Native Americans in the United States and Short Story Essay

Nacirema The â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† is a short story about a native American tribe. It wasn’t until more research on my part that I realized that this tribe did not exist. In fact it is a folk tale told in Miner’s own words. In true form Miner gives hint to this short story the Nacirema culture to that of the our culture today. Nacirema is in fact spelled â€Å"American†(Culture). The Nacirema has a hero named â€Å"Notgnihsaw† spelled â€Å"Washington† backwards. There are many similarities to this story as our American culture. Out of similarities Washington is our hero. He was the first President of the United States. Legend has it that Washington â€Å"threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River†, much like the Nacirema threw their native beads across their Pa-To-Mac River. Another story has Washington chopping down a cherry tree. But did Washington actually chop the tree down? â€Å"For he could not tell a lie†. As Americans we have rituals and cultural identities Every household has its â€Å"shrine† much like the Nacirema. Not all shrines are made alike. Is the â€Å"shrine† our homes, our churches, or our bathrooms? Shrines come in all walks of life. Miner gives the perception that the working class go to work and make money. If you have very little money your home is small much like a tent. The more money you make the bigger your home is which is made of brick and mortar. He discuses a specific â€Å"charm box† built into the wall (medicine cabinet). Within this box is collection of magical potions (medicine) where all members of the tribe have faith that he/she cannot live without. â€Å"The most powerful of these are the medicine men, whose assistance must be rewarded with substantial gifts. However, the medicine men do not provide the curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredients should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language. This writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists who, for another gift, provide the required charm. †(Miner) This indicates folks going to the doctor that write the prescriptions to filled by the pharmacy. Miner talks about how members bow theirs heads in front of the box much like that of washing our hands. The Catholics have a similar ritual of dipping of the fingers in the â€Å"holy water† and doing the sign of the cross(Holy water) or kneeling before entering the pew(Religion:Manners in). The Nacirema have a morbid fascination with their mouths. If it â€Å"weren’t for the rituals of the mouth, they believed their teeth would fall out, their gums bleed. † If these things would have happened they believed their lovers would disown them. † â€Å"The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite. †(Miner) This is much like the flossing or brushing of our teeth. The floss or bristles on our tooth brush we use is similar to the â€Å"hogs hairs. † The â€Å"magical powders† is that of the tooth paste we brush our teeth with. Miner maintains that the Americans right of passage in ways to throw off the readers. Themes as visiting the doctor, surgical operations, and sex are talked about. I initially didn’t take this story serious in reading it. After thorough research to get a better understanding of the writing I got a eye opening. This story reminds me much of a recent short story â€Å"A Modest Proposal†. Both has similarities of rituals and tales of people. I come from a family of rituals with last names that carry on from family to family or given the middle name of your mother first name. We are all meeting the needs of our own tribes whether it be the Americans, Nacirema or Vietnamese into how each is stereotyped.

Bumper Stickers

Every person has his story, and every bumper sticker also comes from a specific background of sorts. It may be pure humor, political satire, political stand, a line from a favorite movie, a striking line from a song, or names of one’s children. Whatever the sticker has, it says a lot about the owner of the car in which it is stuck. For example, a car has this to say: There is no flag large enough to hide the shame of killing innocent people. -Howard Zinn. This shows that the owner of the car values peace.It also means that he is against the war that the United States is putting up with other countries. Another car agrees with this bumper sticker, saying Peace is Patriotic. Other bumper stickers are meant for humor. There is I’m busy, you’re ugly, have a nice day; and Drugs lead nowhere, but it’s a scenic route. Another is Work harder, millions on welfare depend on you, and Speak your mind even if your voice shakes. These examples are just some among the mi llions, even billions, of quotations that Americans love to turn into bumper decals.Though some will get a bumper sticker for the sheer aesthetics of it, some would opt for something which speaks their thoughts. This proves that bumper stickers are a way for Americans to converse. It is used to tell others the position of the car owner about something, without being popish about it. It is also a way to speak up satirically, lightening serious issues with a play on words. However, there is the saying that all jokes are always half meant. This can be said to be true in the case of bumper stickers.While the car owners are injecting humor into the messages, they are undoubtedly meant to say something. Sometimes, it is an avenue to speak about something without really saying anything at all. Americans are letting their car bumpers do the talking so to speak. Some people post bumper stickers that say something about themselves. Thus, there are stickers bearing the words Lawyer, Vegan, Ame rican, Dog lover, and so on. There are also bumper stickers which make fun of what others are. A very funny example would be a Vegan bumper sticker with a fried chicken graphic.A sticker with the words Well-behaved women rarely make history is another funny example. All of these talk about personalities, and the funnier the message then the more interesting the bumper sticker is for many Americans. Bumper stickers are also good tools for recognizing the feelings of others and identifying it with one’s own. A sticker saying: Caution: Backseat Driver may well be chosen by someone whose wife or relative loves to play the role—and when an American has these words in his car bumper, it is easy for others in the same situation to identify.Anyone who has been spotted on by a pigeon will laugh at a Take revenge, shit on a pigeon bumper sticker. Drivers whose cars are old-fashioned or even junky can identify with the bumper sticker This is not an abandoned vehicle. The same goe s with bumper stickers saying Yes, as a matter of fact I do own the whole damn road, which can be funny for other drivers to see. Other stickers can be discriminating too. There is Caution: Blonde thinking, which is a take against blondes. There is also the sarcastic Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.Other stickers teach lessons: Change how you see, not how you look; Support our troops, bring them home; while others advertise presidential candidates, political parties, organizations, companies, and even websites. Indeed, bumper stickers are already a part of the American life. Friends may even compare and share laughs on these simple decals. Yet on these simple conversations from such simple things, there is always a deeper thought. Bumper stickers say something about their owners, as much as the owners would like to say something through them.

Organization Design 4370 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organization Design 4370 - Essay Example In a large organization like Chipotle, the communication channels need to be clear to avoid other informal channels that can cause anxiety and rumors across the organization. Communication should follow the line of command with immediate supervisors giving information to their subordinates. However, the hierarchy should be one that promotes faster transmission of information and ensures that each individual is attended to as appropriate (Daft 125). The 10 levels might therefore delay the dissemination of data and impede the realization of the business goals. Moreover, with the wide geographical coverage, the customers that are served by Chipotle have diverse cultural beliefs and practices. This implies that the business must recognize the different tastes and preferences and monitor closely variations in demands. In developing their products, differentiations must be made without losing the identity of their products (Daft 125). Moreover, before engaging the developments of the new products, Chipotle will have to conduct a market research and get the approval of the head office. This will result in increment in the quantity of sales and customer loyalty. In addition, the latitude in making decisions should also be well defined by the company. Chipotle management have to determine which decisions to be made by the regional managers and those to be made by the centralized management. Decisions that affect the regional stores only should be made by the regional managers while the decisions that affect more than one regional outlets should be left for the centralized managers. However, the central management should authorize some of the decisions that are left on the regional managers to ensure that they in line with the company vision and mission. On top, Chipotle will face the risk of integrating their processes and operations. The company has to ensure that the

Facilities Management - Good Business Turns Risk into Opportunity Case Study

Facilities Management - Good Business Turns Risk into Opportunity - Case Study Example The competition in the market place is such that ill-conceived facilities can render any business a non-starter. In particular, waste management of Fitness First Gym Center, if not properly exercised, could spell trouble for the gym if not quickly set right. The waste management in Fitness First Gym Center includes internal and external factors. The internal factors have bearing on the management of space, exercise equipment, number of trainees and their instructors and the management of time that goes along with the utility of space and equipment. The external factors are those that influence the output of the gym without which it cannot provide integral services like the panel of consultant doctors and contract services for the maintenance of the equipment (Facilities Management Introduction).   Combining the internal and external sources, the gym must actualize its space usage with the strength of its members. Vigilant management will ensure that members using their premises and equipment do so regularly, keep tabs on non-regular members for follow up, and reduce the impact of non-regulars on their space and equipment. It is difficult to bring waste management to zero. It can tolerate waste management of say, five percent. Occasionally, it can even take waste management of ten percent. Anything more than ten percent must be swiftly dealt with a policy of encouragement for better attendance. Ultimately, the system must aim for zero waste management. Waste management for the gym is extremely precarious and must be framed with enough sensitivity to allow members to understand the gym’s stand.  Ã‚  

Diagnosis of Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Diagnosis of Depression - Essay Example Certain chemicals called neurotransmitters occur in the brain naturally. High-tech imaging of brain shows that physical changes in neurotransmitters causes depression in people, though certain factors like weight loss and lack of sleep might also be the causes of depression. Although it is not a main cause, yet depleted monoamine levels are commonly observed in the chronically depressed patients. Hormonal imbalances also cause depression. Likewise, there are some medicines that have an adverse impact on mood and need proper monitoring, else they can cause depression. ïÆ'˜Â  Environmental FactorsThe environment is also a possible causal factor of depression. In everyday life, people are exposed to numerous stressful situations that include but are not limited to loss of job, divorce, death of a friend or a family member, financial problems, and diseases. In addition to these factors, several unfortunate or traumatic events experienced in the past like child sexual abuse, violence, and bullying and any kind of maltreatment may affect the emotional and psychological health in a negative way. Diagnostic Criteria for DepressionBefore getting into the details of psychoanalytic theories of depression, it is customary to discuss the psychiatric criteria of diagnosis of depression as outlined by DSM-IV. According to DSM-IV, the patient needs to have at least five symptoms from the list of nine symptoms given below sustained over a period of two weeks and the symptoms bring a transition from the previous functioning.

LEAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LEAN - Essay Example In this case, waste should be avoided by the organization since it specifically targets poverty stricken areas. The broad aim of the organization is to alleviate poverty among the less privileged societies hence the need for it to remain focused through the removal of waste. The next step that can be carried is to map the value stream of the customers. This is a very important part since it helps the organization to deliver value once it familiarises itself with the needs of the customers. The organization can use this principle in order to deliver value to the people. The other important principle of lean thinking is to create flow by eliminating waste. In a service organization, steps ought to be taken in order to ensure that waste is eliminated so that its goals can be achieved without any interruption. It is also important for Care international to ensure that it responds to customer pull and demand. If the organization is in a position to establish the needs of the targeted customers, then it is in a better position to satisfy their needs. The last principle is related to pursuant of perfection. The organization can achieve success through perfecting its operations so that the targeted customers get the value of the service offered. In undertaking its activities, Care International can implement the seven wastes of lean namely: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over processing and defects (Quality Assurance Solutions, ND). . It is important for the organization to ensure that it is capable of transporting the goods to the targeted people so that loses that can result wastes are not recorded. The other important element is to ensure that inventory does not become a waste by storing excessive quantities of goods that are not required by the customers. Excessive motion can also result in wastes since high costs can be

What practices pay off best and under what conditions Assignment - 1

What practices pay off best and under what conditions - Assignment Example It is the consideration between the employers and themselves. It is usually a reward for a job done, directly related to the efforts applied in performance of the work. In merit pay/cost of living adjustments form of pay, the employees are paid in relation to past work behavior and cost of living (Belcher, 1996). An increase in merit is triggered by work behavior recognized in the past and the adjustments in the cost of living. The cost of living consideration raises the merit of all the employees without regard to the performance. This form of pay is mostly beneficial when the employer is assured of commitment and professional skills of the workers. This form of pay will work towards ensuring that there is low employee turn over as most appreciate that the employer is considerate enough. Adjustments of pay in relation to the cost of living encourage the employees to be loyal to the company and to increase their output. This form of pay is particularly beneficial to the employees as during harsh economic times they are assured that the employer will adjust the pay in their benefit. The pay system brings on board various groups of people and this determines what they perceive of the company or the employer. The society or the community considers job compensation often referred to as pay as a measure of justice towards the employees. It is the society’s belief that benefits extended to the employees are a reflection of the level of justice in the society. The most beneficial form of pay to the employer is the incentives or the variable pay. In this form of pay, pay rise is triggered by performance of the employees. Some of the assumptions of the variable pay method are: some employees are more productive than their peers; some perform better and are better equipped with technical skills; better performance should be rewarded; and some of the employees’ earnings should be directly proportional

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 6

Human Resource Management - Essay Example However, this method has been reported to be ineffective because it deny trainees with an opportunity of interacting directly with their experts. Coaching /mentoring is a method that involves an expert in a particular field who is responsible for administering training. Case study method provides trainee with an opportunity to identify and discuss key issues in the work place to see the areas that may require some improvements. Simulation method entails imitation of the actual work experience where trainees are given a chance to try out and learn by performing the actual task. Finally, technology based training involve utilization of various technological devices to learn. Therefore, managers have been recommended to apply the above methods of training but more emphasis should be placed to coaching and technological based training methods because they have proved to be very effective. Further, managers should apply the four key steps of delivering a training program in order to meet trainees’ individual needs as discussed. Introduction Human resource manager play a significant role towards ensuring that training methods have brought success. Normally, human resource managers design various training programs and administer them to employees in order to increase their efficiency and achieve organisation goals/objectives. Human resource manager further employ a combination of group and individual methods to improve employees’ performance as well as to increase their efficiency. In above connection, human resource managers administer various training methods with an aim of increase organisation productivity. On the other hand, training methods being administered may be help to motivate employees to direct their efforts towards realization of organisation goals (Thompson, 2013). Further, training methods provide employees with growth opportunities whereby, employees can be in a position to execute their task more efficiently and effectively. Therefore, human resource manager should carry out an evaluation to see whether the various training methods administered were effective. However, if a training method was not effective, the manager may decide to make necessary improvements to ensure that training method has brought success. In addition, effective training methods may not only be beneficial to employees and organisation but also to the supervisor. This is because an effective training program minimizes the time that supervisor could have spent in supervising employees and hence, does not have to worry since employees are competent with their job (Bianca, 2013). Therefore, this study aims to provide a review of the training methods used to deliver training. Review the training methods used to deliver training Human resource manager is responsible for choosing the training method used to delivering training among his/her employees. However, various factors should be taken into consideration in order to ensure that the method of training utilized meets employee’s needs. Some of the factors that human resource manager should take into consideration when choosing a method of training to be applied include: manager should consider whether the available time will be adequate to cover all the training topics. Secondly, employee’s knowledge should be taken into consideration because not all methods of training can relevant. Some methods might be too technical to some employees while other may appear to be irrelevant. Therefore, the

Analyze the Effects That the Wealthiest Individuals of the Gilded Age Had on America Essay Example for Free

