Robinson Crusoe Essays (2027 words) - Fiction,

Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe is credited with writing the first long fiction novel in literary history. Drawing from established literary genres such as the guide and providence traditions and the spiritual biography, Defoe endeavored to illustrate the life of a man who tempted Providence to his ruine (Defoe 13) and the consequences of such actions. While stranded alone on an island the character of Robinson Crusoe seems to have a religious epiphany about the role of Providence in his life and resolves to live in accordance with God's will. However, Crusoe's internal reflections throughout his narrative and his actions do not correlate, causing the reader to question the validity of this conversion. By examining the plot and the process of psychological change Crusoe undergoes, it becomes apparent that he experiences and accepts divine control but that control can only be realized in the free context he has himself created (359). When push comes to shove, Crusoe reverts to human instinct and his own impulses rather than what he perceives to be the will of Providence. Crusoe uses his newfound religion only when convenient and as a means to justify his actions and an acceptable reason for everything unfortunate that happens. When he finally does leave the island and returns to society, Crusoe's faith is tested and fails miserably, with practically no mention of Providence towards the end of the story. At the beginning of the novel, Crusoe introduces himself and establishes that his narrative is a memoir of sorts, and is told while looking through more experienced, wise eyes than when he originally experienced his story. This is important to note, because his discourse is shaded with hindsight and interpreted through a mind that has come to accept Providence's hand in his life. For example, when the Turks capture Crusoe and he is enslaved, he reflects by saying, now the Hand of Heaven had overtaken me, and I was undone without Redemption. But alas! This was but a Taste of the Misery I was to go thro' (15). Because Crusoe is recalling the events from memory, as well as the lack of input from any other characters, his reliability can be questioned as a narrator. An unreliable narrator is one who may be in error in his or her understanding or report of things and who thus leaves readers without the guides needed for making judgements. For this reason, the reality of Crusoe's religious conversion later in the novel can be questioned as well as his interpretation of events. Crusoe begins by telling about his defiance of his father's wishes and advice. Crusoe's father advises him not to go to sea and suffer the same fate as his brother, now dead, and pursue a life in the Middle of two Extremes, between the Mean and the Great?to have neither poverty or riches (5). This ideal is reminiscent of Puritanism and its doctrine that discouraged the pursuit of wealth and power. Crusoe was sincerely affected with this Discourse, which was truly Prophetick (6), but its effects wore all off of him and he goes to sea anyway, seeking fortune and adventure. This action proves later to be very consistent with Crusoe's character, as he repeatedly is affected by the great, life-changing events in a spiritual sense, but with time these effects seem to wear off. This event is also colored as Crusoe's original sin, as none of the terrible events that happen later would have occurred if he had followed his father's advice. After an interesting chain of events, Crusoe finds himself shipwrecked upon an island while making a voyage to buy slaves. While trying to make sense of his condition, he falls very ill and cries out to God, Lord look upon me, Lord pity on me, Lord have Mercy upon me (64). Crusoe makes this first attempt at a relationship with God while in a very dire situation, not during his everyday life, making his religion that of convenience. Crusoe has a dream while ill and after experiencing an earthquake, seeing a terrible man descend from the heavens, declaring, Seeing all these Things have not brought thee to Repentance, now thou shalt die (65). This passage sounds quite like a Puritan sermon, with its

