The Dictators Essay -- History, Politics, War

The twentieth century, unlike any other before it, saw dramatic changes in many different areas such as science, technology, politics, religion, and society. One of the most important and definitely the most obvious change is the increasing deadliness of war. Granted, people have died in wars from the very beginning, but in the twentieth century wars began to generate much higher body counts both among the contending armies and among civilian populations, the latter being the most drastic change in number of casualties. Similarly, in the twentieth century, two opposing dictatorships arose. Although both had many similarities, they represented the culmination of two different political ideologies that had flourished in Europe since the mid-nineteenth century. It all stems back to World War I, which produced a disillusioned public that increasingly sought to change their circumstances in life but attempted to do so outside of the established system. The two regimes are simply th e two exact extremes that were produced in this reaction. National Socialism represents an ultra-conservatism that goes way beyond the boundaries of conservatism as known today, whereas Communism represents ultra-liberalism. Because these two were so ideologically extreme on the right and left ends of the political spectrum respectively, in fact, the wrapped all the way around, so to speak, so that they were not actually that far from each other ideologically after all. So, the question is: if the ideology of the two regimes was so different, why then were there so many similarities? What really tied them together was the rejection of the same prevalent doctrine: liberalism (Overy 639). Both preached against the bourgeoisie and praised the common ... ...ent a similar occurrence in the future. It is important to look at these as archetypal examples of repression born from paranoia and ideologies twisted into bizarre shadows of their former intent. Although they are the two most studied and famous, there are other regimes throughout global history that can be approached in much the same way. For example, in terms of ideology, an historian could approach communist China or, in terms of genocide, one could approach the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia using the knowledge gleaned from the study of National Socialism and Communism. Similarly, it may be possible to use that same knowledge to foresee when a country might be headed towards such a regime and to attempt to prevent it from doing so. That way, the legacy of these regimes is not one of terror and bloodshed but instead one of helping to prevent more bloodshed.

