The Importance of Organisational Culture

The Importance of Organisational Culture There are three levels of organisational culture and these are listed as follows:Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Organisational Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More artefacts; espoused beliefs and values; basic underlying assumptions (Schein, 2010, p.24). The term artefact referred to the visible aspect of culture such as the behaviour of the employees as well as the business process within the firm. Espoused beliefs and values on the other hand are ideas related to the ideology of the firm and the way they explain their business methods. Finally, the basic underlying assumptions are ingrained ideas and values that cannot be articulated but drives the unconscious or automatic response of the top leaders and managers of the said organisation. When taken together, organisational culture must be carefully considered in order to promote organisational change. Organisational change is a common occ urrence in the business world. Organisational change can come in various forms. Change can come in the form of a corporate expansion or a corporate restructuring wherein employees are forced to retire early. Change can also come in the form of a merger. Another example of change is the need to adopt a new business process (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2011). But in order to appreciate the impact of organisational culture with regards to organisational change one of the best examples to consider is the one wherein a company has to leave the comfort of home and expand overseas. In this example organisational culture collides with the culture of a country and its people. The importance of understanding the basics of organisational culture in order to promote positive change is an established fact in organisational management. The interaction between these two concepts can be seen in different types of organisations from the army to manufacturing firms. But before going any further it is impor tant to clarify the meaning of organisational culture (Ferrell, 2011). Organisational culture is the invisible force that holds the members of a group into a tight unit. It is the invisible force that dictates the behaviour of managers and workers. The decision-making process of leaders and the automatic response of employees to a given problem is not only the result of accumulated knowledge and training but by organisational culture.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Their behaviour is dictated by the groups culture because it has created an organisational climate beforehand. In this atmosphere certain actions and ideas are not tolerated. It has something to do with the way the leaders shaped the mindset of the members of the group. In the army and in the corporate world the organisational climate is rooted in the organisations culture. The culture in turn is reflec ted in the actions of the members of the said group. The organisational culture of the group is invisible to the naked eye but its impact can be documented through the behaviour of the people within the group (Sethi, 2003). The expected behaviour of the members of an organisation is made possible by the way the members interpret their groups culture. Thus, the creation and manifestation of organisational culture is not a by-product of accident. It is the result of a deliberate process. The group’s behaviour is rooted in the organisation’s shared beliefs and values. When confronted with a problem, members of a group need not consult their manuals. They simply react based on the culture of their organisation that was ingrained in them during times of training with their mentors. At the same time the action of a member is conformed to the expectations of the organisation. If there is a culture of teamwork then, every member works like a well-oiled machine. It is impossibl e to study the effect of organisational culture without examining an example of a company that was able to expand globally and succeeded in the international scene (Kotler Lee, 2005) It is important to study a company wherein leaders deliberately established a unique organisational culture in order to accomplish a particular goal. The following pages will examine the secret to IKEA’s success and much of it can be attributed to the culture of the organisation. The overwhelming success of IKEA in the local and international scene can be appreciated through the following figures:Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Organisational Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More the company reported total revenue of $27 billion in 2007 alone; 82% of sales came from European markets; good were manufactured in China, Poland, Italy, Sweden and Germany (IKEA, 2010). The focus of IKEA’s business model is to provide affordable and yet high-quality products. The business model that they employed is a major reason for their success. But the second major key to their success was the decision of the founder to establish his own unique corporate culture. The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad management style is the best example of how organisational culture can be cultivated and sustained for many years. In order to appreciate the importance of the establishment of corporate culture one has to keep in mind that â€Å"In talking about culture we are really talking about a process of reality construction that allows people to see and understand particular events, actions, objects, utterances, or situations in distinctive ways† (Morgan, 2006, p. 134). It is the leader who establishes the culture of the group. The founder or the CEO must show the way. The leader must actively participate in the creation of a social reality for the group. But it is also important to point out that the leader must identify conflicting ideas and sub-cultures that exist within the group in order to deal with as soon as possible (Hogan, 2007, p. 81). Thus, I now I understand why the CEO of HF initiated a training program. It was only through the process of education that a person’s mindset was transformed in order for it to be conformed to the social reality of the group. In the case of HF, the CEO sent expatriates to Asian factories and showrooms in order to demonstrate to the locals the essential ingredients of HF’s organizational culture. Part of the organisational culture at IKEA is the need to innovate and adapt to a changing world. When the company decided to adopt English as the official language of communication within the firm, it created a major disturbance within the company. But the leaders simply made the decision based on the culture of the organisation. Their group’s culture compelled them to make the necessary changes even if it was a difficult de cision to make.