Porters generic strategies

Porters generic strategies Introduction Porter’s generic strategies were designed to explain how firms achieve competitive advantage. Numerous industries have applied the three generic approaches, and thus illustrated that Porter’s model was accurate in explaining how firms become successful in their industries. Nonetheless, a few exceptions do exist.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Porter’s generic strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Explanation of the model Firms may adopt one of three generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation or focus. Cost leaders are organisations that sell their goods or services at the lowest price in their industries. Companies can become cost leaders by acquiring and continually investing in capital so as to create or sustain a large market share. High capital investments also create large economies of scale that allow firms to minimise unit costs of production. As a result, the se businesses can pass on production savings to their consumers through low prices. They need to keep up with the latest developments in technology in order to control process-related expenses. Many cost leaders also have closely monitored overhead. They tend to reduce labour costs through commission-based pay. Others can negotiate low prices for raw materials with their suppliers. Organisations may choose cost leadership because it can protect them against powerful buyers and suppliers. Furthermore, it hampers potential entrants from entering the market because they cannot match their economies of scale. The differentiation strategy refers to provision of unique services or products to one’s clients. Some organisations may achieve differentiation through addition of certain qualities in their products. Others may simply work on brand perception while some may dwell on product design. Even the use of technology can become a source of differentiation. Companies may choose such a strategy because it allows them to enjoy high profit margins. Customers tend to be loyal to differentiated firms, so they hardly pay attention to price adjustments among competitors. Differentiation also reduces buyers’ choices hence their power over the concerned firm. In order to achieve this feat, companies need to invest heavily in research and development. They should also market their services or products effectively. In other words, they need to communicate to consumers the exceptional qualities of their products. Differentiated firms ought to have a fixed pay structure that enhances employee loyalty. Innovation and creativity are central features of this strategy. However, businesses in this category do not enjoy a large market share because the strategy focuses on exclusivity.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The last approach is called the focus strategy. Here, a company tailors its products or services to one market group. It can select a particular market segment on the basis of its geographical location, product preference or demographic factors. In this category, organisations can either be cost-focus strategists or differentiation-focus strategists. When they select one of the latter, then they can create competitive advantage in their industry. Porter (1980) explained that firms cannot select a hybrid of the three strategies and still be successful. The generic strategies are contradictory in nature, so trying to implement more than one of them would cause firms to be stuck in the middle. For instance a company that wants to pursue both cost leadership and differentiation would need to cut down on overhead, but still invest in research and development. Achieving these two objectives simultaneously would be close to impossible. Such firms have to contend with low profits because they lack the features needed to compete with low cost competitors or differentiated organisations. They also confuse customers who cannot identify one distinct feature about them. Unless a company employs different generic strategies across very separate and distinct business units, then it would not succeed in using a hybrid model. Application of Porter’s generic strategies in various industries Companies in the hotel industry have applied Porter’s generic strategies successfully and those who have not have ended up recording immense losses (Bordean et al. 2010). In the hospitality industry, companies achieve cost leadership by offering only basic services. They focus on attracting a large market segment by keeping their rooms inexpensive. Perhaps one of the most popular strategies pursued in the hotel industry is differentiation. Companies may provide unique services such as wifi access, transportation from the airport, superior room furnishing and many more to create value. They eventually let travellers and visitors know that their services are superior, which leads to business success. In the hospitality industry, most firms choose to pursue a differentiation focus strategy rather than a cost focus strategy because it is difficult to meet the needs of a certain market segment without some form of differentiation. Some hotels have achieved this through focus on elite clientele, married couples or Islamic clients. Bordean et al (2010) carried out an analysis of the Romanian hotel industry by administering questionnaires to 69 hotels in the country. They had 26 strategic practices that participants needed to select. These findings would then be classified as cost leadership, differentiation or focus strategies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Porter’s generic strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The researchers found that several hotels utilised the differentiation strategy through brand identification , superior staff experiences as well as provision of certain technological advantages. They also found that others used the focus strategy by offering speciality services and establishing a strong reputation of excellence in the industry. Cost leadership was not found to be a strong strategy among most hotels because clients frowned upon cost-cutting measures. In essence, these findings support Porter’s assertions concerning the unfeasibility of hybrid approaches. Various industries have different manifestations of the three generic strategies because of the inherent characteristics within them. As described earlier, the hospitability industry rarely has firms that pursue cost leadership because of the nature of demand in that sector. However, other industries may be more inclined to cost leadership than others. Alternatively, they may depict differentiation strategies in different ways from other service industries. One such case is the health service industry. Lamont et al. (1993) found that differentiation in hospitals occurs through use of technologically sophisticated services, expansion of the nature of services offered and provision of rare services. For instance, hospitals with cardiac catheterisation laboratories and lithotripters are differentiated through the use of technological sophistication. Hospitals with rare services include those one that provide alcoholism services, birthing rooms or burn care. Conversely, hospitals may also pursue cost leadership by cutting down on their expenses. If the total operational costs per bed and the salary adjusted for each patient is low, then one ought to classify that hospital as a low cost facility. When Lamont et al. (1993) measured the financial performance of all hospitals (total margin and net operational revenue); they found that muddling organisations were the least profitable. These were companies who neither had low cost strategies or differentiation. Experts suggest that differentiated hospit als are better suited to discontinuous environment because differentiators give customers unique service. They use new technologies or foresee customer reactions and tailor services to meet those new needs. In a dynamic environment where factors alter frequently, hospitals pursing a differentiation strategy will be better able to cope with unpredictable occurrences. Cost leaders, on the other hand, thrive in predictable environments.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A dynamic environment creates diseconomies of scale and undermines attempts at cost control or efficiency. Furthermore, if the institution’s environment changes then the institution should consider changing its generic strategy. In the healthcare industry, firms’ strategic options are not curved in stone. They can be oriented to fit their environment. However, if a hospital already has a proper organisation-environment fit, then there is not need to alter its Porter generic strategy. Torgovicky et al. (2005) also carried out a study in the healthcare industry. They collected performance data from the Israeli ambulatory health care system, and compared this with the generic strategies pursued by the different businesses. It was found that organisations that did not fall neatly into any of the three categories were not financially viable. These findings further supported the assertions made by Porter. In the airline industry, one can also find instances of the Porter gen eric strategic models across the board. Cost leaders work by offering no frills; they only provide standard services. A good example of such an airline is Britain’s Easy Jet. The company merely provides clients with a seat and leg room, and thus cuts down on costs. It then eliminates the need to charge customers for any extra features. The strategy has built a large market share for the company and this has also increased its high income streams. Differentiators in the airline industry aim at providing additional features such as a diverse and satisfying menus, strong customer service and personal television viewing. Focus strategies in the airline industry are manifested through various ways. Some may dwell on offering differentiated flights in small airports. Alternatively, others may choose to fly to local destinations and may offer their services as low costs (Peters 2008). Several consumers in the airline industry will not pay high prices for short-distance flights. Cons equently, cost leaders have taken advantage of this situation and dominated short-distance flights. Some airlines have suffered tremendously owing to poor application of the Porter generic strategies. British Airways recorded losses of approximately 300 million pounds owing to its insistence on offering frills in short distance flights. One may liken frills to differentiation generic strategies because consumers must pay more for certain in-flight perks. Conversely, short distance flights may be likened to the cost leadership strategy. Therefore, British Airways was trying to pursue two simultaneous strategies in this business unit, and failed dramatically. The company has since learnt that the two approaches should be separated in order to foster financial sustainability. Perhaps one of the most obvious depictions of Porter’s generic strategies is the basic industrial goods sector, such as steel making (Bennet Cooper 1979). It is preferable to employ cost leadership strateg ies in this sector owing to a number of reasons. First, the steel industry has minimal opportunities for differentiation. The goods being prepared are quite basic and will eventually be used to make other commodities. Therefore, organisations are only left with process manipulation as the only way of maintaining a competitive advantage. The steel making industry often relies on the use of technology in order to boost production processes; this is a symptom of cost leadership. One of the ways in which these companies have reduced production costs is through computer inventory systems, which ensure that no company resource goes to waste during manufacture. Steel makers also work hard to ensure that their purchasing, and sales management techniques are in order. This would ensure that they produce their goods at very low prices. The companies also struggle to improve economies of scale through joint ventures because the overall outcome is plain steel. Sometimes joint ventures may occur between firms within the same supply chain. In other words, vertical integration of suppliers and manufacturers often takes place in the steel industry. Companies that engage in these joint ventures aim at minimising the cost of acquiring raw materials like iron ore or steel shreds. The high capital investments in basic industries also explain why price wars are common in the industry. Since organisations invest so much in opening up their businesses, then they try as much as possible to cut down on costs. The same strategies in the steel industry are also applied in other industries such as aluminium, plastic or paper. Such organisations do not diversify their goods, so the only option available to them is the price alternative. Weaknesses of Porter’s generic model While Porter’s strategic model may have garnered wide application in a number of industries, reports also shows that some industries or organisations do not follow Porter’s recommendations to the le tter. It is possible for firms to become cost leaders through the use of differentiation. A case in point is the automobile industry. General Motors was recognised as a cost leader even during the same decade that Porter created the generic strategy model. However, consumer reports also indicate that the company’s large luxury vehicles were the preferred consumer brand between 1976 and 1982. Similarly, the organisation’s midsize compact category was also at the top of their list between 1977 and 1982 (Datta 1996). The compact and large luxury automobile was one of the most profitable car segments at the time. These findings illustrate that General Motors differentiated its product offerings despite being a cost leader. Its profitability came from its perfection of the two models and its pursuance of low prices. Some firms may pursue more than one generic strategy, albeit at a milder level with one of them. The latter assertions are supported by numerous studies; one su ch example was a research done by Chan and Wong (1999). The two authors sought to examine the relationship between the competitive strategies adopted by organisations in the banking sector and their performance. They found that companies with multi-strategy approaches were more financially successful than the ones who only chose on of Porter’s three generic strategies. Chan and Wong (1999) explained that these strategies were possible because those banks had ample resources to synergise seemingly incompatible generic strategies. The organisations achieved this feat because they had strong organisational capabilities. Most of their managers were committed to their companies and carefully analysed the relationship between business activities and the organisational system. Porter argued that firms may choose to pursue differentiation or cost leadership in order to garner success. He treats these two approaches in an equal manner and believes that they can both provide tangible r esults for companies that select them. However, some analysts have found that differentiation is a superior strategy to cost leadership. Customers and their perception of quality within a certain company make a company more competitively placed than a cost leader. This explains why many US-based firms in the electronics industry became bankrupt. They failed to innovate and paid minimal attention to the quality of their commodities. Differentiation is superior to cost leadership because it is more focused towards customer needs. These firms listen to their buyers and are keen on using technology or any other means needed to meet consumer needs. According to Porter, differentiation is not well suited to low cost. However, this statement may not always be true. Differentiation is often associated with high quality and value creation. Nonetheless, in an attempt to meet consumer demands through quality improvement, some companies may end up minimising costs, which may be passed on to con sumers through lower prices. For instance, in 1997, Toyota wanted to improve its Camry model by increasing its speed impact. However, after achieving that objective, the company found that the product had fewer parts and thus better performance (Krebs 1996). In the mobile phone industry, companies instated quality assurance procedures in order to boost mobile device performance. However, these quality processes, which were differentiation strategies, ended up reducing costs of the products. Therefore, differentiation and low costs may work hand in hand, contrary to Porter’s claims. Conclusion Porter’s generic strategies have an impact in numerous industries across the board. Most of these organisations tend to have low levels of differentiation and are relatively secure industries. However, other firms may challenge the assumptions in Porter’s model when they exist in dynamic industries such as international banking. References Bennet, R Cooper, R 1979, ‘ Beyond the marketing concept’. Business Horizons, June, p. 76-83. Bordean, O, Borza, A, Razvan, N, Catalina, M. 2010, ‘The use of Michael Porter’s generic strategies in the Romanian hotel industry’, International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, vol. 1 no. 2, pp. 173-177, Chan, R Wong, Y 1999, ‘Bank generic strategies: does Porter’s theory apply in an international banking centre?’, International Business Review, vol. 8 no 5, pp. 561-590. Datta, Y 1996, ‘Market segmentation: An integrated framework’, Long Range Planning, vol. 29 no. 6, pp. 797-811. Krebs, M 1996, ‘1997 Toyota Camry: Indeed, less is more’ New York Times, 26 October, p.15. Lamont, B, Marlin, D, Hoffman, J 1993, ‘Porter’s generic strategies, discontinuous environments and performance: A longitudinal study of changing strategies in the hospital industry’, Health Services Research, vol. 25 no. 5, pp.623-64. Peters, K 2 008, ‘Generis strategies: A substitute for thinking?’ The Ashridge Journal, Spring, p. 1-5 Porter, M, 1980, Competitive strategy: Techniques for analysing industries and competitors, Free Press, New York. Torgovicky, R, Goldberg, A, Shvarts, S, Bar, D, Onn, E, Levi, Y, Bardayan, Y. 2005, ‘Application of Porter’s generic strategies in ambulatory healthcare: a comparison of managerial perceptions in two Israeli sick funds’, Healthcare Management Review, vol. 30 no. 1, pp 17-23.