Ford Motor Company Case Study Essay

Question 1. During the year 2006, Ford Motor Company suffered its biggest operating loss to date at the cost of $12.6 billion. A year later in 2007, things didn’t improve much as Ford posted a $2.7 billion loss. This corresponded with increasing deterioration in market share, with the majority of these losses being captured by other competitors. Ford had seemingly fallen down a slippery slope, and found itself in a hole it was struggling to surface from. This was all gearing up to the three-year recession that hit the U.S. and Global economies extremely hard. Ford’s competitors, General Motors and Chrysler, found themselves also struggling to get a foothold suffering such losses that both companies had to ask the government for massive bailouts while also filing for bankruptcy. Ford was apparently heading for the same disastrous bailout, but then Alan Mullaly stepped in as the new CEO and implemented a series of crucial strategic maneuvers. These strategic maneuvers that he coined as â€Å"One Ford,† aided them in getting a foothold out of the hole in which they dug for themselves by losses in market share. One such important strategic maneuver utilized by Ford was the reorganizing of its product line. It did so by standardizing components and making a stable of products that is more clearly defined for each market segment (Senna, 2013). Some benefits Ford has achieved through reorganizing its product line come from standardizing components globally and making a stable of products that is more clearly defined for each market segment (Senna, 2013). Before the change in demand, vehicles in Europe verses the U.S. were made with different components which built variations for their respected continents. These different unique components complicate production and with that complication came more cost. Ford then, under Mullaly’s direction, began to address this problem by building different models with the same or similar high quality components over the globe (Zboch, 2009). They use common parts to streamline the production line and reducing the number of unique vehicle parts. By standardizing components and reducing the number of different  platforms it offers, Ford is able to achieve better economies of scale and flexibility, which contributes to lower production cost for each new product (allowing them to prod uce hybrid and electric models more affordably for consumers) and also shift production to address changes in customer demand quickly (Ky, 2012). The Focus and Fiesta lines now use a single platform for each international market. Ford has also started making a stable of products that is more clearly defined for each market segment (small, medium, and large cars, utilities, and trucks), which also comes with benefits for the organization. Ford reduced its nameplates portfolio from 97 to between 25-30 and also brought over the Fiesta from Europe to the United States. The reduction allowed them to focus on global customer demand more intimately, by adapting the vehicle platforms to meet specific regional needs and produce vehicles that customers really want. This change still offers customers a large range of options despite the reduction in Ford’s nameplates (Zboch, 2009). Question 2.Ford has made various product modifications to the Ford Explorer with emphasis on safety and improving the customer experience to increase customer loyalty. They are consistently thinking of new design modification and exploring new opportuni ties with regards to new technology. They are using these new technologies to create new solutions for recurring safety problems. One such new technology is the curve control technology which works by measuring how quickly the vehicle is going and comparing that with how quickly the diver is trying to turn. When the vehicle is not turning as much as the driver is steering it activates and applies the precise amount of breaking required on each wheel to enhance the traditional stability control system. Ford also introduced the radar-enabled adaptive collision warning system to the Explorer, which helps drivers avoid potentially dangerous crashes by using radar to detect the position of other vehicles and warn the driver of these vehicles. Ford also instituted the first rollover-activated side curtain airbags (called Safety Canopy) and the first inflatable rear seatbelts into their Explorer (Ford, 2013). Ford also puts emphasis on going green, as the engine of the Explorer can have an EcoBoost which gives the engine high horsepower without losing fuel economy (Ford, 2012). Question 3.The new products coming out from Ford have recently put more attention on greater fuel efficiency as they have become a leader in fuel economy. Before the recession, Ford and most of its  competitors focused more on manufacturing vehicles with high fuel consumption and largely overlooked the increasing market for small cars. The oil shock of 2008 hit it resulted in rising fuel costs and brought about a change in consumer demand as a trend developed for â€Å"green† fuel efficient small cars (Zboch, 2009). Ford then changed its focus to a science-based strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also increase fuel efficiency of their vehicles. With this strategy they developed an assortment of hybrid vehicles, which can qualify owners for a tax deduction and lower gas prices throughout the year. Ford has moreover enhanced its product line to be more â€Å"green† with the EcoBoost engine that has improved fuel-economy producing responsible resource saving results. Ford is also exploring and investing in alternative fuel opportunities in order to stay on the cutting edge of innovative new alternative fuel technologies like fuel cells, hydrogen power, and ethanol fueled engines. All these fuel saving innovations and opportunities will help increase its market share, while also giving them a competitive advantage (Ford, 2012). Ford has moreover made enhancements to safety technologies like side curtain airbags and inflatable seatbelts, and driver assist technologies like the Curve control and radar-based collision warning systems. Ford has become known as global leaders in vehicle safety by offering these innovative new enhancements ( Ford, 2013) . Question 4.Mullaly made a strategic rationalization when he reversed the discontinuation of the flagship brand line of Taurus. Taurus was once one of the most successful Ford’s cars and he was astonished that Ford had initially planned to discontinue this powerful name (Dolan, 2009). It costs many billions of dollars to build the brand loyalty that the Taurus name invokes and for Ford to throw this significant name recognition away seems to be a waste of a huge asset and a major oversight of the corporation. Mullaly made this fact aware and then strived to recharge the brand in order to bring it back to its former glory. The revamped Taurus is sleeker with a more muscular design and offers a range of technological options, from safety features to the voice-activated entertainment system (Dolan, 2009). Furthermore Mullaly made a strategic contraction by divest ing Ford’s noncore brands like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mercury. This dissociating allowed them to give the necessary focus they need to revitalize the central Ford brand. Also they  are able to contribute extra attention to revamping their core-platforms by concentrating on accessible market opportunities in order to increase market share, not just here in the U.S but on a global scale (Zboch, 2009). Although this divesting could be considered a form of strategic inconsistency, because these names have brand loyalty and name recognition in and of itself. By selling these brands off, Ford is losing the valuable brand equity that leaves with them, but Mullaly wanted to reinstate the Taurus for its brand equity and not lose the loyalty around that brand. Although it Taurus was once a core-platforms, it still shows somewhat of a strategic inconsistency. Question 5. In the past five years Ford has made changes to their product lines that follow their four pillars. These pillars are quality, green, safe, and smart. In the quality section they have made changes by buying the best quality parts possible and standardize the components that are used in many d ifferent platforms to get the best quality at the lowest cost possible (Ford, 2012). They are in addition working to design and improve engineering characteristics in line with the customer’s wants and needs for their vehicles. An example would be the hands-free Sync entertainment system. In the green pillar, Ford has been developing new ways to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. They have made great leaps in changing to a more eco-friendly manufactures that continue to improve their products fuel-economy (Zboch, 2009). In this example they have started to produce hybrid vehicles and an EcoBoost engine which they are very excited about. For Safety category, Ford is continuing to develop the best quality safety technologies for their vehicles, with the thought of greater protection and avoidance measures on their mind. They are the first to offer systems like side-curtain airbags and inflatable seatbelts in a large variety of platforms and in addition have created new technologies like the curve control and radar-based collision warning system (Ford, 2013). The changed in the smart pillar, Ford has made strides to deliver technologies that not only make the customers riding experience more entertaining, but also make the gives the vehicle added safety. An example of this is the Sync system which works through voice commands and in addition the newly improved safety technologies. Ford has been using these pillars and will continue use them into the future, as guild-lines to be followed as they make changes to their product lines (Zboch, 2009). They believe that with this strategy they  will be able to stay innovative in order to create a competitive advantage that will lead to an increase in global market share. Citations Dolan, M. (2009, Jun 23). Ford’s Mulally sees a Taurus in his future -CEO hopes to revive sedan that once was best-seller; high price, large size are obstacles. Wall Street Journal Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/399050980?accountid=39473 Ford. † Ford introduces new curve control technology to help protect against crashes on curves.†Http://corporate.ford.com/news-center/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-introduces-new-curve-control-32869?cmp=ford_rss_tags%7CTechnology. 2014. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. Ky, Samantha. â€Å"Chapter 10 Product Items.† Prezi.com, 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. . Senna, Alvin. â€Å"COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.† NEWS WEEKLYLOGISTIC. 2013. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. . Ford. â€Å"Year in Review.† – Sustainability 2011/12. Ford Motor Company, 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. Zboch, Heather. â€Å"Innovation and Its Importance at Ford Motor Company.†HubPages. Phoenix Business, 28 O ct. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. .

