions prevailing in the industry. Therefore, limited buyer’s purchasing power also leaves Hurco to reduce its profit margins. Hurco also faces tough competition in the industry of machine tools. There are quite a few major competitors in United States and many in other countries that have better resources and a bigger capacity of utilizing economies of scale, which makes them capable of providing products that are cheaper than Hurco’s (Hurco Inc. 7). A threat of new entrants will always be faced by Hurco, as any other manufacturer. Although Hurco has patented its programs, there are a large number of IT firms that can provide automated solutions to companies using manually operated machines such as the ones provided by Hurco, without any major

Whether the personal consciousness survives death Essay

Whether the personal consciousness survives death - Essay Example â€Å"[T]here is life after death† (Weintrub). The personal consciousness survives the death, and its satisfaction depends upon the goodness of deeds the individual performed in this world when he/she was alive. After death, an angel takes the soul out of the body and escorts it to either of the two places, one of which is meant for the good souls and the other for the bad souls. While the soul is taken out of the body, it still maintains a connection with it. The body is buried in the earth in the grave. Inside the grave, the dead body is exposed to different kinds of circumstances depending upon the kinds of deeds the person performed in the world while he/she was alive. The grave of a person who performs good deeds expands so that the person does not get suffocated inside the grave. In fact, the grave is enlightened with the light and fragrance of the heaven. Although the soul is departed from the dead body and it is only the dead body that is buried in the grave, yet the soul can feel just the same whatever the dead body does. Hence, the soul of a good person feels all the pleasures and peace that the dead body is blessed with. On the other hand, the grave in which the dead body of a ba d person is placed becomes narrower and narrower until it pressed the body so hard that the bones become dislocated and merge into one another. Again, all of this happens to the dead body, yet the soul can feel all the pain that it would had it been inside the dead body. Although consciousness survives the death, yet there are limits to it. One cannot say for sure that the soul can hear the cries of the relatives who mourn over the person’s death while the dead body is being buried or later. However, there is no doubt in the fact that the soul cannot reply any human being once it has been taken out of the body. The soul can feel the pain or joy depending upon the deeds the individual did when alive.

Managment case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managment case - Essay Example Also, by developing a vertical hierarchy where the plant manager is the ultimate authority with multiple layers of management reporting directly to this role, legitimate power through authority is developed effectively. Joined with more visibility among influential players in the business as well as the production staff, this provides more legitimacy and shows off expertise as a means to gain power and control. Doing this will also develop more name recognition for the plant manager among all different layers of authority and subordinate work teams as a means to increase power. Even though the plant management team seems to be on-board with all of the changes being discussed in private management meetings, they are not accomplishing the goals that have been laid out related to productivity and quality standards. The manager needs to develop retribution tactics against the plant management team, from Engineering through to Quality Control in order to ensure that new controls are being developed to meet standards. This can be done either through direct coercion or through intimidation. The plant manager is new in this role and only 33 years of age, therefore there are many opportunities for other seasoned managers to resist change, a common situation in this type of industrial environment. By transforming requests into direct threats, such as I will punish you if you do not meet my expectations, the plant manager sets up a punishment system or can also reward based on meeting productivity and quality targets. Retribution provides quick and immediate results by indicating that there will be consequences if the goals are not achieved, something that must be done at River Woods. However, in relation to the absentee problem, the plant manager can also rely on the close interpersonal relationships between the management team and the production workers

The Laws of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

The Laws of Leadership - Essay Example This is the Law of the Inner Circle. According to Maxwell (1998), â€Å"Nobody does anything great alone. Leaders do not succeed alone.† (127) This is a statement of fact and it is actually practical. There was a time that I was given the mantle of leadership, but I must confess that, I did not farewell based on my own talents, but with the help and support of the people that worked with me. I did not succeed alone as it was with the help of the people closest to me. Thus, the Law of the Inner Circle was enacted in my life and now I know that, great men do not achieve great things alone, but with the efforts of the great minds that work with them (Pierce & Newstrom, 2010). According to John Maxwell (1998) in 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, â€Å"Effective leaders are always on the lookout for good people.† (103). I think I have not fared well in this regard. I know that, I need good people to work with, but I have not taken time to look for them. I have not really tried to magnet the people that I know that I can work with. In order to solve this leadership lapse, I would try as much as possible to be like the kind of people that I want to work with, so that it would be easier for me to attract them. I would try to take my time out to attract people to my sphere and make them work towards achieving our common

Extra 10 pages as requested by the writer for assignments 210 Essay

Extra 10 pages as requested by the writer for assignments 210 - Essay Example 2) 3) VWith change in supply voltage ,we observe a very small change in output. While change in load current corresponds to more change in outputVoltage than previous case but still very small and negligible. 4 ) Assignment 6 1) The MOSFETs or Metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is the most widely used electronic device,especially in the design of integrated circuits. They are very small in size. They have three modes of operation; Cut off region Triode region Saturation2) D S G GS D 3) 25 A, 400 V 4) Uses :- MOSFET analog switch Power MOSFETs are used in high end audio amplifiers 5) In electronics a comparator is a device which compares two voltages or currents and switches its output to indicate which is larger. A standard op-amp operating without negative feedback can be used as a comparator. When the non-inverting input (V+) is at a higher voltage than the inverting input (V-), the high gain of the op-amp causes it to output the most positive voltage it can. When the non-inverting input (V+) drops below the inverting input (V-), the op-amp outputs the most negative voltage it can. The input voltages must not exceed the power voltage range. Application :- A Flash ADC (also known as a Direct... This results in a bidirectional electronic switch which can conduct current in either direction when it is turned on. It can be turned on by either a positive or a negative voltage being applied to its gate electrode. 3) Computers operate using numbers and therefore there needs to be a way for a computer to convert letters (and other "characters") to and from numbers. A set of codes, known as "ASCII" (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) are used. These were initially developed for tasks such as sending documents to printers, and many of the commands make sense in this context. Suppose the number to be printed is (in binary) 01101100; the first step is to convert this into decimal; the answer is 108; this would be represented in the computer by the BCD codes of 0001, 0000, and 1000 (their Hex values of course are 1, 0 and 8). If text is being stored in a computer, it is usually stored as a string (a series of ASCII characters, each one of which is stored as one byte). The formatting characters such as space, carriage return and line feed may be included in the string. Suppose, for example, we wished to store the string Hello world! Including the space between the words, this has 12 characters. It would then be stored (writing the binary in hex) as 6) CMOS devices can