The kingdome film (2007) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The kingdome film (2007) - Essay Example War then started and different problems happened. In 1973 the oil embargo occurred and lasted until 1974. Also, in the 90’s Saudi Arabia became the top oil producer in the world while US became the top oil consumer. Terrorism then rocked the world after the said period. This became the connection of the movie to reality. The plot presented a fictitious compound, Al Rahmah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where foreign workers are living with their families and where the main focus of the movie which is the bombing occurred. Through different situations caused by different groups, the 4 FBI agents pursued the search for the people responsible for the bombing. Through the process a friendship had been established with the local military official Al-Ghazi. The attacks continued even when one of the officers had been taken by the group. The movie presented the different social issues such as clashes of culture, traditions, religion and beliefs. The clash of culture and traditions can be ob served in the minute details in the movie. One is the amount of respect given to the leaders of the country such as the Prince.

BORDER SECURITY ISSUES RESEARCH PROJECT # 4 Essay

BORDER SECURITY ISSUES RESEARCH PROJECT # 4 - Essay Example Te terrorists view this as the only easiest route to gaining easy entry into the United States for their terrorist missions. There are four main reasons for the immigration of terrorist groups into Mexico. One key reason of relocation of terrorist groups’ members to Mexico is because of the inability of the security authorities in Mexico to secure some parts of the country and its borders. Another key reason for settlement of terrorist groups in Mexico is because of the country’s proximity to the United States. Thus, it is easy for the terrorist groups to send their members on terrorist missions in the United States. The existence of drugs and weapons smuggling cartels along the Amexica border is another reason for settlement of terrorist groups in Mexico (White, 2013). This is because terrorist groups can use these cartels to smuggle deadly weapons in the United States. Lastly, the porous border of the United States and Mexico has attracted terrorist organizations to Mexico as this gives them the opportunity to sneak in and out of the United States and research on their targets. America had to establish a department for homeland security after the attacks that took place in 2011. It was one of the best ways that the government wanted to protect the citizens from attacks by terror groups. From the past political scenes on news, it is evident that the homeland department has worked with many other countries such as Mexico. As a result, most security agencies in Mexico are now vigilant when it comes to preventing terrorist activities. They conduct frequent border patrols on either sides of the border to arrest unlawful immigrants. The United States also uses drones to monitor the Amexica porous border. Mexican authorities have countered interaction between terrorists and smuggling cartels by arresting leaders of the

Child and Family and their Social, Cultural and Relationship Problems Essay

Child and Family and their Social, Cultural and Relationship Problems - Essay Example A family assessment should contain discussions regarding the type of family, family finance, safety, health, emotional support within the family and outside the family and family roles. (Pillittery, 2007). This will be the guide that this paper will use in order to gain the necessary information it needs in order to create an appropriate conclusion. This will also help in the goal of the paper, which is to provide recommendations on nursing recommendations for a six(6) week period. This papers main discussion points are; The case we are presented with provides us with a multitude of variables, facts, ideas and sources. Most, if not all of these things are things that will have some sort of effect on the child, either for short-term or in the long run. We were provided with a short family background, relationship descriptions, summaries of actions and histories, and these are the points of the case that our paper will focus on and use in order to get the needed results. We will also be relating these facts to current literature in order to get a bearing on the correct path to take for the assessment and nursing care plan. Aside from the family influence, cultural, religious and environmental influences also play an important role in this case, as, according to a paper by oregonstate.edu, these social influences will have a resounding effect a persons attitude or outlook. Aside from the factors stated above, the case had also described some issues such as the child's difficulty in adjusting to life in a foreign place, being diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder, suffering from a form of Dyslexia, being diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus, having been teased at school due to his racial background, and being unable to be with the people he is comfortable  with for one reason or another. On their own, these issues may be minor, but combined, they create a massive impact on the child and his wee-being. We will take all of these factors into consideration for the entire duration of the case.