Human Resource Development Essay

Involve them, trust them and treat them as resource or assets. 3- Fours on strengths of people and help them overcome their weakness. 4- Integrate individual’s needs & aspiration to organization Objectives of HRD:- 1- Develop high motivation level – To strengthen superior-subordinate relationship 3- To develop a sense of team spirit, team work & inter team collaboration. 4- To develop the original health, culture & climate. 5- To generate systematic info about HR 6- To increase the capabilities of an organization to recruit, select, retain and motivate talented employees. 7- To develop constructive mind in employees. 8- To generate info about HR for manpower planning, placement, successive planning and like. Author – Meera Sharma SCOPE: The field of HRD or Human Resource Development encompasses several aspects of enabling and empowering human resources in organization. Whereas earlier HRD was denoted as managing people in organizations with emphasis on payroll, training and other functions that were designed to keep employees happy, the current line of management thought focuses on empowering and enabling them to become employees capable of fulfilling their aspirations and actualizing their potential. This shift in the way human resources are treated has come about due to the prevailing notion that human resources are sources of competitive advantage and not merely employees fulfilling their job responsibilities. The point here is that the current paradigm in HRD treats employees as value creators and assets based on the RBV or the Resource Based View of the firm that has emerged in the SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) field. The field of HRD spans several functions across the organization starting with employee recruitment and training, appraisals and payroll and extending to the recreational and motivational aspects of employee development. The main functions of HRD are:- 1. Training and development Training and development is aimed at improving or changing the knowledge skills and attitudes of the employees. While training involves providing the knowledge and skills required for doing a particular job to the employees, developmental activities focus on preparing the employees for future job responsibilities by increasing the capabilities of an employee which also helps him perform his present job in a better way. These activities start when an employee joins an organization in the form of orientation and skills training. After the employee becomes proficient, the HR activities focus on the development of the employee through methods like coaching and counseling. 2 Organization development OD is the process of increasing the effectiveness of an organization along with the well being of its members with the help of planned interventions that use the concepts of behavioral science. Both micro and macro changes are implemented to achieve organization development. While the macro changes are intended to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization the micro changes are aimed at individuals of small groups. Employee involvement programmes requiring fundamental changes in work expectation, reporting, procedures and reward systems are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the organization. The human resource development professional involved in the organization development intervention acts as an agent of change. He often consults and advising the line manager in strategies that can be adopted to implement the required changes and sometimes becomes directly involve in implementing these strategies. 3. Career development It is a continuous process in which an individual progresses through different stages of career each having a relatively unique set of issues and tasks. Career development comprises of two distinct processes. Career Planning and career management. Whereas career planning involves activities to be performed by the employee, often with the help of counselor and others, to assess his capabilities and skills in order to frame realistic career plan. Career management involves the necessary steps that need to be taken to achieve that plan. Career management generally focus more on the steps that an organization that can take to foster the career development of the employees.

