Prep for Assignment 3hrc

Ought Preparation for Assignment 3HRC Activity A A new manager is starting in the organisation shortly. You have been asked to provide a ten minute presentation that will give the manager some understanding of the organisation in preparation for their start. The presentation may be made one-to-one or to a larger group. The information you provide should include: †¢ the purpose and goals of the organisation a list of the main products and services of the organisation †¢ an identification of the main customers †¢ an analysis of a minimum of 4 external factors and their impact on the business activities of an organisation †¢ the structure and at least 4 functions of the organisation †¢ an explanation of how these different functions work together within the organisation to optimise performance †¢ an identification of the culture of the organisation and at least 2 ways this affects operations Purpose and goals | | | |The purpose of our organisation is to giv e support and advice to the public who are in need of | | |welfare.Our goals are to get people into work and to help claim the right benefits; giving the | | |best possible service provided by our knowledgeable in house advisers. We provide an integrated | | |service through a single point of contact and focus on work as the best way to lift families out| | |of poverty, to raise incomes and to combat social exclusion. | | | | | | |Main products and services | | | |The products we offer are JSA, ESA, Pensions and Income Support but the list doesn’t end there. | | |We help with Carers Allowance and other means tested benefits.We offer services and advice to | | |all our customers which include internal customers in other departments within our organisation. | | | | | | | | | | |Main customers | | | |We have an extensive customer base our direct customers are the Public.We also have Employers | | |(providing jobs and training), Agencies, Providers who help our long term unemploy ed into work, | | |Local Councils , Schools and Colleges, Training establishments, The Army, Navy the list goes on | | |and all of whom have a role to play in the welfare to work agenda. | | | | | | |4 external factors and their impact |There are many external factors that have an impact on us its quite vast so I’ll stick to the | | |main causes †¦. | | |1.The Recession†¦ re-educating the public on how to find work and applying a different outlook | | |on what jobs are available in our immediate industrial area. | | |2. Redundancies†¦ mean more claimants; increase in work load which in turn will mean learning new| | |roles within the departments and consolidating our procedures to cope with the rising of | | |unemployment. | |3. New employers create work for our customers so we have to be on the pulse of what’s happening| | |in our local industries. This also has an impact on off flow and work load again creating more | | |work within our establishment t o maintain records of our customers. | |4. Any government legislation change has a big impact on us with new learning skills being | | |implemented within our departments and getting the right information fed down to us from | | |management so we can deliver the changes to the public as accurately and as quickly as possible. | | | | | | |Structure of the organisation + 4 functions |Our Structure is of a Hierarchical type. We have many departments of which are led by a site | | |Manager and departmental mangers who hand off to line managers to our individual teams. | |We are monitored by performance and performance issues to get the right balance. We make sure we| | |are up to date with all new changes in procedures and policies and deliver them to the public. | | |We need to maintain the delivery of our business to succeed in helping to get the economy back | | |on track. | |We have a responsibility to progress and achieve and highlight any areas where good practice has| | |not been met. | | |The DWP and Jobcentre Plus have to promote disability and equality, race and gender and good | | |customer service. | | | | | | | | | |How the functions work together | | | |These functions promote a good working practice to deliver a strong and diverse workforce.This | | |maintains the delivery of our business as a whole and monitors the performance of the | | |organisation. | | | | | | |Culture of the organisation and 2 ways this affects| | |operations |The Jobcentre is a key part of the Government’s strategy for welfare reform.It brings together | | |the services of the Employment Service and the Benefits Agency to provide a single point of | | |delivery for jobs, benefits advice and support for people of working age. | |We have everything under one roof giving benefits and employment advice, a personal adviser | | |service to help people back into work, and work-focused interviews for all new benefit claimants| | |of working age. | | |All Claimants have the sup port and encouragement to move towards independence and work.We are | | |flexible, innovated and always have on going learning to deliver excellence in customer service. | | |. | | | | | | | | | |

Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about love Essay

Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about Love, in your response you should write about at least two of Larkin’s poems Larkin’s general view on love and marriage is that both are a liability. This is seen throughout many poems including ‘Self’s the man’ where Larkin talks about a man being held back and worked to death by his wife. Abse’s views are somewhat contrary to Larkin’s. He has a much softer approach when talking about love and feels that it connects himself with his family, as seen in his poems ‘Postcard to his wife’ and ‘The Malham Bird’ where he expresses his love for his wife. Love as a theme is present in many of Larkin’s poems and ‘Self’s the man’ illustrates his stereotypical outlook on marriage and love. In the first stanza Larkin directly compares himself to his made up character of Arnold, who represents all the lower class men in a marriage. The first tw o lines ‘Oh, no one can deny/ That Arnold is less selfish than I’ have a humorous tone in with the use of a rhyming couplet, Larkin is patronising the reader. In the next line he writes how Arnold married a woman to ‘stop her getting away’. In comparison, the poem ‘The Malham Bird’ Abse writes of love in a different way ‘in love, you a Gentile’. His soft tone creates a slower pace to the poem which shows his love for his late wife. On the other hand Larkin doesn’t use the word love and he uses a faster matter-of-fact tone. Larkin is often viewed as sexist but here he could be seen as saying that women don’t get a chance to live their lives how they want to because men marry them ‘Now she’s there all day’. In the second stanza Larkin continues to paint women in a poor light ‘And the money he gets for wasting his life on work/ She takes as her perk’. The first line uses enjambment which makes the poem sound like a list of moans. She appears to be greedy by taking his money. Larkin displays an air of snobbery about the lower classes hard labour jobs. He describes the woman as interfering and domineering. Larkin then uses colloquial language to make fun of the lower classes and how they speak ‘To pay for the kiddies’ clobber and the drier/ and the electric fire’. He does not rate family life very highly. Larkin states that the roles have reversed in the third stanza. Arnold told his wife to marry him and she did and now she is telling him to work, to do the chores etc†¦ ‘Planning to have a read at the evening paper/ It’s Put a screw in this wall-‘. The fourth stanza uses colloquial language again and the fifth and uses a sarcastic and patronising tone. Larkin does not look upon  marriage favourably. Moving into the sixth stanza, the poet claims that Arnold, too, was just â€Å"out for his own ends† and â€Å"if it was such a mistake / He still did it for his own sake / Playing his own game.† He concludes that â€Å"he and I are the same† and both are selfish, but he is better â€Å"At knowing what I can stand / Without them sending a van†. The â€Å"van† is a mental institute’s mode of transportation, suggesting that Arnold is going mad in his situation. Much of this poem is unsympathetic towards Arnold’s situation. However at the end Larkin reveals an uncertainty. Suddenly the poet is faced with the reality of his own situation ‘But wait, not do fast/ Is there such a contrast?’ Has he realised the loneliness in his own life because he was too selfish to share. Another poem which presents love as a theme is ‘Talking in Bed’. In this poem Larkin describes a couple in a failing relationship because they are isolated and find it difficult to communicate. Themarital bed is used as a symbol for marriage; a haven for spouses to come together. The bed should be the place where a couple feel united, but in this poem, the bed makes the couple’s detachment from one another glaringly obvious. The word â€Å"lying† has an ambiguous meaning in this poem; on one hand it means that the couple in assuming a horizontal position together, and on the other hand, it appears there is some fabrication between them. â€Å"Goes back so far† also presents some ambiguity: first, the couple have been â€Å"lying together† in their bed for years which is an indication of a lengthy marriage; and second, they have been living a lie for many years. The couple are clearly unhappy with their marriage. This was a time when separation and divorce was frowned upon but couples stayed together unhappily because it was the right thing to do. There was a sense of accountability within the marriage contract and it was difficult for women in particular to walk away from their husbands. The second stanza describes the turmoil of their marriage metaphorically by using nature. The awful silence is deafening and an indication of the tense, nervous atmosphere between the two, worsening as they continue to remain silent. The â€Å"outside† is a reflection of the couple inside; the tension heightens between them, and is never relieved. The wind is turbulent, scattering the clouds across the sky. â€Å"Builds and disperses† could be a metaphor for an argument; the environment is fraught and situations cannot be resolved. â€Å"Clouds† have both a dark and threatening aspect, and can be difficult to see through. Metaphorically speaking, a clear sky would represent a marriage at peace, but in this case the clouds suggest a marriage at war with itself; these wars could potentially harm the marriage, so the clouds hide them, if you can’t see something then it doesn’t exist. â€Å"Dark towns† can be used to describe a number of different things: faults, disagreements, difficulties, isolation and pain. The contrast of their marriage to the tumultuous winds are a stark reminder of what their future holds. They have to try and work things out to arrive at an amicable solution. It is not understood why their marriage has failed; why at â€Å"this unique distance† (lying side-by-side) that they feel so isolated from each other. The husband cannot understand why communication between him and his wife have broken down. Words are not forthcoming and he is at a loss as to how the marriage appears to be irretrievable. Was he ever really in love with his wife? Did he ever feel a softness towards her? ‘It becomes more difficult to find/ Words at once true and kind’. He wonders if their marriage was based on a lie or was it inevitably going to fail. Dannie Abse’s approach to love is different in comparison to Larkin; Abse sees love as something to be treasured between him and his family. Where Larkin views love with a touch of cynicism, Abse’s poems demonstrate a purity and an equality. In The Malham Bird it did not matter that the couple are from different backgrounds ‘you a Gentile and I a Jew!’ Their relationship may have been unacceptable for the times but their love was all that mattered. The poem is littered with fond memories of when the couple first met ‘Dear wife, remember our first illicit/holiday, the rented room, the hidden beach’. Theirs was a romantic love. Abse’s couple are happy in contrast to the couples portrayed by Larkin in the above poems. Their shared history is full of warmth and mutual admiration. Where Larkin’s poems view love as a hindrance and something a man can do without, Abse firmly believes you need love above all else. In Postcard to his Wife, Abse’s portrayal is of a husband (himself) desperately missing his wife in her absence. He longs for them to spend the day together. He wishes she would ‘Make excuses’ so that she would be home with him. He loves her and enjoys her pre sence the opposite of Larkin’s idea of relationships. Abse feels there is a void in his life when his wife is not around and cannot bear the heartache. The contrast between Larkin and Abse’s views on love and relationships are polar opposites.

