Organization sustainability strategy

Introduction The resource based theory has been an important step in strategic management, as it has provided a new point of view to explain firm’s success. According to the focus on resources, a firm’s success is due to joint resources and capabilities which an enterprise owns and which makes it different from its competitors.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Organization sustainability strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Resource based theory is approach applied in business management to choose the appropriate company’s resources. It argues that for a company to be successful in any competitive market it has to utilize all its available resources. This theory emphasizes the selecting company’s main resources. These resources should be rare, valuable, non substitutable and inimitable. For company’s performance to grow, it is important to protect its crucial resource (Conn er Prahalad 1996, p. 485). Resource based theory is different from market focused approach in that, for it to fully benefit from growth opportunities it has to venture in new markets. For a company to prosper, it has to frequently evaluate its weakness and strength. To enhance company‘s capabilities, it is essential to strategize on future market opportunities and improve firm’s processes and structure. Resources contribute to organizational success and competitive advantage. Firm’s success is dependent on industry’s location attractiveness and competitive advantage over rivals. Industry attractiveness is the key basis for success. Firms should look for environment that is favorable, and then locate attractive strategic groups and segments in the firms. Firms should moderate pressure from opponents by adjusting their firm structure and influencing competitors’ behavior (Grant 1991, p. 126). Tangible and intangible resources and their contributions to sustainable competitive advantage Firms have their resource based approach encroached in the organization economies literature, where theories of profit and competition focus on the firm’s internal resources as key determinant of success in a competition.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Central understanding of research based view of a firm is the definition of resources, competitive advantage, and sustained competitive advantages (Andrews1971). Anything considered of weakens or strength in a firm is a resource. Tangible resources are tied semi permanently to a firm. It also includes all assets, capabilities, organizational processes, firm attributes, and information. Additionally, tangible resource entails knowledge controlled by a firm. This knowledge enables firm to come up with new strategies and implement them in order to boost firm’s effectiveness and efficiency (Amit Schoemaker 1993, p. 38). There are various types of tangible resources. They include; physical capital resources which consists of the firm plants and equipment, technology and geographic location. Tangible resources also include such things as experience, judgment, and intelligence of the individual manager and workers in a firm. Firm’s capital resources entails planning, firm’s structure, controlling and coordinating systems, and the informal relation among groups within the firm and between the firms and other firms in its environment (Barney 1991, p. 104). Both tangible and non tangible resources are the sources of competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is a situation in which a firm strategizes and comes up with an idea that is not being implemented by any other firm. For competitive advantage to be realized, a firm has to have heterogeneity in resources, and resource immobility. Variance in resources among firms is referred to as firm res ource heterogeneity. The prior assumption, make the difference between traditional strategic theory and resource based theory. Contrarily, firm resources are considered homogenous in environmentally focused strategy approach. This applies to all firms in an industry. Firm resources immobility is a situation in which firms which are competing fail to secure resources from other resource market or firms.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Organization sustainability strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the environmentally focused strategy model, resources are mobile. This means that firms can poses, buy or make resources which are owned by another firm. There a concept distinction between sustained advantage and competitive advantage. Within the resource based theory, a sustained competitive advantage occurs due to incapability of other competing firms to have similar benefits of competitive advantage. In th is case, there is sustaining of competitive advantage until all efforts by competitor to duplicate the advantage have ceased. Therefore, four criteria are involved in providing a sustained competitive advantage: the resource must be unique and able to add positive value to the firm or rare between current and potential competitors, the resource must be imperfectly imitable, and the resource cannot be substituted with another resource by competing firm (Barney 1986, p. 1238). In strategic management, the resource based approach suggests that organization theory and organization behavior may rich source of finding and theories concerning rare, non imitable and non substitutable resources in a firm. The following are the qualities required for a resource to be a source of sustained competitive advantage: it must be rare, add value to the firm, it should inimitable and there must be no adequate substitutes for the resources. Bearing in mind the concept of intangible resources and the en umeration issued it can be clearly deduced that human resources (skills, know-how, talent, and so on) are intangible resources, the importance of which has already been recognized. However, until a few years ago, little attempt has been made to identify and give structure to the nature and role of intangible resources in strategic management. Intangible resources, as tangible ones, may create competitive advantages because they are the basis capabilities. Balance sheet does not show the actual value of intangible resources.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This document does not show the value of employees’ knowledge, know-how, talent, innovative capacity, and the like. Intangible resources may generate competitive advantages if they are strategic that is, if they comply with joint conditions (Penrose 1959). Considering human resources’ own capabilities, skills, and potential which are crucial for a firm’s success, then these resources may be: scarce if these capacities are not suitable in the labor market; valuable because they make it possible to offer products or services highly valued by customers; difficult to imitate because a person’s job depends not only on his knowledge, but also on his satisfaction, motivation, intuition, and personality; non replaceable because it is very difficult to get the same results from different resources; or a part of the obtained rents are appropriated by the enterprise because its workers do not accurately know their value. A problem now arises from the condition regar ding acquisition. Intangible resources may be attracted to an enterprise which offers higher compensation, higher responsibility, career development programs, and the like. For this reason, some companies are adopting measures that make it more difficult for crucial workers to leave or measures that create a greater feeling of being a part of the firm. Consider that intangible resources are able to be strategic resources. Intangible resources may generate functional and cultural capabilities due to experience, abilities, values, integration in the company, and so forth. These capabilities are sources for a competitive advantage. So, the resource based theory suggests that intangible resources may create or sustain a competitive advantage through competency development (Witcher Chau 2008, p. 72). Nature and roles of intangible resources Intangibles resources are strategic firm’s resources whose main objective is to facilitate a firm in making sustainable values which are not affordable to most of firms (rarity). They are sources of long-term benefits which cannot be possessed by other firms. They cannot be imitated by competitors or substituted by other resources. They are immobile; this means that intangible resources cannot be replicated, traded or transferred by competitors. They are non financial, non physical, and cannot be represented in financial statement. Additionally, they have a finite life. These make them intangible in nature. For intangible resources to be represented in financial statement, they need to be connected to firm’s services and products identifiable from other resources. Additionally, it should be a distinguishable outcome of precedent business (McGowan Porter 2003, p. 82). Prior to discussing the potential of intangible resources for constituting a sustained competitive advantage, it is important to clarify conception of intangible resources. Intangible resources are tools of human capital under the firm’s contr ol in a direct employment relation. Intangible resource practices, on the other hand, are the organizational activities oriented towards running a team of human capital and making sure that the capital is employed towards the fulfillment of organization goal. Application of resource based theory focuses directly on skills of human being in organization. It also seeks to genotypically classify organization based on competencies. In this model, these competencies are found in the knowledge, skills, and abilities of organizational members. Mutually these approaches identify the significance of the individual member of organization as the important resource, rather than the practices or procedures used by firm (Aryee1994, p. 74). Intangible resources and sustainability resource based approach points to intangible resources as the key controller of performance sustainability variance a cross firms. Intangible resources refer indistinctly to all concepts excluding resources that are evide ntly tangible for instance financial or physical assets. Intangible resources are typically hard to codify and tacit. Mostly, they trade in imperfect factor markets and exhibit complementarities. This has made it very difficult for firms to develop, acquire, replicate and accumulate intangible resources. Additionally, this has made it difficult for them to be understood or copied by other firms. This makes them valuable and prone to be the basis of a sustainable competitive advantage for a firm. Resource based approach prediction about the role of intangibles resources in sustaining