Human Resources Management

Questions 1. What should be the format and final form of the store manager’s job description? There is no standard format as to what should be included in the job description of store manager but most job descriptions cover the following sections †¢ Job identification †¢ Job summary †¢ Responsibilities and Duties †¢ Authority of incumbent †¢ Standards of performance †¢ Working conditions †¢ Job specification 2. Is it practical to specify standards and procedures in the body of the job description, or should these be kept separate?Not all the standards and procedures are important to mention in the body of job description except the ones that are relevant and important for the applicants to know i. e. Performance and Competency standards. Note: It depends upon the type of job under discussion as to what sort of standards to include. 3. How should Jennifer go about collecting the information required for the standards, procedures and job descri ption?First of all Jennifer should conduct a complete job analysis for the job of store manager and she should also check out existing policies and procedures of the company in place, then she should use one or more of the following methods for collecting information about Standards, Procedures and Job description for the job of Store Manager. †¢ The Interview †¢ Questionnaire †¢ Observation †¢ Participant Diary/ Logs In addition to these basic methods Jennifer Carter can also use these Quantitative techniques as well for measuring job description of store manager Position analysis questionnaire †¢ Department of labor procedures †¢ Functional job analysis 4. What, in your opinion should the store manager’s job description look like and contain? The Sore manager’s job description should look like and contain the following things. Carter Cleaning Center Store Manager Job Description |Title |2025 Store Manager | |Department(s) |Cleaning | |Re ports to |President (Jennifer Carter) | Job summaryThe store manager is responsible for directing all store activities in such a way that quality work is produced, customer relations and sales are maximized and profitability is maintained through effective control of labor supply and energy costs Summary of essential job functions In accomplishing the general aim the store manager’s duties and responsibilities are †¢ Quality control †¢ Store appearance and cleanliness †¢ Customer relations †¢ Bookkeeping and cash management †¢ Cost control and productivity †¢ Damage control †¢ Pricing †¢ Inventory control †¢ Spotting and cleaning Machine maintenance †¢ Purchasing †¢ Employee safety †¢ Hazardous waste removal †¢ Humane resource administration †¢ Pest control Knowledge, skills and abilities (The knowledge, skills and attitudes required for satisfactory job performance) Knowledge The incumbent must have profic ient knowledge in the following areas: †¢ Cusomer service †¢ Accounts payable accounts receivables †¢ Store and motel management and administration Skills The incumbent must demonstrate the following skills: Personal Attributes The incumbent must also demonstrate the following personal attributes: be honest and trustworthy †¢ possess cultural awarenes and senstivity The Store Manager would normally attain the required knowledge, skills and attitudes through related in experience in a retail setting. Equivalencies will be considered. Disclaimer The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Additional information |HR use only | |Job code | | |Generic title | | |Pay grade | | |Management? (Yes/No) | | |E/NE status | | |Last revised | | ———————– †¢ excellent customer service and interpersonal skills †¢ effective verbal and listening communications skills †¢ effective written communications skills †¢ decision making skills †¢ time management skills †¢ analytical and problem solving skills †¢