Marshall Plan Essay Example for Free

Marshall Plan Essay How important was the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan to the crystallization of Cold War Tensions in Europe in the years 1945-1951? When considering the crystallization of Cold War tensions in Europe one can not overlook the impact of both the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. Although events were often ‘a cycle of action and reaction which makes the identification of ultimate causes difficult and probably impossible’ both the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan signaled a turning point in relations between east and west Europe. The solidification of Cold War tensions in Europe is, for the sake of this essay, the point at which it was clear that relations between the United Sates and the Soviet Union were unsalvageable as their ideological differences became increasingly polarized. Although the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were considered by the American administration as ‘two halves of the same walnut’ to fully explore the consequences of the American policies one must look at them separately. The Truman Doctrine hailed in a new era for the US’s foreign policy through the definition of containment and the introduction of formal institutions such as the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence agency and the Department of Defense. This showed a move towards a more assertive foreign policy, arguably provoking the Soviet Union and escalating tensions between the two powers. Similarly the Marshall Plan’s encroachment on what the USSR saw as their sphere of influence through their offer of financial aid triggered a threatened Soviet Russia to intensify their authority over satellite states. Their dramatic actions in Czechoslovakia can be seen as evidence of the importance of the role the Marshall Plan played in escalating tensions in Europe as these events can be viewed as a direct consequence of changing US foreign policy. However to fully appreciate the complexities of the issues covered when looking at the development of Cold War tensions in Europe one must place these events in a wider contextual framework. To ignore the political, social or economic issues which form the background of this timeframe would be to oversimplify the issue. It is therefore imperative to look as the situation from both US and Soviet viewpoints whilst considering the issues the nations were dealing with domestically. By 1951 Europe was undeniably divided, with two power blocs emerging, east and west. Whilst the formulation of these tensions had originated from a shared history dating back to before the war, the culmination of these tensions is undeniably linked to both the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan as they ‘solidified divisions of Europe’. The Truman Doctrine, through the role it played in outlining the Soviet Union as the enemy and defining the American policy of containment, was a hugely significant step towards the crystallization of Cold War Tensions in Europe. The Truman Doctrine argued that, after Britain’s need to reduce its participation in aiding Greece, congress must ‘immediately extend financial aid’ because of the threat of ‘communist domination’. However, far from solely asking for economic and military aid for Greece and Turkey the doctrine took on the role of calling for the ‘global containment of communism’. The combination of a definition of the United States’ foreign policy towards communism and the demonstration of their commitment through action did help the move towards a divided Europe. Furthermore it solidified and defined the ideology upon which US foreign policy was made. A key consequence of the Truman Doctrine was the changes it caused in the United States’ decision-making process. As Painter explains, the support elicited for the strategy of containment meant that American administrations were ‘able to act on their beliefs about the relationship between politics, economics and US security’. This signaled an era in which the US would base their foreign policy around their capitalist ideology, one completely at odds with the Soviet Union. These beliefs were strengthened by the introduction of new governmental institutions such as the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence agency and the Department of Defense arguably moving towards a more ‘activist foreign policy’ presenting a clear threat to the USSR. Kennan, seen as the father of containment was a crucial figure in the emergence of Cold War tensions in Europe through his writings that inspired the Truman doctrine. Whilst looking at the effects of the Truman Doctrine it is imperative that we look at the role Kennan took in not only promoting containment as a strategy of foreign policy but also defining the Soviet Union. From Moscow Kennan sent the ‘Long Telegram’ suggesting that the USSR was an aggressive nation and that the only successful form of American foreign policy would be a long term strategy of containment. Kennan encouraged the US to view the Soviet Union as ‘inherently expansionist and aggressive’, in effect suggesting that the USSR should be seen as the enemy. While Kennan explained his actions as not ‘directed at combating communism but restoration of economic health’ in Europe it is clear that his constant rhetoric describing the Soviet Union as a threat that needed to be contained did much to not only encouraging domestic fear and anti communist views but also to provoke the Soviet Union into changing its foreign policy. Kennan would further influence the escalation of tensions through the role he played in the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan, like the Truman Doctrine, may not have intended to divide Europe, for a number of reasons this was the final outcome. Based around the ideas that ‘The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want’ the Marshall Plan was seen as necessary to avoid the spread of communism. The Marshall Plan was seen by the American administration as the ‘next important step against the perceived Russian threat’ as it was imperative to remove the misery and want which was rife in an economically ruined Europe. However, to the USSR the Marshall Plan was perceived quite differently, it was a western attempt to encroach on their sphere of influence. The Marshall Plan had far wider reaching consequences that simply supporting a recovering Europe economically. Through looking at the Soviet reaction to the Marshall Plan we see that it played a key role in the crystallization of Cold War tensions in Europe. The reaction to the