superior firm performance can be made formal by assuming that the higher the intangible resources a firm possess, the larger the sustainability of its competitive advantage. However, stating the prediction in such a way does not lead to a very power fullest of the underlying theory. For instance, assumption like that could be right due to size effects linked to industry with the prior argument making int angibles resources so crucial under resource based approach. Therefore, in formation regarding significance of intangible resource in the aggregate may not capture the gist of resource based approach (Peteraf 1993, p.186). Rather, resource based approach arguments seem to suggest assessment on significance of intangibles resources relative to tangibles resources and the degree of intangibility of a firm’s resources. For instance, from a resource based perspective, the tact of the firm’s knowledge base, the complexity of a firm’s activities and the complementarities among them, or the firm’s dependence on imperfect factor markets, and a recall characteristics that can be expected to translate into a greater degree of intangibility of the firm’s resource endowment. The challenge in imitating, substituting or trading intangible resources endowment arises from such characteristics and is in turn responsible for the greater sustainability expected under resource based approach. There are specific vehicle through which the characteristics of intangible resources reflects into sustainability of firm’s competitive advantages. Because of because of lower tradability and higher stickiness of tangible resources they are subjected to commitment source, which are defined as the tendency of strategies to persist overtime. Commitment in turn is the general explanation for organizations sustained differences in performance (Conner Prahalad1996, p. 479). If intangibles resources help sustain performance differences across firms by enhancing the sustainability of competitive advantage, then competitive advantages must either stay constant or also persist in time. Radical innovation destroys the usefulness of firms existing capabilities or architectural knowledge. Core rigidities are the innovation inhibiting downside of core capabilities. Resources management is developing and implementing new practices which motivate employees, increa se their abilities, develop new capabilities, and increase their liabilities Meaning and the nature of dynamic capabilities and how they contribute to sustainable competitive advantage Dynamic capabilities are defined as the ability of a firm to reconfigure, build, and integrate external and internal competences to deal with dynamic environments. It refers to firm’s capacity to attain innovative and new types of competitive advantage provided that market position and path dependencies are availed. Capabilities, includes assets, skills and gathered knowledge put in practice via organizational processes that facilitate firms to synchronize activities and make use of their resources (Coyne1986, p. 58). Empirical indicators for sustainable competitive advantage are that, it must be imitable, rare and valuable. A capability is considered valuable or effectiveness. Resource based approach expresses value in terms of economic rents, which can be defined as returns to a factor in exc ess of its opportunity costs which presents two types of economic rents. In order to be a source for competitive advantage, the capability must also be rare that is not possessed by many other competitors. The same reasoning is also valid for bundles of resources if they are all needed in order to implement a strategy. Exactly how rare the capability or resources must be in order to form the basis for a competitive advantage is difficult to say. In general, a capability should be considered rare as long as the number of owners of the capability is lower than the number needed for perfect competitive dynamics in an industry (Barton1992, p.120). Having a valuable and rare capability provides a company with dynamic competitors. However, in order to avoid replication by competitors, the capability at hand must also be imperfectly imitable that is too difficult or too costly for other companies to obtain. To sustain such imitable position, resource based approach acknowledges the importa nce for the existence of capabilities. Thus, a particular history can explain the possession of a certain capability as well as the difficulties for other companies with another history to acquire it. Except for history dependency, imitation may be difficult because the link between particular capabilities sustainable competitive advantage is unclear that is causally ambiguous (Stalk Shulman1992, p.58). An additional reason for being imperfectly imitable is when the capability is a complex social phenomenon, in which personal relationships, reputation between customers or a specific company culture plays an important role. A part from having a valuable, rare and imperfectly imitable capability, it is also necessary to have proper organizational processes that can successfully exploit it. Understanding mechanisms through which competitive advantage can be persistent for long period. This requires strategy design in to maximally exploit effects of firm’s unique characteristics (Eisenhardt Martin 2000, p. 1114). These processes are often named complementary processes and include features such as formal reporting structure, explicit management control systems, and compensation policies. In recent years, as markets and industry settings have been changing faster, the question of how to create, expand and modify operational capabilities has become increasingly important. Dynamic capabilities may perhaps be best approached on a somewhat metaphorical level as the many, and often relatively open-ended definitions indicate advantage and do not replace the operational capabilities. Expressed differently, dynamic capabilities contribute to the sustainability of the competitive advantage, but on their own they cannot be a source for competitive advantage. Dynamic capabilities are organizational processes. For example, things are done in the firm, or what might be referred to as its routines, or patterns of current play three roles: integration and coordination of a ctivities both internal and external to the company, facilitation of learning on an individual as well as on an organizational level, and reconfiguration its resources or capabilities. Dynamic capabilities are concerned with the integration of resources (Teece Shuen1997, p. 517). For instance, strategic decision making can be regarded as a dynamic capability when managers pool different types of expertise into a strategy for the firm. Dynamic capabilities can also be about reconfiguration of resources within firms. Also, replication can be such a dynamic capability. Another type of dynamic capability is based on knowledge creation routines. For example, how managers and others build new thinking and knowledge into the company (Yip 2004, p. 20). Conclusion During strategizing firms mainly consider capabilities and resources available. These two identities are the key aspect in which firms base their work frame. Additionally they determine firm profits and efficiency. The main focus of resource based theory to strategy formulation is undertaking the relationships between resources, capabilities, competitive advantage, and profitability. In particular, an understanding of mechanisms through which competitive advantage can be persistent for long period. Ever since the industrial revolution, the human resource function has suffered important changes which can be summarized by the existence of two tendencies. The hard tendency, whose key idea is the minimization of a firm’s costs, included labor costs. The soft tendency, which considers resources as a key element to be optimized, in consequence, gives importance to the employee’s motivation and satisfaction. Tangible and intangible resources are the sources of competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is a situation in which a firm strategizes and comes up with an idea that is not being implemented by any other firm. For competitive advantage to be realized, a firm has to have heterogeneity in reso urces, and resource immobility. Variance in resources among firms is referred to as firm resource heterogeneity. The resource based theory has made it possible to mark the significance of resources for a firm since it facilitates in making competitive advantages. Consequently, resources management is developing and implementing new practices which motivate employees, increase their abilities, develop new capabilities, and increase their liabilities. References Amit, R Schoemaker, P 1993, ‘Strategic assets and organizational rent,’ Strategic Management Journal, vol.14, pp. 33-46. Andrews, K 1971, The concept of corporate strategy, Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin. Aryee, S 1994, ‘The social organization of careers as a source of sustained competitive advantage,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 5, pp. 67-88. Barney, B 1986, ‘Strategic factor markets’, Management Science, vol.32, pp.1231-1241. Barney, B 1991, ‘F irm resources and sustained competitive advantage’, Journal of Management, vol.17 no.1, pp.99-120. Barton, D 1992, ‘Core capabilities and core rigidities’, Strategic Management Journal, vol.13, pp.111-125. Conner, R Prahalad, K 1996, ‘A resource based theory of the firm: knowledge versus opportunism,’ Organization Science, vol. 7, 477–501. Coyne, K 1986, ‘Sustainable competitive advantage: what it is and what it isn’t,’ Business Horizons, pp. 54-61. Eisenhardt, K Martin, (2000), ‘Dynamic capabilities: what are they?’ Strategic Management Journal, vol. 21, pp.1105-1121. Grant, R. 1991, ‘The Resource based theory of competitive advantage: Implications for strategy formulation,’ California Management Review, vol. 33, no.3, pp. 114-135. McGowan, M Porter, E 2003, ‘The emergence and sustainability of abnormal profits,’ Strategic Organization, vol. 1, 79–108. Penrose, T 1959, The T heory of the growth of the firm, New York, NY John Wiley. Peteraf, A 1993, ‘The corner stones of competitive advantage: are source based view’, Strategic Management Journal, vol.14 no.10, pp.179-191. Stalk, G. Shulman, L1992, ‘Competing on capabilities: the new rules of corporate strategy’, Harvard Business Review, pp.57-69. Teece, D Shuen, A 1997, ‘Dynamic capabilities and strategic management’, Strategic Management Journal, vol.18, pp. 509-533. Witcher, B Chau, V 2008, ‘Strategic and performance management balanced Score cards at EDF energy and Tesco’, Strategic Change, vol. 4, pp. 56-123. 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Free Essays on Norman Rockwell Biography