Gay marriage Essay

The sanctioning of gay marriage is a moral way forward and has positive outcomes in all aspects of life. Homosexuality it seems is a modern concept in terms of today’s news, especially as the legalization of gay marriages are now at the forefront of today’s current issues. The facts are, homosexuality is not a modern concept or a modern way of life, from as far back as history will allow us to delve it is believed that homosexuality in men has always existed. Many ancient writers, such as Strabo and Athenaeus, wrote that the Gauls or Celts commonly practiced homosexuality. Aristotle wrote that the Celts â€Å"openly held in honor passionate friendship (synousia) between males†. Diodorus Siculus wrote that â€Å"Although the Gauls have lovely women, they scarcely pay attention to them, but strangely crave male embraces (arrenon epiplokas). (Norton) As we have moved through the centuries and certainly more towards the end of the last century and into this one, it has become a lesser taboo subject than it once was. The media has brought to our attention, positive and sometimes negative reactions to people who practice same sex relationships. Even celebrities have, in some ways, brought about a wider recognition of homosexual behaviour and thankfully this has allowed a certain extent of acceptance. The familiarity of reading and viewing such issues has enabled a greater reception and a recognized tolerance for the gay community. From a libertarian point of view, we are discouraged and prohibited from causing any racial or discriminatory behaviour towards others; be more open minded towards differing lifestyles and opinions, and this should not be any different towards homosexuals, or those seeking to enter into a gay marriage. Ostracizing homosexuals only leads to and breeds a misunderstanding and a promotion of discrimination. Homosexuals do not choose to live this way out of defiance or rebellion; they are born this way and should not be made to feel victimized. A further hindrance in the fight for legalization is the concept that allowing such justification would give confidence to those individuals having the need to marry their pets or walk down the aisle with their blow up dolls. This argument is preposterous as in the first instance there can never be an entry into marriage between any beast and a human. The beast has no ability to speak and cannot therefore agree to marriage, the same goes for a doll or any animate object. It is difficult enough in this day and age to maintain any kind of relationship and being involved in a gay relationship is no different, perhaps in some cases it is harder, however as society has struggled to come to terms with this behaviour, it should be reminded that any relationship, if it is a healthy relationship, is a good relationship regardless of who is involved and their chosen sexuality. The legalization of gay marriages will support and promote homosexuality and this should be regarded in a positive way for all those concerned. Studies repeatedly demonstrate that people who marry tend to be better off financially, emotionally, psychologically, and even medically. (Cline) A communatarian standpoint would be that though the above concentrates solely on the personal benefits, the same can be realised when considering the families of gay couples and the communities they live in. The acceptance and legalization of their unity promotes a healthy attitude and has a constructive influence on others, consequently this influence creates routine, stability, positive role models and a preferred society to live in. Homosexuals are not harming anyone with their intentions of marriage, it is simply the next level of their relationship and they should not be denied this as their right. â€Å"When your government puts into place laws that prevent people from being equal they set the stage for those who discriminate to feel justified. † (Hosty) Legal classification has and can be changed; society and tradition have changed without the need for a legal approval therefore there seems no reason to uphold the argument. It has been said that homosexuality weakens the definition of marriage and that the belief and crusade for legalization will encourage and increase ‘fake’ marriages. Yet who is to say that this does not occur in heterosexual marriages. Attempting to pocket homosexuals into this category of behaviour is a poor attempt of a weak argument and should be disregarded when looking for blame in this area. The procreation debate is another common case of contention, many believing that marriage should then result in reproduction and in endorsing homosexual behaviour the human race will suffer. Homosexuals do not influence heterosexual people; there will not come a time when there are no heterosexuals left due to homosexuals. Homosexuality is not a recruitment agency. It is not clear why straight people would stop procreating if gays could marry. The factors driving people to reproduce — the needs for love and to love another, the purported instinct to propagate one’s genes, religious obligations — would still exist if Adam and Steve could marry. No couple has ever been required to procreate in order to marry. No couple has ever even been required to be able to procreate in order to marry. Sterile couples and old couples can marry. Couples physically able to procreate but who do not want to procreate can get married. (Carpenter) Tradition and family values have also featured in the arguments against gay marriage, yet the world seems to be content to develop in technological and other social customs. No laws have been introduced to prevent heterosexual couples from living together outside of marriage, nor have there been any actions taken against single, heterosexual women