Analyze the Effects That the Wealthiest Individuals of the Gilded Age Had on America Essay As the American Civil War came to an end, an era of phenomenal economic growth was spurred by a second Industrial Revolution. It touched all geographic areas of America, evident in increased farm output and labor efficiency. The magnificent flow of goods generated could be efficiently transported by freshly lain transcontinental railroads made of Bessemer steel. Presiding over these late nineteenth century developments was a new class of extremely wealthy industrialists, the main beneficiaries of the era’s prosperity. They dominated substantial sectors of the new economy such as steel, oil, banking, and rail transportation. While these individuals created and donated outstanding wealth, they also engineered one of American history’s most corrupt and unequally heterogeneous time periods, dubbed the Gilded Age by Mark Twain. Such ambiguity blurs the legacy of these incredible few, who some call â€Å"robber barons† and other call â€Å"captains of industry†. However, neither polarity is completely accurate. The wealthiest Americans during the Gilded Age had both positive and negative effects on American society. While a large group of individuals amassed incredible wealth during the Gilded Age, there existed an even more elite group consisting of individuals that rank among the richest men in history. It included John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Jay Gould, James Fisk, and J. P. Morgan. To understand their later deeds, one must understand the strikingly similar environments in which these men came of age. For example, all of the aforementioned men were born in the Northeast during the Second Great Awakening, an environment in which principles such as self-discipline, frugality and efficiency were highly valued. Preachers of the time period endorsed the Calvinist view that â€Å"where you find the most religion, you find the most worldly prosperity†, while poverty was considered a condition of the lazy and spiritually weak (Chernow 55). Like many others have done in history, the wealthiest industrialists established religion as the concrete foundation on which they justified their actions. With the exception of J. P. Morgan, the most affluent robber barons also grew up with little material means. Carnegie worked as a bobbin boy at age 14, earning about $1. 20 a week, and Rockefeller picked potatoes for 37 cents a day in his youth (â€Å"Andrew Carnegie†, Chernow 32). These challenging living conditions further instilled frugality and grit inside the destined business leaders of America, qualities that would help them conquer industrial America. Most of the future industrialists also entered the business world in their teenage years. Sixteen-year-old Rockefeller so furtively pursued employment that he visited businesses from early morning to late afternoon six days a week for six weeks until he finally found a job as a bookkeeper (Chernow 44-45). Additionally, they were all in their early twenties when the Civil War began. Amusingly, not one of them enlisted; each hired a replacement for $300 instead (Zinn 255). The young entrepreneurs sought to benefit financially during the war instead of fighting in it, although most supported the Union cause (Chernow 70). The road that each of these extraordinary men walked led them into a monumental era. War raged, new industries boomed, and they had the chance to take advantage of their rapidly changing surroundings. Few in history had as fortuitous opportunities as these men who were born in the right place at the right time. The Civil War gave young industrialists an opportunity to flaunt their business acumen during â€Å"wartime prosperity†. However, with the exception of John D. Rockefeller, who quadrupled his and his associate’s company profits and then bought the company through fair and hard work, their ascent during the period was generally cluttered with acts of questionable morality. In one notorious negotiation, J. P. Morgan bought 5,000 rifles for $3. 50 each and sold them for $22 each to an army general, making a handy $90,000. It was later found that the rifles shot off the thumbs of the soldiers using them. However, no compensation was given because the purchase was an authentic legal contract (Zinn 255). In addition, Jay Gould and James Fisk heftily profited from trading railroad stocks. With inside information, they unfairly beat out rival speculators. James Fisk also commonly sold war commodities for triple their market price to desperate armies (Josephson 66). These young men were still largely in a developmental stage during the Civil War, but their actions during the time period heavily foreshadowed their later actions. Postbellum America was said to be â€Å"the most fertile in American history for chemers and dreamers† (Chernow 97). The young industrialists naturally continued to increase their wealth in the decades after the war with blazing speed, but the actions they made to do so further polluted their legacy and adversely affected American society. Perhaps the most notorious robber baron was John D. Rockefeller. During the war, the twenty-five year old had bought his condescending associates out and then opened Cleveland’s largest oil refinery. â€Å"It was the day that determined my career† he later said (Chernow 87). After the war, Rockefeller sought to further expand his business. He established the Standard Oil Company, a trust with $1 million dollars in capital, with the goal of controlling all of the oil industry (Chernow 134). An action that largely epitomizes his company’s chicanery is the formulation of the South Improvement Company, a collusion with three powerful railroads to increase Standard Oil stakes. Under the SIC, Standard Oil would receive a payment for every barrel of oil shipped by his refineries as well as other refineries, a deal that would discourage railroads to ship oil from refineries outside the SIC, virtually rendering it impossible for small refineries to survive. In exchange, Rockefeller promised to meet a daily shipping quota which would stabilize railroad profits (Chernow 136). When struggling Cleveland refineries heard of the SIC plan, they immediately protested. The plan eventually failed; however, while the plan was intact, Rockefeller bought 22 out of 26 Cleveland refineries in one month, a shopping spree dubbed the Cleveland Massacre (Chernow 145). One Cleveland refiner’s daughter said â€Å"Father went almost insane over this terrible upset to his business. His whole life was embittered by this experience†. Countless similar stories were told as Rockefeller ruthlessly conquered the oil industry by means of horizontal integration. â€Å"The day of combination is here to stay. Individualism has gone, never to return† he said (Chernow 148). Whenever legitimate competition arose, Standard Oil took extreme measures to corral it. When a rival pipeline company threatened Standard Oil’s dominance, Standard Oil hired lawyers to act as farmers and landowners who opposed pipeline construction, bought entire valleys of land, persuaded companies to not sell construction supplies to the rival company, and generously bribed legislatures (Chernow 207-209). Using similar coercive means as well as outright bribery, Rockefeller came to control 95% of the oil industry by 1877, eventually accumulating a fortune that makes him the richest man in American history (Bailey, Kennedy, and Cohen 541, Chernow 505). His success inspired countless business leaders to form trusts that further disproportioned American wealth, hence indirectly harming America socioeconomically on top of his colossal direct harm. Other industrial captains also amassed their fortunes at the expense of others. Railroad builders such as James Hill, Vanderbilt, and the Big Four employed Irish and Chinese workers at the cost of one or two dollars a day. Hours were long and the work was dangerous. In just 1889, 22,000 railroad workers were killed or injured (Zinn 256). The most famous demonstration of railroad labor unrest was the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 which was triggered by wage cuts. 100 people died, and millions of dollars of property was damaged (Carrigan). The steel industry also generated aggrieved workers. Two-thirds of the workers at Andrew Carnegie’s largest steel manufacturing plant, Homestead, earned $1. 40 every 12 hour workday, barely enough to keep a family above the poverty line of $500/year. Asked about working conditions, one Homestead worker said, â€Å"I lost forty pounds the first three months I came into the business. It sweats the life out of a man. I often drink two buckets of water during the twelve hours; the sweat drips through my sleeves, and runs down my legs and fills my shoes† (Reilly 8). The wealthy inequality created by big businesses like Carnegie’s begot class warfare. In 1892, Homestead workers went on strike after the manager decided to cut wages and break the union. When Pinkerton detectives failed to stop the riot, federal troops were called in (Zinn 276). The Gilded Age naturally produced monopolistic big businesses that were owned by immensely wealthy individuals due to the nature of the technological innovations of the time period. They established an unfortunate precedent of greed and â€Å"survival of the fittest† in American society. One must also never forget the hundreds of thousands of forgotten men who toiled twelve hour workdays to enlarge a few men’s coffers. Much like the actions of the Spanish conquistadores, those of the wealthiest industrialists of the Gilded Age are mainly noted for their detrimental effects. However, this Black Legend of the late nineteenth century is not entirely accurate. It is true that greed and inequality loomed over them; however, they also developed the American supereconomy. For example, aided by the Bessemer process, Andrew Carnegie led a dramatic increase in steel production. In 1880, one million tons of steel were produced. By 1910, output reached 25 million tons, largely thanks to Carnegie’s innovative vertical integration (Zinn 254). Incredibly, before the 20th century, Carnegie Steel Company was producing more steel than all of Great Britain (Roark, Johnson, and Cohen 633). Rockefeller also utilized his unmatched executive skills to create a remarkably efficient business machine. For example, by applying thirty-nine drops of solder on cans of oil instead of forty, he saved $2,500 a year early in his career. In time, this tweak saved the Standard Oil Company hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Rockefeller constantly sought for such minute enhancements (Chernow 180-181). His genius can be seen in his jaw-dropping wealth; in 1902, his income was $58 million, over a billion dollars in 1996 dollars (Chernow 504). From 1865 to 1900, the American economy grew eightfold, and this was largely thanks to the talents of the industrialists who aided America in becoming the world superpower it is today (Watts). The 19th century industrialists also did not solely harm the common man. For example, Rockefeller’s monopolization of the oil industry ruined many common men, but it benefited even more by making kerosene widely available. This was because of Standard Oil’s foundational principle: â€Å"that the larger the volume the better the opportunities for the economies, and consequently the better the opportunities for giving the public a cheaper product without the dreadful competition† (Chernow 150). Rockefeller accomplished just this, as the price of refined oil was cut in half as a result of his enterprise. Because of Rockefeller, millions could light their homes for a penny an hour, a cost that would be much higher if not for Rockefeller’s dominance (Folsom 83). Perhaps the advances he gave to the common man outweighed his sins against the relatively few in the oil industry. Adhering to the doctrines of Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth, the wealthiest industrialists donated stupendous amounts of money to charitable causes. In 1911, the Carnegie Corporation was founded, a charitable enterprise with $125 million in starting capital founded by none other than Andrew Carnegie. To this day, it is one of the highest ranked charitable foundations with over $2 billion in assets for education, prevention of deadly conflict, and strengthening of human resources (Traub). As an extremely devout Christian, Rockefeller donated money from his very first paycheck, a fact that renders any extremely stingy and greedy portrayal of him false. â€Å"I have my earliest ledger and when I was only making a dollar a day I was giving five, ten, or twenty-five cents† he said. What distinguished Rockefeller from other great donors was his generous funding of medical research, an interest sparked by his father’s shady career. When asked about building medical facilities, Carnegie once said â€Å"That is Mr. Rockefeller’s specialty. Go see him†. In 1901, the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research was founded. Its work produced the first American Nobel Prize for medicine (Chernow 478-9). In 1910, Rockefeller fought hookworm on a global scale and within five years, it was nearly eradicated (Chernow 481). In donating to charitable causes, Rockefeller managed his charitable expenditures as he would with Standard Oil. By his death in 1936, he had given away $550 million, making him American society’s greatest philanthropist (Bailey, Kennedy, and Cohen 576). One area that almost all of the late nineteenth century capitalists contributed to was education. Rockefeller himself supported UChicago, Huntington, two Negro colleges, and the famous Tuskegee Institute. Carnegie personally contributed $60 million to the construction of public libraries (Bailey, Kennedy, and Cohen 576). Many others also contributed to America’s education. Cornell, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Stanford were all captains of industry. The colleges that they founded are among America’s top colleges to this day. Largely thanks to the donations of the industrialists, the illiteracy rate fell from 20 percent in 1870 to 11 percent in 1900.. It has been said that â€Å"a free government cannot function successfully if the people are shackled by ignorance† (Bailey, Kennedy, and Cohen 573). Thus, the donations of the wealthiest industrialists have had a profound effect on American society as young men and women in schools and libraries across the country to this day have been influenced by them. During the Gilded Age, the combination of laissez-faire economics, post-war sentiment, and technological innovation led to a spur of rapid change that forever altered the American landscape. The wealthiest industrialists of the time period became wealthy by taking advantage of its developments. In retrospect, late nineteenth century American society can largely be viewed as the results of the influences of the industrialists. The effects had no definitive net impact, but they did forever shape American society.