Norman Rockwell Biography Norman Rockwell was February 3, 1894 in NYC  · At age 14 left high school to study art at the National Academy of Art.  · At 16 Rockwell was commissioned to paint 4 Christmas cards.  · 1911 Rockwell got his first gig illustrating children’s books.  · The job led him to other assignments including art editor for Boys Life Magazine.  · Rockwell studied with Thomas Fogarty this is where Rockwell learned the technical skills he relied on through out his career.  · 1916 at 22 Rockwell painted his 1st cover for the Saturday Evening Post.  · Over the next 47 yrs 321 Rockwell covers would appear on the Post.  · Rock well was married a total of 3 times and had 3 sons.  · Rockwell moved to Vermont in 1939 this is where Rockwell’s work began, more consistent, to reflect small-town America.  · In 1943 inspired by FDR’s address to Congress, Rockwell painted 4 Freedom paintings. Contemporary writers reproduced them in 4 consecutive issues of the post with essays.  · Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom to want and Freedom of Fear proved to be enormously popular.  · The paintings toured the US and through sales of war bonds raised $130 million for war efforts.  · 1953 Rockwell established a trust to preserve his artistic legacy by placing his works in the custodianship of the â€Å"Old Corner House Stockbridge Historical Society.† Later to become Norman Rockwell museum of Stockbridge.  · In 1977 Rockwell received the nations highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his vivid affectionate portraits of our country.  · Rockwell died November 8, 1978 at age 84. Norman Rockwell prints have been reproduced more often than, Michael Angelo, Picasso and Rembrandt combined.... Free Essays on Norman Rockwell Biography Free Essays on Norman Rockwell Biography Norman Rockwell Biography Norman Rockwell was February 3, 1894 in NYC  · At age 14 left high school to study art at the National Academy of Art.  · At 16 Rockwell was commissioned to paint 4 Christmas cards.  · 1911 Rockwell got his first gig illustrating children’s books.  · The job led him to other assignments including art editor for Boys Life Magazine.  · Rockwell studied with Thomas Fogarty this is where Rockwell learned the technical skills he relied on through out his career.  · 1916 at 22 Rockwell painted his 1st cover for the Saturday Evening Post.  · Over the next 47 yrs 321 Rockwell covers would appear on the Post.  · Rock well was married a total of 3 times and had 3 sons.  · Rockwell moved to Vermont in 1939 this is where Rockwell’s work began, more consistent, to reflect small-town America.  · In 1943 inspired by FDR’s address to Congress, Rockwell painted 4 Freedom paintings. Contemporary writers reproduced them in 4 consecutive issues of the post with essays.  · Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom to want and Freedom of Fear proved to be enormously popular.  · The paintings toured the US and through sales of war bonds raised $130 million for war efforts.  · 1953 Rockwell established a trust to preserve his artistic legacy by placing his works in the custodianship of the â€Å"Old Corner House Stockbridge Historical Society.† Later to become Norman Rockwell museum of Stockbridge.  · In 1977 Rockwell received the nations highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his vivid affectionate portraits of our country.  · Rockwell died November 8, 1978 at age 84. Norman Rockwell prints have been reproduced more often than, Michael Angelo, Picasso and Rembrandt combined....