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Their headquarters is located in Sweden and therefore it was a difficult to decision to make. But the leaders knew that in order to improve their capability to serve their clients better, there is the need to improve the way they communicate as a group. Since there was the need to expand overseas it was just practical to adopt the English language as the official language of the firm. It is also important to point out that the establishment of organisational culture at IKEA was the by-product of the collective programming of the mind of the workers (Earley Sing, 2007, p.18). This process requires workers to understand that there were corporate ideals that they need to learn and value so that they become important and reliable members of the group. Organisational culture is important because it influences not only behaviour but also the morale of the workers (Moran Harris, 2007, p. 6). The leader must develop the appropriate strategy in order to unite and inspire a disparate group of people to work more efficiently. Part of the organisational culture at IKEA is the passion to learn and to innovate. This particular aspect of their culture is made evident during the regular meetings wherein employees are encouraged to learn from one another (IKEA, 2010). The desire to learn and to innovate is complimented with the founder’s reminders that people make mistakes. Kamprad told his employees that â€Å"Only while sleeping one makes no mistakes† (IKEA, 2010). As a result workers are inspired to find solutions to their corporate problems. Part of the culture of the company is their shared values of togetherness; cost-consciousness; respect. The company is always open to new ideas and they constantly seek ways to improve the business process of the group. It is not only important to establish the culture of the company. It is also equally important to sustain that corporate culture. IKEA was able to weather the storms but at its core, it remains the sam e organisation because according to Steen Canter, a former IKEA executive, Kamprad, â€Å"†¦has a core group of people who are culture bearers for the brand, who will go out and fight World War II for him† (Lavin Cohan, 2011, p.8). The strength of the company through its corporate culture is the main reason why this particular organisation can open 276 stores in 36 countries and yet maintain the same level of commitment, passion and success (Lavin Cohan, 2011, p.115). The importance of culture is more pronounced when it comes to international business because organisational culture collides with social norms and social values. The levels of culture discussed earlier are affected not only by corporate ideologies but also by the social forces that shaped that particular country and its people. This assertion is supported by a statement made by a management expert who wrote â€Å"The business of international business is culture† (Hofstede, 1994, p.1).Therefore, th e organisational culture of a firm is also affected by the values of the people and this is manifested in the way the workers and managers conduct their business. If a company is transplanted from its country of origin to an overseas branch the organisation is required to undergo a process of change. It is imperative that if investors are willing to finance a venture overseas, then, they have to know the requirements and one of the major requirements is the willingness to adapt to a new environment. The need to expand overseas coupled with a strong business foundation enabled IKAE to open stores in countries like Japan, Russia, and China (IKEA, 2010). It is important to point out that IKEA was able to sustain its organisational culture in the face of difficulties and social influences. They company was ready to expand overseas and when that day came they were able to increase their effectiveness and profitability. Kamprad is not only well-aware of the importance of organisational cu lture, he was also aware of the need to deal with the culture of a particular country. Kamprad fully understood that it is impossible to establish an IKEA store, say for instance in South Korea, top management of the company, down to the rank and file employees do not share the values that he believes in. Thus, Kamprad decided that every time he will open a store he will send only his veteran employees and reliable managers. The company is willing to spend extra money to send their best workers in order to teach new employees in an office located halfway around the world. The purpose of these employees sent abroad is to help replicate IKEA’s organisational culture in London, Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, Seoul, and others. The expats will continue to work along side new recruits. They will not stop until local managers can handle the problem when they are no longer there to supervise them. Kamprad also understood the fact that it is impossible to establish organisational culture if the company failed to recognise the intricacies of social norms and values in a given area. The failure to understand culture in the context of social frameworks can mean conflicts that can easily destroy the stability of the company. It is therefore important for managers to understand the meaning of low-context and high-contact cultural patterns. An example of high-context cultural patterns can be seen in countries like Japan, Malaysia and Mexico (Cheng, 2003, p.4). An example of low-context culture can be found in European societies as well as English speaking nations like the United States and Australia (Cheng, 2003, p.4). Schein pointed out the different components of an organisational culture. But he was simply referring to a culture that is contained within a firm. Scheins framework was limited to the ideology and vision established by the founder of the firm or an influential core leader of the said organisation. But apart from the dynamics of business processes that occu rs within an organisation there is another kind of culture that operates within and without. This culture is related to the sociological aspect of the business environment and this transcends the boundaries of the firm. Nevertheless, there is a way to analyse the relationship of the culture of a particular society and the business environment (Ferrel Hopkins, 2003). One way to understand the connection between social norms and the organisations culture is through Hofstede’s The Five Dimensions of Culture. This framework is a helpful guide for multinational companies, corporate leaders, and employees sent to establish overseas operations. Conclusion The importance of organisational culture to create organisational change cannot be stressed enough. Organisational culture serves as the standard that can be used to regulate the behaviour of a group. It is important to point out that it is the leader who will create the necessary climate needed to empower workers and clients alik e. However, in order to produce change it is also important to deal with the culture of the place. References Cheng, W 2003, Intercultural conversation. John Benjamins Publishing, Philadelphia. Dunne, P, Lusch, R, Carver, J 2011. Retailing, Cengage Learning, Ohio. Earley, C Singh H 2000, Innovations in international and cross-cultural  management, Sage Publications, California. Earley, C Ang, S and Tan, J, 2007, CQ: Developing cultural  intelligence at Work. Stanford University Press, California. Ferrell, O and Hopkins, M 2011, Marketing Strategy. Cengage Learning, Ohio. Hogan, C. 2007, Facilitating multicultural groups: a practical guide. Kogan Page: London. Hofstede, G, 1994. ‘The business of international business is culture’, International  Business Review, vol.3 no. 1, pp.1-14. Hopkins, M 2007, Corporate social responsibility and international development.  Earthscan Publishers, Virginia. IKEA 2010, Sustainability report 2010. Web. Kotler, P Lee N 2005, Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good  for your company and your cause. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Lavin, J Cohan, P 2011, Export now: five keys to entering new markets. John Wiley Sons, New Jersey. Morgan, G 2006, Images of organizations, Sage Publications, California. Moran, R Harris P 2007, Managing cultural differences,  Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Schein, E 2010, Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass, California. Sethi, P 2003, Setting global standards: Guidelines for creating codes of  conduct in multinational corporations. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons.