Emergence of Romanticism

The Industrial Revolution and the Emergence of Romanticism The Industrial Revolution was a period of time during the 18th century originating in Europe that resulted in major socio-economic and cultural changes around the world. These changes in part gave rise to the English Romantic spirit, especially in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom's economic system of manual labor shifted toward a system of machine manufacturing, resulting in the formation of factories and, therefore, modern cities.It also gave rise to the middle and working classes, aerating more employment opportunities but severely reducing the quality of living for those working, especially those in factories. This wrongful oppression brought on by the manipulation of the impoverished resulted in an intellectual and somewhat political movement known as Romanticism. Romantic artists and authors used their work to communicate the suffering of the people living in the newly industrialized world, and described imagined w orlds of beauty and perfection as a form of escape from the harshness that surrounded them.One such artist was William Wordsmith. In his poem â€Å"l Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† Wordsmith uses nature as a form of escapism from the Industrial Revolution. He describes the beauty of a multitude of daffodils and the happiness it brought him. â€Å"And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. † The mere thought of the perfect and serene environment continues to make him happy and makes him forget of the horrible surroundings he lives in.This type of escapism was well-received, allowing a similar feeling to emanate in others who suffered the worst of the Industrial Revolution. The Chimney Sweeper† by William Blake is a two part poem that analyzes the innocence of child laborers during the Industrial Revolution and exposes the manipulation of authoritarian powers. Blake also used escapism to contrast the bleak reality of industrialized Europe to the beautiful world that was promised to those who put up with working in fatal conditions. And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy, He'd have God for his father & never want Joy. † This excerpt from â€Å"Songs of Innocence† shows the lies that the children were fed in order to keep them obedient ND trusting. Blake more directly accuses the authorities in â€Å"Songs of Experience,† the second part of the poem. â€Å"And because I am happy and dance and sing, They think they have done me no injury, And are gone to praise God and His Priest and King, Who make up a Heaven of our misery. Despite the worker's mask of happiness and content, he is truly miserable, unbeknownst to his peers and family, who praise those who are slowly killing him. The government uses the trusted concept of God to force those under them to work and produce goods for them that will make them richer. This poem raised many questions about the effects and ethical state of child labor and lead to the eventual imposition of child labor laws. Another author, Thomas Hardy, exemplifies the effects of the formation of the working classes on the average person in his poem â€Å"The Ruined Maid. In the poem, a prostitute and her former acquaintance, a lowly farmer, discuss their ruined states, despite the former looking and acting more sophisticated and well-endowed compared to her previous appearance and attitude as a farmer. Mirror hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak, But now I'm bewitched by your delicate week†¦ † The harlot's friend compares her new appearance to what she used to be, assuming she's become more successful, but she believes that she's been ruined, a belief that she repeatedly expresses throughout the poem.This showcases her distorted perception of reality, believing she has it worse than her hard-working friend, when, in fact, the two live in about the same conditions and are both â€Å"ruined. † In many ways, the em ergence of Romanticism was a reaction to the effects of the Industrial Revolution. The writings and artwork of many 19th century intellectuals ND artists were created as a revolt against the inhumane treatment of low class citizens and the unnatural transformation of the environment.They used escapism and imagery to provide a beautiful environment that was uncommon in the reality of the industrialized world and to expose the unjust effects that this new mechanized way of life had on not only the environment, but the people. These artists used the Romantic Spirit to instill a sense of hope within the oppressed and proved that the thoughts of individuals can inspire and fight against the majority, eventually coming out on top.

Physiology research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physiology - Research Paper Example The researchers selected 128 children of patients with autosomal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease as study participants, as they were at risk of carrying the mutation. The autosomal-dominant nature of the disease in these cases was determined by family pedigrees. The mutations known in these pedigrees included presenilin 1, presenilin 2, and amyloid precursor protein. The expected age of symptom onset for the participants was set as the age at which the parent was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They studied several physiologic mechanisms occurring in these patients. First, they carried out clinical assessments of cognitive change using questionnaire-based scales, giving them a cognition score. This characterized the participants as normal cognitive function, very mild impairment, or mild impairment. Brain imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done to screen for any pre-existing brain disease. Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning was done to determine any regions of fibrillar amyloid deposition, and decreased metabolism. They also analyzed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for concentrations of tau, and beta-amyloid. They found that 50% of the asymptomatic study participants were carriers of the mutation for Alzheimer’s. The carriers had lower cognitive scores and at an earlier age, compared to non-carriers of the mutation. The carriers also developed bilateral hippocampal atrophy, seen on MRI, 15 years before expected symptom onset. Through PE scanning, they detected a selective decrease in the metabolism of the precuneus region of the brain in carriers, 10 years before expected symptom onset. Mutation carriers also had significant amyloid deposition in the precuneus region at 15 years before symptom onset, while non-carriers did not have any amyloid deposition there. Levels of CSF tau protein and plasma amyloid were elevated in the carriers 15 years before symptom onset,

To what extend has govermental policy been a factor in explaining each Essay

To what extend has govermental policy been a factor in explaining each country's development trajectory - Essay Example This can be shown with historical evidence beginning from the development of Britain as an industrialised nation due to the colonisation policies of the time to the current mandates of the IMF and the World Bank which are supposed to help developing nations. Admittedly, it can be said that certain situation and policies might be forced upon some nations and not really accepted by the government therefore calling them government policy is rather an obtuse notion. However, it must be realised that the sovereignty of a government is not infringed upon simply because it has been given some recommendations by the United Nations or other international bodies who aim to help the country in need. Therefore, any policies established or created by the government have to be seen according to the letter of the law which makes it government policy. During the age of colonisation, the British Empire ruled an area over which the sun never set. The government policy of expansion and increased utilisation of colonies like the Americas and India certainly helped the economic and social development which took place at home. The input gained from commerce, farming and export of material to the American continent was the fundamental reason that led to the industrial revolution and the growth of Britain as a powerhouse amongst its European neighbours. A detailed record of the relationship between the American colonies and the homeland of Britain shows that the conquest of the Americas can be taken as a founding mechanism and a cornerstone of the industrial revolution that took place in Europe (Hamilton, 1929). Credit must also be given to the scientific development which was slowly taking shape in those times as well as the philosophical changes to the concept of government, but without the governmental policy to support colonisation efforts; such

Marketing foundation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing foundation - Assignment Example Besides this, the product will be launched in the consumer market which will have to displayed and presented differently if it were to target the construction companies. The product’s packaging and display will be altered as per the consumers’ requirements. As there is a need for separate shower flooring which does not need to be cleaned every now and then and which does not make moulds in the ground because of water, Reece Company is giving the market a one-time solution for moulds in the shower place. Because of constant contact with water, mould is one of the biggest concerns of the consumers. Therefore, the new shower flooring must be of a premium quality. The tiles must allow easy flow of water and do not let water to accumulate on the floor. The new unique shower floor makes the water flow easier which makes it convenient for cleaning and drying it because of which, the possibility of moulds growing on the floor is minimized to the least level. A cushion layer is placed between the base and the surface which acts as a conductor of heat which prevents the tiles from getting cold. The new shower floor will be available in both small sizes and large sizes with the smallest being a standard of 8 x 10 inches, the medium size of 12 x 12 inches and the largest size of an 12 x 36 inch slab. As the product will be sold directly to the end consumer, all sizes will come in a standard pack of 10 tiles. The new shower will be called SmartSwash. The brand will be promoted in the target segment of 30 – 40 age groups who are most eligible to buy new homes or are receptive to the idea of renovation with the benefits offered by SmartSwash. After the sales, Reece Company’s outlet will arrange for transport for large customers. A supervisor who will guide the workers through with the installation will be sent to every customer. Besides