God and Dignity Essay Example for Free

God and Dignity Essay The researchers would like to dedicate this research paper to those people who have lost their ways and wander in darkness. We hope that even just a little bit, we are able to open your minds and touch your hearts. Always remember that no matter what happens, we will always be there for you and accept you. Acknowledgements The researchers would like to thank and acknowledge these guys and things for helping us in making us finish our research paper. Without these guys, we could have done nothing. Eljays would like to thank the following: Adobe, Google and Acer Laptops. Special thanks to my family and friends for the continuous support you had given to me. Hagi – chan would like to thank the following: Her Values Education book. Who would have even thought that you could be that helpful. My sister’s Val. Ed book and to my over we anime husbands for making me inspired. Title: Dignity: It’s Value Thesis Statement: â€Å"Dignity of a person doesn’t really matter due to temptations like money and lust but still, some people value it.† I. Introduction A. General Background What is dignity? We sometimes encounter this word, some might be familiar. But what is it? Can it be given importance? Can it be forgotten? Well those questions will depend on you, your actions and the way you bring yourself. Dignity means being respected for who you are and what you believe in. That’s something that can be done in both big and little ways. Like saying please or lending a helping hand are ways of showing dignity. Sharing your toys with others or making a donation to a charity are ways of showing dignity too. Just by being kind to others no matter who they are, what they look like and where they come from is a way to show dignity too. (Just by) Well, there are so many ways to show it like a cancer patient fighting against his illness to his death. Now, here’s the word â€Å"death†. Don’t you know dignity can be showed in death? Yes it is, it’s called Death With Dignity. In death with dignity, we all have experiences to share. There are our constituent’s personal stories of courage, pain, joy, fear, sadness and hope. Also, dignity is in women. Ah, yes. The dignity of a woman. Her most important thing that once take away, it will never com back. Just like all things that are lost will never return. It’s just that the â€Å"thing† in woman is just like time, gold and important. This thing is called virginity. Now, I’m very much sure that this word is very familiar to us, especially teenagers. With all the teenage pregnancy, sex trafficking and the porns how come that we wont know that dignity is lost in this field! Were not implying that once you’re not virgin, you don’t have your dignity. This case is totally not the concern for married women, engaged ladies and widows. But what about the girls, teenage girls. They’re young and fresh, so easy to be tempted. That’s why it’s important to know dignity, give its importance and value it for us to lea rn more and watch out. This is what our study’s all about. B. Statement of the problem The researchers would like to seek answers to the following questions: A. What are the possible ways to bring back the lost dignity? B. What are the effects/ impact if the person wreck his/her dignity? C. What’s in dignity that a person or every person should have? D. How can you convince others especially to those who doesn’t value their dignity to give importance to it? E. Which is far more better to die with dignity or to live without dignity? C. Significance of Study As we all know dignity is important as a person with feeling that can feel shame, guilt pain and anger. Our study mainly focuses on two things: death with dignity and living without dignity. Which is more better, which is preferred by others. This study is to wake up those youngsters out there to the things that they are doing which is not right. To right them from their wrongs, to bring light in their minds and to lead them to the right way. As a fellow teenager, we are the ones who can understand them better. Why! We talk the same way, dress the same way and behave the same way. So it’ll be much more better if were the ones to help them too. To let them understand things and no matter what happens, they’re always accepted. II. Body Every human being has the right to be treated with dignity. Dignity is the quality of being worth of respect. This means all of us, regarding of who we are or what we might have done, should be treated with respect. Its because of dignity that we are able to stand up and get to our feet. It’s the reason we feel good about ourselves and that we thought that others should respect us. Dignity comes from the Latin adjective (which means) â€Å"dignees† which means â€Å"worthy†. You see, our dignity makes us worthy for others. That’s why the higher, the more dignity a person has, the more likely he or she is respected and has great esteem to others. The dignity given to the human person allows him or her to manifest his or her worth, specifically, inner worth. God design for the human person is to posses and inherit self-worth and to be worthy of respect because he or she is a creation of God. By elevating his or her intellect to God and by fulfilling the precepts contained in the moral law through the exercise of his or her will, the human person earns greater worth and dignity. But no matter how hard a person tries to keep his or her dignity here are temptations all over us. Those things to keep his or her dignity, there are temptations all over us. Those things leads us to do evil. They tempted us and once we had done it, it’s hard to stop. And sometimes the evil we do can result in scandal. Scandal comes from the Latin word â€Å"scandalum† meaning a stone that causes people to trip over. If the sin you committed caused others to follow your example, then you are also guilty for their sins because you brought it about. God created the human person in his image and likeness. As the divine image the human person possesses intrinsic dignity. When the human person inherited the sin from Adam and Eve, sin also become part of human life. Doing wrong or cooperating in evil diminishes the dignity of the human person. It is like the thing that the bible stated at Genesis 2:16 – 17, â€Å"And the Lord God commanded to man, saying, ‘from any tree of the garden you may freely eat, but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die’†. Ever since that we humans are capable of doing evil. Evil destroys dignity and there are bout hundreds of things to do it. No, probably thousands. Even a regular high school student can destroy his or her dignity. Fro example, a student rather an honor student was caught cheating on a major examination. What do you thing are the possible things that have happened to him or her? The teachers won’t believe in him or her anymore, people will start rumors and worst he or she might get detention or be expelled. Another example is that teenage girls being pregnant. Now that is a very big issue. Normally, people will look down on her and all her life will be covered in regret and shame but that depends on the person. It depends if she is a strong one or a weakling. Yes, we are created by God but we have different thoughts and personalities as well. We are unique in her own ways. Now, are these ways to bring back the lost dignity? Of Course not, just like things that are lost it will never turn. But, you can always have and make a new one. Something much more better than the previous one. But its not easy making new ones proving others that they are wrong and not every body is perfect. You feel regret and a little bit down. It’s like you wanna cry your whole life but every time you see your inspiration, that feeling disappears. It’s the reason why others still fights and currently living. They have that motivation to start a new life and set things right and currently living. They have that motivation to start a new life and set things right. Just believe in God above anything else. He writes the story of your life and he’s the one capable of ending it but then along the way he prepared trials and good things for you. As the saying goes at Philippians 4:13 â€Å"I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.† But then again, not all people have the guts to change things. Some preferred to stay in the darkness and lurk in the shadows. There are lots of effects if a person wreck his/ her dignity. One of these things is being a suicidal freak. They intend to end their life/ lives because they can’t endure no longer the pain, shame, guilt, anger and hatred. But what’s to get in killing yourself? What about those people who was always there for you and that you didnâ⠂¬â„¢t just realize? Won’t you feel sorry for them? Of course, there are lots of negative rumors about you. More people looking down and bullying you but then why don’t you speak up? Ignore those rumors for they’ll drag you down to despair. Let them talk all they want, stand up for yourself and let them see that even though something terrible has happened to you, you can still walk with your head held up high. People are so conscious about dignity especially the old ones. What’s in dignity really that every person should have? Simple, dignity is the source of you respect. If you want to be respected then protect your dignity. If you want to be respected, you have to give it in order to have it. It’s just like giving and receiving something much better in return. That’s how it goes. Remember the past where I stated that some people refuse to fight back and hide themselves in the shadows? Those people whose thoughts are field with negative effects, or things and that they might do more evil acts. They are one of those people who are spreading evil in this world. Examples of those people are drug addicts, sex addicts and so on. But then there are ways to convince those people. To snap out of them and make them realize that they are wrong. Most of theses people are teens, isn’t it a pity if we are not able to help them? We can still convince them from stopping them from doing evil things that can wreck their dignity. The best way, let them hear the world of the Lord our God. Just by hearing those words, they can realize and make things right once and for all. Their ill manners will change into good ones and they’ll be better persons. Lastly, if there is death in dignity, and there is living without dignity; which is more better, to die with dignity or to live without dignity? This question is bugging us for quite a while. Most of us, fear death that’s why we choose to live even under any circumstances. But what is living without dignity? Isn’t that hard? Those things depends in each one of us. It will be our decision in which will we choose. We are given the freedom to dot the things which we thought it’ll be best for us. But do remember, decide for the better outcome and don’t regret it later. There is nothing you can get for blaming yourself. III. Conclusion A. Summary In our body there are several important things that we have stated. The meaning of dignity, the effect of losing it and many more. There are so many temptations in this world like money, seduction and lust. Most that are tempted are the teenagers. Teenagers are young and they have much to learn. They believe in what they see and stand for it. Teenagers are young and they have much to learn. They believe in what they see and stand for it. Teenagers are like white cloth, it can be dyed with either good and evil. Those dyes are stains, hard to remove, hard to erase and even if it can be removed there are still marks left from it. Those marks can be a threat to our dignity by the greater threat is the dye. Whether you do the actual evil things or just cooperate with any of those acts, you still brought about the spread of evil in this world. You have not helped in making this world a better place to live in. Therefore, protect your dignity, value it, give importance to it. For your whole well being lies on it. B. Recommendation We recommend for you those elders to guide the young ones to the right path. To lead them to a brighter future. And for those who have lost their ways help them to get back and find the good tracks. Even if we lost once, it doesn’t mean we lost forever, let us fight back. We mustn’t stop nor step backwards instead we move forwards. People around you are there for you. Let’s help one another, don’t discourage instead give courage. Respect others, it builds foundation towards relationship. And ask God for help for he knows what to do.