A Fear of Flying Turning a Simple Dream into a Story of Triumph

A Fear of Flying Turning a Simple Dream into a Story of Triumph Have you ever had a dream that you could fly? When I was a child, I had recurring lucid flying dreams. In one, my parents are entertaining company. I start demonstrating how I can fly. I’m riding the airwaves above the yellow shag rug in the living room, and everyone is entranced. In the dream, flying is the most natural thing in the world and I know that anyone can do it if they just learn to catch the right currents. Watch me go! It’s just like swimming! Then, I would awake. from thecharmingplace.com greeting cards The thrill of flying came crashing down. I was left distraught, wishing I had never had the dream at all. In my child’s mind, it was worse to discover that my ecstasy was imagined than to avoid it in the first place. So I decided I would prefer NOT flying in my dreams to the trauma and disappointment I faced upon awakening. I resolved to wake myself up the next time I had a flying dream. Reality Check Sure enough, one night I found myself flying around with the characters from Alice in Wonderland, cards and spades whisking through the air. I promptly gave myself a whack on the head with my right hand and woke up immediately. The dream was over. No more disappointing awakenings to â€Å"reality† for me! That was the last flying dream I ever had. Until last Thursday. Reclamation In my dream, I once again have an audience, and I am doing swimming strokes through the air. I feel the support of the air under me, and I stay airborne for minutes at a time. What power and freedom! I want everyone around me to discover this joy! This time I choose to let the dream take its natural course. And when I wake up, there is no trauma or disappointment. Rather, I experience an aliveness from the knowledge that I have reclaimed something. What’s possible from here? Rising above my limiting beliefs. A different perspective on life. And getting in touch with an adventurous, powerful piece of myself that knows anything is possible. I wonder, what disappointments have led you to stop dreaming? Are you willing to let yourself fly again? Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinJune 27, 2017 3 Comments The Essay Expert says: August 23, 2011 at 7:13 pm Thanks BeeGee. Yes I must have reached a point in life where I am not only capable of handling disappointment, but where I choose to risk disappointment in favor of experiencing joy. And creating a support system is definitely key. Disappointments can be tough to handle alone. Log in to Reply Penelope J. says: August 28, 2011 at 5:40 pm Interesting that you learned to control your flying dreams. I used to have tidal wave dreams that were more like nightmares but once, I saw that wave coming towards me, and thought, Here goes and dove straight into it. I often had flying dreams and contrary to your experience, I loved them! I would awake with a great feeling of empowerment. My flying dreams have slowed down with age though occasionally, I get similar ones where I discover, to my delight, that I can run as fast as a deer. I should say that most of my dreams the ones I remember enrich my waking hours. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: August 30, 2011 at 4:52 pm I love the running as fast a deer dream Penelope! And Im glad you didnt have to go through what I did to learn to enjoy what are clearly powerful dreams! Log in to Reply