Insect Courtship Rituals and Mating Habits

Insect Courtship Rituals and Mating Habits Ah, romance. Because insects are so numerous, a good deal of work goes into finding a suitable mate. Females can be fickle, with such a wealth of insect bachelors from which to choose. If a male stands a chance at passing on his genes, hes got to do something to stand out in the crowd. Courtship rituals in insect mating include serenades, dances, nuptial gifts, physical touch, and even aphrodisiacs. Serenades Courtship songs differ from calling songs, which are broadcast from a distance to help females find the males. Crickets use distinct calling and courtship songs, for example. Once the female cricket is nearby, the male suitor sings his best courtship song to sweep her off her six feet. Fruit flies have no calling song but they do sing when a mate is in close range. The fruit fly male vibrates his wings in a pulsing, rhythmic pattern. His song lets the female know he is of the same species, and available to mate. Mosquitoes sing harmonic duets with each other, adjusting the frequencies of their songs simultaneously as they near the moment of copulation. Dances and Foreplay Any woman is a sucker for a man that can dance. Some male insects and spiders cha cha cha their way to love, performing elaborate dances for their chosen mates. Jumping spiders are famous for their ballroom skills. They can perform a linear dance, a zigzag dance, and even a sort of can-can with their forelegs. Certain male flies perform aerial dances around a female to attract her attention and win the right to mate with her. Some female insects like to be cuddled and caressed to get in the mood. This is especially true of the more primitive, wingless insects. Springtails, for instance, will touch each other with their antennae. Sperm transfer in apterygotes takes place externally, with the male depositing his sperm on a surface and then gently coaxing his partner to take it. Some dung beetles engage in a different kind of foreplay. Together, the pair rolls a ball of dung to serve as a nursery for their offspring. Nuptial Gifts Gift giving is another clever strategy employed by some male insects in their pursuit of a mate. Before seeking a partner, hangingfly males hunt and capture arthropod prey. They then lure a female closer using a chemical signal and offer her the food gift. She examines the prey, and if she finds the meal to her liking, they mate. If the gift is insufficient, she refuses his advance. Balloon flies take gift giving a step further by wrapping the prey in pretty, silken balloons. Females fly into a mating swarm of males and choose a partner, who presents her with his silk package. Dont give the males too much credit, though. Theyve actually learned to trick the females by offering them empty balloons. Some male insects, like Mormon crickets, produce a spermatophylax, a protein-rich wad which they attach to the females genitalia. The female eats the sperm-free offering, which may have cost the male a full 30% of his body weight. Thats a pretty substantial gift. Aphrodisiacs When all else fails, insects may try an aphrodisiac to make a partner willing to copulate. Male queen butterflies dust prospective mates with an aphrodisiac produced by hairpencils, brush-like appendages on the tip of the abdomen. If his magic dust works, she will fly to a nearby plant. He dusts her once more to be sure shes ready, and if she is, they consummate the marriage. On the other hand, insects sometimes employ anti-aphrodisiacs to turn away suitors. Certain ground beetle females produce methacrylic acid, a potent anti-aphrodisiac that not only repels males, which can knock them out for several hours. Male mealworm beetles apply anti-aphrodisiac pheromones to their female partners after mating, to make them less attractive to other males.

How having child would change or has changed your life Essay

How having child would change or has changed your life - Essay Example At first, I naturally felt anxious and scared of having a child because of the enormous responsibility that was ahead of me. But the moment my daughter was born, I learned to confront the challenge of raising my child. I became a braver person who faced her new life as a parent for the first time. From a once happy-go-lucky type of girl, I became more serious in taking care of my children and making sure that I secure their own future. It must have been a motherhood instinct that, as I faced parenthood, I immediately felt as though I could not afford being reckless with my actions and decisions. Indeed, I became more mature in making sound judgment and choices in life. When it comes to my personal relationship, I believe that having kids made me become more focused in keeping my relationship in harmony. When I was younger, I tend to be too demanding and impatient with my partner. However, as soon as my kids were born, I became more forgiving and understanding because I recognized the hardships that we both have endured while raising our kids. As much as possible, it was my goal to keep my family intact through communication and understanding. Together with my husband, I faced parenthood to provide the welfare, support, and happiness that our children need. We became more focused in securing our child’s well-being and making sure that both of our kids can find happiness within the family. Moreover, becoming a mother made me become more appreciative about my own parents. It dawned on me that they too must have sacrificed a lot to properly take care of me and my siblings. Because of this realization, I became close with my parents more than ever. I found myself being comfortable as I asked them questions about practical decisions on parenthood. I also patiently listened for their sincere advice and I have always been grateful whenever they extend help to my family When it comes to achieving goals, I have now mastered to base all my career decisions to whate ver is good for my family. For every career move that I make, I see to that it would be for the benefit of my children. When I was younger, I was more open to career changes, but when I had kids, I thought about securing my job for their future. I am working harder now and as a result, I am able to provide for their needs. With added focus on my work, I sometimes have barely enough time for myself. I am not able to hang out with my friends after work like I used to. Instead, I would always rush home to check and see my children. As a mother, I do not see this as a hindrance or curtailment of my personal freedom because I always look forward to be at home and enjoy quality time with my kids. Lastly, I believe that the most significant change that happened in my life because of motherhood is my renewed perspective of happiness. My previous idea of enjoyment changed a lot. Before, it was more about satisfying and thinking about myself. But now, it is more about sharing joy with my chil dren. I became selfless about happiness. And so, while parenthood gave more responsibilities in life, it also gave me twice the enjoyment and delight by simply seeing my kids smile. Aside from that, I developed adoration for other kids as well. Over time, I learned to engage more with them. I previously had a difficult challenge in dealing with kids before, but now that I have become more