United States Foreign Policy toward Cuba Research Paper

United States Foreign Policy toward Cuba - Research Paper Example Cuba opted to maintain its political and economic relations with the Soviet’s legal successor. Since then, U.S. had been indifferent to Cuba and decided to put restrictions on their relationship as â€Å"nations.† In fact, a law was adopted by the United States Congress to prevent international companies â€Å"from dealing with any kind of Cuban assets† (Byers and Nolte 127). The U.S. had also obtained from the United Nations Security Council â€Å"a binding international embargo against Cuba† (Byers and Nolte 127). As such, U.S. companies were prohibited to trade with the Caribbean country (Leler). Also, licensed travel was sharply restricted—travel agencies were required to have government authorization first and foremost (Schwab 75). The objective of such constraints was to economically isolate Cuba â€Å"while depriving it of U.S. dollars† (Schwab 75). For almost a decade, these restrictions were viable and effective until a new form of l eadership had taken into place. The Obama administration had considered modifying its foreign policies to bridge the gap between the Americans and Cubans. Foreign policies in the international setting are interest-specific. It is always the interest of the general public that has a great bearing in every decision making. The goal of protecting and projecting the national interest remains the same (Ahmed, qt. in â€Å"One Day Lecture†). Nevertheless, the dynamism of international affairs makes it difficult for global leaders to be focusing on the same policy every now and then. As stated by Ahmed, the periodic re-adjustment of foreign policies is an inevitable event (qt. in â€Å"One Day Lecture†). Generally, foreign policy is the fact that a nation wears in the outside world. â€Å"It is the sum total of the values† which direct the behavior of a country in the international sphere (Ahmed, qt. in â€Å"One Day Lecture†).

The Methods of Data Collection and Analysis Term Paper

The Methods of Data Collection and Analysis - Term Paper Example A researcher’s expertise, knowledge, and thoughts influence the research to a large extent.   There are several situations in which qualitative research is more suitable such as to gain better understanding of lesser know phenomenon, or gather more information or new viewpoints. Since there are no standardized methods of qualitative inquiry practitioners usually follow a generally accepted sequence of steps. The first step towards designing qualitative research is to ascertain the focus of the study and the objectives which should also be able to justify the need for a qualitative research paradigm. This is followed by the identification and location of the sample group and size. Data collection, recording, interpretation strategies and timeline also need to be planned ahead. Sampling in qualitative research is mostly done through purposive method so that a specific population is targeted to receive in-depth information and build a case study. Purposive sampling is also of many types such as snowball, convenience and needs to be decided according to the objectives of the research. Data collection techniques in qualitative research usually employ interview focus group discussions and observation methods as well as the secondary review of available data. Inter views are open ended and can be in the form of informal conversations, semi-structured or standardized interviews. On the other hand, observations provide rich data about respondents in their natural settings. It allows the researcher to interpret a lot of information about the subjects without them even being aware of. Observations also allow the opportunity to record verbal and non-verbal cues in given settings, situations and among other people. At times, a researcher may also become a participant and get involved in the groups activities to gain insider knowledge about he subjects, especially when studying cultures. In addition to conducting first hand interviews and observations, review of documents, reports, notes or published data effectively supplements data collection efforts. Literature review also forms one of the first steps to gain more understanding of the area that needs to be researched.

2pg response to a cultural experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2pg response to a cultural experience - Essay Example India and Pakistan share almost similar cultural roots and most of the cultural practices are same and they tend to show the same kind of emotions and sentiments while interacting with people outside their own culture. One of the most striking things about this particular culture experience would be the fact that Pakistanis and Indians tend to share the same level of attitude towards life. They are not so disciplined as most of the people in west tend to be because their life is mostly haphazard in nature without any concrete planning in their life. The most important thing of my cultural experience with them was the fact they tend to view and honor women in more formal way as compared to the western people. Their respect and attitude towards women is entirely different as most of them are shy at disclosing their emotions and sentiments to them. Mostly you would find them shy and uncomfortable while talking to women. Their dresses are mostly comfortable and they prefer to wear cloths which provide more comfort than style. This distinguishes them because sometimes you may find them little bit more informal than usual as compared to Western people. My overall cultural experience has been excellent as it has been a learning experience for me. This is because of the fact that I have been able to learn an entirely different attitude towards life as whole and little things in general. India and Pakistan give you an excellent cultural experience to live and experience a culture which is more hospitable, little bit less tolerant, strict in it core beliefs as well as values and give a lot of attention to more closer bonds between

Informatics in Dental Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Informatics in Dental Education - Essay Example Yet actual applications and studies in this area are a relatively recent phenomenon. In the world of speed, accuracy and compaction, none would make a dentist's best secretary than the computing systems that virtually rule all areas of life. The benefits that computer and information technology can provide to the field of dentistry may as well set it apart from all the dentistry that has been carried out as a separate era. IT and dentistry have just started to converge, and it is only a matter of time before the full extent of the union will be known. What is heartening to know is the awareness dentists have about the role of computers in their dental setup, and other work places such as educational institutes, and conferences etc.With more and more advancement in the teaching methods around the world, it is not surprising that computers and IT are being utilized as teaching aids to dentistry. These softwares have been given many names, including Computer Aided Instruction or CAI, Computer Assisted Learning or CAL, instructional soft ware, and Computer Based Training or CBT. (Schleyer & Johnson, Nov. 2003) The functions of these soft wares are of two types. While the course management tools are aimed to help teachers maintain their schedules and different aspects of teaching and curriculum methodology, the other use is ways to increase a student's access to the educational material apart from the traditional paper book concept. The use of such materials in dentistry teaching has given many positive feedback comments, as the teach er or instructor is able to choose from a variety of ways to teach a subject. With the help of pictures and presentations and clips, the teacher is able to convey the concepts in a show tell way. The hard wares and the soft wares are mostly integrated in the teaching program. All that remains is for the teachers to be well versed in the using of such tools. (Schleyer & Johnson, Nov. 2003) There are very few researchers who are involved in studying ht effects of digital dentistry, IT and CBT in the overall scene of dental education. Of these the works of Johnson and Schleyer are perhaps the most contributory. These two gentlemen have helped in clearing many of the issues of digital dentistry, while inviting us to understand the different complexities that may be caused by such devices. Awareness of IT and distance education has led to many conclusions. For example, the World Health Organization maintains that students and their cultural differences and requirements should be the prime focus of providing dental education. This can only be achieved by sharing different aspects of curriculum designing and outlining. By providing and sharing this information, it will be easier for students to access different educational pursuits across the world with ease. The use of intra and extra net is another contributory factor that can be implemented within the learning methods and systems. (Yip, 1999) I.T and integration of computer technology will help in building careers and technology skills, increase the information assimilation skills, will expand learning opportunities for those who may not access such directly, help in increasing the level

Richard Pascale (the person who known as Honda Effect) Essay

Richard Pascale (the person who known as Honda Effect) - Essay Example The four dimensions incorporate the management of past, present and future. In addition to these dimensions, there is also the need for strategic intent as well as the need for agility on the management part as these are what will drive the sustainability of the organization in the future. Power is constant in the present and future, but the learning and identity development which was carried out in the past should be added on in the present as well as in the future. Contention will always be present and hence strategies to handle these conflicts should keep on being developed. Pascale further explains that not all moves an organization makes are calculated or based on years of positive research findings. He advocates for flexibility in the management as there is no on definite prescription to success. This is evident in the Honda story where they stumbled upon success in the US market despite market research eliciting negative findings. Sometimes success simply comes because of a series of unplanned effects but the most important thing is to be prepared to handle it once it comes and strategize on sustaining or even increasing it further (Pascal, 2000). The 7s theory model is relevant in all organizations and should be implemented by management. These include: style, strategy, skills, staff, shared values, structure as well as systems. The concepts mentioned briefly above are summarized in the table below and they all focus on using the past strategies to establish the present and build on the future. They are simply a guideline to the managers by Pascale for every organization on how to ensure that they not only succeed but they sustain the success in the future. Further issues to think about in management are the attitudes of the managers towards their jobs, employees and competitors. The job attitude matters a lot and especially for the new generation of managers whose patience is not their strongest