Concepts of similarity and complementarity in romantic relationships

Concepts of similarity and complementarity in romantic relationships Once upon a time, John met Jenny. They fell in love. They married, had children and presumably will live happily ever after. This is a common love story, and leads us to wonder why people become attracted to each other. Is it because they are similar? Research (Byrne, 1971) has shown that people are attracted to those immediately similar to them and this could lead to marriage. However, arguments for complementarity contend that opposites do indeed attract, and this attraction would also lead to long-term relationship and marriage. Such views are further reinforced by research like that of Shiota and Levenson (2007), which suggest that complementary couples are more satisfied in the long run. Thus, this essay seeks to evaluate the concepts of similarity and complementarity, analysing the relevant researches in the context of a romantic heterosexual relationship. Whilst there are many theories given on the process of mate selection, of particular interest is the recent emergence of the popular notion that opposites attract. However, this idea is open to interpretation, because it is expected that if a couple is not alike, they would tend to have more conflict, which will reduce the quality of their relationship (Pieternel Dick, 2008). Felmlee (2001) has shown that relationships developed from attraction based on complementarity often end prematurely. Nonetheless, there is also evidence supporting the complementary need theory (Winch, 1954), contending that for attraction and therefore a happy marriage, there must be potential gratification of needs for both John and Jenny. An example of such need-gratification is when younger females tend to be more attracted to older males who are financially stable (Eagly Wood, 1999, as cited in Pieternel Dick, 2008). Nevertheless, there has not been enough support in recent findings for Winchs hypothesi s, and reasons for this will be discussed. Conversely, the contrasting thought to the concept of complementarity is the established theory of similarity; simply put, that birds of a feather flock together. According to Hill, Rubin and Peplau (1976), there is a tendency for people who are similar in physical attractiveness, religion, education, age, and even height to be attracted to each other. However, there has been suggested that such tendencies may not exist, due to invalid testing procedures. This thought is suggested by research showing only small degrees of similarity between spouses personality in marriage (Eysenck, 1990), and in some reported studies (Antill, 1983; Peterson et al., 1989) no degree of similarity was observed, because couples are paired on a random basis. The theory of similaritys influence on ones attraction therefore needs examination in its methodological aspects and will be treated accordingly in this essay. Examination of Similarity and its theory in Romantic Relationships Summary of Similarity and its theory Similarity, the more accepted theory, suggests that we will be more romantically attracted to people who are similar to us in aspects like physical attractiveness, intelligence, socio-economic background, and overall attitude towards life. According to Byrne (1971), this can be explained through the theories of classical conditioning, and in particular, the idea of positive reinforcement. In a relationship consisting of two like-minded individuals, sharing the same viewpoint allows them to feel that their opinions are validated, and thereby their own confidence increases, enhancing the relationship. However, there is a distinction between the perceived and actual similarity. Many have argued that actual similarity is not as important as perceived similarity. A suggestion for this is that the individual experiences the positive reinforcement; regardless of them believing that the similarity is there even though it is not (Montoya, Horton Kirchner, 2008). However, a possible flaw in this is that if only one partner experiences such feeling of similarity whilst the other does not, then the attraction may not exist. Nonetheless, there is also contradicting evidence of people whose actual similarity is low, but are still highly attracted to another, which support the idea of complementarity (Winch et al., 1954). This is important, as it reminds us that similarity is only a positive correlate to the process of attraction, and is not the absolute factor that determines the formation of a romantic relationship. Methodological Concerns in Measuring the Effects of Similarity in the Formation of Attraction It has been shown in various recent researches post-dating Byrnes studies on attraction that whilst similarity exists in the formation of attraction, mate selection still operates on a random basis (Antill, 1983; Peterson et al., 1989); or at most, according to Eysenck (1990), the presence of similarity is only lightly significant. The reason for this can be attributed to the methodologies use to measure the effects of attraction. Such is the claim by the meta-analysis conducted by Montoya, Horton and Kirchner (2008), where they concluded that whilst similarity does lead to attraction, this occur mainly in a laboratory setting and not in existing relationships. This criticism is the product made by the use of the bogus stranger, which resulted in artificial responses and lack of ecological validity. The method originates from Byrnes studies in which given a set of characteristics similar to their own, the participants are asked if they will be attracted to an absent imaginary person unknown to them (Byrne, Clore Smeaton, 1986). This involves no interaction between the participant and the stranger, as well as requiring the assistance of a third person called a confederate, a trained interviewer. While the technique has been heavily criticised, its focus on attraction is clear-cut and minimises other external factors that could influence how much the stranger can be perceived as attractive to the participants. Other advantages to this method are that it is inexpensive and not very time consuming, and thus is viewed as more open for a wider pool of participants. Another technique is one that involves little to some interaction between the participants and the confederate or fellow participant in the context of a dyad relation. This can last from a few minutes to several hours. However, there have been some contradicting evidences (Dryer Horowitz, 1997) produced through the use of this method, which some has criticised because the nature of the exchange that involves mainly shallow and polite niceties. A final method that has been in favour recently is the use of couples in an existing relationship. Whilst this is a strong method in that it examines the attraction that then result in a real relationship, its weakness is the sample is often small because of its exhaustive nature, expensive and time consuming. (Montoya, Horton Kirchner, 2008). Summary of Birds of a Feather Dont Always Fly Farthest (Shiota Levenson, 2007) Given these concerns, it is interesting to see that the study of Shiota and Levenson (2007) proposes the alternative for the concept of similarity in the context of marital satisfaction as opposed to attraction. It is a longitudinal study that examines the effects of high level of similarity in the Big Five Personality on marriage satisfaction, which predicts the possible outcome in terms of a linear trajectory that is then supported by the negative correlates or negative result. The authors discuss the significance of this result in terms of different stages of marriage life, which contain different roles and responsibilities that will affect their satisfaction of marriage. For example, the first stage is explained as the newlyweds who still try to please their partner and therefore, their similar personalities will then be important for their daily social interactions. However, later in their mid-marriage life, when their passion has waned off, this will result in conflicts on issu es like child rearing rather than agreement because spouses competing with each other in similar performance domains and clashing when attempting to complete the same task (Shiota Levenson, 2007, p. 672). In addition, the authors also provide a quick overview of some of the weaknesses in past studies. An example of this is the lack of distinction in examining the similarity of husband and wifes personalities as opposed to how an individuals personality might affect the marital satisfaction. Another is when past studies have chosen to only examine similarity in existing relationship in a cross-sectional view. The author improved the studys method by conducting a long term study but at the same time, also provide a linear trajectory that can be used to predict further development from the given twelve years study. Some limitations that have been self-identified by the authors include the cultural and generational effects that were resulted from the voluntary nature of the samples selection and also for the convenience of the research. More importantly, in their discussion, Shiota and Levenson (2007) have also explicitly referred to how complementary couples in terms of the Big Five personality may perhaps achieve higher level of marriage satisfaction. Their research also investigated on older couples who have been married for at least thirty-five years and again, this show the decline in marriage satisfaction that occurs over time in couple who share a high level of similarity. However, as stated by the authors, this may not be true for other social domains of personality such as the dominant/deferent trait that was tested in Winchs studies on complementarity. Nonetheless, the study provides the stepping-stone on the investigation of the concept of complementarity that will be discussed as followed. Examination of Complementarity and its theory in Romantic Relationships Defining complementarity In this essay, complementarity can be understood as people who are different in their personality liking one another because they would fill in the gaps present in one anothers life. Formal definition for this term is borrowed from Winchs definition of need-complementarity in which an individual will be attracted to that person who gives the greatest promise of providing him or her with maximum need gratification (Winch et al., 1954, p. 242). Other terms used are complementary, an adjective used to describe how compatible two partners are even when they are different; and complementariness, a noun that is used by Winch to refer to the degree in which two people can complement. Winchs Study and Theory of Complementary Needs in Mate-Selection Winch, Ktsanes and Ktsanes (1954) made a proposition, the theory of complementary needs in mate-selection that supports the idea of opposites attract. This is made after Winch has conducted a study that involves twenty-five, 19 to 26 years old, white, middle-class, childless married couples who had been married for less than two years, and in which at least one member of each couple was an undergraduate student (Winch et al., p. 245). He uses triangulation to investigate his supported hypothesis, which is people marry based on their complementary needs. The different methods that Winch has used within triangulation include a need-interview, which is to identify the type of need pairs present; a case history interview of participants, and TAT, an eight-card thematic apperception test (Winch et al., p. 244). However, there are possible limitations within Winchs method namely the choice of participants where they are clearly culturally biased towards the developed, Western views and the generational effects of participants involved. Winchs theory requires that one of two conditions; either Type II or I must be met for complementarity between partners to exist. Type I is the difference in intensity, where one partner will be highly expressive in a certain need-pattern but the other partner will be very low in expressing the same pattern. For instance, a person who needs to be dominant in their relationship will complement with someone who have a very small amount of this need. Conversely, Type II is the difference in kind of the interactions between two individuals where both partners will be highly expressive but their needs are opposite to each other. An example is a person whose need to be dominant complements with a person who has the need to be deferent. It is important that there are two types of complementary needs because in the case of abasement as one of the need pair, there are situations where both abasement-autonomy and abasement-hostility exist, which gives a different continuum that cannot be expla ined sufficiently by Type I. (Winch et al., 1954) Evaluation of Winchs Need Complementarity One of the weaknesses in Winchs study (Winch et al., 1954) is the lack of evidence in which there has not been enough proof to support his theory despite numerous attempts being made (Bowerman Day, 1956; Schellenberg Bee, 1960). However, Levinger (1964) attempts to justify these discrepancies by explaining that there are different needs for different level of relationship as identified by Winch when he postulates his theory, i.e. a married couples needs to complement differ from two friends needs to complement. Therefore, since most replicated studies uses the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (Edwards, 1953, as cited in Levinger, 1964), which is aimed for a general peer relations to test for the validity of Winchs theory of need-complementarity for married couples, the results are therefore considered to be inconclusive in regards to Winchs theory. Furthermore, Winchs theory has also been criticised for insufficient explanation on the two types of complementarity. According to Levinger (1964), given the example of a hypothetical man who is average in both intensity and kind in his needs, it would not be possible for him to meet a complementary partner