Marshall plan by the Soviet Union marked a turning point in relations between east and west Europe as they served to split countries whose ideologies were drifting further apart. As the Marshall Plan was arguably the spark set off the chain of events it can be seen as hugely important in the crystallization of Cold War tensions in Europe. Whilst the Truman doctrine may have put a strain on relations between America and the Soviet Union the Marshall Plan as Myrdal, who guided the Economic Commission for Europe saw it, it would ‘secure the iron curtain and bring on war’. The Marshall plan therefore seems to have been the point at which Europe was split as it presented to the nations of Europe the choice between the two great powers and their ideologies. To revisionist historians such as Kolko the Marshall plan served the purpose of bringing Soviet fears to the fore and thus increasing tensions. It is clear that the Marshall plan ‘forced Stalin to reassess his stance towards East and West Europe’ which escalated Cold War tensions. Many revisionist historians will argue that the Soviet reaction to the Marshall Plan was one natural for a country that felt weak and under attack. It could be argued that the Marshall Plan in the eyes of the USSR was a concerted attempt by the United States to undermine Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. To Taubman and Kolko it is therefore clear that it was the Marshall Plan that sparked the escalation of tensions. Whilst it could be argued that this was not the case as the Marshall Plan was open to Soviet participation Crockartt shows that the US administration took steps to avoid communist participation in the plan. Kennan, who as aforementioned had been clear about his views on containment and the Soviet Union made sure that the plan ‘be done in such a form that Russian satellites would either exclude themselves†¦or agree to abandon the exclusive orientation of their economies’. This therefore encouraged divisions within Europe, as now there was a clear indication of whether or not the country subscribed to East or West ideologies. Furthermore many argue that the inclusion of Soviet states was due to a ‘desire not to invite the charge that the ERP was an anti-communist measure’ rather than a genuine offer of financial aid. One could therefore argue that it was not surprising that the plan caused tensions, as soviet inclusion was highly unlikely. The extent to which the Soviet Union felt threatened can be seen through actions taken as a result of the Marshall plan, seen by historians such as Gaddis as a turning point in the development of the Cold War. The Soviet Union now seemed to act on a wish to unite the communist parties around Eastern Europe through the introduction of organizations such as Comiform. The Communist information Bureau can be seen as an attempt by Stalin to bring the communist parties around Europe under more soviet control. Furthermore the Molotov Plan, seen by many as a Soviet version of the Marshall plan, aimed to provide financial aid for struggling economies that fell under soviet influence. The influence the Marshall Plan can be seen clearly through the introduction of the Molotov plan as it suggests that either Eastern European countries were so affected by their rejection of the Marshall Plan they needed a similar proposal or Stalin felt so threatened he felt the need to create his own version. However perhaps the most striking Soviet reaction to the Marshall Plan was the events that took place in Czechoslovakia in 1948. The impact can be illustrated in the fact that the only remaining non-communist leader in Eastern Europe was removed, shocking the United States and heightening the divisions between east and west, polarizing both powers. The Czech coup, in which the communist part, with strong Soviet support assumed total control over the Czech government and purged any non communist political figures. Furthermore the ‘Stalinization’ of both Czechoslovakia and Hungary’s societies due to fears brought about by the Marshall plan further intensified the differences between east and west. Through the introduction of the collectivization of farming, an emphasis on manufacturing and a suppression of opposition eastern European countries were forced to become more extreme in their politics, separating Europe and increasing Cold War tensions. The reaction by the US illustrated the impact of events in Czechoslovakia as they it aided the swift implementation of the Marshall Plan, the creation of West Germany and in under a year the creation of NATO. It is clear to see therefore that the Marshall Plan played a key role in escalating tensions between the east and west in Europe. However, these views have been challenged. Although the impact of the combination of the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine was undeniable in moving Europe towards a period of Cold War tensions the extent of their impact is a source of debate. The importance of the Marshall Plan is undermined by a number of issues that show that although it may have played an important role in the crystallization of Cold war tensions in Europe it was by no means the only influence. Historians such as Crockartt will point out the fact that one needs to consider the fact that both nations had hugely differing political styles and circumstances. The Soviet Union entered this period with ‘enhanced prestige after playing a key role in defeating the Nazis’and possessed, through ruling communist parties, tight control over their sphere of influence. The United States however placed a much greater emphasis on the justification of their actions abroad through official documents and formal organizations, as they did not, as the communists did, have puppet rulers in foreign governments. Therefore it could be argued that these differences in political style were the truly important factors in the consolidation of Cold War tensions rather than particular events or policies. However, whilst the differing political styles may have been important these were long term issues that had a constant role in the diplomacy between the USSR and the US. It would be difficult therefore to argue that these played any decisive part in the crystallization of the tensions these differences helped to create. Therefore it could be argued that actions such as the announcement of the Marshall Plan and documents such as the Truman doctrine were the real cause of the solidification of these tensions. One must look at this period of time not just as a chronological series of events but place these events within the framework of the political, social and economic features also prominent at the time. Much of the post-revisionist historiography, with the benefit of hindsight, takes into account these complexities and sees the causes of Cold War tensions in Europe as far more diverse. When these issues are taken into account we see that there was a host of issues at the time all culminating to solidify Cold War tensions in Europe. As aforementioned the Soviet Union entered the period with a new identity, that of a great power of the world. Both the US and the Soviet Union had to react to this change of order and historians such as David Reynolds will even argue that the Cold War was inevitable given the shared history between the two powers. However although tensions may have been inevitable, as mentioned earlier, the solidification of these strains seems to revolve around the implementation of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan as they polarized the nations ideologies and pulled them further apart. As Crockartt explains revisionist historians view American economic expansionism for capitalist profits as at the heart of