Social and political doctrine Essay Example for Free

Social and political doctrine Essay Fascist theorists, repeating one of Mussolinis convictions, maintained that every social and political doctrine revolved around a specific conception of man and society. If this is true, Fascisms doctrine gravitated around a normic conception of man and society which Fascist theoreticians themselves variously charecterized as organic, solidaristic, or communalistic in order to distinguish it from the liberal coception to which Fascism was intransigently opposed. Before the advent of Fascism, both syndicalists and nationalists referred to their general conception of man and society as organic ;that is to say, society was understood to constitute a system, an integrated network of recurrent norm- governed interpersonal behavior patterns, coprehensive and differentiated enough to be self- sufficient with respect to the functional equirements of its members, and capable of long- term persistence. The individual was understoo to be a functioning component of a self-regulating social system. He was conceived as a determinate person only insofar as he assumed functions within the structure of relations which preceded his role occupancy and which would persist beyond it. For Fascists to speak of a social system, of integration, of norm governance, and of pattern persistence implied the existence of a central and sovereign agency of control and regulation: the state. Thus, in one of the early systematizations of Fascist doctrine, Giovanni Corso could maintain that society, law, and state are inseparable notions. The one is intrinsic to the other:. In 1935, Stefano Raguso insisted that even  the simplest community of men is inconceivable unless sustained by an active principle of organization [and] this principle of organization consists in the subordination to a sovreign, political power. This relationship had already been systematized in 1927 by Corrado Gini, who was a member of the commission studying constitutional reform after Fascisms accession to power. He describes society as a system normally found in evolutionary or devolutionary equilibrium possessed of the capacity of self- conservation and re- equilibrization which finds its highest expressioo in the modern state. Fascist doctrine inherited many conceptions from the sociological traditions of prewar Italy, but it was the conception of the state, which became central to Fascist thought only in 1921, which gave Fascism a specific and determinate character of its own. Thus, Fascists indicated that while the people, sustained by the group building sentiments to which we have alluded, constitute the content of the state, the state is formally defined by its political and juridical functions. Fascists held that, technically speaking, any form of ordered, autonomous associated life was animated by a state. The state is any society or community of men held together by a political nexus. The formal element in the state is its sovereign political and juridical power. The state is the creator of an order, through the medium of law, or norms, that reduces all the component entities to unity and coordinates all activities to a common end. The state is the ultimate repository of force to which all other must, in the final analysis, appeal for regulative sanction. Fascist theorists like Panunzio recognized that organized associations within the state had the capacity to issue rules and regulations governing their collective membership, but they held that such rules and regulations were effective only if they were directly or indirectly sanctioned by the state. That is, it was recognized that association would follow interests, real or fancied, that provided the grounds of identification among men. The imposing rise of economic organizations, specifically the syndicates, was ample evidence of that historic reality. Sects, clubs, cooperatives, cultural association- all constituted interest-fostered, rule-governed association within the state. All were autonomousinsofar as they were capable of governing their  own internal organization by the promulgstion of procedural and substantive rules. The state might not, for whatever reasons, exercise its sovereign right over them. Organizations might continue to function on the strenght of their own capacity to sanction their members. Nonetheless, Fascists insisted, the state is the sole and ultimate source of imperative sanction since the stae has the exclusive right to the regulation of the use of force. In effct, Fascism rejected the thesis that there was any limit, in principle, to the states political and juridical sovereignity. The state was integral, totalitarian. Fascism conceived no interest-economic, educational, religious or cultural- as falling outside its purview. Tere was, consequently, no private as distinct from public interest. This idea found doctrinal expression in Mussolinis aphorism: Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, and nothing against the state. If the term community has as its reference a number of individuals whose behaviour is governed by a normative order, and if the state provides the ultimate sanction that sustains theorder, the state is then understood to constitute  an underlying and essential social reality that is coextensive and coterminous with, and logically prior to, the community. If that community is a nation- a community having a common history and culture, that manifests itself in shared, stable, and habitual preferences and pririties that permit members to share more intimately with each other a wider range of communication than with outsiders- then the nation and the state are, in some critical sense, conflated. In speaking of the state per se one refers to the normative order, and in speaking of the nation one speaks of the collection of living individuals whose behaviour exemplifies that order. The political formula, Costamagna maintained, was a stenographic and sometimes elliptical formula which exressed the ultimate moral basis upon which the legitimation of power of a political class rests. Recognition, on the part of the political mass, of the legitimacy of rule entitles the moral obligation of obedience to rule. Moreover, the political formula provides the hierarchy of values which order the moral universe of the individual. The politica formula provides the content of imperatives and their normative force as well. In terms of the doctrinal language of Fascism, the nation was construed to be the real and the ultimate source of all that was valuable and valued in the individual. The nation was understood to be essentially a norm-governed community. The state was the ultimate source of sanction which, in making the norms operative, made the nation a realiy. In this fashion the state and the nation are identified with the expression stato-nazion. Since the normative system is the constitutive moral substance of the people that constitute the content of the nation-state, the state and the people are identified with the expression stato-  popolo. Since the prevailing normative system is the product of a series of creative acts on the part of historic political elites, and the contemporary political elite is charged with the responsability of sustaining and perpetuating that system and educating the masses to its responsabilities, that elitr organized in a unitary party and that system can be identified with the expression stato-partito. What results is a convenient set of substitutions that permits the nation to be identified with the state, the people and the party. This, in essence, is what Fascism mean by an integral  political system, or totalitarianism. In effect, what was implied was an identification of the ultimate real interests of the nation, the state, the party, and the individual, however divergent their apparent interests. Since the state and the party were effectively identified with the wilol of the man, Mussolini, was via the substitutions above indicated, identified with the nation. It was this identification which charecterized Mussolinis leadership as charismatic; the Duce was conceived as the living and active incarnation of the nation. This conception of charisma entered  official Fascism doctrine, for Michels identified the Regime as charismatuc government, and the official Party manual of 1936 maintained that the charismatic theory of the national society has found, in reality its first full realization in Fascism. The Fascist Synthesis Fascist doctrine was largely Mussolinis own product. Some os its elements were vital constituents of Mussolinis social and political thought as early as 1904. As he gimself indicated, however, these elements had themselves been constituents of other political or intellectual traditions. The three princical doctrinal sources of the Fascist synthesis are the antiparliamentarian sociological tradition of Gumplowicz, Mosca, Pareto, the radical syndicalist tradition of Sorel, and the nationalist tradition of Corradini. A common provenience and a constellation of historic circumstances bruoght these traditions together in Fascism. What was lacking was a principle of unity, a concept which would articulate these elements into a defensible rationale. That unifying concept was the Gentilean notion of the state; and with its adoption Fascism became the first frank totalitarian movement on the twentieth century. The doctrine of Fascism rests upon the moral priority of the nation and the state as its moral substance against which all other values are relative. Since this is th case, we have notdealt with the varying and various institutions thruogh which the integration of economy was affected. The institutional structure of the Corporative State is far less significant than the hierarchy of values which provided its rationale. Fascists early made it plain that they would use whatever methods proved effective in their effort to integrate the economic, intellectual and political life on the nation into one infrangible unity.