because both the conditions stated for Type I and Type II required a person to be on either end of the spectrum in the intensity of the personality traits. However, Levinger offers a solution to this problem by suggesting that if both partners express the same behaviour in equal amount and has the need for it in moderation then they would complement as well as be similar to each other. Nevertheless, Levingers seemingly logical explanation of his suggestion is questionable because he based his assumption yet on another hypothetical example, which is like using X to prove X. Levinger assumes that if there is a given situation where both partners express the same need in moderate qua ntity and it has also been shown that they complement with each others need, then they are showing complementarity. Nonetheless, Levinger acknowledges the loose footing of his hypothesis and suggest that it should be tested for empirical evidence. Another weakness in Winch et al. (1954)s theory that has also been stated by Levinger (1964) is that Winch does not give clear guidelines to determine how a need would complement or be similar to another. Rather, Winch only gives examples of need-complementary pairs such as dominance-deference and nurturance-succorance. This lack of clarification may question the validity of the theory because it would be difficult to replicate the study using different complementary-need pairs such as practicality-impracticality, which can be a possible need pair. Nonetheless, this problem of deciding the criteria for which characteristic complements another, as offered by Levinger can be inferred by Schutzs theory of need compatibility (Schutz, 1958, as cited in Levinger, 1964). Even though it is limited to only Type I in Winchs theory but it provides the basis for complementarity where, for two people, person A and B, to complement one another in a relationship, person A should express the same am ount of specific need that person B wants to receive and vice versa. Nonetheless, Edwards (1953, as cited in Levinger, 1964) points out that Schutzs method would be difficult to test in married couples because it was intended to be used for testing general peer relations like friendship. Alternatively, we can also use the various circumflex models for interpersonal behaviour (Kiesler, 1982; Wiggins, 1982, as cited in Orford, 1986) to determine the possible complementary need pairs. However, similar to the criticism of Schutzs way, these models were composed for the purpose of non-romantic relationships such as friendship and family interactions rather than the romantically-natured relationship between married couples, which might demand a different kind of structuring in Kieslers Interpersonal Circle. Empirical Research on the Complementarity Hypothesis Perhaps the main weakness in conducting researches to support the complementarity hypothesis in married couples is that there is the lack of clear criteria to determine what is considered as complementarity or more specific to Winchs (1954) study, the conditions required to form the complementary need pairs. This is important because complementarity is often simplified down to the loosely used phrase of opposites attract for ease when explaining to the general population. This is troublesome because there is no clear definition of what is considered as opposites or how can a certain thing attracts another thing. For example, it is assumed that the general population of men are attracted to the opposite gender, which is women, demonstrating the complementariness. However, how can we explain the similar attraction between men and men, also known as homosexuality? This is where the definition of complementarity can be misleading and ambiguous. If this is taken back to the studies conduc ted to find support for the complementarity hypothesis, we can see that this confusion on what complements and what does not in a romantic relationship reflected in the methods of various studies, in particular the one followed below. Review of Complementarity in marital relationships (Saint, 1994) A somewhat recent study conducted by Saint (1994) aims to seek support for the theory of complementarity as a factor in mate selection for marriage. Using a questionnaire that contains nine statements, which the participants have to choose on a scale of nine from strongly disagree to strongly agree, Saint surveys twenty-eight couples who have been married for an average of twenty years. According to Saint, the mean age in the study for men are forty-seven years old and for women, it is forty-two years old and they are located in Oxford, England. Saint has concluded that result does not have enough support for the complementarity hypothesis. There are many weaknesses in the method that Saint (1994) uses to source participants. By using the method of door-to-door solicitation, there is an implication that the participants are concentrated in local area since it is unlikely that the researchers will travel long distance to recruit participants. This assumption is supported when Saint states the geographical demographics of participants are suburbs of Oxford and nearby village. This small and narrow geographical population sampling can suggest a high degree of cultural bias in which there is a tendency to focus on the western individualistic views and also, questions on whether the results and the conclusion drawn can be used for the general population. However, Saint clarifies this doubt by concluding that this study is a good indicator for complementaritys little impact on the Westerns selection of marriage. Thus, this gives the study its strength but still, it should be maintained that modern society are slowly changing and integrating both the Western and Eastern views (Zhuang, 2004). Therefore, the study cannot be used exclusively to explain that complementarity is not very influential in ones selection for marriage, regardless whether it is from an Eastern or Westerns viewpoint. An example is interracial marriage (Lewis, Yancey Bletzer, 1998), which would be possible fifty years ago but now is a common occurrence in our society. Saint (1994) comments on the weak support of his study for the complementarity hypothesis, which can be reflected back to the design of questionnaire. To some extent, it is a forced response despite the varying scale of agreeableness to a statement. Even if this assumption is wrong and that participants do not feel restricted in their response, the scale of nine levels is still a weakness in Saints method. This is because given such a range for different responses; there is only a small sample of twenty-eight couples. More importantly, there is also the scarcity in the numbers of statements that can be used ascertain the reliability of answers and given the big range of at least eighteen different responses between couples, the only logical conclusion would be that the results would be statistically insignificant. When summarising the results, Saint gave three statements that result in a significant negative correlation, which indicates the presence complementarity. They are when socialising I seek a high level of eye contact, using public transport is a stressful experience, and when socialising I will raise the level of my voice to make myself heard. Saint indicated earlier in his abstract in that he aims to investigate complementarity within the social domain of social dominance, social confidence and communication initiation. Whilst there are presence of these elements embedded in each statement but the relevance to married couple is not substantial, i.e. anyone can do the questionnaire whether with their friends or family members, and the chance to obtain a negative correlation is still probable. This indicates that these statements are not valid for testing and therefore, questions Saints conclusion that complementarity have little influence on mate selection for marriage. Yet, we must not forget the strengths in the design of Saints (1994) study. One such strength is how individuals (husband and wife) have to work independently to complete the questionnaire. This increases the confidentiality of the answers because there are less comparisons and attempts to modify ones answer, which engenders more honest responses obtained from participants and reliable information. Furthermore, questionnaires are economical when compared to other types of measurements like interview, easy to control and is replicable to confirm the findings. Thus, if this study is to be repeated, improvements could be made on the sample size and demographics. Moreover, changing the nature of the statements and increasing the number of statements to increase the reliability of the response could also help in seeking support for certain trends in participants answers. Hence, from the studies of Winch (1954) though not so much of Saint (1994), it can be said that complementarity do exist in married couples. However, further investigations need to be made to confirm the claim that complementarity increases marital satisfaction over time. Conclusion It has been implicitly suggested throughout the essay that attraction is linked with similarity and couples have higher marital satisfaction when they have complementary needs. However, there is no definite conclusion that this is the case. Criticisms of Winchs theory demonstrate the uncertainty and lack of clarification in certain aspects of his concept of need-complementarity. An example of this is the undefined need pairs such as dominance/deference, which later affects later studies like that of Saint (1994). However, in his evaluation of Winchs concept, Levinger (1964) also explain that the replicated studies that did not support Winchs theory is not conclusive either because the method used is more suitable for testing non-romantic dyadic relationship. Likewise, the concept of similarity leading onto attraction may seem obvious and indeed there are numerous studies to support this hypothesis. However, the majority of them use the method of a bogus stranger to determine the effects of attraction. In addition, the use of partners in existing relationships was not common because of limited time and resource. This lead to the conclusion in that perhaps similarity leading to attraction is only valid in laboratory environment and not real life situations. In both cases, the main problem that prevents proper investigation of the issue lies in both the methodological and theoretical aspect of the studies. A possible suggestion for improvements could be to have longitudinal researches instead of cross-sectional that involve couples in existing relationships. This is the biggest obstacle for researchers because of limited budget and time. Another is to increase the sample size theoretically by doing a meta-analysis of all the studies conducted over the years. In addition, more accurate and fitting instrument could also be developed to measure the degree of similarity or complementarity such as a revised version of Edwards Preference Schedule that is targeting romantic relationship and not general peer relationships. Reference Books Byrne, D. (1971). The attraction paradigm. New York: Academic Press. Journal Articles Antill, J. K. (1983). Sex role complementarity versus similarity in married couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 45, 145-155. Aube, J., Koestner, R. (1995). Gender Characteristics and Relationship Adjustment: Another Look at Similarity-Complementarity Hypotheses. Journal of Personality , 63, 879-904. Bowerman, C. E., Day, B. R. (1956). A Test of the Theory of Complementary Needs As Applied to Couples During Courtship. American Sociological Review , 21, 602-605. Byrne, D., Clore, L. G., Smeaton, G. (1986). The Attraction Hypothesis: Do Similar Attitudes Affect Anything? Journal of Pereonalily and Social Psychology , 51, 1167-1170. Dijkstra, P., Barelds, D. P. (2008). Do People Know What They Want: A Similar or Complementary Partner? Evolutionary Psychology , 6, 595-602. Dryer, C. D., Horowitz, L. M. (1997). When Do Opposites Attract? Interpersonal Complementarity Versus Similarity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 72, 592-603. Felmlee, D. H. (2001). From appealing to appalling: Disenchantment with a romantic partner. Sociological Perspectives , 44, 263-280. Hill, C. T., Rubin, A., Peplau, L. A. (1976). Breakups before marriage: The end of 103 affairs. Journal of Social Issues , 32, 147-168. Kiesler, D. J. (1983). The 1982 Interpersonal Circle: A Taxonomy for Complementarity in Human Transactions . Psychological Review , 90, 185-214. Levinger, G. (1964). Note on Need Complementarity in Marriage. Psychological Bulletin , 61, 153-157. Lewis, J. R., Yancey, G. (1997). Racial and Nonracial Factors That Influence Spouse Choice in Black/White Marriages . Journal of Black Studies , 28, 60-78. Montoya, M. R., Horton, R. S., Kirchner, J. (2008). perceived similarity Is actual similarity necessary for attraction? A meta-analysis of actual and perceived similarity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 25, 889-922. Orford, J. (1986). The Rules of Interpersonal Complementarity: Does Hostility Beget Hostility and Dominance, Submission? Psychological Review , 93, 365-377. Saint, D. J. (1994). Complementarity in marital relationships. The Journal of Social Psychology , 134, 701-703. Schellenberg, J. A., Bee, L. S. (1960). A Re-Examination of the Theory of Complementary Needs in Mate Selection. Marriage and Family Living , 22, 227-232 . Shiota, M. N., Levenson, R. W. (2007). Birds of a Feather Dont Always Fly Farthest: Similarity in Big Five Personality Predicts More Negative Marital Satisfaction Trajectories in Long-Term Marriages. Psychology and Aging , 22, 666-675. Winch, R. F., Ktsanes, T., Ktsanes, V. (1954). The Theory of Complementary Needs in Mate-Selection: An Analytic and Descriptive Study. American Sociological Review , 19, 241-249. Zhuang, X. (2004). We or I? Collectivism-Individualism in Chinese and American Values. Sociology. University of Victoria.