Emerging Trends in Civil Liability Cases Annotated Bibliography

Emerging Trends in Civil Liability Cases - Annotated Bibliography Example For a case to be successful, the applicant has to prove that the government official violated his or her constitutional or federal law rights and whether the officers acted under color of law. As such, the article presents a discussion of a series of case rulings in which the plaintiffs sought to be awarded legal relief under the provision of Section 83. The liability cases studied and analyzed by Ross are related to correctional officers, since such officials are at the highest risk of litigation. In total, the study examined 3,205 correctional liability cases filed against correctional officials under Section 1983. The claims for such cases were many and varied, but Ross identified sixteen categories indicating trends in the litigation claims. These categories include violation of free speech rights, cruel and unusual punishment, and failure to protect a claim. The large sample evaluated increases the reliability of the study. In addition, by examining the trend over a long period of time and considering cases from all facilities in the United States District Court system, the validity of the findings from the study is increased. This validity is further strengthened by the credibility of the researcher since Ross is a University Professor with the Criminal Justice Program. The study observed that majority of the cases were filed without legal counsel, and this could present a weakness in the findings since some of them could have no legal basis. According to Ross’ findings, the number of correctional liability claims filed under Section 1983 is directly related to the prisoner population and would continue to increase with a proportional increase in the population of prisoners. CJ professionals would use this fact to vary the population of inmates in particular correctional facilities, thus reducing potential conflicts that could result in litigation claims against correctional officers.

Crml Reseach Assistment 1 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Crml Reseach Assistment 1 - Article Example Kidnapping is an offence, which according to law, has been categorized into degrees in relation to its magnitude (Kaplan, 2004). The best type of research that will be applied when approaching the problem of kidnapping is descriptive. Through descriptive research, the important variables; dependent and independent will be established, which will aid in conducting the research. The descriptive research will start by exemplifying the problem, conducting a literature review, developing a research tool, identifying the population and sampling, data collection, and thereafter analyzing the data. This research will take on quantitative method, which will aid in testing the hypothesis scientifically. Qualitative data will be derived from a reliable source, which is the population, and this will be through conducting a sample survey. The data will be analyzed with the aim of establishing whether they correlate or associate with one another. For instance, through quantitative research, the study will try to prove the hypothesis, â€Å"Individuals from richer families tend to be victims of kidnappings while individuals from less privileged backgrounds tend to be the instigators of kidnappings†, to be true (Kaplan,

Nutrition and Fit Essay Example for Free

Nutrition and Fit Essay In my composition, I am going to describe some advantages why, we should keep fit. In my opinion is that be fit has not got disadvantages. I am also going to describe what we should do when we want to keep fit and also what we should not do when we want to keep fit. To be fit has a many advantages. When you are fit you have better mood and we do not feel sleepily on the contrary we feel full of energy. You have not got many health problems like arteriosclerosis, heart attack, obesity, anemia etc. When we want to keep fit, like first we should change our eating habits. We should not eat many junk food, candy, sweetened beverages for example Sprite, Coca-Cola, Fanta etc. We have to try to eat a lot of vegetables, fruits and a lot of healthy food because this food comprises from lots of antioxidants, protein and vitamins. We also should try to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and also for snack and afternoon snack. When somebody wants to keep fit he/she should aim do a lot of exercises. I think we should try to run every morning and evening. Sometimes we should visit some gym and swimming pool. When we want to keep fit we should not smoke and drink a lot of alcohol. We should not eat a lot. We also must not laze. In my opinion is that be fit is better than be lazy person. I hope that my composition will can help someone to keep fit.

To Believe or Not To Believe :: essays research papers

To Believe or Not to Believe The short narrative â€Å"Salvation† portrays the life of Langston Hughes at an early age confronted with the decision to â€Å"come forward† and be saved. His aunt’s church,â€Å" held a special meeting for children, ‘to bring the young lambs to the fold’†(Hughes, 197). Throughout the story, he sits in his seat, his aunt Reed sobbing the whole time, congregation pressuring him to â€Å"come and be saved,† and waiting to see Jesus. Yet nothing ever happens-no â€Å"bright light,† no Jesus, nothing. The church is full of â€Å"a mighty wail of moans and voices†(198) waiting for Langston to get up and see Jesus. So he does. He cannot wait any longer and lies to the entire congregation, simply saying he was saved, but only to save from any further trouble. In the end, he never â€Å"sees† Jesus, keeps his lie a secret from his aunt, believes there isn’t even a Jesus, and is farther from the truth than ever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story does have good logic. It is understandable if someone is completely turned off to the gospel because they were pressured or forced to accept Christianity. It is not that person’s fault if that do dislike the truth of the Bible. It is, however, the fault of whomever was doing the witnessing. They either did a terrible job presenting the gospel message, or they didn’t have any Scripture to back up their words. In Hughes’ case, the gospel presentation was the worst I’d ever heard: going from â€Å"a wonderful rhythmical sermon, all moans and shouts and lonely cries and dire pictures of hell, and then he sang a song about the ninety and nine safe in the fold, but one little lamb was left out in the cold†(197). What a smooth transition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my aunt’s case, she, too, was completely turned off to the gospel. At her husband’s funeral, two or three nuns came up to her and attempted to witness to her. Attempted mind you. What may or may not shock some people (however not surprising to me), was that they blatantly told my aunt that her husband went to hell. Again, this is at her funeral. I do not know if he did or did not believe in Christ as his Savior-I was too young at the time-but what an unfortunate way to let her know about the grace of God. It is no wonder she is still turned off to the gospel to this day.