Population Learning Importance To Quantity Of Education Economics Essay

Population Learning Importance To Quantity Of Education Economics Essay In every economy, the education sector is considered to be one of the biggest industries and in the twenty first century it is regarded as major contributor to economic growth and development of any country. There is a positive link between economic productivity and investment in human capital as they both are dependent on each other. Many authors have studied that a country can earn high returns if they invest properly in human capital. However today, many developing countries are facing problems with education quality. And there is an argument in academics also that what contributes to economic development quality or quantity in education (Hanushek Kimko, 2000, Gills et al., 1996, Mingat and Tan, 1996; Psacharopoulos, 1994; Krueger Lindahl, 2000; Hanushek Woessmann, 2007, Heyneman, 2004). Many theoretical and empirical findings have suggested that the economic development of a country is determined by its human capital and human capital is considered to be critical especially for the under developed or developing countries as they need to strive hard to achieve high economic growth (Barro, 1991, 1997, Barro Lee, 1993, Chen, Feng, 1996, Feng, 1997, Persson Tabellini, 1992 cited in Chen Feng, 2000). UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2007. As in the case of China, whose GDP growth rate has been very impressive from several years the demand for education has been increased. However, the resources required to meet this educational demand are not sufficient. Hence the government in China has decided to invest immensely in the education sector in coming years as that leads to economic development and also raises the standards of living. (Wen and Yang, 2005 cited in Iacov.D, 2009).13.0% of government spending goes to education in China (UNESCO, 2007). There has been a debate in the literature as to whether what matters the most in the economic development of a country is it quality or quantity of education? (Ferranti, 2003, Cheng Tam, 1997, Link Ratledge, 1975). It has been argued when evaluating approximately the effect of education on economic development of a country it is crucial to focus on knowledge and learning instead of counting how long students have attended the school i.e. Quality is more important rather than mere quantity. It has also been suggested that although quality and quantity of education both leads to economic development of a country but quality of education has major effect on economic growth of a country (Hanushek Woessmann, 2007, Barro, 2001, Bosworth Collins, 2003). From several years the literature on link between education and economic growth of any country has been focusing on the importance of quantity of education and purely neglected the issue of quality of education and has also overlooked the core of what education is all about. It has been suggested that the earnings of an individual is directly affected by improvement in quality of education as it leads to greater productivity. An individual who procures more knowledge can enter the labour markets quickly and with greater capacity. However, it has been argued by Wolf, 2004 that although higher education can lead to high productivity and better quality of education but then it differs from country to country as circumstances are different in each of the countries. It has also been suggested that the workers productivity cannot be increased in the labour market by just spending long years of schooling (quantitative) rather than that it depends on workers experience (qualitative) (Solmon, 1985, Monastiriotis, 2002, Wolf, 2004). However, it has been argued that measuring the impact of quantity of education on the economic development of a country is not easy. And one of the main reasons for this is that both quality and quantity of education are equally necessary in order to determine the effects of education on the skills of work force i.e. High levels of schooling and greater amount of knowledge acquired at each level of education. However, Mingat 1996 argues that Quantity can be easily measured through various means like enrolment ratio and years of schooling because as the technology changes the demand for higher level of education increases. It has also been argued that there has been no sufficient research conducted on the subject of quality of education by the academics (Cheng, 1995, Mingat, 1996, Smart, 2004). However it has been argued that if an individual possesses higher education he is in better position to earn higher wages in the labour market than those who just have knowledge and skills. But this may not necessarily lead to the economic development of the country. In the past there was limited need of education because people were mainly engaged in agriculture which required less knowledge and experience. But today at the various stages of economic development of a country labour market demands for well qualified, trained and educated workforce has been increasing. Therefore, the central issue here is that quantity of education is more important as the supply of qualified people in the labour markets is a necessary criterion today which contributes to the economic development (Ramlee, 2007, Card 1994, Sianesi Reenen, 2003). Behrman and Birdsall, 1983 Boissiere et al., 1985 cited in Mingat 1996 that the governments throughout the world are investing heavily in the quality of education. In several countries like Brazil, Tanzania and Kenya research that was linked to job performance and education was conducted and it was seen that not only quantity but the quality of education is crucial for economic development of a country. It has been stated that to measure the returns from education and its impact on economic development of a country both the quality of learning and the quantity of schooling must be considered (Mingat, 1996). However in the case of developing country like China, the country is struggling with the issue of quality of education as there has been rapid massification of higher education in China. In China quality of education is very low than what has been expected. This is because their attitude towards adopting western culture is not very encouraging. But still China is making efforts to increase its quality of education by joining hands with Germanyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s experts on quality management and quality assurance. This will be beneficial for China as Germany has one of the worldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s best known quality education system. Also In vocational training and higher education, Germany has developed quality management and quality assurance standards in accordance with the Bologna Process and Copenhagen Process. From several years China has been mainly focusing on the issue of quantity of education and they have completely ignored the qualitative a spects which had led to the mismatch of demand and supply of Chinese Graduates in the labour market, thus leaving many graduates unemployed (Guyer, 2005, Brandenburg Zhu, 2007, Schulte, 2010, RIETI, 2010). Also For example in a country like Mauritius, they have been concentrating on improving both the quantity and quality of its higher education system. Since 1989, the number of students enrolling themselves in universities has been increasing tremendously it was around 40 initially which has risen to over 400 students today. It has also collaborated with other universities for improving their quality issues in education. Economic Growth of the country has been the central focus of the education system in Mauritius. They have designed their educational courses in such a way that the economy benefits the most from courses like engineering, it has lead to the technological development, textile, it has been the major contributor of economic growth since several years in Mauritius, law and management etc as all the above degrees contributes to the economic growth of the country and the economy can diversify into the highly profitable sectors. Hence quality and quantity of education has bee n the crucial factor for the economic development of Mauritius. (Bloom, Canning Chan, 2006). However, it has been critically argued that as and when the earnings of an individual increases, and people become richer the demand for education in turn also increases but there is lack of empirical evidence as to whether the countries who spend more on education and training reap economic benefits or not an also there is still consensus in the literature that whether quality or quantity of education leads to economic development of a country (Wolf, 2004). The second issue has been the role of Human capital theory and screening theory in quality and quantity of education and its effect on economic growth. Both of these theories are considered to be most important theories in the economics of education. These theories suggest that there exists a direct and positive relationship between earnings and education which leads to the economic development of the country. Human capital theory suggests that the skills of an individual are directly affected by education and it also affects ability of a person to earn profits in the labour market. The main reason behind this is that the better educated and trained workers have higher productivity and also they possess ability to learn more which in turn leads to the economic benefit as well as social benefit. This further leads to economic development of a country. The Human capital theory suggests that if an individual enrol themselves in number of courses, obtain high scores in their exams and fi nd a suitable job for themselves this all will improve the earning capacity of an individual. Human Capital theory further states that the education comes with economic benefits so it is generally productive. (Weiss, 1995, Becker, 1964, Schultz, 1975, Feng Liang, 2009). However in contrast to human capital theory, screening hypothesis assumes that the capacity for productivity depends on individuals themselves and that the education rarely has any effect on productivity of an individual. And according to screening hypothesis, high test scores and class ranks will not necessarily lead to significantly higher earnings or economic development of a country. Also screening theory argues for the informative value of education. In short human capital theory suggests that economic value of education is productive as compared to screening theory which argues that greater productivity can be obtained through informative value of education which enhances economic growth. (Spence, 1973; Stiglitz, 1975; Riley, 1979 cited in Feng Liang, 2009). On the basis of empirical research it was seen that Chinese labour market for higher education graduates is characterised by the signalling or screening hypothesis. In the Chinese labour market, employers give priority to the total number of degrees obtained by an individual and years of schooling i.e. quantity of education rather than the ranks of an individual in class or credits obtained by them i.e. quality of education. Also the higher education system of China has adopted screening hypothesis to admit deserving students (FengLiang, 2009). There is another major argument in the literature, about who should pay for education? It was observed that in many developing countries the Central Government finances the basic education on a large scale. It has been suggested that the subsidies which government provides to finance education of a country increases the quality as well as quantity of education. Also many Individuals consider education as a cost rather than an investment this may hamper the economic development of a country because less number of students will enrol themselves in the higher education courses. And governments should pay only for primary education as it leads to social benefit whereas investment in higher education leads to private benefits. Hence investment in mandatory education increases the quality of education as people are equipped with basic knowledge and skills which also leads to the economic growth of a country as its literacy rate increases. An individual should pay for higher education becau se he gets better qualifications and he can eventually earn more when he enters the labour market. High earnings can lead to high productivity and lower the rate of unemployment, also when well educated and trained individuals earn more they need to pay more taxes to government and hence the burden of government finances on education decreases which will increase quality and quantity of education and thus the government can use that money to invest in other sectors of the economy which further contributes to the economic development of the country. (Cummings Riddell, 1994, Woodward, et al, 2000, Bloom et al, 2006). However the idea of individual spending on education has remained a subject of debate and it has been argued that government alone should not pay for education. Tilak argues that an individual benefits the most from the basic as well as higher education so he should pay for his education expenses and government should not intervene in this. Moreover the demand for training and education institutions have been increasing this clearly indicates that people are willing to invest in private education so government should not be the main suppliers. It has been argued that if the governments are the only suppliers of financing the education then there can be a problem because the education resources for public are declining and the demand for the same has been increasing tremendously so if only the government pays for education then the quality of education will be declined this is the case with China as well. (Alchian, 1968 cited in Brown, 2001 and West, 1995 cited in Raines, Leathers, 2003, Mwikisa, 1999, Tilak, 2003). Ling and Zhang, 2006 cited in Iacov, 2009 that the funding of education in China has been very low and this is still the same. The education system in China has undergone a change wherein previously they had centralised system of financing for education i.e. the Central Government was considered to be the main supplier of education. But now they have adopted decentralised system of education and hence the Central Government is not the sole administrator or financier of basic and secondary education. The local Chinese governments mainly finances the mandatory education and generally the full cost of secondary education this will improve the quality of education (Iacov, 2009, Rong and Shi, 2001, Zhao, 2009). However, Zhang Kong, 2009 argues that the Chinese Government must make increasing efforts to raise their investments in the education system because it is essential for the economic development of a country and also education is the major contributor to the GDP of any country. People must be relieved from contributing to the cost of education (Zhang Kong, 2009) Summers, 1992 cited in Mingat, 1998 that investment in primary education is generally regarded as a cost effective instrument as broader social objectives can be achieved which leads to the social economic development of the country. Harbison and Hanushek, 1992 Hanushek, Lavy, and Hitomi, 2006 cited in Hanushek, Woessmann, 2007 that there is the direct link between education quality and primary education as in the case of Brazil there are increasing rates of repeaters and school dropouts hence achieving skills through primary education can lower the chances of getting failed. In many primary schools of Egypt the dropout ratios of students are higher because of the low quality of Primary education and failure to achieve cognitive skills at primary level. This in turn has affected the economic growth of the country, hence it is crucial for governments to invest in quality of Primary education so that the dropouts and repeaters ratio is reduced and economic development of the country is achieved (Mingat, 1998, Hanushek, Woessmann, 2007). It was also found that the Asian Economies who were investing heavily in the primary education were very successful in achieving the quality of education which further leads to the social benefits and the overall economic growth for the country. It has been stated that the economic growth and productivity of a country depends upon its investment in quality of primary education. In a study done by Hanushek and Wobman, 2007 it was suggested that as the number of years of schooling advances it contributes to the economic growth of the country by 0.58% (Burnett, 1996, Yeung Mathieson, 1998, UNESCO/ OECD 2003). However, Psacharopoulos, 1994 cited in Mingat, 1996 and Hanushek and Wobman, 2007 argues that in the developing countries even though rate of return is higher from lower levels of education but this higher rate of return from lower levels do not necessarily contribute to the economic development of country. It has been critically argued that in the countries like Ghana, Brazil, Pakistan, United States, Mexico, and Indonesia although investment in Primary education leads to greater returns but as compared to the secondary and higher education the returns are relatively low. Also it has been argued that if the quality of primary education is very poor then the returns will also be low. Some of the countries like India, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh they donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t spend much for primary education it is just around 7% of the per capita Gross Domestic Product (Fasih, 2008, Schultz, 2003, Ferranti, 2003, Manacorda, Sanchez, Paramo and Schady 2005 cited in Fasih, 2008, Kingdon and Soderbom, 2007, Copper, 1980). However, there have been many problems in investing in the primary education one of them is there is a wide gap between years of schooling and the investments made in it hence it takes long time for educated and well qualified people to enter the labour markets. Secondly, some portion of Investments are also lost due to number of dropouts, repeaters and if the quality of training and education is low. The Third main problem of investing in the primary education is that some of the individuals after completing their education they never take part in the labour markets because of some restrictions this is generally prominent in the case of women and also many talented, well qualified and trained individuals migrate to some other countries hence there is a loss of stock of human capital which further affects the development of any economy as brain drain is a kind of loss to the country (Psacharopoulos and Arriagada, 1986). Conclusion