Western australia demand and supply Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Western australia demand and supply - Essay Example These estimates use the 2006 Census base for the population benchmarks. Details of further rebenchmarking of the Labour Force estimates, including the 2011 Census-based rebenchmarking, are included in the feature article  Rebenchmarking of Labour Force Seriesin this publication. The ABS will commence a trial of on-line electronic data collection of labour force data from households in December 2012. The trial will be conducted on one rotation group of the Labour Force Survey (i.e. one-eighth of the survey sample). As part of this trial, respondents in this rotation group will be offered the option of completing their labour force survey questionnaire on-line instead of a face-to-face or telephone interview. Information about the trial will be included in the December 2012 issue of this publication, due for release on 17 January 2013. The trial will continue for a number of months prior to a decision on rolling out an electronic collection option progressively to the full sample of the Labour Force Survey. The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Published estimates and the movements derived from them are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of sampling variability. The interval bounded by two standard errors is the 95% confidence interval, which provides a way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates. There is a 95% chance that the true value of the estimate lies within that interval.   For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070, email client.services@abs.gov.au or Labour Force on Canberra (02) 6252 6525, email

Nicomachean Ethics Essay Example for Free

Nicomachean Ethics Essay Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote the Nicomachean Ethics, portraying the significance of studying the realms of ethics and political science. In his work, Aristotle focuses on the theme of how human beings can attain the chief human good—happiness—at which everything aims. Aristotle argues that ethics, the study of moral character, and political science, the branch of knowledge and analysis of political activity and behavior, must be closely studied together in order to fully grasp the meaning of and obtain the good way of life. Aristotle believes that there is only one goal, one ultimate end for every individual—that is eudaimonia, translated as happiness, not as a feeling but happiness as the highest human good or a life full of activity. He claims that a person should live a way of life distinct from the lives of animals, where they only live for the sake of living or pleasure. 1 As human beings, people should use their power of speech to communicate and make rational decisions within a polity, striving to live their lives up to their full potential and to their full capacity for a happy life. 2 The life of politics, the via activa, is thus the key to the chief good or the best life for humans; however, the life of action must be of certain type of quality, in accordance with reason, since different actions may lead to the good or the bad life. In other words, a person’s actions must be in line with arete, with virtue or excellence. 3 Possessing virtue is having the ability to realize the good things, and doing them at the right time and the right way to get things done. Virtues can result to two different ways: a good or bad life. For example, President Lincoln versus Adolph Hitler—both of these men possess the virtue of wisdom, although they have used them disparately, one ending a Civil War in peace and the other manipulating others to killing millions of innocent people. To make it to the good end, Aristotle claims that we must practice virtue by, giving it a certain type of character or ethical quality to our actions. 4 Although human cannot acquire virtue by nature alone, nature allows and gives us the capacity to acquire virtue by learning and through exercising them in our lives. 5 By constantly acting with virtue, we cultivate habituation and ultimately we do not need to be self-controlled to do what is just. Instead, we become accustomed to do what is right willingly and naturally. Activities of good ethics or good moral character are virtues. And so, to best learn and exercise these virtues is by incorporating political science in connection to ethics. Aristotle asserts that the science of politics, the highest master of science combined with many other sciences, must be very well studied, for it is where moral laws are examined and its end, including the ends of other sciences associated with political science, will be the chief human good of all society. 6 Therefore, Aristotle presents the idea that the state must play an important role to aim and shape a society of good citizens, incorporating what the good life is: the life of virtue. 7 The state must look after its citizens morally, creating a type of society that will allow people to have a political life together; consequently, this political life will give them the opportunity and the ability to realize their wide range of capacities and their ideal life. Without the state, humans will not be able to experience the good life, the life of action. They are not self-sufficient enough to work alone, for they need others to be self-sufficient and happy. 8 Having a community will give every individual a chance to experience the struggle within the polity, in which he or she can exercise his or her many virtues, whether it be the ability to be courageous in the face of danger, the ability to make better judgements, or the ability to resist pain in the midst of hard criticism. Consequently, they build up their ethos or character, cultivating them to eventually living a happy life. The life of struggle, of politics, is the life where humans can have the chance to develop their full capacities, abilities, and strengths to overcome many hardships and difficulties. 9 Having a strong state does not achieve full satisfaction; hence, the state must know what eudaimonia is in order to direct and guide its citizens. It is necessary for the state to study and establish what is just and what is ethics. In this way, the state could inculcate what is moral through laws and education. Acquiring the chief good starts at home. Aristotle argues that a good state support an educational system, for a society that promotes morality is the best way of cultivating habituation in young children. 10 Having this strong educational system in the state will successfully encourage parents of each household to train their young children in good principles, abiding by the set of moral laws established in the community; as a result, they will naturally apply their good habits in their daily lives and ultimately gain the perfect virtuous life. Connecting the study of ethics and political science together can bring the whole society into a healthy life of virtue. Ethics is the key in which politics can utilize and produce a good society. By knowing what is righteous and what is ethics, the state can make the ultimate life of happiness possible for its citizens. Political science plays the role of establishing and enforcing good and moral character through an effective system that can guide and habituate every part and class of society. Ultimately, having access to a superfluous life of activity in a way that is in line with reason will let individuals life life to the fullest, of virtue and of happiness.