Unexpected Reward :: essays research papers

Unexpected Reward   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organized youth sports are excellent programs that every town in every state should offer to young people of their community. These programs help children to find their interests, build confidence, and make friends. All of these things are important in the development of a child. These are a few of the reasons that interested me in volunteering my services as an assistant coach of a Pop Warner football team, The Plymouth Vikings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I coached children ages nine to eleven. I would help them with the fundamentals of football such as the proper way to hold the football when you run, the difference of pass blocking and run blocking, and how to tackle properly. It really made me feel good to know that I was helping kids improve their skills at a game they loved to play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was one boy that attended every practice, and seemed to be tuned in to every bit of information I gave the team. The boy’s name was Gregory; we all called him, â€Å"Goody.† Goody was the starting quarterback. Greg reminded me of myself when I was his age. He was always having fun when he played, he was always trying his best, and he was somewhat mischievous. Greg was just a normal eleven-year-old that loved to play football. He was the best player on the team. Goody could play any position; he could throw, run, catch, and play defense. He had a great deal of potential on the field, but he was struggling in school. You hold a â€Å"C† average in school to play Pop Warner football. Greg was just barely making the grade. I didn’t want to see a kid with so much love for the game to be kicked off the team because he was not doing well in school. I began to talk to him about the issue and I would explain to him the importance of working hard in school just like he does on the football field. I told him that he should keep professional football as a dream, but to make school his first priority. At the time I really did not know if he listened to me or if he even cared what I had to say, but I knew I had tried to help him. I even offered to help him with homework. Goody never asked for help on his homework, but assured me he was doing better. Unexpected Reward :: essays research papers Unexpected Reward   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organized youth sports are excellent programs that every town in every state should offer to young people of their community. These programs help children to find their interests, build confidence, and make friends. All of these things are important in the development of a child. These are a few of the reasons that interested me in volunteering my services as an assistant coach of a Pop Warner football team, The Plymouth Vikings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I coached children ages nine to eleven. I would help them with the fundamentals of football such as the proper way to hold the football when you run, the difference of pass blocking and run blocking, and how to tackle properly. It really made me feel good to know that I was helping kids improve their skills at a game they loved to play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was one boy that attended every practice, and seemed to be tuned in to every bit of information I gave the team. The boy’s name was Gregory; we all called him, â€Å"Goody.† Goody was the starting quarterback. Greg reminded me of myself when I was his age. He was always having fun when he played, he was always trying his best, and he was somewhat mischievous. Greg was just a normal eleven-year-old that loved to play football. He was the best player on the team. Goody could play any position; he could throw, run, catch, and play defense. He had a great deal of potential on the field, but he was struggling in school. You hold a â€Å"C† average in school to play Pop Warner football. Greg was just barely making the grade. I didn’t want to see a kid with so much love for the game to be kicked off the team because he was not doing well in school. I began to talk to him about the issue and I would explain to him the importance of working hard in school just like he does on the football field. I told him that he should keep professional football as a dream, but to make school his first priority. At the time I really did not know if he listened to me or if he even cared what I had to say, but I knew I had tried to help him. I even offered to help him with homework. Goody never asked for help on his homework, but assured me he was doing better.

Kant and Morality Essay -- the categorical imperative

Kant had a different ethical system which was based on reason. According to Kant reason was the fundamental authority in determining morality. All humans possess the ability to reason, and out of this ability comes two basic commands: the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. In focusing on the categorical imperative, in this essay I will reveal the underlying relationship between reason and duty. The categorical imperative suggests that a course of action must be followed because of its rightness and necessity. The course of action taken can also be reasoned by its ability to be seen as a universal law. Universal laws have been deemed as unconditional commands that are binding to everyone at all times. Kant believed that individuals have a freedom to consciously obey the laws of the universe as they are revealed in accordance to our ability to reason. Kant goes a step further to suggest that our actions should be driven by a sense of duty that is dictated by reason. What does it mean to act out of duty? Kant says that this means that we should act out of respect for the moral law. The moral law can be directly related to the categorical imperative. How can we accomplish the task of acting out of duty? We must first recognize and have an understanding of what the moral law is, then a sense of duty should become the motive for our actions. Finally our actions should be compelled by doing what is morally right; which is considered doing what we can ...

Jig’s Decision in Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” Essay

Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† presents what is seemingly a pointless conversation between a man and a woman as they look at the hills in Spain which the woman considers to present the image of white elephants trailing each other across the valley. Although the main topic of their conversation is not explicitly mentioned in their conversation, it seems as if the man is encouraging the woman to commit an abortion. The story begins with a description of the place where both individuals are having their conversation. It states, â€Å"The hills across the valley of Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun† (Hemingway, 2001, p. 563). The importance of the hills to the narrative is made evident in the later part of the text as the woman mentions that â€Å"the hills are like elephants† and the man considers it to be a good comparison (Hemingway, 2001, p. 563). Later on the woman repeats the same line however it was placed in a different context as she states, â€Å"If do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you’ll like it? † (Hemingway, 2001, p. 563). In this context, the woman is questioning whether their relationship will still be the same given that she is hesitant about committing abortion and the man is continuously trying to persuade her to commit it. The significance of Jig’s comparison of the hills to white elephants is thereby evident as Jig weighs the consequences of adhering to the man’s desire to abort their child since a part of Jig knows that if she does abort their child, there is a large possibility that their relationship will end since her feelings for the man will be changed as he was the one who persuaded her to abort their child. The end of their relationship, in this sense, may be seen as a result of the lost of love between the couple since their relationship will be tainted by the knowledge that the man failed to be accountable for his actions which led them to abort their child. Reference Hemingway, E. (2001). Hills Like White Elephants. Rites of Passage: A Thematic Reader. Eds. J. Rae & C. Fraga. Np: Heinle & Heinle.

Case Write-Up for Sunshine Foods Marketing

Case Write-up Sunshine Foods Problem Sunshine Foods biggest problem is their declining profits. They also have had minimal growth and have high overhead costs, which are a large part of their declining profits. Causes Sunshine Foods has three major areas that need to be address in order to increase their profits. First, their motto: â€Å"As long as new products look like they will increase the company’s sales volume, they are introduced. † This is causing the company to take on too many products that don’t increase their revenues. It spreads them to thin and makes them too generic. Second, adding more products to use the unused areas of production. They need to do a cost analysis to see if using that unused production time has any cost/revenue benefit. Just because it is unused doesn’t mean that it will generate more money if it is used. Third, their contract states a grocer needs to carry at least 65 Sunshine Food items. This forces only large grocers to carry their items, which limits their market area. By limiting their market area to only large grocers they are unable to have price control and they are always competing against all of the other brands that the store carries. Sunshine’s lack of growth is primarily caused by their lack of specialization. If they can and freeze everything and anything then a consumer doesn’t see them as being â€Å"the best† in any product. Their lack of expansion into smaller stores is also holding back their growth. High overhead costs are created by Sunshine’s need to use every second of factory time. This is causing them to spend too much to create a product that returns very little. If their factories have that much unused time they should just close a few factories and focus on what is really important. Recommendations I would recommend that they first do a cost analysis on the products that they are producing. This will allow them to see which products sell the most and create the highest return. Once they know this information they need to produce more of those items and stop producing the items that aren’t helping their bottom line. Along with this, they will be able to identify which factories are the most efficient at producing those items. They can then close the slower factories and use the money to make the remaining factories more efficient. I would then have them change their contract to a much smaller number of items for stores to carry. If they lower their number to 25 items then they could sell items in more boutique shops that will have lower competition and higher prices. To really increase their profits they should pick a few â€Å"specialty† items and market themselves as having the best in those items. This will help them create more of a brand name, especially if they sell those items in the boutique shops.

Farley Mowat’s “Never cry wolf” Essay

Farley, Mowat’s â€Å"Never cry wolf,† is a book based on the research of the lifestyle of wolves in the Arctic Circle. Mowat uses his experience to educate the society of the social ills conducted by the hunters towards the wolves. The book displays the risk that the wolf pack families face due to the human activities in the area. The title of the book acts as a symbol in reference to the story of the boy who cried wolf. The book thus enables the reader to think beyond the tile so as to form an opinion of the author’s message. The book challenges the human communities who are in charge of the nature around them. Humans tend to overstep their authority by infringing on the rights of the wolves. The analysis of the book educates the society of the inhumane activities that humans are inflicting on the animals. â€Å"The wolf is a savage, powerful killer. It is one of the most feared and hated animals known to man and with excellent reason† Chapter 6, pg. 60. The passage showcases the dangers that the wolf portrays. Human beings often misinterpret the actions of the wolf due to its dangerous nature. Despite the fact that the wolf continues to become extinct, it poses a threat to the human beings who live next to the packs. This makes the world undesirable by man. â€Å"Evidence obtained by various Government agencies from hunters, trappers and traders seemed to prove that the plunge of the caribou toward extinction was primarily†¦ The intervention by the government saw the danger that the wolves are exposed to. Human activities were mostly responsible for these dynamics making them the number on culprits. This also displayed possible extinction of the breed of wolves if authorities continued to ignore the circumstances. â€Å"I had made my decision that, from this hour onward, I would go open-minded into the lupine world and lean to see and know the wolves, not for what they were supposed to be, but for what they actually are† Chapter 7, pg. 77. Morwat made a personal decision to protect the wildlife from the outside environment. One of the steps he takes is orienting himself with the lives of the wolves. This involves learning about the exact nature of the wolves instead of forming an assumption about them. This in turn will help remove the ignorance that he had so as to improve society’s awareness of the wolves. In conclusion, human beings are responsible for the surrounding environment. This involves observing the safety of all animals in and outside the wild. This is however, not the case in that the number of wild animals continues to diminish due to the human activity. The wolves are one of the animals that continue to face the wrath of human beings. The analysis of the book is thus ideal for the education of the public. This in turn will improve the existing relationship between man and nature.