The significance of preventing accidents In a construction industry

The significance of preventing accidents In a construction industry Today, most of the top managers, contractors and workers, who work in construction industry, are aware about the significance of preventing accident.( In fact they know that ignoring safety and health can impose a high penalty on a company -large or small. Also individual accident or injury can mean compensation, time off and lost production and what have seemed to be a minor risk becomes a major liability)(safety at work/compiled by Badrie Abdullah/p.iii). Therefore they know the valuable of occupational safety and health management (OSH), although most of the managers havent enough knowledge about OSH. It means that they dont know what the OSH is and how they must use it. In this report I try to investigate different part of OSH management in addition the need for it. Introduction In current years, construction accident rates have decreased as a result of substantial effort by many parties. Increased pressures from OSHA and owners, and increased cost of accidents raised the contractors awareness. In turn, contractors increased safety training and enforcement. These efforts have decline the injury and illness rate from 12.2 in 1993 to 7.9 in 2001. The recent approach to accident prevention is based on OSHAs violations approach and focuses on prescribing and enforcing defenses that is, physical and procedural barriers that reduce the workers exposure to hazards. The violations of the defenses are called unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviors. (Systems Model of Construction Accident Causation /Panagiotis Mitropoulos1; Tariq S. Abdelhamid2; and Gregory A. Howell3.p.12) Only knowing about the benefits of OSH management isnt enough, we must be act and apply it. So at first its important to understand the necessity of OSH management then definition of OSH management and finally how we can follow its rules to make our workplace safe. Who are included in the safety value chain? Maybe, it `s better to ask this question who should be interested in accident causation and safety system? In fact the safety value chain includes students, researchers, technicians, system designers, operators, managers, shareholders, accident investigators and safety inspectors. (Fig.1), all these groups affect to system safety in different time-scale. Educators and researchers play important role in this safety value chain, because educators by teaching safety culture can help students to have awareness before they enter to workplace and they impact on accident prevention in long term. Safety levels Short- term Medium-term Long-term Regulatory Accident investigators, safety inspectors, and regulators (Penalties) Economic (Incentives) Insurers shareholders Organizational/ Managers and company executives Managerial Operational/ Technicians and system designers Maintenance Technical/ Engineers and system designers Design Research researchers and academics Education students Fig 1.safety levers and shareholders in the safety value chain Accident theories based on year: NO Models year 1 Domino Theory Heinrich 1931 2 Multi casual Model Gordon 1941 3 Critical Incident Technique Flanagan 1954 4 Combination of Factors Model Schulzinger 1956 5 Goals Freedom Alertness Theory Kerr 1957 6 Energy Exchange Model Haddon et al 1964 7 Decision Model Surry In Viner 1969 1991a 8 Behavioral Methods Hale Hale Anderson et al 1970 1978 9 Fault Tree Analysis II Meister Hoys Zimolong 1971 1988 10 Error Model Wigglesworth 1972 11 Life Change Unit Model Alkov 1972 12 Hazard Carrier Model Skiba Hoys Zimolong 1973 1988 13 Task-Demand Model Waller Klein 1973 14 Multilinear Events Sequencing Model Banner 1975 15 Systems Safety Analysis Smillie Ayoub 1976 16 Risk Estimation Model Rowe 1977 17 Danger response Model Hale Prusse 1977 18 Incidental Factor Analysis Model Leplat 1978 19 Accident Sequence Model Ramsey Quoted in Sanders McCormick Ramsey 1978 1987 1985 20 Psychological Model Corlett Gilbank 1987 21 Domino/Energy Release Zabetakis, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 22 Stair Step Model Douglas, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 23 Motivation Reward Satisfaction Model Petersen, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 24 Energy Model Ball, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 25 Systems Model Firenze, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 26 Epidemiological Model Suchman, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 27 Updated Domino Model Bird Jr, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 28 Updated Domino Model Adams, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 29 Updated Domino Model II Weaver, quoted in Heinrich et al 1980 30 Task Ability Model Drury Brill 1980 31 OARU Model Kjellen Hovden Kjellen Larsson 1981 32 Traffic Conflicts Technique Zimolong 1982 33 Signals Passed at Danger Decision Tree Model Taylor, R. K. and Lucas, D.A in ch.8 of Van Der Schaaf , Lucas Hale 1991 34 Ergonomic Behavioral Methods Kjellen 1984 35 Human Causation Model Mager Pipe 1984 36 Near Accidents Incidents Swain 1985 37 Behavior Model Rasmussen 1986 38 Contributing Factors Model Sanders Shaw 1987 39 Hazard Carrier Model Hayos Zimolong 1988 40 Comet Model Boylston 1990 41 Comprehensive Human Factors Model Dejoy 1990 42 View of Workers on Safety Decisions Model Saari 1990 43 Epidemiological Model Kriebel, quoted in Cone et al 1990 44 Universal Model McClay 1990 45 Federation of Accident Insurance Institution(Finland)Model Seppanen 1997 46 Question Tree Model Hale et al.in Van Der Schaaf, Lucas Hale 1991 47 Occurrence Consequence Process Model Viner 1991b 48 Onward Mappings Model based on Resident Pathogens Metaphor Reason 1991 49 Functional Levels Model Hurst et al 1992 50 Tripod Tree Wheelahan 1994 51 Attribution Theory Model Dejoy 1994 52 Cindynic Hyperspace Kervern 1995 53 Fig.2 Accident theories (Enhancing Occupational Safety and Health, Geofry Taylor, Kellie Easter, Roy Hegney)2004 What is occupational safety and control? The Occupational Safety and Health management is a management which provides the legislative framework to secure the safety, health and welfare among all workforces and to protect others against risks to safety or health in connection with the activities of persons at work.( Job Seeker Handbook/alaysian Labour Law : Regulation of Employment) Occupational health and safety is a discipline with a broad scope involving many specialized fields. In its broadest sense, it should aim at: the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention among workers of adverse effects on health caused by their working conditions; The protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; The placing and maintenance of workers in an occupational environment adapted to physical and mental needs; The adaptation of work to humans. In other words, occupational health and safety encompasses the  social, mental and physical well-being of workers that is the whole person. (Website of International Labor organization) What is an accident? It is necessary to define what we mean by the word accident, because before anyone can begin to put up any sort of a flight, he must know his enemy. So we must do the same. An accident is an unplanned event, which could result in injury to persons or in damage to plant and equipment or both. Also accidents are consequent of unplanned (unsafe) acts or unplanned (unsafe) conditions performed or created by people. In fact people cause accidents, by what they do or what they neglect to do and the activity of people, in a factory or any other place of work, are controlled by management. (a safe place of work/D.WB James/p.56) From the linguistic point of view, the word accident is the present participle of the Latin verb accident which means to happen, which in turn is derived from ad- + cadere, meaning to fall. The literal meaning of accident is therefore that of a fall or stumble. The derivation from to fall is significant, since falling is not something one dose on purpose. If someone falls while walking or while climbing, it is decidedly an unexpected and unwanted event. It is, in other words, what we call an accident: an unforeseen and unplanned event, which leads to some sort of loss or injury. Other definitions of accident , such as they can be found in various dictionaries, concur that an accident is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance that (1) happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause and (2) leads to loss or injury. Used as an adverb, to say that something happens accidently or happens by accident means that it happens by chance. (Barriers and Accident Prevention/Erik Hollnagel p.34/2005) The need for accident models It is a truism that we cannot think about something without having the words and concepts to describe it, or without having some frame of reference. The advantage of having a common frame of reference is that communication and understanding become more efficient, because a number of things can be taken for granted. The frame of reference is particularly important in thinking about accidents, because it determines how we view the role of humans. (Barriers and Accident Prevention/Erik Hollnagel p.4445/2005) Accident causation models: Figure 2.  Diagram showing the dominate five perceptions of accident causation (Benner 1975).   The single event concept SINGLE EVENT CONCEPT What the first opinion of accident causation is the Single Event Concept. This idea concentrates that a single event caused accident. It means that this simple model is the widest The first perception of accident causation is the single event concept. This concept focuses on the premise that accidents are caused by a single event. This simple model exemplifies the quest for the cause of what occurred. The search for a scapegoat and taking care of the scapegoat would solve the problem. This concept is the most widely perceived and least complex. The public and media typically utilize this concept when they ask what caused the accident?   Limitations The single events concept is limited in its ability to see the accident as a process or sequence of events in time. The factors that may contribute to the accident are not identified or pursued due to the fact that the real cause is obvious and visible. Causes that may underline human behavior are rarely determined.   Application Current applications are primarily apparent in how the public and media view accidents. This viewpoint is reinforced by findings such as when an airline accident was caused by pilot error. Police citations are another example of the perception.   CHAIN OF EVENTS CONCEPT History The chain of events concept or domino theory was originally developed by Heinrich (1941). The basic concept implied that accidents resulted from a sequence of events that led to an accident. Like a row of dominos, once the sequence began each event led to the next until an accident occurred. Intervention at any point along the events sequence could halt the accident process and eliminate the unwanted results. An unsafe act starts the chain of events that began with an unsafe condition.   Limitations This concept is limited by the linear progression characteristic of the model. Interactions among events, contributing causes, and the duration and timing of each event limit the identification of all causal factors.   Applications The current use of this concept is prevalent in the legal field that attempts to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the accident.   2.the determinat variable concept 3.the domino theory 4.the fault tree analytical methodology FAULT TREE ANALYSIS Heinrich (1941) developed the methodology that preceded and formed the basis for Fault Tree Analysis. He illustrated the linear sequence of factors in accident causation by using a domino theory. The theory stated that a disturbance that caused any one of the five identified components of the sequence to fail would set off a chain-of-events that led to an accident. The five in the sequence were 1) ancestry and social environment, 2) conditions and fault of person, 3) unsafe act, 4) unsafe condition and 5) injury. He showed that by intervention at any point along the sequence an accident/injury could be prevented. This theory has been modified and updated (Baker 1953, Marcum 1978, Heinrich et al 1980), and has wide applicability in current automobile accident and law enforcement investigations.   Similar linear sequence models such as Critical Path Analysis (CPA), Gantt Charts, and Program Evaluation Research Task (PERT), were initially used in the 1950s and 60s as planning tools (Lockyer 1964). Though many names were given to their process they were very similar in their goals and methods. They provided a graphical display of activities linked to events by arrows in order to plan complex projects. The process illustrated a flow (path) from one task sequence to the next and incorporated time frames and interrelationships between tasks. Projects could then be analyzed by task, the amount of time needed for each segment and the relationship a task may have with another task. These methods offered an effective means of project planning, costs analysis, and time frame considerations by visually outlining the task process (Lockyer 1964). These processes also provided the means to better understand the interrelationships between and among tasks. This logical depiction of process fl ow related directly to analyzing an accident sequence and the precursor events.   