Cognitive Theory Essay -- Essays Papers

Cognitive Theory There is no one way to learn! Throughout life is faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have made a better impact than others on different people. At one time in everyone’s life one has seen or have been the child who will attempt to read a single page from a book and become so frustrated and disorientated because she or he does not comprehended nor can one retell what one has just read. This was me, the child who struggled and just did not understand what I was reading. My teachers would present reading material and I would have to read it countless times and sometimes still I did not understand what the reading passage was about. However, with time I started to develop step by step process to help me better understand what I was reading, and finally it all came together. One way to help things to come together for a person is through the Cognitive Theory. The Cognitive Theory presents different theories for the way that one can be taught in different subjects, the different types of learners, and advantages of understanding the process in which one can go through to learn better. There are several different ways in which one learns. One way to learn is by adapting the cognitive style which sets a structure that one should go through a process of perceiving, thinking, problem solving and remembering. James Poon identifies two different types of learning approaches associated with the cognitive theory, reflective and impulsive. â€Å"Reflective individuals tend to be analytical, cautious, accurate, and slow in their approach to problem solving† (66). Poon also says that â€Å"reflective individuals are found to be an effective predictor of an academic achievement in first grade... ...s full potential. In addition one can waste his or her whole life trying to learn and never realize there is a process that one must adapt to before everything will make sense and one will completely understand what one is learning. In addition one must remember that everyone is different, therefore this particular style is not for everyone. When follows The Cognitive Theory one can define a different way to learn in particular core subjects, the different types of learners, and some advantages that come available when one changes. In today’s society Americans have create a place where everything revolves around money, with the smartest people obtaining the most amount of money. The lawyers, chemical engineers and doctors are the role models of today’s society but within each of these fields each individual has establish a learning style, to help one to succeed.

Recruitment and Employment Essay

1. Reflect on key messages you learnt about recruitment and employment for university students in the session. After listening to the sharing session by CAIO, I found that there are two main key points in recruitment for university graduates. The first key point is that students can always apply or work in the field that is not their professions, though the career path will be more challenging. Vanessa shared a few examples of the past students’ experience in finding jobs, for instance, students majoring in engineering during the 3-years university life turned out to be an accountant; and a student who was in language study finally became a flight attendant. Listening to these sharing was very inspiring and encouraging as they gave me insight into my career path. Although I am majoring in language study, I do not aim at working as a translator or an educator. Instead, I want to work in the threatre-related industry. Therefore, after listening to the talk, I realized that it is possible for me to work in the non-language related field, only that I have to work harder, or have to face a lot of obstacles and need to make adjustment. Besides, another key message I got is that attitude and being active are the essential keys when attending interviews. After listening to Vanessa, I apprehend that showing a positive attitude during the job interview will give a better impression to the employer. When a person has a positive attitude in him/herself and is able to show that he or she is eager in getting the job, the person will probably be more active and out spoken in responding to the interviewer and is able to handle challenging questions better. Thus, it gives more confidence to the employer that the candidate is suitable for the job which thus, leading to the success in job application. Therefore, in general, I have also learnt from the session by CAIO that having a positive attitude and being outspoken and active in job interviews increase the chances of being employed.

Mandatory Drug Testing

On September 15, 1986 President Reagan signed Executive Order 12564 as an attempt to establish a drug-free Federal workplace. The order constitutes the condition in which employment of all Federal employees to refrain from substance abuse even when off-duty. After the Executive Order, the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 was created to intensify the intention to create a drug-free environment in the workplace. It is a general knowledge that over the years, there has been the increase of drug use and abuse evident in the society.Thus, this creates an alarming realization for companies to maintain a strict requirement of employees and future employees free of drug use. The need for the mandatory drug testing policy both has its advantages and disadvantage. But on a personal view, the advantages outweigh the disadvantage. This can be attributed to one of the major factors; the company should not take the risk. (LaFoyette, 2001)The company over the years had provided society with the best and quality equipments that aids patients during the crucial heart and lung transfers. Life is the main concern of the company more than gaining profit from the sales of the equipments. Thus, this entails that risks should not be taken at all cost. Life as the matter in which the company holds its integrity to protect must make it a point to ensure that vision with the confidence of having employees fit in the kind of demand the company requires. The mandatory drug testing policy addresses that.Why enforce the drug testing policy?The first point for employing the mandatory drug testing policy is due to it being a constitutional right. The United States Supreme Court has agreed that mandatory drug testing of employees is constitutional permissible and one- third of both private and public corporations have adopted this policy. It is of fact that companies deserve the right to accept or deny employment from a person for reasons that maybe undisclosed by the employers. This attributes the right of the company to seek the best among its employees.The second is the right of the employers to make it a point to hire the best and most qualified employees.Third, there is the concept of â€Å"employment at will†. This concept describes that an employee can either accept or protest his employers’ drug testing policy with the notion that he or she agrees to the terms and agreement between him and his employer. By law, this relates that if the employers wish to change the company’s policies, then the employee either complies or quit the job.Fourth, there is the concern in society to stop drug abuse and it has been clear that one of the greatest problems affecting the health and welfare of our population is the use of narcotics. Thus there is the need and the concern of the general public to stop one of the cancers in the society.Fifth, a reasonable employer will create a simple substance-abuse policy as he or she may deemed fit. This will begin by put ting a blanket of prohibition among the employees in the use, possession and distribution of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. It is also wrong for the employee to work under the influence of drugs. And there are disciplinary actions taken for violation of the policy.An employers may see the possibility of misidentifying an employee under the influence of drugs but this can be relieved if proper documentation happens of the discharge decision is advisable and there lies the importance of â€Å"reasonable- suspicion for the employer†. There is the employers’ right to state in the employees contacts the provisions and abnegations of the two in the matter of drug testing. With suspicionless drug testing of employees, there we maintain the quality of employees we have and seek.The company’s integrity and credibilityWe should always keep in mind the company’s reputation at being the leading manufacturers of health equipments responsible for other people live s. The legal grounds of the drug testing policy being permissible are valid for us to make the necessary and objective decision in having this policy taken into effective. I asked whether we should take the risk.I say we do not. It is the company’s policy to maintain its integrity and credibility, and we should do that by maintaining the quality and fitness of the employees. The company may sacrifice money and risk unlawful dismissal lawsuits, but it will be worth it if the company is made sure of its employees. The life of the company’s consumers is at stake, risks should never be taken in place of their lives.Reference:Anonymous. (2007). Drugs, Police and the LawDrug Testing.  Ã‚   Retrieved February 28, 2007, from http://www.drugpolicy.org/drug-testing-policiesLaFoyette, H. (2001). Mandatory Drug Testing [Electronic Version], 17. Retrieved February 28 from http://www.usfsp.edu/home/.McKinney, J. R. (1999). The Effectiveness and Legality of Random Drug Testing Poli cies. 1(1),Niznik, J. S. (2001). Job Searching: Technical Supports Equal Opportunity Employment [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 2007 from https://www.thebalance.com/employment-law-advice-best-websites-2071543.