Charles River Jazz Festival

Decision tree for Friday pressing Mr. Ward is trying to decide on how many CDs to press on the first night of the festival. His intuition combined with his experience allowed him to make some predictions of demand. These take the form of probabilities. â€Å"The probabilities may be subjective estimates from managers or from experts in a particular field, or they may reflect historical frequencies. If they are reasonably correct, they provide a decision maker with additional information that can dramatically improve the decision-making process. Since the problem is limited to Ward’s expected demands for CDs, we can say that our recognizable states of nature are the following: ? Saturday Demand = 1000 and Sunday Demand = 1000 ?Saturday Demand = 1000 and Sunday Demand = 3000 ?Saturday Demand = 3000 and Sunday Demand = 1000 ?Saturday Demand = 3000 and Sunday Demand = 3000 The minimum total demand for both Saturday and Sunday would be 2000 CDs, whereas the maximum total demand fo r both Saturday and Sunday would be 6000 CDs.The intermediate total demand however is consistent at 4000 CDs. We can consolidate them to 3 states of nature: ? Saturday Demand + Sunday Demand = 2000 ?Saturday Demand + Sunday Demand = 4000 ?Saturday Demand + Sunday Demand = 6000 Let’s call these states of nature d2, d4 and d6. We use the TreePlan software to create the decision tree for Ward’s problem. We specified the initial costs of productions as $24,000, $33,000 and $42,000.Additionally, we make sure to deduct the royalties from the sales revenue, since they are considered as future expenses (after the sales occur). Please see below for the decision tree. 2. Maximization of Expected Monetary Value as a criterion The average or expected payoff of each alternative is a weighted average: the state of nature probabilities are used to weight the respective payoffs. ? Therefore the expected monetary value for each alternative is as follows: EMVp2 = $ 6,000EMVp4 = $ 12,000 EMVp6 = $ 10,500 According to the maximization of Expected Monetary Value criterion, we can say that the director of the festival should press 4000 CDs on Friday night, since the Expected Monetary Value of that decision is optimal at $12,000. 3. Paying for perfect information If Ward could obtain information about the demand for CDs prior to committing to the CD production, there will be an upper bound on the sum of money it would be reasonable to spend.The most Ward should pay for perfect information about the two-day demand for CDs can be calculated using the Expected Value of Perfect Information: EVPI = EPC – EMV, where EPC is the expected payoff under certainty, and EMV is expected monetary value with alternative p4. We calculate EPC as: EPC = 0. 5 * 6000 + 0. 25 * 27000 + 0. 25 * 48000 = $ 21,750 EMV = $ 12,000 Total value of perfect information: EVPI = $ 9750 It would be reasonable to pay $9,750 dollars to obtain perfect information. It is thus not worthwhile to spend more than that amount of money to obtain ‘perfect’ information.

Dreams: The Peach Orchard

Hina Matsuri – The famous festival of dolls celebrated in the shroud of pink peach blossoms. During the doll festival, dolls represent the peach trees – without the peach trees, the dolls would represent nothing. A similar event happened in the life of a young boy who lost an orchard of peach trees after being cut down, one after another, by his own family. The boy felt a sense of loss during this, supposed to be, an enthusiastic and very memorable day. The young boy got scolded after providing six servings of a particular food, when there are only five people to be served. The boy, however, did see a sixth person. It was a young girl in pink dress or kimono, which he followed soon after towards the orchard. Eventually, he saw the dolls from his sister’s collection brought to life in the peach orchard. They first speculated on the boy’s innocence and they found out how the boy loved the peach trees and the orchard. The dolls, being moved by the boy’s tears and sympathy, performed a slow graceful dance. The dance was accompanied with gagaku music and after the dance the boy saw an illusion of the peach trees in full blossom. However, it was only momentarily. The truth eventually came out, where the scene shows the chopped peach trees in the orchard. Nevertheless, a glimpse of hope was provided for the boy after seeing that there is a new peach tree in the orchard and it was just about his height. The young girl who ran to the orchard may be the representative of/ or doll symbolizing the new peach tree. The movie ended showing the young boy sadly looking at the new peach tree as the scene fades to black (Kurosawa, 1955). Reference Kurosawa, Akira (1955) Dreams: The Peach Orchard. Warner Bros.