tensions between the United States and the USSR and it was the differences in the two nations ideologies that solidified divisions. American determination to keep ‘western Europe (as a) safe arena for international capitalism’ was the fundamental force of strains between the US and the Soviet Union. The wording of President Truman’s message to congress on March 12 1947 regarding US involvement in Greece and Turkey arguably shows the intertwined nature between American foreign policy and capitalist gains. In his address persuading congress to assist Greece and Turkey Truman refers to capital spent on the Second World War as an ‘investment’ in world freedom. The document makes it clear that, to the US administration economic stability and freedom from communism are inextricably linked. The Marshall Plan can hoever be seen as the manifestation of these ideologies and therefore this argument suggests the Marshall Plan had an even greater influence. Furthermore the importance of the Truman Doctrine in heightening Cold War tensions in Europe is called into question as Painter points out Stalin did little to significantly support the efforts of the Greek communists. Whilst some may argue that this because of the success of US aid, others would see it as undermining the significance of the Truman doctrine as Stalin only showed slight concern for the success of communist rebels in Greece. However this could be because of strains in Soviet relations with Yugoslavia being a greater priority that the potential of a Greek communist uprising. Furthermore although Soviet reaction to the Truman Doctrine may have shown reluctance to act on Stalin’s part, US actions in Greece, Turkey and Iran showed their ‘determination to maintain Western access’ to overseas trade zones. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshal plan played an undeniable role in escalating Cold War tensions between 1945 and 1951. Although they may not have formed the basis of these tensions, which had built up in the post-war years, they seem to act as the nail in the coffin for US/Soviet relations. One could argue that as a result of the definition of not only their differences, but also the definition of the Soviet Union as aggressive and expansionist, the Truman Doctrine waved in an era of hostility. The Marshall Plan further polarized European states as one either subscribed to Marshall aid, or didn’t, in effect the Iron Curtain was drawn. One must never overlook the issues that formed the basis of tensions between the US and the USSR as these similarly contributed to the crystallization of cold war tensions. At the crux of strains between the US and the USSR were the disparate ideologies the two nations held at the heart of their foreign policy and as a result the contrasting ways of looking at events and actions. This period sees the polarization of these ideologies and therefore the solidification between the two nations can be seen as inevitable. However, fundamentally the Marshall Plan and The Truman Doctrine provided a platform for these tensions to develop and escalate and because of this they were hugely important in the crystallization of Cold War Tensions in Europe. Bibliography: Primary Sources: President Trumans Message to Congress; March 12, 1947; Document 171; 80th Congress, 1st Session; Records of the United States House of Representatives; Record Group 233; National Archives. Secondary Sources: Crockatt, R., Fifty Years War: United States and Soviet Union in World Politics (London 1996) Barros, J., Trygve Lie The UN Secretary-General Pursues Peace, 1946-1953 (Illinois 1989) P.125 J. L., Gaddis, We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History (1997) J. L., Gaddis, Strategies of Containment†¬: A Critical Appraisal of American National Security Policy During the Cold War†¬ (Oxford 1982)†¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Hogan, M. J., The Marshall Plan: America, Britain, and the Reconstruction of Western Europe, 1947-1952 (US, 1990) Review by Charles S. M., in American Visions and British Interests: Hogans Marshall Plan Kolko, G., The Limits of Power: The world and United States Foreign Policy, 1941-1949 (1970) Painter, D. S., The Cold War: An Interdisciplinary History (London, GBR) Taubman, W., Stalin’s American Policy: From Entente to Dà ©tente to Cold War (New York 1982) p.172-3

North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program

North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program North Korea has been in the forefront of the news as of late due in part to their Nuclear Weapons program. Their efforts to develop nuclear weapons has been an ongoing concern worldwide for some time now and tensions increased internationally after they conducted multiple tests in the recent years. What is North Korea’s real intentions in regard to their nuclear weapons program? In order for us to better understand North Korea’s intentions, it is important to take a look at the timeline of their nuclear weapons programs progression and the negotiations known as the six party talks; from this one can see that their intentions are based off of their financial hardships and famine.   North Korea’s attempt toward the acquisition of nuclear technology dates back as early as 1959. It was at this time that they signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with the Soviet Union. This agreement was aimed at the development of nuclear energy technology and by 1983 the North Korean nuclear weapons program had been started (Ahn Web). In 1968, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NTP) was drafted by the USSR and the United States and submitted for United Nations members to sign (Clemens Jr. Web). During the late 1980’s North Korea had developed a state of economic decline. This was due in part to the Soviet Union’s economic and political changes, in which they had stopped providing financial aid to North Korea (Ahn Web). Do to this economic hardship North Korea decided to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1985 (North Korea Nuclear Timeline Web). However, between 1989 and 1991, it had become suspect that North Korea had been pursuing nuclear activities by extracting plutonium from its research reactor at Yongbyon. These suspected activities led to the first North Korean nuclear crisis which lasted from 1993–1994† (Ahn Web). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was sent in to investigate what was believed to be unregistered nuclear waste dumping facilities, but North Korea was not cooperative with that request. However, when the West agreed to assist North Korea through economic aid and the lifting of economic sanctions it seemed that the crisis had come to an end (Ahn Web). Just another example of how North Korea intentions stem around the economic hardships that the country faces. In 1994, North Korea and the United States had come to an agreement that North Korea would freeze and eventually dismantle its old nuclear reactors. In exchange, they would be provided international aid to build two new light-water nuclear reactors (North Korea Nuclear Timeline Web). North Korea was in dire need of the e xtensive economic aid that the West would provide. During the 1990’s North Korea’s economic recession continued its downward spiral. By May of 1994, famine had become wide spread throughout the country. Many believed that the nuclear program was a tool used by North Korea’s leader to divert the public’s focus away from the economic problems and famine and refocus it on the United States and the IAEA (Ahn Web). This way the North Korean leader could point the blame for the hardships of the people toward one enemy and away from himself. In January of 2003, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) (North Korea Nuclear Timeline Web). This withdrawal is what lead to negotiations that are known as the Six Party Talk. These talks involved six states, the United States, North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. The purpose of these talks was to try to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear capabilities. It was believed that with the right amount of pressure and incentives that North Korea would cease their nuclear proliferation endeavors and be convinced to dismantle its nuclear capabilities (Habib Web).   