adopting children, yet when it comes to homosexuals and the idea of them legally binding their love, this is unacceptable. According to The Bible it clearly condemns all sexual behaviors outside of marriage between one man and one woman. Homosexual behavior is explicitly condemned in both the Old and New Testaments as an abomination and a violation of God’s standards for sexuality. (Coalition) Yet this is not a law, it is a book of beliefs, a book that many people claim to believe in, yet fail to live by its words. Only choosing what is to suit personal purpose is this referred to. Many people, who claim to believe in The Bible, and its beliefs in respect of homosexuals, do not take into account their own lives and that perhaps they flout the Books scriptures. None of us live perfect lives, yet there are numerous bigoted people who drive for the argument against something as inoffensive as a homosexual couple showing their love. Statistically speaking it is known that homosexuals live 20 years less than heterosexuals therefore the argument continues that legalization would be encouraging an unhealthy lifestyle. Numerous conflicts make homosexual behaviors abnormal, including rampant promiscuity, inability to maintain commitment, psychiatric disorders and medical illnesses with a shortened life span. The sexual practices of homosexuals involve serious health risks and illness. Specifically, sodomy as a sexual behavior is associated with significant and life-threatening health problems. Unhealthy sexual behaviors occur among both heterosexuals and homosexuals. Yet the medical and social science evidence indicate that homosexual behavior is uniformly unhealthy. Men having sex with other men leads to greater health risks than men having sex with women, not only because of promiscuity but also because of the nature of sex among men. (Fitzgibbons) Heterosexuals also live unsavory lifestyles; drug users, criminals and sexual predators all come in different shapes, sizes, gender and color, being homosexual is not primarily unhealthy and if society were to accept this lifestyle more readily, perhaps the gay community may adapt their lifestyles and take less risks. A loving and stable relationship, albeit a homosexual one, generates maturity and respective values towards one another. Throughout history there have been many definitions of marriage. Usually; A legally recognized union of a man and a woman by ceremony or common law. (Services) but more recently this has been generalized to identify marriage as two people who are married to each other. The emphasis being on the word ‘people’ implies that there has been an easing of attitude, therefore why would this definition change? If marriage is indeed meant only for procreation purposes, why are infertile couples allowed to enter into marriage when there will be no child borne from the relationship? There are heterosexual couples who have married in later life, with no desire for children and they do not come across such obstacles when making their decision. From a utilarian aspect, a child will only develop positively in a loving and stable relationship; this can take place in a homosexual relationship just as well as in a ‘conventional’ relationship. There will always be a form of resistance where change is involved. Fear of the unknown, lack of knowledge and more importantly, ignorance will all factor in this struggle to change people’s opinions. The legalization of a gay marriage should not be about the sexuality of the couple; it should be about recognizing and celebrating a couple’s love for one another. Marriages have changed erratically over the years, respectively considered to be ‘uncool’ or ‘unnecessary. In the past it was thought to be sinful to live with a partner and not enter into marriage, yet our views of this have changed. It is perfectly acceptable to have multiple partners and to cohabit with your chosen partner yet when it comes to those individuals who chose to live together and get married from the same sex, this is not acceptable. There are innumerable ‘slippery slope’ theories that have no ultimate backbone to their arguments. Anyone it seems, no matter what they engage in, be it any kind of sexual deviance, religious beliefs, personal lifestyle choice, they are given permission to say â€Å"I do†, however, if those same people were to be homosexual, their permission would not only be denied but they would suffer judgment and prejudice from those standing court. A persons future happiness should not be determined by small minded and judgemental bureaucrats. It may be a more practical method to way up the statistics of the general public as they are, after all, the majority of the society we have to live in. The statistics overleaf highlight the conclusion that there seems to be an opposition from the middle aged generation, unable to move on from tradition and their political persuasions. (Times) Carpenter, Dale. Independent Gay Forum – Gay Marriage and Procreation. 18 March 2004. 20 March 2008 . Cline, August. Gay Rights, Marriage & Homophobia: Ethical & Political Issues: Arguments for Gay Marriage: Moral and Social Arguments for Gay Marriage. 20 March 2008 . Coalition, The Traditional Values. Traditional Values Defined – What Are Traditional Values? 20 March 2008 . Fitzgibbons, Rick. Medical Downside of Homosexual Behavior. 18 September 2003. 20 March 2008 . Hosty, John. Live, Love, and Learn. 12 December 2005. 20 March 2008 . Norton, Rictor. â€Å"Taking a Husband†: â€Å"A History of Gay Marriage† Queer Culture. 21 February 2004 (amended 2006). 20 March 2008 . Services, Department of Human. Department of Human Services. 20 March 2008 . Times, The Seattle. Rogue Pundit: Statistics, Gay Marriage and Equal Rights. 28 March 2004. 20 March 2008 . hhhh