Battle of Salamis in the Persian Wars

Battle of Salamis in the Persian Wars The Battle of Salamis was fought in September 480 BC during the Persian Wars (499-449 BC). One of the great naval battles in history, Salamis saw the out-numbered Greeks best a larger Persian fleet. The campaign had witnessed the Greeks pushed south and Athens captured. Regrouping, the Greeks were able to lure the Persian fleet into the narrow waters around Salamis which negated their numerical advantage. In the resulting battle, the Greeks badly defeated the enemy and forced them to flee. Unable to supply their army by sea, the Persians were forced to retreat north. Persian Invasion Invading Greece in the summer of 480 BC, Persian troops led by Xerxes I were opposed by an alliance of Greek city-states. Pushing south into Greece, the Persians were supported offshore by a large fleet. In August, the Persian army met Greek troops at the pass of Thermopylae while their ships encountered the allied fleet in the Straits of Artemisium. Despite a heroic stand, the Greeks were defeated at the Battle of Thermopylae forcing the fleet to retreat south to aid in the evacuation of Athens. Assisting in this effort, the fleet then moved to ports on Salamis. Athens Falls Advancing through Boeotia and Attica, Xerxes attacked and burned those cities that offered resistance before occupying Athens. In an effort to continue resistance, the Greek army established a new fortified position on the Isthmus of Corinth with the goal of defending the Peloponnesus. While a strong position, it could be easily outflanked if the Persians embarked their troops and crossed the waters of the Saronic Gulf. To prevent this, some of the allied leaders argued in favor of moving the fleet to the isthmus. Despite this threat, the Athenian leader Themistocles argued for remaining at Salamis. Frustrations at Salamis Offensively-minded, Themistocles understood that the smaller Greek fleet could negate the Persian advantage in numbers by fighting in the confined waters around the island. As the Athenian navy formed the larger component of the allied fleet, he was able to successfully lobby for remaining. Needing to deal with the Greek fleet before pressing on, Xerxes initially sought to avoid fighting in the narrow waters around the island. A Greek Trick Aware of discord among the Greeks, Xerxes began moving troops towards the isthmus with the hope that the Peloponnesian contingents would desert Themistocles in order to defend their homelands. This too failed and the Greek fleet remained in place. To promote the belief that the allies were fragmenting, Themistocles began a ruse by sending a servant to Xerxes claiming that Athenians had been wronged and wished to switch sides. He also stated that the Peloponnesians intended to depart that night. Believing this information, Xerxes directed his fleet to block the Straits of Salamis and those of Megara to the west. Moving to Battle While an Egyptian force moved to cover the Megara channel, the bulk of the Persian fleet took up stations near the Straits of Salamis. In addition, a small infantry force was moved to the island of Psyttaleia. Placing his throne on the slopes of Mount Aigaleos, Xerxes prepared to watch the coming battle. While the night passed without incident, the following morning a group of Corinthian triremes was spotted moving northwest away from the straits. Fleets Commanders Greeks ThemistoclesEurybiades366-378 ships Persians XerxesArtemisiaAriabignes600-800 ships Fighting Begins Believing that the allied fleet was breaking up, the Persians began moving towards the straits with the Phoenicians on the right, the Ionian Greeks on the left, and other forces in the center. Formed in three ranks, the Persian fleets formation began to disintegrate as it entered the confined waters of the straits. Opposing them, the allied fleet was deployed with the Athenians on the left, the Spartans on the right, and other allied ships in the center. As the Persians approached, the Greeks slowly backed their triremes, luring the enemy into the tight waters and buying time until the morning wind and tide (Map). Greeks Victorious Turning, the Greeks quickly moved to the attack. Driven back, the first line of Persian triremes was pushed into the second and third lines causing them to foul and for the organization to further break down. In addition, the beginning of a rising swell led the top-heavy Persian ships to have difficulty maneuvering. On the Greek left, the Persian admiral Ariabignes was killed early in the fighting leaving the Phoenicians largely leaderless. As the fighting raged, the Phoenicians were the first to break and flee. Exploiting this gap, the Athenians turned the Persian flank. In the center, a group of Greek ships managed to push through the Persian lines cutting their fleet in two. The situation for the Persians worsened through the day with the Ionian Greeks being the last to flee. Badly beaten, the Persian fleet retreated towards Phalerum with the Greeks in pursuit. In the retreat, Queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus rammed a friendly ship in an effort to escape. Watching from afar, Xerxes believed that she had sunk a Greek vessel and allegedly commented, My men have become women, and my women men. Aftermath Losses for the Battle of Salamis are not known with certainty, however, it is estimated that the Greeks lost around 40 ships while the Persians lost around 200. With the naval battle won, Greek marines crossed and eliminated the Persian troops on Psyttaleia. His fleet largely shattered, Xerxes ordered it north to guard the Hellespont. As the fleet was necessary for the supply of his army, the Persian leader also was forced to retreat with the bulk of his forces. Intending to finish the conquest of Greece the following year, he left a sizable army in the region under the command of Mardonius. A key turning point of the Persian Wars, the triumph of Salamis was built upon the following year when the Greeks defeated Mardonius at the Battle of Plataea.