Counseling Liza

Joe understands Liza’s theme or belief that she has a problem with her boyfriend. It is not a life theme seeing as Liza’s problems with her boyfriend are recent and ongoing events. Besides, the frustration that she feels is her moodiness in the face of the problematic situation. However, if Liza expresses the belief that â€Å"All men are obnoxious,† Joe may rightfully conclude that it is a life theme that his client is expressing; and that, in fact, she is having a problem with her boyfriend because of a core belief.In order to deal with Liza’s stuck pattern of repeating the same story about her problem with her boyfriend, Joe should use both education and hypothesizing in his counseling sessions with Liza. It is clear that Liza would like to find a way out of her problem with her boyfriend. Regardless of whether she would like to continue her relationship with her boyfriend or not, Joe should provide his client with literature concerned with her particul ar patterns.Bibliotherapy in the area of relationship patterns should help Liza understand her own patterns. Furthermore, Joe should complement the education with hypothesizing by asking questions that would allow Liza to speak her mind and thereby understand her situation better. To allow Liza to hypothesize, Joe should ask her questions after she has spoken her automatic thoughts.If Liza claims about her boyfriend, â€Å"He always does that,† referring to problem behavior on the part of her boyfriend; Joe should follow up with the question, â€Å"Why do you think he does that? † Such questions would allow Liza to truly understand the situation that she is faced with. Moreover, her education as part of the therapeutic process would add to her insight, allowing her to eventually leave the problem pattern that she must work her way out of with the help of the counselor.

Case Of Alyeska Pipeline Services Company V. Wilderness Society

When it comes to the Case Of Alyeska Pipeline Services Company V. Wilderness Society, Justia states that, â€Å"Under the American Rule that attorneys fees are not ordinarily recoverable by the prevailing litigant in federal litigation in the absence of statutory authorization, respondents, which had instituted litigation to prevent issuance of Government permits required for construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Justia, n.d.). The court’s analysis that the legislature needs to address is the lawyer’s fees because the legislature has a lot of power when it comes to enacting, amending, and repeal the public policy and can have more authority than any other aspect of the government. The legislature can have more authority on what laws to be passed that includes lawyer fees and the legislature can attempt to change the lawyer fees. There is some resistance when it comes to liberalizing lawyers’ fees awards because some individuals feel that i t should not be liberalized and that it is not the legislatures place to handle this issue and shouldn’t be concerned with the issue. Another approach to this would be the approach of proportionate responsibility. This proportionate responsibility will be best for everyone involved so that everyone involved does have some responsibility and that the responsibility does not just land on one persons shoulder but instead, everyone has a responsibility. The benefits in the long run of following the judges’ rules is that the individuals understands and knows what can and cannot be done according to the judges orders. The disadvantages of following the judges rules is that in most cases people have knowingly disobeyed a judges orders and has ended up paying for that by getting put in jail or being fined. Yes, on a personal level I feel litigation will not influence me in any way when dealing with cases despite the fact that the other side may have also began using the tactic. According to attorney-client privilege.org, attorney-client privilege is, â€Å"is a kind of ‘right to confidentiality’. This means that all the communications between a lawyer and his clients would remain confidential and would not be released to a third party, during or after the conversation is over.† (attorney-client privilege.org, 2014). The extent that the public records or open meeting laws should override the privilege is if there is a life or death situation involved then the public records and open meeting should be disclosed then and only then. I do feel that the need for lawyers to act zealously to win cases does explain why the lawyers can sometimes act in immoral ways when in a court and dealing with cases that they are a defense attorney for. These attorneys feel there is a certain reputation that he or she needs to uphold to the public, judge, and those who he is defending. However, some lawyers can get too far into their job that they may feel they have to act in an immoral way in order to get the results he or she feels needs to be accomplished or feels is desired by to those who he or she is defending. The lawyers’ fees should be handled by the legislation because the legislation has more power than any other aspect of the government as they can enact, repeal, or amend a law. This being said that is why the legislature should be involved with lawyers’ fees. Proportionate responsibility should also be taken care of as responsibility should not just fall on one persons’ shoulders. Attorney-client privilege should be available to the public only if there is a life or death situation at hand. Lawyer’s also sometimes act immorally as they may feel they have a reputation to uphold to the individual they are defending, the judge, and the rest of the public.

Human Resource Management at Camair-Co Assignment

Human Resource Management at Camair-Co - Assignment Example The intention of this study is human resource management as the field of management within an organization where the human resources or the employees are taken care of or considered for their optimum utilization for the company’s objectives as well as providing them with welfare services. Thus the plans for the organizations and the human resources management are significantly associated with each other and it is the responsibility of the human resources manager to look after the duties of the HR team towards their efficient performances for the achievement of the organizational success. The significance of the human resources management lies in its integration with the business policies of an organization, the best manner in which they can fit into each other, its association with the organizational ethics, culture and values, its dedication towards achieving the organizational objectives, following appropriate employees policies and determining a suitable organization of the human resources in the delivery of their organizations. Thus the role of the human resources management plays a significant role in the efficient and effective performances of the employees attempting to motivate them and maintaining relationships with them for the ultimate success of an organization. The overall study would reflect the relation of the human resources management of the organization and its significant impacts on the ethics, culture, and performances of the organization and how the company keeps its position up in the competitive environment. 2. Camair-Co: A Brief Portrait: Camair-Co is an airline company established in the Republic of Cameroon expecting to provide with international standards of airline services as well as improved airline infrastructures. The Transport Ministry of Cameroon is in charge of supervising the technical development and operations of the company and the Ministry of Finance looking after the financial aspects of the company. Any activitie s in relation to the air transport are provided by the company efficiently for its customers. The company has successfully developed from the partnership of the State of Cameroon and the Consulting group of Lufthansa (History, 2011). The team of professionals forming the human resources in the company involves both local and foreign skills and expertise. The culture and values of the company are highly maintained and the employee relations are considered

Managing Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Knowledge - Essay Example Knowledge is passive, analytic and atomistic (Thomas, Kellogg & Erickson, 2001). This does not imply that knowledge is power, rather applied knowledge is power. To apply knowledge, to use the abundance of information that is available in any organization today, codification of knowledge is essential. Codification of knowledge into information implies making knowledge portable, re-usable and transferable within the organization (Hall, 2006). Only when this is possible can knowledge become power. Organizational knowledge can then be used to gain competitive edge over the rivals but the organization should know how to use that power. Technological advancements have made it possible to retain knowledge and transmit it to the persons concerned within the organization. Knowledge can be a powerful weapon when retained, transmitted, disseminated and applied. It is thus important to understand the implications and the ways of retaining and applying knowledge. Knowledge has been classified into two categories - tacit and explicit. Explicit knowledge is that which has been previously defined and codified. It is usually gained through formal education, training, books and now the internet. Explicit knowledge is static and does not have the capacity to renew itself (Ehin, 2008). It requires an outside entity to keep it current. Tacit knowledge on the other hand is acquired by interacting with others and is connected to life's experiences. Tacit knowledge is the basis for generation of new knowledge or "the key to knowledge creation lies in the mobilization and conversion of tacit knowledge" (Nonaka cited by Marwick, 2001). The individual tacit knowledge characterizes the human capital of an organization. Human capital is the combination of genetic inheritance, education, experience and attitude towards life and business (Bontis & Fitz-enz, 2002). Human capital is the source of innovation and strategy. Sustained competitive advantage can accr ue from a pool of human capital. Human capital adds value and is not substitutable. An organization is not a passive repository of knowledge. The tacit knowledge in the form of organization culture may interact with the explicit knowledge of the individual. The core competencies of an organization incorporate both tacit and explicit knowledge and should be conceived as a mix of skills and technologies (Lindgren & Wallstrom, 2000). These interactions and combinations result in new knowledge as organizational learning or innovation. This knowledge has to be efficiently managed so as to derive competitive advantage. Managing knowledge Managing knowledge or knowledge management (KM) is nothing more than getting the right information to the right people at the right time. It is also known by other terms like organizational learning, organizational memory and expertise management. Most organizations may not even be aware of the knowledge they have, let alone knowing how to manage knowledge. They may under estimate the value and creation of knowledge; they may even unknowingly give away what they possess (Earl & Scott, 2001). They may defer the sharing of knowledge or under invest in the utilization of the knowledge. As organizations started recognizing these facts, they created the post of a Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO), whose popularity and demand has increased in the recent