The effects of concentration camps during the Holocaust on the people Essay

The effects of concentration camps during the Holocaust on the people who lived in them - Essay Example Age, gender and other supporting factors determined where you were selected to go. Millions of Jews were enslaved, exploited for scientific experiments, murdered and subjected to a number of atrocities. This â€Å"widespread destruction of the Jews† has been recorded in history as the Holocaust. However, while the Jews were subjected to the greater number of atrocities, other nationalities and ethnic groups received comparable treatment by virtue of the Nazi’s concentration camps. The concentration (labour) camps in particular were established in German conquered and occupied areas and thus included the Poles, French, Czechs, Dutch, Yugoslavians, Belgians and any other nationalities in the conquered and occupied countries. The majority of prisoners however were Jews and Gypsies who were primarily destined for the extermination camps. Once the Second World War ended, many healthcare professionals came into contact with the survivors of the Nazi concentration camps. Accou nts of the effects of the concentration camps during the holocaust and the people who lived in them began to emerge. German camps were divided into three types: extermination, concentration and labour camps. Extermination camps were designed to murder masses of human beings primarily through gas chambers. Auschwitz-Birkenau served a dual purpose in that healthy Jews were put to work and only temporarily spared the gas chambers. All others were murdered. ... For example the death rate at Dachau camp in Germany was 4% in 1938. But by 1942 the death rate increased to 36%.7 The work was characterized by â€Å"victimization and terror†.8 Victims were forced to work to the point of â€Å"exhaustion† and were not provided with basic working equipment.9 Through the constant inflow of prisoners, the camps became unbearably overcrowded so that living conditions were subhuman.10 A report by one survivor reflects the magnitude of the victims’ struggle to survive in Nazi concentration camps. Elie Cohan, a Jewish physician from the Netherlands, whose parents had been killed in Auschwitz, was sent along with his wife and children to camps in Amersfort and then to Westerbork. Cohen’s life was spared because he was a doctor and the Nazis needed his services. When his wife offended a German Jew, Cohen and his family were immediately transported to Auschwitz where his family was put to death in the gas chambers immediately afte r arrival. Cohen however was not accorded time to grieve and had to work immediately with little food and water. When he was liberated he weighed less than 80 pounds and was described as â€Å"someone on the threshold of death†.11 The effects of living in a concentration camp regardless of whether it was a death camp or a labour camp appear to be entirely the same for all inhabitants.12 Inmates were shaved, dressed in standard inmate attire and forced to wear a tattoo for identification. This forced the people living in the concentration camps to lose all identity and essentially dehumanized them. Even when the Second World War came to an end and the concentration camps were forced to close because of the approaching allied forces, the taste of freedom was also bitter and just as horrifying as incarceration.13The

Crafting and executing a winning strategy Essay

Crafting and executing a winning strategy - Essay Example However, as big corporations are being washed out with the erosion of public/stakeholder trust due to unethical and socially irresponsible behavior, today, corporate strategists realize that a perceptible commitment to ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has clear implications for the corporate bottom line, and integrating it as a part of corporate strategy would significantly improve business performance. [Hopkins, 2003; Houck and William, 1996] The paper examines the linkage between company's effort to craft and execute a winning strategy and its social responsibility - the company's duties to conduct its activities in an ethical manner and demonstrate socially responsible behavior as a committed corporate citizen, attending to the needs of all the stakeholders. In doing so, it shall attempt to analyze what ethics and social responsibility means in the corporate strategy context, the debates surrounding the relevance of social responsibility, and also examines the significance of ethical and socially responsible behavior by corporations for survival and success. It shall also look at ways to incorporate ethics and social responsibility into corporate strategies for ensuring long-term success of corporations. The environmental movement of the 1980s and 1990s, which exposed many unethical corporate practices by companies such as Nestle, Shell and the rising cases of corporate scandals in the recent years signifying unethical and irresponsible behavior by top officials, such as those at Enron, WorldCom etc., have brought about the significance of ethics and social responsibility as a legitimate topic in the formulation and implementation of business strategy. [Hopkins, 2003] While the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, as management imperatives, business ethics and corporate social responsibility are distinct concepts, though with inevitable overlaps. It may be worthwhile to clearly understand the two precepts before attempting to analyze their significance in creating winning strategies. Ethics in business, an age-old concept, advocates ethically appropriate behavior by businesses to the stakeholders directly concerned with the business enterprise, viz. managers, consumers, investors/owners and employees. [Hopkins, 2003] Ethical behavior in business extends to all segments of business management at the enterprise level including finance and accounting, human resources management, sales and marketing, production and intellectual property. While a consensus on the definition has not been achieved, corporate social responsibility is stated to be "concerned with treating the stakeholders of the firm ethically or in a responsible manner." [Hopkins, 2003; p.1] Corporate social responsibility, a more inclusive concept business ethics, extends beyond the enterprise level to all stakeholders, what Hopkins describes as, "the seven azimuths", within which the enterprises trade and operate viz.: owners/investors (shareholders or stockholders); management; employees; customers; t he natural environment; the wider community (including government); contractors/suppliers. [Hopkins, 2003, p. 3] CSR as a winning business strategy concerns with the responsibility of the company to each of these seven groups; it may include responsibility to competitors as well.