Environmental Education and Green Citizenship

Environmental Education and Green Citizenship Hashtag: #EarthDay What Is an Expository Essay? An  expository essay  is a type of written discourse that serves the purpose of explaining, describing and providing information to the reader. This is a simple expository essay definition. Expository essays can also be fairly accurately termed ‘information’ or ‘informative’ essays. 50 MOST POPULAR EXPOSITORY ESSAY TOPICS If you are looking for expository essay examples here is a great one below Expository Essay Example: Environmental Education and Green Citizenship The 2015 celebration of #EarthDay not only reminds us that we must do something to protect our environment but appreciate the efforts of thousands of colleges and universities that protested against the deterioration of the environment in 1970 or the 1st Earth Day. Earth Day is also considered by many as the anniversary of the modern environmental movement that was formally organized in the United States in April of 1970. The day when different environmental groups that had been fighting for oil spills, air pollution, toxic dumps, loss of wilderness, and others realized their common values and together, as a modern environmental movement, campaign on environmental issues and promote environmental education. The aim of modern environmental movement’s educational initiative is to create â€Å"green† citizens that are environmentally knowledgeable, motivate to find a solution and aware of how to help solve environmental problems. It has gained international recognition and in 1977 the right of every citizen to environmental education is officially embraced and stated in Tbilisi Declaration. The international community’s strong commitment to the promotion of environmental education led to the publication of the Brundtland Report recommending the formalization of environmental education in school as part of the sustainable development framework in the late 1980s. The value of developing students’ sense environmental responsibility and knowledge in environmental monitoring, protection and improvement in attaining sustainable development led to the 1992 Earth Summit’s Agenda 21, Chapter 36 expanding the scope of environmental education in colleges, universities, professional and vocational training, and in all levels, stages and aspects education. This â€Å"greening† of the curriculum led to emergencies of other â€Å"green† ideas such as â€Å"green citizenship†. Education, Citizenship, and Environment Environmental education in school started in the late 1980s and the inclusion of environmental concerns in the curricula ignited the debate over the nature of â€Å"green citizenship†. Initially, green citizenship only demands acquisition and maintenance of values, attitudes, and positive  concern  for the environment but as new ideas and models of environmental education emerged, it became specific to personal responsibility, participation, and engagement in economic and political aspects of environmental issues. Green or environmental citizens in practice are those that critically evaluate and attempt to limit the economic and social impact of the environmental issue. This citizen can be an individual or businesses that are truly concern with public welfare and ethical use of the environment such as â€Å"green corporations† where environmental considerations override profit motive. Human beings are completely dependent on the earth’s environment and natural support system. Environmental activities such as logging, fishing, manufacturing, and others to support human needs, wars, and massive industrialization has caused the depletion of earth’s natural resources and pollution of air and oceans. EDUCATION AND PURSUIT OF RIGHT WISDOM Environmental initiatives that started in the 1970s effectively addressed some of these problems but the degradation of the Earth continues and seems at a more rapid rate than before. For example, the Earth according to recent study lost about 500 million acres of tree cover and billion tons of eroded topsoil due to housing needs of increasing human population, air pollution, and acid rain. Since population growth and pollution is both personal and national problem, the personal contribution of green citizens, individual commitment, and collective effort is, therefore, critical in ensuring a cleaner, fresher, and a brighter world to live in. Let us begin with solid waste, sewage, and other pollutants produced at home. If you are looking for an excellent expository essay that will be written according to your requirements, will contain proper formatting, language, and structure, feel free to contact our writing staff and  place your order  with us. We have written hundreds of expository papers in the past and have developed extensive expertise in expository essay writing.