North Korea was continuing to have economic issues and their primary intent seemed to steam around the need for economic aid. These negotiations would take place from 2003 until 2009 and were comprised of six rounds of talks. In the first round of talks which occurred in August 2003, North Korea called for normalization of relations. They wanted a non-aggression pact from the United States otherwise they would not dismantle their nuclear program. However, the United States declined this request (Liang Web). When the second rounds of talks began in February 2004, they appeared to be off to a good start. North Korea put a deal on the tale to destroy its nuclear weapons program if they could continue to develop peaceful nuclear energy programs. This was an agreeable compromise for China and Russia. However, the United States, Japan, and South Korea were not in agreement. They did not want North Korea to have access to nuclear capabilities (Liang Web). Looking back on North Korea’s past it is understandable that this would be a concern, because they have not kept deals that they had made in the past. For instance, when they had signed the nonproliferation treaty then secretly continued to pursue nuclear weapons development. In the third round of talks, in June of 2004, the United States stepped up with a proposal. In this proposal, they called for North Korea’s to dismantle its nuclear program. It stated that North Korea would be given a three month period to prepare to freeze its program, after which they would be required to provide record of activities proving that activities had stopped and that the program had been dismantled (Liang Web). This proposal did not go anywhere. The fourth round of talks did not get off to a good start. The United States Presidential election put negotiations on hold for a while followed by North Korea declared that they were now in possession of nuclear weapons. North Korea then declared that they were no longer interested in continuing the six party talks. But, they would eventually be convinced to return to negotiations when the US agreed to recognized them as a sovereign state. The turning point for North Korea to rejoin the talks would be when the US stated that they did not have any intentions of invading North Korea (Liang Web). On September 19, 2005, there appeared to be headway on the negotiations front with North Korea’s agreement to abandon their quest for nuclear weapons program and allow the IAEA back in for inspections in exchange for the normalization of relations with the US and Japan as well as economic aid (Bajoria Web). Again, we see that economic aid has made its appearance once again. However, North Korea wanted to continue their nuclear energy program. They agreed to rejoin the NPT, as well as to allow inspections from the IAEA (Liang Web). By the time the fifth rounds of talks began, in November of 2005, tensions were high and the climate of negotiations had deteriorated. The US had placed sanctions against North Korea and the froze the assets the state held in the Banco Delta Asia of Macau (Liang Web). North Korea had again boycotted the six party talks. They decided to do a show of power in an attempt to send a to the US to unfreeze North Korea’s assets. This is when North Korea begun to conducting missile and nuclear testing (Habib Web). The United Nation passed resolution 1718 in October of 2006 on North Korea calling for an immediate stop to their testing and the nuclear program to be abandoned. They urged North Korea to return to the six party talks. Talks resumed in February 2007 and there appeared to be an agreement amongst the six parties. North Korea would dismantle its nuclear program and the Us and Japan would to work toward normalization with North Korea. The agreement included the that all parties would work toward providing north Korea with the acquisition of heavy fuel (Liang Web). The sixth round of talks did not start off well. The US had not released the funds in the Banco Delta Asia of Macau and the North Korean delegate walked out of negotiations. Although talks would continue in September and October of 2007 after the IAEA confirmed that the nuclear facility at Yongbyon and the parties continued their talks about supplying heavy oil (Liang Web). Just as talks were looking like there was progress they began to falter yet again. North Korea was not happy with samples being collected at their Yongbyon facility and claimed that no such agreement had been made. In April 2009, North Korea test launched a modified Taepo Dong-2 three-stage rocket. An obvious disregard to the agreements made in other rounds of talks. On April 14th 2009, North Korea announced that they would no longer be part of the six party talks and that any agreement that had been made in previous talks were null and void. Many have called for the talks to continue, but to no avail (Liang Web). There seems to be a stalemate at this time. We can see that North Korea has no intentions to dismantle their Nuclear weapons program any time soon. For them it is their bargaining chip. The use of fear of attack as a means of getting what they want, what they need. It is apparent that North Korea has been in search of Nuclear technology for many years. Their motives behind this search come to light when one takes a look at the history behind it. A deeper look into time line of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and the event that occurred during the six party talks, shows that North Korea’s declining economic situation has been a key player in their quest for nuclear weapons capabilities. There desperate need for economic aid has led them toward a road where they believe the fear of a nuclear attack is the only way for them to obtain the much needed assistance that they need. Works Cited Ahn, Mun Suk. What Is the Root Cause of the North Korean Nuclear Program?. Asian Affairs: An American Review, vol. 38, no. 4, Oct. 2011, pp. 175-187. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00927678.2011.604287. Bajoria, Jayshree, and Beina Xu. â€Å"The Six Party Talks on North Koreas Nuclear Program.† Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 30 Sept. 2013, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/six-party-talks-north-koreas-nuclear-program. Habib, Benjamin. North Koreas Nuclear Weapons Programme and the Maintenance of the Songun System. Pacific Review, vol. 24, no. 1, Mar. 2011, pp. 43-64. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09512748.2011.554992. Clemens Jr., Walter C. North Koreas Quest for Nuclear Weapons: New Historical Evidence. Journal of East Asian Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, Jan-Apr2010, pp. 127-154. EBSCOhost, ccco.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=48647386&site=ehost-live&scope=site. â€Å"North Korea Nuclear Timeline Fast Facts.† CNN, Cable News Network, 4 Sept. 2017, www.cnn.com/2013/10/29/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-timelinefast-facts/index.html. Liang, Xiaodon. â€Å"Fact Sheets & Briefs.† The Six-Party Talks at a Glance, Arms Control Association, 18 July 2017, www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/6partytalks.