Introduction of The Book of Common Prayer

Introduction of The Book of Common Prayer Introduction The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) or to give it its full title when published (in modern spelling) The Book of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites of the Church: after the Use of the Church of England is considered by many to be one of the priceless possessions of the English people, ranking alongside the first printed Bible in English and the plays of the quintessential English playwright William Shakespeare. It has been said, with some justice, that the words of this Prayer Book have been recited by English-speakers far more frequently than the speeches and soliloquies of Shakespeare.[1] First published in 1549, with authorship credited to the then Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), the book has been utilised by Christians throughout the world since, apart from 2 short periods of time between 1553 to 1558 and 1645 to 1660, having many of its phrases becoming part of our everyday language and still influencing the worship and devotions of millions of Christians today. The BCP comes to us in a number of guises, and is usually referred to by the year of its introduction. The first book of 1549 was rapidly succeeded by versions in 1552 and then 1559. The final version on which the present book is based is that of 1662. Each of the four versions feature a common layout and are related to each other however the content of each book shows considerable revision and thought in terms of theology, political and intellectual context. In a sense the BCP can be looked on as a wonderful example of a book which contains a whole history within it.[2] In order to analyse the impact of the introduction of the BCP some knowledge of the history lying behind the book is essential in order to demonstrate the seismic changes it brought about. Pre-BCP Period. The first version of the BCP was introduced in 1549 during the reign of King Edward VI however its roots were most definitely to be found growing during the reign of Henry VIII and the Protestant Reformation movement that had spread from Europe to Henrys England and influenced his Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. Henry was a Roman Catholic and would remain a Catholic until his death in 1547 despite his break from Rome over his divorce from Catherine of Aragon and the Act of Supremacy of 1534 which cut the ties of the English Church from that of Rome and made English monarchs the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Although there was an impetus given by the Reformation movement and Cranmers plans for reform, worship in England remained largely catholic, no uniformity of services but with little tinkerings of the liturgy here and there. There had been suggestions that in the late 1530s Cranmer was engaged in crafting services but nothing was ever published. A definite tinkering though followed after the 1536 sermon by Bishop Hugh Latimer (1487-1555) when he called for the services of matrimony and baptism to be conducted in English.[3] In 1535 the first English Bible produced by Coverdale was allowed to be used, followed in 1537 by Matthews Bible and then Coverdales revised Great Bible in 1539. On the orders of Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540), who was Henrys Vicegerent in Scripturals and Vicar-general, in 1543 an English Bible was to be placed in every church and chapel in the land from which the clergy were to integrate readings in English into Sunday worship. Also in 1543 Tudor rationalisation ordered that this realm shall have one Use[4], the Rite of Sarum[5] from the diocese of Salisbury, that had been amended to remove all references to both the Pope and St Thomas à   Becket.[6] The Sarum Use, which had been in use since the 12/13th century, comprised a number of large service books that the clergy had to use Breviary, Missal, Manual and Pontifical, along with books such as the Diurnal and the Pie, all of which were necessary in order to give directions to the everyday services. Most significant though was that the Use was written and said in Latin and thus these were books largely of the clergy and not the laity. By the end of the first decade after the Act of Supremacy, of 1534, several key changes had been introduced into the English Church, most notably the purging of all Roman authority and Papal references, integration of the use of English in parts of some worship, a state control over liturgy and in particular a requirement for uniformity and the influence of Protestant elements. An important landmark in this budding tradition is reached in 1544 with the introduction of the first officially approved state liturgy written totally in the vernacular English. Cranmers Litany was revolutionary, taking as it did a processional service designed to whip up both religious and patriotic fervour, in this case as a prelude to Henrys invasion of France, and not only having it all said in English but incorporating Lutheran reform and omitting the very Catholic invocations of the many saints. Henrys enforced policy of strict Catholic doctrine and practice made any kind of official advancement towards Reformed liturgical practice move quite slowly, however, the Reform movement continued to apply pressure leading Cranmer to pursue for some further degree of uniformity that would quieten reform advocates for a time.[7] This end was achieved by the issue in 1545 of The Primer set forth by the Kings majesty and his Clergy simply known as The Kings Book, a means of providing one uniform Primer[8] with all others to be withdrawn from sale. Whilst the contents were traditional the primer was available in both Latin and English and was an opportunity from Cranmer to tinker slightly with some of the contents to give them a more Reformed look. Other small but significant reforms by Cranmer followed, a more conservative Daily Office was drafted and a number of ceremonies and customs were abolished for being superstitious. Henry VIII died in January 1547 and was succeeded to the English throne by his 9 year old son, Edward VI. Edward had been brought up in the household of Catherine Parr (1512-1548), the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, and was very influenced by her Protestant sympathies of the New Learning. Due to his young age he was also surrounded, influenced and advised by his privy council who were also Protestant leaning. With a protestant King now on the English throne the way was now clear for Cranmer to press on with liturgical adaptations and reform that had been stifled under Henry. At the heart of Cranmers reforms of the English expression of religion was uniformity thus work began on a number of texts to bring this about and at the same time appease English reformers. One of the first of these texts was the Book of Homilies issued in July 1547, six months after the accession of Edward. This book contained twelve homilies, containing theology most amenable to the Reformation, that by royal decree were to be preached on each Sunday. At the same time a set of Injunctions appeared for a general visitation of the whole country to ensure that directions regarding the use of the vernacular for Bible readings , the use of an official Homily and a whole raft of other Reformed instructions were carried out.[9] Early in 1548 a significant change was introduced in the form of the Order of the Communion which amongst other things required for provision of the Communion in both kinds[10] to all, clergy and laity alike, which was a big feature in Reformed theology.[11] Whilst the country was becoming accustomed to the appearance and use that these reforms and changes brought about in their worship, Cranmer, along with a committee of certain of the most learned and discreet bishops and other learned men,[12] proceeded apace to work on a new form of consolidated prayer book for the whole kingdom. In 1549 this new book was published and given an into service date of Whit-Sunday 1549.[13] The 1549 Book of Common Prayer introduced The 1549 BCP can be viewed as a logical first step towards a fully English Protestantism although perhaps not a full blown Reformed package of new services. Although influenced by continental reformers this first book is very much more a revision of the old service book of the English church.[14] According to Procter and Frere, simplicity was achieved by the omission of a number of the medieval offices and doctrinal changes against, for example, the theory of transubstantiation and other more popular misconceptions; they see this first book as being less of a composition of new material but a reverent, conservative handling of the earlier Uses of which large portions were simply translated and retained. Chief among the changes introduced was the need to no longer use a multitude of books by the clergy to provide daily and Sunday worship services, everything needed was now contained in one volume except for a copy of the Bible in order to make lectionary based readings, Second, no longer were the congregation excluded from a full participation in the services as all the services, not just parts, were now to be said in English, so whilst the vast majority of the laity were functionally illiterate they could at least hear and understand the worship gone were to be the days of Hocus Pocus.[15] As well as consolidating all daily and Sunday worship into one book, Cranmer also removed many of the Latin services that he and his Reformer compatriots disliked. Just two Daily Offices were kept rather than the eight of the previous Latin Use[16], Morning and Evening prayer, joined by the Litany and Holy Communion. The BCP also contained the other occasional services necessary to minister congregations from cradle to grave. These included the orders for purification of women, baptism, confirmation, prayers to be said and Holy Communion with the sick, marriage and funerals. To complete the book the BCP also sets out all the Epistle, Gospel and Collect readings for each Sunday Holy Communion service ordered by the liturgical calendar, with the Old and New Testament and Psalm readings for daily prayer set out in a tabular form based on the civic calendar. Reception of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer The introduction of the 1549 BCP received a mixed reception, and in what could be seen as a shrewd move on behalf of the powers that be in anticipation of possible trouble and problems with its introduction, the Act of Uniformity 1549 that introduced the BCP gave it its legal standing as the sole Use. Cranmers aim for the book to be not just about a uniformity of common worship but a vehicle fitting for its expression, which was always dear to his heart,[17] was to be clearly seen in his Preface which pointed out how the homogenization of worship on a national platform and scale gave rise to an exchangeability of worship, such that anyone attending services outside of their own parish would experience a familiarity with services being said across the land something not found under the old Latin Uses. However, the BCP was not universally accepted. There was to be some violent opposition, on the Whit-Monday June 10th, the day after its official introduction date, an uprising began in the West Country demanding, among other things, a return to Mass in Latin, Communion in one kind and only at Easter and restoration of other observances from the time of Henry VIII We will not receive the new service, because it is like a Christmas game[18] they claimed. This sense of opposition from simple peasants can be regarded as typical of many in the land who disliked change in customs, traditions and teachings. For some, for whom the difference between Church and State was minimal, they welcomed a book which did away with the varying diocesan Uses and developed a corporate national feeling. For others, including a number of Cranmers Reforming friends, the book did not go far enough such that a leading opponent of reform, Bishop Stephen Gardiner found the books Eucharistic doctrine not distant from the Catholic faith and would have been prepared to use it had he not been incarcerated in the Tower of London.[19] An examination of the book leads one to the conclusion that the most contentious element, the Holy Communion, can be interpreted in two completely opposite ways, in a way that most Reformers would agree with, and also, in a manner agreeable to those who are entirely opposed to the Reformation. Use of expressions comfortable to both sides of the divide to describe the same thing such as referring to the Service of Holy Communion as the Holy Communion and as the Mass, and references to The Holy Table as the Altar and also as Gods board should not make it surprising that different interpretations could be read into the book. On balance it is apparent that Cranmer was walking a very narrow tight-rope in trying to bring about a significant reform that would be lasting and, in anticipation of the likely reception of the book from both ends of the religious spectrum, he showed admirable pastoral wisdom and sensitivity, advocating caution in the task of weaning the English away from what he saw as ancient error, which nevertheless had rooted itself deeply in the collective imagination, and towards the purer landscape of Protestant worship.[20] Perhaps it is not surprising, therefore, that the Book of Common Prayer of 1549 was not reprinted after the year it was issued and a successor was brought forward in 1552. Cranmer, working with Reformed theologians such as Martin Bucer[21] and against sincere Roman Catholics like Bishop Gardiner produce a revised BCP which reveals a decidedly Reformed evolution, no longer a compromise between the old and the new. Cranmers 1549 The Book of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites of the Church: after the Use of the Church of England can theologically be considered to be a child of the English Reformation, designed as a way of uniting people in worship through liturgy where both clergy and laity throughout the land pray together in a common vernacular tongue and both receive the wonderful mystery that is the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, as former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey states, The fundamental purpose of celebrating Common Prayer is this: to help the church as a whole to pray together in a reflective and structured way,[22] words one is certain that Cranmer would have said himself. Bibliography Carey, G., The Daily Office SSF by Society of St Francis (Mowbray, Continuum International PG, 2010). Cuming, G.J., A History of Anglican Liturgy (London, Macmillan Co Ltd, 1969). Cummings, B., Ed. The Book of Common Prayer: the texts of 1549, 1559 and 1662 (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011). Dean, J., God truly worshipped: Thomas Cranmer and his writings (Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2012). Hefling, C., Shattuck, C., Ed. The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006). MacCulloch, D., A History of Christianity (London, Penguin Group, 2010). Procter, F. Frere, W.H., A New History of The Book of Common Prayer, (London, Macmillan, 1961). Rosendale, T., Liturgy and Literature in the making of Protestant England (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2011). [1] D. MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, (London, Penguin Group, 2010), p.631 [2] B. Cummings, Editor, The Book of Common Prayer: the texts of 1549, 1559 and 1662, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011), p.xvi [3] C. Hefling C. Shattuck, Editors, The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011), p.22 [4] Use the liturgy or services [5] C. Hefling C. Shattuck, Editors, The Oxford Guide to the Book of Common Prayer, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2011), p.23 [6] T. Rosendale, Liturgy and Literature in the making of Protestant England (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011), p.28 St Thomas à   Beckets name was removed as he was seen to be a symbol of church resistance to monarchical control. [7] G.J. Cuming, A History of Anglican Liturgy, (London, Macmillan Co Ltd, 1969), p.58 [8] Primer = A manual of devotions including expositions of the Creed, Decalogue, Graces and prayers. [9] G.J. Cuming, A History of Anglican Liturgy, (London, Macmillan Co Ltd, 1969), p.60 for a more detailed list of visitation requirements. [10] Kinds A term to express either Bread and/or Wine [11] John Calvin asserted, against Roman Catholic doctrine, Christ is not present literally in the elements, but he is spiritually present. Those who receive the elements with faith can receive the actual body and blood of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit which works through the sacrament, a view sometimes known as Receptionism. [12] Further information of the members of the committee in G.J. Cuming, A History of Anglican Liturgy, (London, Macmillan Co Ltd, 1969) p.66 [13] The BCP was allowed to be used before this date with Whit-Sunday being the cut-off date for introduction [14] F. Procter and W.H. Frere, A New History of The Book of Common Prayer, (London, Macmillan, 1961), p.54 [15] Hocus Pocus an expression thought to come from a perversion of the sacramental blessing from the Latin Mass, Hoc est corpus meum This is my body. [16] Eight daily prayer events: Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline, and the night office, sometimes referred to as Vigils. [17] J. Dean, God truly worshipped: Thomas Cranmer and his writings, (Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2012), p.82 [18] F. Procter and W.H. Frere, A New History of The Book of Common Prayer, (London, Macmillan, 1961), p.56 [19] G.J. Cuming, A History of Anglican Liturgy, (London, Macmillan Co Ltd, 1969), p.96 [20] J. Dean, God truly worshipped: Thomas Cranmer and his writings, (Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2012), p.82 [21] Martin Bucer (1491-1551) Continental Reformer influenced by writings of Luther. Head of Reforms in Strasburg in 1527 but forced to flee to England following Battle of Mà ¼lberg in 1547. Appointed Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University in December 1549. [22] G. Carey, The Daily Office SSF by Society of St Francis, (Continuum International PG, Mowbray, 2010), Foreword