In the 1960s Bell Laboratories expanded upon the linear chain of events concept through missile system safety. They arranged events in a flow chart that used a proceed/follow logic pattern. Their concept, Fault Tree Analysis (Figure 11), is generally credited to Watson (1971). Figure 12 illustrates the fault tree concept as applied to a hypothetical accident where a wildland firefighter was burned. This analysis concept helped provide a sense of management by objectives by identifying unwanted events (the top event) and then systematically and sequentially determining the precursor events. The objective is the top event and the identification of the preceding causal factors aid in the management achievement of that objective. Watsons Fault Tree Analysis investigation methodology provided a visible, easily understood and defendable format (1971). The methodology extended the linear chain of events into a branched events chains concept through the use of and/or logic gates. It uses bas ic Boolean logic in a hierarchical tree format. Other Boolean terms such as not are not used in Fault Tree Analysis. For example, C can only occur when both A  and  B occur. If two or more events are required for a cause to happen then an and symbol is used. Another possibility is when only one of the factors need be present. For C to occur, then A  or  B occurred. If only one event of two or more are necessary then an or gate is used. The top event is the unwanted result of the accident and causal factors branch out below leading to it. The downward sequence is continued until the root causes are found or the tree cannot be further developed. This technique, according to Benner (1975), contributed a powerful tool for the investigation of accidents both historical and postulated. Accidents could be investigated or reinvestigated in the search for causal factors utilizing this method. It assisted in illuminating areas that may have previously been overlooked by other means. Numerous approaches to determining accident causal factor using branched events chains reflected the discipline of the investigations employing it; thus medical doctors   used an epidemiological approach (agent/host/environment), while psychologists focused on human factors.   Figure 11. Fault Tree diagram illustrating a typical failure process, symbols used,   and the logic sequence leading to an undesired event, a dark room (in Ferry 1988). Figure 12. Fault Tree diagram illustrating the deductive process using an example of a sequence of events in which a firefighter receives burns.   One key limitation of Fault Tree Analysis is the inability to model time sequences that are concurrent and interactive (Hendrick and Benner 1987). Brown (1993) added that only one event could be analyzed at a time and thus primarily applicable to catastrophic events. Benner (1975) cited similar deficiencies, most notably that charting analysis methods focus on a single undesired event and provided no means to indicate the chronological relationships (and the subsequent concurrent interrelationships) of events. Another limitation is the restriction inherent in the method whereby causes must be either successes or failures and degrees of each are not accounted for (Tulsiani and others 1990).   5.the energy-barriers-targets model Barriers Analysis Barriers Analysis is an accident investigation method that is an additional component of the MORT process. The method identifies barriers/controls that are in place to prevent accidents. These barriers may be physical and/or administrative and must be absent, inadequate, or bypassed in order for the accident to occur. A more detailed account of this approach will be undertaken in the methods section as this method is one of the USDA proposed investigative tools (USDA 1998).   6.the management oversight and risk tree History Traditional accident investigations focused on the active response to a mishap and the identification of procedures to prevent future occurrences. The degree and intensity of the accident dictated the intensity of the investigation response and subsequent preventative action (Brown 1993). But as technology advanced and systems became more complex, the consequences of accidents became increasingly unacceptable to society and industry, particularly in the nuclear power industry. The nuclear industry and similar high-risk technologies have determined that learning from accidents and even near misses was not an option. The consequences of accidents precluded the traditional trial by error approach where as accidents occurred the problem was fixed subsequent to the next mishap (termed the fly-fix-fly approach). A new approach was undertaken to become proactive as well as reactive in accident analysis techniques to determine possible failure points prior to occurrence. Johnson (1973a) work ing for the National Safety Council and under a contract from the US Atomic Energy Commission focused on a systems approach to accident analysis. This approach focused on the entire system in which accidents occurred and the interaction of events within that system. Johnson merged two basic views to focus on management responsibility in planning the context in which accidents occur. These views, understanding the energy release process and focusing management of that hazard on the route of its release, led Johnson to develop the concept of less than adequate management decisions. This progressed to the Management Oversight and Risk Tree (MORT) accident analysis tool. He said MORT was an analytical procedure that provides a disciplined approach for finding the causes and contributing factors of mishaps. It entailed a very broad and detailed checklist that facilitated the search for safety problems. It incorporated 1500 possible causes and 98 generic problems and was the initial metho dology to embody management oversight into accident causation. The Department of Energy currently employs this method as one of its most comprehensive analytical techniques (DOE 1992). It is more generally used as a proactive method in safety system evaluations than as an accident investigation method. This is primarily due to the fact that it can be time consuming and intensive and due to the nature of the nuclear industry, identifying possible loopholes in the safety system to eliminate hazards is more cost effective and publicly expedient than after the accident occurs.   This concept was highly visible, easily reviewed and updated as new relevant facts warrant, and provided structure to help reduce overlooked factors and bias. Within the MORT system incidents were defined as inadequate barrier/controls or as failures without consequence. Accidents resulted in adverse consequences. The MORT system incorporated the concept of the unwanted transfer of energy that can cause mishaps due to inadequate barriers/controls. These barriers and controls may be physical (protective clothing, concrete walls, etc) or administrative (codes, standards and regulations). The MORT system is based on two main sources of accidental losses: 1) specific job oversights and omissions and 2) the management system factors that control the job (Johnson 1973a). A third source he mentioned was assumed risk. Johnson noted that once this source was properly evaluated it could not be considered accidental in nature since we have consciously decided to accept the risk. Integral aspect s of the MORT process are Fault Tree Analysis, Barriers Analysis and Event and Causal Factors Charting. Each of these approaches will be subsequently explained.   Limitations Limitations of MORT are that it can be insufficient in finding specific causes as it designed to identify general causal areas (Gertman and Blackman 1994). These authors do recognize its strengths in identifying more specific control and managerial factors. Moreover, this systematic process is advantageous when system experts are not available.   Application Its current use as a proactive safety system analysis tool for the Department of Energy has long standing (Briscoe 1990). It has been used exclusively as both a proactive technique and an accident investigation method for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.   7.petersen`s multiple causation model 8.reason`s swiss chess model of human error 1990 Reasons Swiss Cheese Model of Human Error One particularly appealing approach to the genesis of human error is the one proposed by James Reason (1990). Generally referred to as the Swiss cheese model of human error, Reason describes four levels of human failure, each influencing the next (Figure 1). Working backwards in time from the accident, the first level depicts those  Unsafe Acts  of Operators that ultimately led to the accident[1]. More commonly referred to in aviation as aircrew/pilot error, this level is where most accident investigations have focused their efforts and consequently, where most causal factors are uncovered. After all, it is typically the actions or inactions of aircrew that are directly linked to the accident. For instance, failing to properly scan the aircrafts instruments while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) or penetrating IMC when authorized only for visual meteorological conditions (VMC) may yield relatively immediate, and potentially grave, consequences. Represented as holes i n the cheese, these active failures are typically the last unsafe acts committed by aircrew. [1]  Reasons original work involved operators of a nuclear power plant. However, for the purposes of this manuscript, the operators here refer to aircrew, maintainers, supervisors and other humans involved in aviation. However, what makes the Swiss cheese model particularly useful in accident investigation, is that it forces investigators to address latent failures within the causal sequence of events as well. As their name suggests, latent failures, unlike their active counterparts, may lie dormant or undetected for hours, days, weeks, or even longer, until one day they adversely affect the unsuspecting aircrew. Consequently, they may be overlooked by investigators with even the best intentions. Within this concept of latent failures, Reason described three more levels of human failure. The first involves the condition of the aircrew as it affects performance. Referred to asPreconditions for Unsafe Acts, this level involves conditions such as mental fatigue and poor communication and coordination practices, often referred to as crew resource management (CRM). Not surprising, if fatigued aircrew fail to communicate and coordinate their activities with others in the cockpit or individuals external to the aircraft (e.g., air traffic control, maintenance, etc.), poor decisions are made and errors often result. Figure 1. The Swiss cheese model of human error causation (adapted from Reason, 1990). But exactly why did communication and coordination break down in the first place? This is perhaps where Reasons work departed from more traditional approaches to human error. In many instances, the breakdown in good CRM practices can be traced back to instances of  Unsafe Supervision, the third level of human failure. If, for example, two inexperienced (and perhaps even below average pilots) are paired with each other and sent on a flight into known adverse weather at night, is anyone really surprised by a tragic outcome? To make matters worse, if this questionable manning practice is coupled with the lack of quality CRM training, the potential for miscommunication and ultimately, aircrew errors, is magnified. In a sense then, the crew was set up for failure as crew coordination and ultimately performance would be compromised. This is not to lessen the role played by the aircrew, only that intervention and mitigation strategies might lie higher within the system. Reasons model didnt stop at the supervisory level either; the organization itself can impact performance at all levels. For instance, in times of fiscal austerity, funding is often cut, and as a result, training and flight time are curtailed. Consequently, supervisors are often left with no alternative but to task non-proficient aviators with complex tasks. Not surprisingly then, in the absence of good CRM training, communication and coordination failures will begin to appear as will a myriad of other preconditions, all of which will affect performance and elicit aircrew errors. Therefore, it makes sense that, if the accident rate is going to be reduced beyond current levels, investigators and analysts alike must examine the accident sequence in its entirety and expand it beyond the cockpit. Ultimately, causal factors at all levels within the organization must be addressed if any accident investigation and prevention system is going to succeed. In many ways, Reasons Swiss cheese model of accident causation has revolutionized common views of accident causation. Unfortunately, however, it is simply a theory with few details on how to apply it in a real-world setting. In other words, the theory never defines what the holes in the cheese really are, at least within the context of everyday operations. Ultimately, one needs to know what these system failures or holes are, so that they can be identified during accident investigations or better yet, detected and corrected before an accident occurs. The balance of this paper will attempt to describe the holes in the cheese. However, rather than attempt to define the holes using esoteric theories with little or no practical applicability, the original framework (called the  Taxonomy of Unsafe Operations) was developed using over 300 Naval aviation accidents obtained from the U.S. Naval Safety Center (Shappell Wiegmann, 1997a). The original taxonomy has since been refined using input and data from other military (U.S. Army Safety Center and the U.S. Air Force Safety Center) and civilian organizations (National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration). The result was the development of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). 1.2. Accident investigation methods During the last decades, a number of methods for accident investigation have been developed and described in the literature.The selection of methods for the needs of our study was made on the basis that they are described in the literature, they show the evolution of accident investigation over time and they are either widely used or recently developed. Based on these criteria, the following methods were selected: 1.2.1. Fault tree analysis (FTA) FTA was developed in the early 1960s by the Bell Laboratories (Ferry, 1988). In FTA, an undesired event (an accident) is selected and all the possible things that can contribute to the event are diagrammed as a tree in order to show logical connections and causes leading to a specified accident. FTA is more an analytical tool for establishing relations; it does not give the i