The study of behavior through organisational behavior

The study of behavior through organisational behavior Organisational behaviour is actually the study of the behaviour of people working in an organisation. In other word we can say that it is the study and understanding of individual and group behaviour and patterns of structure in order to help in raising organisational successfulness, performance and effectiveness. It is also express as the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals and groups act in work organisation. There is a close relationship between organisational behaviour and management. We are surrounded by organisations everywhere like where we study ,do our activities, do jobs, we use them in any sense mode of communication, etc. We use thousands of organisations on regular intervals. So we can understand how organisations influenced our daily life and how much they are important. It plays a vital role in the lives of us. It is important to know how organisation function and how they exercise to the behaviour of people. It is much more significant to know interrelationship with other variables that together form the whole organisation. The behaviour of people in work organisation is being watched in terms of multi related figures concerning the individual, the group, the organisation and the environment. Achieving the effectiveness or success of an organisation is not an easy task . it can be achieved through the process of management, efforts of members of the organisation, co-ordination and organisational objectives. Relationship between the organisation and the individual is the psychological contract. The nature of expectations has an influence on the relationship between employment and behaviour in work organisation. Now a time a major challenges faces by managers is due to an increasingly global business environment. This increases the need for cross cultural approach to the study of organisational behaviour and the management of people. Because of increasingly international context, managers need to understand the impact of national culture. The management of organisation is not totally dependent on internal factors but it is also influenced by external and environmental factors. For an effective performance of work organisation, it has to respond to challenges, opportunities and limitations presented by external environment. Organisational behaviour is the concept to improve the overall productivity of an organisation by the process of explaining, predicting, maintaining, understanding and changing human behaviour. Management is a pivotal importance of modern society. It is for this reason that, no matter what thinking about management, certainly at university level, is of great relevance to management practice. So apart from the question of whether management claim that it is indispensable is really valid or not, the fact that practically every one believes it is , is what counts. {Mullin (2008)}. The 7s Models of McKinsey Strategy: the plan made to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. Structure: the way the organisation is structured and who reports to whom. Systems: the daily activities and procedures that staff members engage in to get the job done. Shared Values: called super ordinate goals when the model was first developed, these are the core values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate culture and the general work ethic. Style: the style of leadership adopted. Staff: the employees and their general capabilities. Skills: the actual skills and competencies of the employees working for the company. Start with your Shared Values: Are they consistent with your structure, strategy, and systems? If not, what needs to change? How well does each one support the others? Identify where changes need to be made. Do they support one another? If not, what needs to change? As you adjust and align the elements, youll need to use an iterative (and often time consuming) process of making adjustments, and then re-analyzing how that impacts other elements and their alignment. The end result of better performance will be worth it. The McKinsey 7Ss model is one that can be applied to almost any organizational or team effectiveness issue. If something within your organization or team isnt working, chances are there is inconsistency between some of the elements identified by this classic model. Once these inconsistencies are revealed, you can work to align the internal elements to make sure they are all contributing to the shared goals and values. The process of analyzing where you are right now in terms of these elements is worthwhile in and of itself. But by taking this analysis to the next level and determining the ultimate state for each of the factors, you can really move your organization or team forward. In Search of Excellence the eight themes A bias for action, active decision making getting on with it. Close to the customer learning from the people served by the business. Autonomy and entrepreneurship fostering innovation and nurturing champions. Productivity through people treating rank and file employees as a source of quality. Hands-on, value-driven management philosophy that guides everyday practice management showing its commitment. Stick to the knitting stay with the business that you know. Simple form, lean staff some of the best companies have minimal HQ staff. Simultaneous loose-tight properties autonomy in shop-floor activities plus centralised values. Peter and Waterman identified customer satisfaction as one of the important attribute for successful growth of an organization. They suggests organizations should go close to listen and learn from people they serve. Try to provide reliable and quality service. {Mullin (2008)}. Management and leadership are two sides of a coin. Leadership is related to motivation, communication and interpersonal behavior. It influences both individual and organizational performance. Leadership in Management comprises of four basic principles namely commitment, planning, action and evaluation{Mullin (2008)}. Kotter says that successful companies do not wait for leaders to join them. They recruit and select people with leadership potential and train them to develop managerial skills{Mullin (2008)}. However, the style and approach adopted by Foxconn Technology highlight different dimensions and is still successful. Being one of the largest electronics manufacturing services organization in the world , established in 1974 at Taipei, China has 25 factories in 13 countries with 700,000 employees world wide. The organization provides one stop solution from design and manufacturing to logistic, to repair and maintenance. The five key principles of the business model include, speed, quality, technology, flexibility and cost efficiency, which has proven Foxconn sustainability. The eight C core competence include, computers, telecommunication, consumer electronics, channel business, car, digital contents, health care, CSER Investment. The principles of corporate governance values in partnership with customers, suppliers, shareholders and community. It has board of directors , who represent the individual company unit from different countries and two independent directors and Chief Executive Officer. ( Foxconn 2009). The company uses military style . Security guards beat and shout at workers. The lower rank workers are unhappy with management. The labor union is not efficient and effective . They do silly things jobs like booking tickets and are not bothered about rights of workers. Some workers are frustrated because payments are deducted with unfair reasons. Some workers work overtime up to 120 hrs in order to earn a decent living. Foxconn lost 150000 workers in past three months. Employees dont get opportunity to socialize due to over crowding at work place. In a interview with Richest chines Magazine, the companys chief Terry Gou says, he personally works 15 hours a day and expects all of his employees to work as hard as him. The CEO, Gou exhibit extremes of severity and kindness. To quote a example, in a meeting he got disappointed on hearing a unsatisfactory answer from a executive and made him to stand for 10 minutes. At the same time Mr. Gou rewards his employees by paying executive bonus es out of his own pocket. ( Global Times 2010). Recently the Foxconn global high tech industry was in news due to suicides of 13 workers. The reason behind could be extreme pressure. The death of Chao hiung raised doubt of foul play as his body was discovered with four stab wounds .Does he really committed suicide or was beaten by security guards has created an atmosphere of threat amongst workers.