Decision Making Condition & Example Essay

1.1 Introduction Decision Making is very important thing that we do in everyday lives. According to Harris, R (2010), decision making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker and making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered. In addition, we are not on to identify as many of those alternatives as possible but to choose the one that has the highest probability of effectiveness. Just as there are different types of decision, there are also different approaches to decision making that are appropriate in different situation. Some decisions are made logical and rational thinking, while others are made using experience and sometimes based on the performance of a practiced skill. Decision making also can be described as the act of choosing one alternative from among a set of alternatives available. The decision making process includes recognizing and defining the nature of a decision situation, identifying alternatives, choosing the best alternative, and putting it into practice. In the decision making environment, there are three categories that is decision in certain condition, in uncertain condition and also in risky condition. The certain condition in making decision is where we have confidence and belief to get the best outcome in a single answer. The decisions maker also have to gain the comprehensive information regarding the situation occur in order to assist in his/her decision making. Meanwhile, uncertain condition in making decision is when the decision maker does not have knowledge of information where it is impossible to accurately describe for future outcome, more than one possible outcome. The decision maker also needs to have a high tendency towards risks to make the decision. Risky condition in making condition is where the decision maker has very limited of information and as a result, it is hard for them to predict the outcome. This risky condition can only be assumed based on information provided and probability that situation will occur and whether the situation really happen or otherwise cannot be completely ascertained as suggested by Shahrul A.A. et al (2011). He also said that decision maker or manager has limited information to assist in making the decision in risky condition even though the information obtains is not complete. In this topic, we will analyze the three conditions in decision making environment, examples for each category and also conclusion for the topic. 2.0 Decision Making in Certain Condition Decision making in certain condition implies that we know with 100 percent accuracy what the states of nature will be and what the expected payoffs will be for each state of nature. Harold. K(2009). He also believed that decision making under certainty is the easiest case to work with because with certainty, decision maker assume that all of the necessary information is available to assist them in making the right decision, and their can predict the outcome with a high level of confidence. This condition is ideal for problem solving and it is simply to study the alternatives and choose the best solution. Decision making in certain condition also occur when we know all information about alternatives and the best chosen one is the most effective. Meanwhile, Dr. John Bukowski (2012), believed that one method we can use to help decide is the cut-off screening method. Here, the decision maker predetermines a cut-off for each criterion. Then, the decision maker goes through each criterion and eliminates any choices that don’t meet the cutoff. If more than one choice remains, the decision maker could consider additional criteria or restrict the cutoffs. If all choices have been eliminated, the decision maker can relax the cutoffs. 2.1 Example of Decision Making in Certain Condition There are several examples using the certainty condition in different kind of situation. One of the example, is during making a choice of transportation from point A to a point B. Transportation ABC can take the person from point A to a point B in 10 minutes with the amount of RM 2.00. While transportation XYZ can take the person in 15 minutes with the same amount. With having limited time and money, and using the information completely given, the rational decision maker is able to know the best choice of transportation that he/she have to use to get to the destination, that is transportation ABC. In this situation, the decision maker can make the decision easily without any other probability of deciding for other option. 2.2 Second Example of Decision Making in Certain Condition Another example of making decision in certain condition is buying a new house. Mr. Ali is working at the city but he is currently living in flat house and his house located quite a distance from his workplace. Mr Ali getting promoted to the senior level, thus, he is thinking to buy a new house. His budget is RM 300,000 and he is looking for a house near at his workplace. House option A provides a bungalow house that near to the workplace, but the price is higher than his expectation that is RM 500,000. Meanwhile option B provides a new double-storey house also near to his workplace but with a less amount that is 280,000. From the information, Mr. Ali can make a decision using his budget limitation and also time saving going to work daily, the best option for Mr. Ali is Option B. 2.3 Third Example of Decision Making in Certain Condition The next decision making is on certainty is buying a car. Mr. Edward have his own family with 3 kids. Currently, Mr. Edward want to upgrade his car from his compact car into MPV size and is willing to pay not more than RM85,000 for the new car. There are several car manufacturers that selling the MPV Segment that is Proton Exora that cost RM 80,000 with value for money, good re-sell value and good maintenance. While Nissan Grand Livina will cost RM 90,000 and Toyota Wish will cost him RM 130,000. Using this information, Mr Edward have sufficient information to decide which one is the best option in term of value for money, maintenance, quality, insurance, and also re-sell value. Using this complete information, and the decision that based on facts, opinions and reasonable info, the best option for Mr Edward is Proton Exora. 2.4 Fourth Example of Decision Making in Certain Condition Mr. Gopal are trying to decide between three used cars, all of which are priced the same. If he want to buy used car number one, there is a 70 percent probability that he will have to spend RM400 to get the engine back in shape. However, there is a 30 percent probability that the engine will have to be replaced, which will cost him RM2, 000. If he chooses car number 2, there is a 50 percent probability that he won’t have to spend any money at all, a 30 percent probability that radiator repairs will cost only RM450, but there is a 20 percent chance that the car will require a new set of radiator that will cost him RM 1,500. If he choose car number three, he will face a 60 percent probability of an RM200 transmission repair, a 35 percent probability of a small transmission adjustment, and a 5 percent possibility that he will need to spend RM500 to fix the engine and the transmission. After considering information that he have and the cost for repairing of each used car, the best buy for him is the used car number 3. 3.0 Decision Making in Uncertain Condition A decision making in uncertain condition is when there are many unknowns and no possibility of knowing what could occur in the future to alter the outcome of a decision. It is also when the information received by decision maker is so poor that he/she cannot even assign probabilities to the likely outcomes of alternatives, thus making it an uncertain condition. Decision making under conditions of uncertainty is also an everyday task. When we decide whether or not to go out without bring the umbrella fearing it will rain, when deciding on whether or not to wear a helmet for cycling on the street or when deciding whether to take the bus or bus to work, the decision maker have to make a decision that involves outcomes that are in uncertain condition. According to Martin T. Schultz et al (2010), uncertainty can be classified either as input uncertainty or model uncertainty. Input uncertainty arises from a lack of knowledge about the true value of quantities used in analyzing a decision. In practice, model uncertainties are much more difficult to deal with than input uncertainties because they require the analyst to propose and evaluate competing models (Casman et al. 1999). 3.1 Example of Decision Making in Uncertain Condition Ahmad runs a small company that manufacture low-cost ergonomic stool and he sold via the Internet. His company has several popular models, each with annual sales of RM100,000 to RM150,000. He has an opportunity to invest in a new technology of manufacturing stool. Ahmad knows that a new technology will cost RM220,000 and is unsure whether there will be sufficient demand for the stool to cover this large investment. If the market is good, he thinks he can sell 4,000 chairs at a profit of RM100 each, generating a cash flow with present value of RM400,000. On the other hand, if the market is poor, he thinks he might sell only 1,000 chairs, generating a cash flow with present value of RM100,000. In this situation, ahmad does not have any information to help him decide and it is hard for him to make a decision from each probability that he made. Therefore he must use his rational and his business experience to make a best choice in order not to make his company loss in profit. Ahmad needs some skills and methods to make decisions under uncertainty. He needs techniques that match the limited time and money budgets of his small company. Therefore, this situation on decision making, he will try to have higher propensity and more practical level for the small business. 3.2 Second Example of Decision Making in Uncertain Condition Hassan, who is recently retired, has the opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream of operating a charter fishing business on the Langkawi Island with his retire savings of RM 50,000. Hassan has located a used charter fishing boat that he can purchase for RM 40,000. He realizes that this is a risky investment with many uncertainties, but he must reach a decision on whether or not to buy this boat by the end of the month. If he does not operate a charter fishing business, he will leave the money in an existing investment that is guaranteed to yield a 5% annual return. Hassan’s decision has been framed as a choice between a charter boat investment and an alternative investment. If the profits from his charter boat investment would exceed the returns from the alternative investment, he will invest in the charter boat. In this example, Hassan has applied the passive approach to adaptive management because the information he uses to update his decision is not obtained. Although the information is not obtained as part of the decision-making process, he used past experience and information to make the decision. According to Dr. Hossein, A.