Poli-Sci essays

Poli-Sci essays In our society government system programs often do reach those people who are in need the most. In the 1960s there was a war on poverty and $7 billion dollars was put into this war by federal, state, and local governments. Even though there was so much money invested, the poor remained largely untouched. Programs such as Social Security, workers compensation, unemployment, and disability, distribute far more money to the middle class than to the lower ones. There are some programs that actually work, but those still only reach the minority of those actually in need. Programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, subsidized housing, and unemployment benefits are a few that actually help. The way these programs were run, appear to be radical liberalist. It appears that they put an effort in to help the poor, but did not take the time to see if it was going to the right people. Things have just gotten worse many cuts have taken place in the programs and the money is being moved to plac es where the more powerful want it. As they take away these programs, Classic liberalism is becoming more into view. Any chance for the poor to move into higher class gets slimmer and slimmer. This leaves the poor to subservience to the rich. In our society the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. This is not the way it should be, there needs to be more programs for the needy and all that power needs to be taken away from the oligarchs, hiding in the system to make themselves richer. Housing is another policy that reflects the many inequalities in our society. Homeowners in the richest 20% of our population receive almost 60% of housing subsidies in the form of property tax exemptions, interest deductions, and capital gains deferral on housing sales. Only one-quarter of poor households receive any kind of housing subsidy. In policies like these it is just the rich trying to help the rich make more money. Obviously this ...