( POC 2010). The leadership at Foxconn appears to be autocratic and shows transactional approach. The said approach state that authority is concentrated and centralized with leader. He is sole decision maker and derives policies and the way the task has to be done. The system of reward and punishment is place. Such leadership is unlikely to work in the modern democratic world. Rajan points out that leadership styles are needed to cope with different situations. Goleman reports that most effective executives use a collection of distinct leadership styles, each in the right measure at just the right time {Mullin (2008)}. Management is an art which has scientific base and needs to be practiced in a magical and artistic way keeping in mind the politics around. The view has been supported in the research work. {Mullin (2008)}. The Citigroup Inc. is a major global financial services company based in New York and employees 260, 000 staff around the world. Due to financial industry developments and competitive issues led to massive changes and re-organization at Citigroup leading to mergers and acquisitions. There were 25% lay-of in Information system division and remaining employees were reorganized into a focus work team structure in an effort to keep high performance level ( Innerwork 2010). However it was observed that morale in remaining employees survivors was very low. Employees had very poor trust level with management, fear and uncertainty, lack of communication, poor level of team work, finger pointing, blame fixing, disorganized approach to service the business unit customers ( Innerwork 2010). Realizing the important facts, the Citi group partnered with a consultancy company Inner work to rebuild morale, productivity and customer focus. Inner work company came out with a number of solutions comprising of encouraging department to organize small leadership team, then developed integrated curriculum of self change, Team change, monthly lessons on site to for deep learning ( Innerwork 2010). Results were encouraging at the end of six month training program showing 76% increase in trust level, 32.85% increase in various measure of team effectiveness, 48% increase in open and honest communication, 75% increase in personal power/ability to respond to change, 68% increase in personal emotional mastery, 65% reduction in stress, 75% increase in commitment to the organization. There behavioral change led to 75% reduction in cycle time for software development, 33-50% increase in work team productivity ( Innerwork 2010). The intervention made by Citigroup is theoretically supported by the productivity through people. {Mullin (2008)}. The Foxconn and citigroup case studies attract attention to these two important attributes namely trust and communication required for performance. Citigroups timely intervention in the form training proved beneficial to gather trust between employees and management. The Foxconn need to put attention on transparency in communication and use policies for safety at work place and work hour limitation to avoid stress. Counseling of employees will go long way in transforming the attitude. Considering observations from Foxconn, Citigroup studies and reading various research articles and conclusion drawn by them, the role of human resource management has important role to successful performance of work organization.. The strategic use of human resources will help managers to get true values by optimally using competencies of people. The traditional view of looking at HRM ( Human Resource Management) as a department for planning human resources, recruitment, selection, induction, training, consultation with unions, development of employees, compliance to law requirements, record keeping, statistics, lessoning with government department is all set to change {Mullin (2008)}. Companies today face five critical challenges, like globalization, profitability, technology, retaining intellectual capital and the change coming over in the new millennium. The practice of HRM is getting affected by cultural diversity due to globalization, which necessitates to derive common culture and policies, which can suit changes in structure and strategies can be implemented globally. The major area of relevance to effective performance remain training and development. The basic role of a manager is to direct, develop, encourage and train subordinate people. This can help to improve knowledge, skills and change in attitude. But mind all line managers are their own human resource managers and the HRM function is a shared responsibility among top management, line managers and supervisors. The crucial activity of HRM is to judge performance of people, which can help top management to make key managerial decisions relating to allocation of duties and responsibilities, pay, empowerment and levels of supervision, promotion, training and development and career progression. However it is equally necessary to have performance management system in place with regular monitoring and feed back. The formulation of system which include qualitative or quantitative measures , frequency of monitoring and method of feed back like 360degree or upward feed back need to be discussed with the line mangers , supervisors and top management. Observations drawn from the Foxconn is just efficient but not effective. And the Citigroup case study where in emphasis was led on training indicate the HRM activities do help Organization to perform effectively. Stone from research work has identified six steps for effective management namely, Senior managers are committed to the process. Objectives are clear. Feedback is balance. Progress is reviewed. Development plans are included in the process. Managers have the right skill to support the process. This supports the discussion made about management and the factors which play critical role in effective performance of an organization. With changing nature of modern work organizations a survey undertaken by management today draws attention to the changing relationship between organization and individuals. The dispersed teams across multiple location would often work as virtual teams. The greater empowerment will led to shift of responsibility from organization to individuals. And the role of Management and there by manager will be questioned.{Mullin (2008)}. Factors Some more factors to determine the effective performance of work organisation are organisational structure, motivation and reward, objectives/goals/missions, values, team working, diversity. Organisational Structure Organisations always prefers formal structure that is why organisations manage with responsibilities. They create the formal structure which helps the organisation to achieve their desired goals. and most of the times these formal structures set out on paper in the form of organisational charts. The organisations which is based on day to day reality they develops informal structure between the members. Informal structure can be different from that which they set out on paper. In todays world managers need to learn and work with both formal and informal organisational structures. The flexibility should be there in managers than they can realise that the elements of the informal structure may be formalised. When managers take the elements from informal structures and modified them into formal structures then this may lead to high level of motivation for the staff which is involved in that organisation. The structure of an organisation not only affects productivity and economic capacity but also the morale and job satisfaction of its members. The overall successfulness of the organisation is influenced by sound structural design and by the behaviour of people working in that organisation. It is so significant to remember relationship between structure and the realities of organisational behaviour. The organisational structures which supports the retail fashion industry are heavily focused on two main tasks making reliable predictions about design trends and achieving cost reduction in the production process. Unlike other companies who design and order their ranges of clothing in advance, Zara makes only what is selling at the moment. if the designs sells good it increase the production if not then they stop producing it ,the company has not lost much as volume of remaindered items is small. Motivation And Reward The motivation is some driving force within individuals by which they do efforts to achieve some objective in order to fulfil their needs or expectations. When people are motivated and rewarded in the organisation than they put extra efforts to achieve their goals. With the motivation and reward policy adopting in an organisation will helps in effecting the successful performance of work organisation. Mission/Objectives/Goals Organisation never sets the objectives but people in an organisation sets the objectives. They are established by the people either individually or by the number of individual co-opera tingly. Like a group of senior management agree on certain desired course of action that may then announced as an organisational objective. The setting objectives is an integral part of the process of management and