(2001), Business decision making is almost always accompanied by conditions of uncertainty. Clearly, the more information the decision maker has, the better the decision will be. Treating decisions as if they were gambles is the basis of decision theory. This means that we have to trade off the value of a certain outcome against its probability. 3.3 Third Example Decision Making in Uncertain Condition Another example is when analyze the weather patterns in the city ABC, forecasted by meteorological department. Sometimes the data provided by meteorological department is not always accurate to the people thus involved uncertainty condition. The most common weather that usually occurs was high winds, heavy rain, and lightning storm. For example they are predict City ABC will get a storm and heavy rain at night and as a result one of the live concert will be held at night do not know whether to cancel the show or go on due to the forecast. In this situation, people will understand that forecasts involve uncertainty with the future weather forecast because when they do not enough information, they have to estimate on their own and in this uncertainty, people have only a rely data base, they do not know whether or not the data are reliable, and they are very unsure about whether or not situation may change. According to Keltie, Denise.(2007), they used both rules and tools to deal with the uncertainty created by weather conditions and in terms of rules, they often relied upon heuristic strategies (cognitive rules of thumb) to help with decision making. 3.4 Fourth Example Decision Making in Uncertain Condition A local film producer has a developed a script and it is starting to cast the movie. The budget allows for the film is RM 50,000 for the male lead actor and RM 30,000 for the female lead actor. There are three actors that may be suitable for the male lead, and just two female actors that may fit the part of the leading lady. How does the producer decide on the individual actors and on the combination of two actors? According to Sharaf N. R.(2012), he suggested that in areas such as movie business, book publishing, and television programming, decisions are often reached on intuition, hunches, opportunities, and the pressure that a decision has to be made by a certain date. He also said, in the absence of time, relevant data, and funds, the decision makers rely on their intuition, gut feelings, and experience. In such situations, common sense suggests that an experienced person is more likely to make a better decision than an inexperienced person is. 4.0 Decision Making in Risky Condition In a risky situation, factual information may exist, but it may not complete. Rowe, W (1988) believed that whenever the decision maker has some knowledge regarding the state of nature, he/she may be able to assign subjective probability estimates for the occurrence of each state and in such cases, the problem is classified as decision making under risk. Shahrul A.A (2011) suggested that the decision maker will not know for sure the situations that will occur in the future and minimal information will only give some insight in predicting what will occur. He also said, whether the situation really will happen or otherwise, cannot be completely ascertained. The situation in risky condition usually related to management that has to deal with the market, insurance and investment. With limited resources and information, it becomes clear how important to make the right decision to avoid any losses or damage for decision maker. According to Geoffrey, C and Thomas, W. (1999), in risky condition, decision maker must assign a probability to each State of Nature and in some cases, research will reveal historical relative frequency information that we might conclude reveals the underlying probabilities. 4.1 Example of Decision Making in Risky Condition One example of risky decision can be seen in car running system. Car used to have simple ignition systems, with a distributor driven from the engine, the accelerator was a linkage from the pedal to the old system of carburetor. If the car was not running right, or there was another problem, it was simple to monitor and repair. Today’s car ignition systems are computer controlled with many sensors and actuators, the linkage from the gas pedal has been replaced with a computer, and the carburetor has been replaced by a fuel injection module. If something goes wrong, we can read out a manual code and try to determine which of the components and interconnections for each of the problem. The car running system is an example of the need for a more formal approach to risk based decision making and also risk management in car design and technology. 4.2 Second Example of Decision Making in Risky Condition Another example of a decision made under risky condition might be in the following situation, A manager in a supplier department decides to spend RM1,000 on a magazine ad believing there are three possible outcomes for the advertisement to have influence in their sales. A 25 percent chance the advertisement will have only a small effect on sales, a 55 percent chance of a moderate effect, and a 20 percent chance of a very large effect. This decision is made under risk because the manager can list each potential outcome and determine the probability of each outcome occurring. 4.3 Third Example of Decision Making in Risky Condition The following situation is in hypermarket department store. Their monthly sales statement for every month is increase. Thus, their manager is able to assume that the company will obtain net profit this year after making losses last year. Without obtaining other information such as operational cost, change of taste in consumers and environment influence, they can only assume that the company will obtain a profit based on the sales trend for the past few months. Therefore, state that the probability that the company will obtain profits is 60% and the probability that the company will make losses is 40%. With this, the manager will make a decision to increase investment. Here, the manager made a decision in a risky condition that is, it is not known whether the company will really be making a profit or otherwise. 4.4 Fourth Example of Decision Making in Risky Condition An example of a decision made under risky condition would be, for a manager of a medical research company, the decision of whether to spend RM 10 million on the research and development of a new technology on surgery equipment. The profits from the research and development spending will depend on whether the government will imposes new plan for the price regulations on new technology in the medical industry. Thus, on this condition, the manager must take the risk whether to carry on with the plan or cancel for the research. The two states of nature facing the manager in this problem are, 45 percent the government will impose price regulations or 55 percent the government will not impose price regulations for the new technology. While the manager have the limited information with the profits that will occur under either state of nature, the manager has risky condition of the probability that price regulations will be imposed on new technology. Under such conditions, a decision is made under risky condition. 5.0 Conclusion The decision making is an everyday task for us. We make decision making in environment using three kind conditions in everyday of our life, whether when we should use the car to go work, when we buying a new house, make a investment, expand our business, travelling and more. There is a lot of possibility and choice that we have to decide using these three conditions that is certain condition, uncertain and risky condition. We have to decide using the information and experience because good decision making requires not only knowing the facts, but also understanding the limits of knowledge. If we don’t have good understanding, experience and knowledge in decision making, we might ended in losing profits in our investment, regrets in purchasing a new car or house and even loss in our business. 6.0 References : Casman, E.A., M. G. Morgan, and H. Dowlatabadi. (1999). Mixed levels of uncertainty in complex policy models, Risk Analysis 19(1):33-42. [3 November 2012] Daniel Straub, Isabell Welpe. (2011). Decision-making under risk: a normative and behavioral perspective. Geoffrey Churchill, Thomas Whalen. (1999). Robinson College of Business Georgia State University: Decisions under Uncertainty. Retrieve at http://www2.gsu.edu/~dscthw/8350/decis-w.pdf [16 November 2012] Harris, R. (2010, November 22). Evaluating Internet Research Sources. Retrieved from http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm [6 November 2012] Harold Kerzner. (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Tenth Edition. John Wiley & Sons Publisher. [5 November 2012] Hossein Arsham . (2001).Tools for Decision Analysis:Analysis of Risky Decisions. Retrieve at http://home.ubalt.edu/ntsbarsh/opre640a/partix.htm [11 November 2012] John F. Bukawski. (2012). Quantitative Reasoning, by Alicia Sevilla and Kay Somers, ISBN 1-931914-90-7 . Retrieved at http://jcsites.juniata.edu/faculty/bukowski/ma103/topic11.htm [4 November 2012] Keltie, Denise. (2007). Ski Operations Managers’ Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Management Decision Making. [6 November2012] Kiker G.A. et al. (2005). Application of Multicriteria Decision Analysis in Environmental Decision Making. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 1(2), pp. 95–108.[4 November 201] Martin T. Schultz, Kenneth N. Mitchell, Brian K. Harper, Todd S. Bridges. (2010). Decision Making Under Uncertainty: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. [5 November 2012] Rowe, W. (1988). An Anatomy of Risk. R.E. Krieger Publishing Company [10 November 2012] Shahrul Aman Ahmad. et al. (2011). Principles of Management BBPP1103. V. Nov 2011. OUM. [2 Nov 2012] Sharaf N. Rehman.(2012). Decision-making Under Conditions of Uncertainty: The American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences Journal.(The AABSS Journal, 2012, Volume 16).[5 November 2012]