Strategies for managing symbiotic resource interdependencies Research Paper

Strategies for managing symbiotic resource interdependencies - Research Paper Example Insiders rule the first 18 months and Outsiders from then. It looked like Insiders are used primarily to alleviate and uphold the obtained company, so that its important arrangement is not lost, and then Outsiders are used for major inter-organizational alteration (Agwin, 2004). Duncan & Maureen (2009) add that extensive efforts are made to encourage trust between the two organizations and change enterprises begin to switch towards the boundary. This is where Outsiders are then engaged as they are more responsive to the dynamic features of the two developing unions. Audia (2006) shows that when two associations take part in continuing financial exchange, they can be thought to be in direct contact. Consequently, both traders and consumers get direct contact with instruments producers. Traders and consumers are tied to instruments manufacturers by a symbiotic relationship since their disparities supplement each other according to Ecologists. The transfer of information across organiza tional boundaries is the by-product of these financial relations. As Duncan & Maureen (2009) affirm, symbiotic acquisitions have great tactical interdependence, as worth is generated by high levels of independence and inter organizational synergies since its arrangement is highly valued. Moreover, the urge to achieve synergies through conveying capabilities entails high levels of interdependence and high levels of change. Advantages of Symbiotic Resource Interdependencies Symbiotic relationship is deemed as a prospective vehicle for pursuing diverse intentions that would be hard to realize through internal solutions. Particularly, it has been established that they have normally been used... The development and success of any industrial action or a business is frequently bound by few natural resources on which firms rely, in addition to limited space for operation. Moreover, most companies are faced with problems of monopoly and unsafe competition. Symbiotic resource interdependencies encompass joint resource management by varied firms in geographic closeness to attain ecological and economic advantages. These advantages might include decreases in operational costs and releases, more safe access to raw materials and fundamental utilities, and augmented durability of the resource base. Symbiotic resource interdependencies present various benefits to firms and industries. This includes ecological advantages due to decreases in resource exploitation, economic benefits resulting from cuts in the costs of resource production, inputs and waste disposal and from creation of extra income owing to higher value of by-product and waste streams. There are also business advantages du e to enhanced associations with external parties, and growth of new products and their markets. In addition, there are social advantages by creating new employment and raising the eminence of existing employments, and by creating a cleaner, secure, natural and working condition. Despite these advantages, there are some limitations to formation of these relationships. These are majorly presented by uncertainties of merging, management problems and fast technological alteration.

Understanding and assisting Megan Griffiths Case Study

Understanding and assisting Megan Griffiths - Case Study Example Megan Griffiths is a 27 year old single parent who has 4 children. She has had four different boyfriends since she was aged 13 and has been living on her own since she was 16 years old. Megan’s first daughter, Jane was in foster care from birth until the time her mom reached the age of 16. Understanding the situation Megan is in may be easier with some knowledge of the developmental stages that occur during adolescence. It seems that, because her first pregnancies occurred during her teen-age years, one must first have a solid understanding of the state she was in at that time. Along with looking at the actual information provided by Megan herself, the literature can provide a good framework for case planning. Pierno (1995, p-1) has provided some excellent information in her work on adolescent pregnancy. She points out that Freud’s concept of adolescence as a time â€Å"fraught with struggle†¦a time when the ego is torn between the strong impulses of the id and the restrictions of the super ego. This conflict makes adolescence a time of tremendous stress and turmoil. She goes on to contrast Freud’s theories of psychosexual development to Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory which takes a broader view of the factors impacting human development. Erikson proposes that all people face a series of developmental tasks but he does not see individuals getting ‘stuck’ in a phase, as Freud believed. Erikson’s theory is that people will rework old issues in the context of certain tasks and then move on. In Megan's situation, having had a total of four children she seems to have initiated the process of 'moving on' by accessing help for a depression that was diagnosed when she was fifteen years old. There appears to have been significant progress in this area in that she accessed training as a nursery nurse and is working part time in a children's play group and nursery. However further research and reflection have led this writer to conclude that Piaget's theory is the most appropriate model for understanding Megan's situation. Piaget's theories about cognitive development (3) through adolescence involve ".movement from concrete to abstract thinking and a decrease in egocentric thought." Pierno (1995, pp. 2-3) points out that "The acquisition of formal reasoning skills allows older adolescents (about age 15) to think about many possible outcomes that do not exist now.An adolescent with formal reasoning skills (with appropriate guidance) could try to think through the full implications of parenting a newborn." Risk taking, part of the normal behavioral development as seen to occur during adolescence may have been the basis for Megan becoming sexually active in her early teens. This is a time when young people typically work at finding ways to "shape their identities, try out new decision making skills, develop realistic assessments of themselves and gain peer acceptance and respect (Ponton, l997; Jesser (1991)" (1995 p-3) Pierno points out that "unfortunately, some of the risks that adolescents pursue may pose a real threat to their health and well being. These include motor vehicle accidents, pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse and cigarette smoking." CURRENT CASE PLANNING Understanding Megan's early behavior would be helpful in working with her current