necessary aspect in almost each and every organisation. Objectives can be set out either in general terms or it may be in more specific terms. General objectives are ascertained by the top level of management. Specific objectives are given with in span of general objectives and usually have more cleared areas of applications and time limits. The objectives of an organisations are the reasons behind their existence. The objective is something which an organisation is striving to achieve. Just objectives can be controlled but the clear defined objectives will help in communications and also h elp in reducing misunderstandings and provide more explained criteria for obtaining work organisation performance. Organization need to be efficient in doing the right things with utilize the resources in optimum way and should be effective in doing the right things relating to organizational objectives. The output in the form of increased net earnings, delivery of service, good results in focus areas, customer satisfaction, changes adapted according to the demands and expectations of external environment which is ultimately perceived as performance. Values And Team Work Task/work is a team based based activity and teams and groups are an important feature of human behaviour and work organisation. Members have to be co-ordinate to carried out the work. Good team work helps in raising the level of morale and work organisation performance. There is a tendency for teams and groups to be used interchangeably. Whereas all teams are groups , it doesnt essentially follow that all groups are teams. Groups or teams develop their own style of values and norms of behaviour. There are two forms of groups at work one is formal and another is informal. Formal group is the part of the organisation structure . it is deliberately planned and formed by management to do their respective tasks and achieve organisational goals. Informal groups are based on personal relationship and develop irrespective of formal structure. Informal groups are hired to satisfy members psychological and social needs. Groups are created for a number of reasons relating to performance of wor k and social processes. Individuals can form into teams and groups for a number of reasons relating to both work performance and social processes in both sense formal and informal. The managers main concern is that members in that teams and groups should co-ordinate. The factors that effect team cohesiveness can be considered under the broad headings of membership, environment of work, organisational and team development and maturity. There are potential disadvantages of strong, cohesive teams and the manger should attempt to prevent unconstructive intergroup rivalry. However, intergroup conflict may be deliberately promote as a means of building stronger with in team cohesiveness. Self-Managed Teams Organisations are facing hard competition in the global market and are sure to face increasing battles in the future. To position themselves for growth in the coming times, many organizations are making the alteration to an empowered personnel. In an empowering atmosphere, those adjoining to the job are given the duties to make decisions regarding their own work and their own customers. Implementing self-managed teams is a step towards achieving an empowered society. Details the five necessary steps for successful team implementation including: the six-step process for designing teams, adopting team selection systems, addressing new training needs, initiating leadership transitions and changing roles, and rewarding team rather than individual performance. Self-managing teams are also known as self-directing work teams, represent a innovatory approach to the mode work is organised and performed. Instead of organising work based on the traditional Taylor model reducing a process to in dividual steps work becomes restructured around whole processes. There must be interdependence and joint responsibility for outputs if there is to be a self-directed work team. Whereas the traditional system reduces the required skill at every level of work, producing boredom in the bottom-level jobs, the new system integrates the needs of the people with the work to be done and those closest to the jobs help design the job. In the RL Wolfe case study: Implementing Self managed Teams for example, it states how well self created teams are used to create successful organisations and how well it is being implemented throughout the organisation. In 2003 as stated in this case, when RL Wolfe purchased Moon Plastics a small, family-owned custom plastics manufacturer in Corpus Christi Amasi (director of production and Engineering at RL Wolfe) had seen an opportunity to implement self-managed teams at the new plant. He had been interested in self created teams for several years, since taking a business school executive education course on workforce motivation and team structures. Amasi had been intrigued by reports of 30% to 40% improvements in productivity and quality for SDT-run units, when compared with traditional manufacturing facilities, and returns on investment more than three times the industry average. Those reports had come from a variety of industries -food and beverage, consumer goods but Amasi f elt he saw evidence that he could use the SDT model to drive high productivity in a plastic pipe manufacturing plant. High productivity, in his view, was 95% or more of design capacity. Wolfes two other plastic pipe manufacturing plants were running at 65%-70% of design capacity. Amasis first step had been to gain the board of directors approval to approach the worker union and offer a long-sought concession in health care coverage to clear the path for what became known as the Corpus Christi experiment. The new plant would not be unionized; in contrast to Wolfes other two plants. His second step had been to lure 35-year-old Jay Winslow from Wolfes top competitor to become plant manager. Individual Differences and Diversity Diversity challenges many traditional stereotypes and organisation needs to manage diversity ina manner that benefits the well being of all staff members . one of the most important aspects of managing diversity is that of gender equality and the participation of men and women in the work organisation. Conclusion and Recommendation There is multiple of variables which invade on any organisation and which shows the complicated nature of the study of work organisational effectiveness . Organisations needs to be efficient, effective, adaptable and give attention to innovation . One important approach of interdependent organisational variable to organising is McKinsey 7-s framework. Gratton refers six tenets of the democratic leadership organisation in which win-win approach relationship for both the individual and the organisation. The main factor in organisational effectiveness is the successful management of new inventions means innovation and change the concept of the learning organisation. A radical approach to organisational change and restructuring involves a fundamental rethinking of business processes. There is continues demand for managerial development as an internal part of the organisational development . Concentration needs to be given to learning, training, performance review , planning and career pr ogression. Management growth should be seen as a on going process and involves formal programmes of on going professional growth and management accepting responsibility for self growth. There is a wide variety of interconnected individual team, group, organisational and environmental influences on behaviour in work organisation. Work organisation can be analysed in terms of open systems framework, group work, teamwork and leadership. The role of management ,management style and effectiveness, profile of organisational characteristics, contribution of the human resource management (HRM) function ,key areas of performance and results, design of organisation structure, organisational control systems, planned organisation change, organisational culture and climate. A programme of organisation audit involves a review of the operations of the organisation as whole. In addition to anxiety for the current position of the work organisation, concentration should be given to its future growth and success. The driving force behind the successful 21st century work organisation will be its manpower( we people). Learning Outcomes: This assignment really has given me the chance to bring my academic knowledge to practical implementation and thoughts involved in obtaining my views has really broadened my knowledge, skills, horizon and this will further help me in my management career. This report has given me great learning towards organisational behaviour. If in my academic life I will get a chance I will definitely do a deep study in this area either by my some case coursework or dissertation and reading of books in relation to this.