Administrative Discretion – Essay

Administrative Discretion NAME SCHOOL Should public administrators be restricted to only laid down rules in the discharge of their duties as espoused by Max Weber or should they have some amount of discretion? To me that is a very open question in regards to public administration and depending on the situation either administrators’ following guidelines is best or administrators following their best discretion can be the best for the situation at hand. So when answering this question I can go either way, situation and circumstances permitting. In this paper I will go into further detail to explain why both sides of this question are equally applicable. When situations arise and public administrators have to make decisions in regards to the public safety, environmental safety, or the safety of anything in general it is important that they follow the laid down rules that their duties are bound by. Legal-rational authority â€Å"is based on a belief in the legitimacy of the pattern of normative rules and the rights of those elevated to authority under such rules to issue commands† (1). This can also be translated into â€Å"follow the rules of society! Everything has always worked better if everyone and everything follows this bureaucratic rule of thumb. One situation where public administrators should have been held to follow the laid down rules in regards to their duties was the finalization of the DoD, or Department of Defense’s budget. The ultimate work around was an extension to make a decision and funds w ere allocated for the mean time but potentially this could have been a major freeze on the majority of DoD operations to include the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard. On the other hand, there is another option that makes sense. Public administrators, while following the laid down rules they are to follow, can be very effective when allowed varying amounts of discretion in their actions. Weber states that legal-rational authority is â€Å"†¦superior to any other form in precision, in stability, in stringency of its discipline, and in its reliability. It thus makes possible a particularly high degree of calculability of results for the heads of organizations and for those acting in relation to it† (1). Now taking that this type of bureaucracy that is followed works very well, in my career in the military I have learned that when particular situations arise, flexibility and speed is key. Thus in turn, public administrators are allowed that extra bit of flexibility just like in the case study 5 – Wichita Confronts Contamination. City Manager Chris Cherches used the flexibility he had managing the city and was able to save the city and state thousands if not millions of dollars that would be wasted if the EPA had been forced to manage the city’s cleanup operation. Cherches swift action, flexibility and determination in service to his city was detrimental to not only saving the cost that would have been brought to the city and state but his actions show how being allowed the discretion in his position actually provided a better outcome than not. Ultimately, flexibility or discretion is the deciding factor when it comes to getting the positive result or outcome of any situation. When it comes down to it, it is the actual situation or circumstance that dictates what the best course of action is to be, whether it is to follow the rules down to the letter or to have the discretion to make the decisions that will ultimately be the deciding factor in the positive outcome. With the examples give, on one hand you have congress who cannot come to an agreement over the finalization of a budget for the arm of the government, the Department of Defense and luckily was able to extend the term of the budget freeing up an allocated amount of funds. On the other was the City Manager of Wichita, Kansas who was able to save not only the city but the state countless amounts of money in a cleanup operation. So as you can see it is not a question of what is right, answer A all of the time or answer B all of the time, it is the question of which situation applies; can you use answer A, answer B for the particular situation. In the real world, situation and circumstances dictate all actions and outcomes. References: 1. Stillman, R. J. , II (2010). Public Administration, Concepts and Cases. Boston, MA: Wadsworth