Pakistan Early Civilizations History

Pakistan Early Civilizations History From: Library of Congress Country Studies From the earliest times, the Indus River valley region has been both a transmitter of cultures and a receptacle of different ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. Indus Valley civilization (known also as Harappan culture) appeared around 2500 B.C. along the Indus River valley in Punjab and Sindh. This civilization, which had a writing system, urban centers, and a diversified social and economic system, was discovered in the 1920s at its two most important sites: Mohenjo-Daro, in Sindh near Sukkur, and Harappa, in Punjab south of Lahore. A number of other lesser sites stretching from the Himalayan foothills in Indian Punjab to Gujarat east of the Indus River and to Balochistan to the west have also been discovered and studied. How closely these places were connected to Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa is not clearly known, but evidence indicates that there was some link and that the people inhabiting these places were probably related.An abundance of artifacts have been found at Harappa so much so, that the name of that city has been equated with the Indus Valley civilization (Harappan culture) it represents. Yet the site was damaged in the latter part of the nineteenth century when engineers constructing the Lahore-Multan railroad used brick from the ancient city for ballast. Fortunately, the site at Mohenjo-daro has been less disturbed in modern times and shows a well-planned and well-constructed city of brick.Indus Valley civilization was essentially a city culture sustained by surplus agricultural produce and extensive commerce, which included trade with Sumer in southern Mesopotamia in what is today modern Iraq. Copper and bronze were in use, but not iron. Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were cities built on similar plans of well-laid-out streets, elaborate drainage systems, public baths, differentiated residential areas, flat-roofed brick houses and fortified administrative and religious centers enclosing meeting halls and granaries. Weights and measures were standardized. Distinctive engraved stamp seals were used, perhaps to identify property. Cotton was spun, woven, and dyed for clothi ng. Wheat, rice, and other food crops were cultivated, and a variety of animals were domesticated. Wheel-made pottery some of it adorned with animal and geometric motifs has been found in profusion at all the major Indus sites. A centralized administration has been inferred from the cultural uniformity revealed, but it remains uncertain whether authority lay with a priestly or a commercial oligarchy.By far the most exquisite but most obscure artifacts unearthed to date are the small, square steatite seals engraved with human or animal motifs. Large numbers of the seals have been found at Mohenjo-Daro, many bearing pictographic inscriptions generally thought to be a kind of script. Despite the efforts of philologists from all parts of the world, however, and despite the use of computers, the script remains undeciphered, and it is unknown if it is proto-Dravidian or proto-Sanskrit. Nevertheless, extensive research on the Indus Valley sites, which has led to speculations on both the arch aeological and the linguistic contributions of the pre-Aryan population to Hinduisms subsequent development, has offered new insights into the cultural heritage of the Dravidian population still dominant in southern India. Artifacts with motifs relating to asceticism and fertility rites suggest that these concepts entered Hinduism from the earlier civilization. Although historians agree that the civilization ceased abruptly, at least in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa there is disagreement on the possible causes for its end. Invaders from central and western Asia are considered by some historians to have been destroyers of Indus Valley civilization, but this view is open to reinterpretation. More plausible explanations are recurrent floods caused by tectonic earth movement, soil salinity, and desertification. By the sixth century B.C., knowledge of Indian history becomes more focused because of the available Buddhist and Jain sources of a later period. Northern India was populated by a number of small princely states that rose and fell in the sixth century B.C. In this milieu, a phenomenon arose that affected the history of the region for several centuriesBuddhism. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, the Enlightened One (ca. 563-483 B.C.), was born in the Ganges Valley. His teachings were spread in all directions by monks, missionaries, and merchants. The Buddhas teachings proved enormously popular when considered against the more obscure and highly complicated rituals and philosophy of Vedic Hinduism. The original doctrines of the Buddha also constituted a protest against the inequities of the caste system, attracting large numbers of followers. Until the entry of the Europeans by sea in the late fifteenth century, and with the exception of the Arab conquests of Muhammad bin Qasim in the early eighth century, the route taken by peoples who migrated to India has been through the mountain passes, most notably the Khyber Pass, in northwestern Pakistan. Although unrecorded migrations may have taken place earlier, it is certain that migrations increased in the second millennium B.C. The records of these people who spoke an Indo-European language are literary, not archaeological, and were preserved in the Vedas, collections of orally transmitted hymns. In the greatest of these, the Rig Veda, the Aryan speakers appear as a tribally organized, pastoral, and pantheistic people. The later Vedas and other Sanskritic sources, such as the Puranas (literally, old writings an encyclopedic collection of Hindu legends, myths, and genealogy), indicate an eastward movement from the Indus Valley into the Ganges Valley (called Ganga in Asia) and southward at least as far as the Vindhya Range, in central India. A social and political system evolved in which the Aryans dominated, but various indigenous peoples and ideas were accommodated and absorbed. The caste system that remained characteristic of Hinduism also evolved. One theory is that the three highest castes Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas were composed of Aryans, while a lower caste the Sudras came from the indigenous peoples.At about the same time, the semi-independent kingdom of Gandhara, roughly located in northern Pakistan and centered in the region of Peshawar, stood between the expanding kingdoms of the Ganges Valley to the east and the Achaemenid Empire of Persia to the west. Gandhara probably came under the influence of Persia during the reign of Cyrus the Great (559-530 B.C.). The Persian Empire fell to Alexander the Great in 330 B.C., and he continued his march eastward through Afghanistan and into India. Alexander defeated Porus, the Gandharan ruler of Taxila, in 326 B.C. and marched on to the Ravi River before tur ning back. The return march through Sindh and Balochistan ended with Alexanders death at Babylon in 323 B.C. Greek rule did not survive in northwestern India, although a school of art known as Indo-Greek developed and influenced art as far as Central Asia. The region of Gandhara was conquered by Chandragupta (r. ca. 321-ca. 297 B.C.), the founder of the Mauryan Empire, the first universal state of northern India, with its capital at present-day Patna in Bihar. His grandson, Ashoka (r. ca. 274-ca. 236 B.C.), became a Buddhist. Taxila became a leading center of Buddhist learning. Successors to Alexander at times controlled the northwestern of region present-day Pakistan and even Punjab after Maurya power waned in the region.The northern regions of Pakistan came under the rule of the Sakas, who originated in Central Asia in the second century B.C. They were soon driven eastward by Pahlavas (Parthians related to the Scythians), who in turn were displaced by the Kushans (also known as the Yueh-Chih in Chinese chronicles).The Kushans had earlier moved into territory in the northern part of presen t-day Afghanistan and had taken control of Bactria. Kanishka, the greatest of the Kushan rulers (r. ca. A.D. 120-60), extended his empire from Patna in the east to Bukhara in the west and from the Pamirs in the north to central India, with the capital at Peshawar (then Purushapura) (see fig. 3). Kushan territories were eventually overrun by the Huns in the north and taken over by the Guptas in the east and the Sassanians of Persia in the west.The age of the imperial Guptas in northern India (fourth to seventh centuries A.D.) is regarded as the classical age of Hindu civilization. Sanskrit literature was of a high standard; extensive knowledge in astronomy, mathematics, and medicine was gained; and artistic expression flowered. Society became more settled and more hierarchical, and rigid social codes emerged that separated castes and occupations. The Guptas maintained loose control over the upper Indus Valley.Northern India suffered a sharp decline after the seventh century. As a result, Islam came to a disunited India through the sam e passes that Indo-Aryans, Alexander, Kushans, and others had entered. Data as of 1994. Historical Setting of IndiaHarappan CultureKingdoms and Empires of Ancient IndiaThe Deccan and the SouthGupta and Harsha

A Study of Chromosome formation through observation of the cell cycle Research Paper

A Study of Chromosome formation through observation of the cell cycle (Abstract) - Research Paper Example We grew union roots to two centimeters, retrieved a 1cm sample, allowed them to steep in a fixative solution for 24 hours which keeps them in stasis, exposed them to hydochloric acid at sixty degrees Celsius, prepared the onion onto a slide, applied the reagent, sealed the slide and observed using an optical microscope. We did a similar process to a kanoi, in order to understand differences and similarities in chromosomal formation. Chromosomal bunching was observed, and it became difficult to distinguish between chromosomes. Most observations were of the interphase period. Chromosomes split, reproduced on DNA molecules during the S stage, became thicker and shorter and produced spindle fiber. Only a tiny minority of cells observed were in metaphase, moving to the equatorial plane; however, this tiny minority was more than expected, as metaphase is by far the most brief phase and it is likely in any given sample that no cells would be in metaphase at the time of the application of th e fixative. Anaphase and telophase samples were also observed. 7% more interphase cells were perceived than would be expected by random chance, well within standard error. P value was .734, larger than expected but still not sufficient to reject the null hypothesis.