Abolish Abortion essays

Abolish Abortion essays Abortion is a method for a pregnant woman to discard the growing fetus that lives inside of her. There are many arguments for and against abortion. Some people say that the mother should have a choice to abort her baby, and others say that it is wrong to kill a child. Abortion is wrong. When a baby is aborted, that child has no chance at life. Abortion kills a living breathing human that lives inside of the mother. Dr. Alan Moore from the University of Texas states that one out of every twenty pregnancies end in abortion. That is five lives out of one hundred that could have been saved if the mother had decided to let her child live. Abortion also harms the mother. Every woman that has an abortion is twenty-five percent less likely to become pregnant in the future. If then she decides that she does want to have a child, it will become harder for her to get pregnant. Abortion is also creating a problem in the hospitals. The dead fetuses are very difficult to dispose of. There are no graves being built for the fetuses and the hospital has to send them off to a lab to have tests run on them for genealogical purposes. This is a very costly and tedious process for the doctors and the lab technicians. The Pro-Choice supporters that are for abortion argue that it is a mothers right to decide whether the child should live or die. They are stating that if the mother does not want a child, she should just have it sucked out of her body and disposed of like last weeks garbage. They claim that a growing fetus is not an actual living person; therefore, that fetus should not have a chance at life. Most mothers choose to have their babies aborted because they dont have the funds to support a child. The government has provided systems such as welfare, which gives the mother money to support the child, and they have started adoption agencies, which find suitable parents for the child. There ...

Quotes From A Time to Kill

Quotes From 'A Time to Kill' Set in Mississippi, A Time to Kill is a heartrending story of a father who fights for justice after his 10-year-old daughter is brutally assaulted. The father, Carl Lee Hailey, is accused of killing the men who attacked his daughter. Jake Tyler Brigance is the young white lawyer assigned to represent him. In these quotes from A Time to Kill, you feel the sorrow of a father who does not give up his fight for justice. Gain insight into what it means to be a father in a racist society with these quotes. Carl Lee Hailey America is a wall and you are on the other side. Hows a black man ever going to get a fair trial with the enemy on the bench and in the jury box? My life in white hands?Nigger, Negro, black, African-American, no matter how you see me, you see me different, you see me like that jury sees me... you are them.If you was on that jury, what would it take to convince you to set me free? Thats how you save my ass. Thats how you save us both.The fact is you are just like all the rest of them. When you look at me, you dont see a man, you see a black man.We are on different sides of the line ... I aint never seen you in my part of town. I bet you dont even know where I live. Our daughters, Jake, they aint never gonna play together.Yes, they deserved to die. I hope they burn in hell.You Jake, thats how. You are my secret weapon because you are one of the bad guys. You dont mean to be but you are. Its how you was raised. Jake Tyler Brigance What is it in us that seeks the truth? Is it our minds or is it our hearts?And until we can see each other as equals, justice is never going to be even-handed. It will remain nothing more than a reflection of our own prejudices.Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. Now imagine shes white.I just thought our kids could play together.If this is a party, boys, wheres the chips and beef? Otherwise, your being here seems a bit like illegal client solicitation, what with Carl Lee already having a lawyer and all.Its not me, were not the same, Carl Lee. The jury has to identify with the defendant. They see you, they see a yard worker; they see me, they see an attorney. I live in town; you live in the hill.

Major contributor to operations management Research Paper

Major contributor to operations management - Research Paper Example This is a philosophy invented by Dr William Edwards Deming born in 1900and later became an American statistician, professor, author, lecturer and consultant. Deming received a BSC in electrical engineering from the University of Wyoming at Laramie (1921), an M.S. from the University of Colorado (1925), and a Ph.D. from Yale University (1928). Both graduate degrees were in mathematics and physics. Deming had an internship at Bell Telephone Laboratories while studying at Yale. He later worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Census Department. While working under Gen. Douglas MacArthur as a census consultant to the Japanese government, he famously taught statistical process control methods to Japanese business leaders, returning to Japan for many years to consult and witness the economic growth he had predicted would come as a result of the application of techniques he had taught them. As an author Deming wrote Out of the Crisis (1982–1986) and The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education (1993), which includes his System of Profound Knowledge and the 14 Points for Management. In 1947, Deming was involved in early planning for the 1951 Japanese Census. The Allied powers were occupying Japan, and thus asked by the United States Department of the Army to assist with the census. While in Japan In 1960, the Prime Minister of Japan (Nobusuke Kishi), on behalf of the then Emperor Hirohito, awarded Deming Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure, Second Class recognizing his contributions to Japan’s industrial rebirth and its worldwide success. Demings expertise in quality control techniques, combined with his involvement in Japanese society, led to his receiving an invitation from the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE). A number of Japanese manufacturers applied his techniques widely and experienced heretofore unheard-of levels of quality and

Company Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Company Assessment - Research Paper Example China, which is Nike's largest single sourcing country, employs more than 210,000 people and has over 180 manufacturers. The supply chain management was affected by the issues of unpaid wages, presentation of falsified documents, and underage employees. (Global Supply Chain Council, 2008) Nike tried to make sure that its code of conduct was followed by the Chinese manufacturers, in addition to Chinese laws. The official report released by Nike stated that labor-related issues such as hiring practices, inadequate grievance system for workers, falsified payroll records, and underage workers, were of great concern. (Global Supply Chain Council, 2008) When an identity check was carried out on 150,000 of Nike's workers in China, it was found that 167 employees were underage at the tie of recruitment and two of them were still underage. Paid wages were also not as per the raises mandated by the government. Moreover, the report stated that some of Nike's Chinese contract factories were playing tricks so they don't have to alter the wage levels. (Global Supply Chain Council, 2008) Nike is building a logistics centre in eastern China, which is to complete by the end of next year. This facility, like that in Jiangsu province, will be using high-tech conveyers and sorters for tracking and mobility of its products.Radio frequency technology will also be used to enhance efficiency and accuracy. Nike China is working hard to develop a state-of-the-art logistics facility and exhibit its expertise in supply chain management. It's also working to resolve labor issues, which leave a bad impact on company's reputation. Employing underage workers is the violation of international human rights and working laws. Moreover, many countries, such as USA are very particular about not doing trade of items that involve underage labor. This does not only harm company's prestige but also its revenues. (Gabe Perna, 2009 and Portland Business Journal, 2009) Recently, a Greenpeace report named "Slaughtering the Amazon" had identified different shoe companies that were held responsible for deforestation in the Amazon. Nike was one of them. Last month Nike announced its new leather policy of no sourcing from Amazon rainforest. It conducted extensive discussion with the suppliers and claimed that it is going to make sure that leather used in Nike products is not coming from Amazon rainforests. However, as there is no standard tracing systems a yet, the company cannot give a 100% guarantee. (Global Supply Chain Council, 2009) Nike has called its suppliers to develop a tracking system that would make sure that the leather used does not come from cattle raised in Amazon Biome. Suppliers are to come up with a transparent and traceable tracking system by July 1 next year. Incase suppliers fail to do so; Nike will extend the area outside of Amazon as its leather source. Suppliers are also required to become members of Leather Working Group by the end of this year. Nike is working with this group to create an industry standard traceability system. (Global Supply Chain Council, 2009) References Nikebiz, Company Overview, 2009, ,