Death Penalty: Capital Punishment and Violent Crime Essay -- Argumenta

Capital Punishment and Violent Crime Hypothesis Most Americans are pro-death penalty, even though they don't really believe that it is an effective deterrent to violent crime. Those who are pro-death penalty will remain so, even if faced with the best arguments of anti-death penalty activists and told to assume the arguments were absolutely true. Violent crime Violent crime is a major problem in the United States. According to the ACLU, the violent crime rate rose sixty-one percent nationwide over the last two decades, making America one of the most dangerous countries in the industrialized world to live in. Americans are seven to ten times more likely to be murdered than the residents of most European countries and Japan are. Government's inability to make headway in the effort to solve this intractable problem, despite high-tech policing, stiffer sentencing, massive prison construction and the return of the death penalty in many states, has increasingly frustrated a fearful American public. Politicians have used this fear and frustration over the past few decades to position themselves as "tough on crime". Every election brings more debates about the causes of violent crime, and the possible solutions, including most importantly, the death penalty. According to most polls, over sixty percent of Americans favor the death penalty. A politician who runs on a pro-death penalty platform is always on stable ground, whereas an anti-death penalty candidate, such as presidential candidate Michael Dukakis in 1988, faces an almost insurmountable problem. This, despite mounting evidence that the death penalty is not a deterrent to violent crime. Capital Punishment In 1976 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the d... ... would be more immediate to a would-be murderer, and would be more of a deterrent. Another answer could be that some problems, such as violent crime, seem so big and unbeatable, frustration and anger come into play. Americans may be at a point where they don't care for arguments or statistics, or whether it works or not. It is a strong statement as to what we believe is right and wrong. I think the final answer lies in retribution. It seems to be an ingrained American trait. For proof, look at what passes for popular entertainment in movies and television. The final emotional pay-off of almost every movie is to see the arch-villain die in some hideous fashion. Movies where the big, bad guy we really hate learns his lesson and reforms are extremely rare. It is a gut level reaction to see someone get what he or she deserves, and revenge is a powerful emotion.

Mathematical Ethics Essay -- Math Philosophy Aristotle Papers

Mathematical Ethics Philosophers since antiquity have argued the merits of mathematics as a normative aid in ethical decision-making and of the mathematization of ethics a theoretical discipline. Recently, Anagnostopoulos, Annas, Broadie and Hutchinson have probed such issues said to be of interest to Aristotle. Despite their studies, the sense in which Aristotle either opposed or proposed a mathematical ethics in subject-matter and method remains unclear. This paper attempts to clarify the matter. It shows Aristotle’s matrix of exactness and inexactness for ethical subject-matter and ethical method in the Nicomachean Ethics. Then it probes a resultant puzzle from the matrix, namely, the HL model of the happy life without consideration of mathematical justice (Bk. III) and the HJL model of the happy life with such consideration (Bk. V). Finally, it examines Aristotle’s twofold rationale for differentiating these two models in his overall moral feedback loop system: differences in the intel lectual virtue of good deliberation; the priority of friendship over justice for the happy life. This suggests Aristotle saw no objection either to using mathematics as an aid to ethical decision-making for a happy life, or to mathematizing at least some parts of an ethical theory of eudaimonism. I. The problem of math ethics in modernity and antiquity Mathematizing ethics to become scientific ethics has long been a dream of some philosophers, dating to both the Academy and perhaps the Lyceum. In modern philosophy Jeremy Bentham, (1) G.E. Moore, (2) and Nicholas Rescher (3) have tried to mathematize ethics. Such mathematizations square with Quine's view that mathematizing inexact things by way of exact methods marks a successful reduc... ...participants. It misses the mark methodologically, or, as Broadie likens it, it is "playing at ethics" or even a "perversion." It is, as Aristotle sees in the Nicomachean Ethics, a deception, since the underlying longitudinal assumption is that someone thinks they can become good by talking about the good without doing good and without being impacted by doing what they have chosen in a moral feedback loop system. (1105b 13-17) Furthermore, such maturation theories overlook the iterative dimension of moral decision-making with feedback loops and filters in the development of moral character — including the possible use of mathematical ethics in the manner of Aristotle, who seems to have steered a middle course between complete reductive mathematization of ethics and an apriori resistance to even a partial mathematization of ethics. "Not too much and not too little!"

the future of capitalism Essay -- essays research papers

Third World History Book Report . This book report reflects upon the writings of Lester C. Thurow in his 1996 book - "The Future of Capitalism". Thurow is a professor of economics at M.I.T. School of Management and has been a contributing editor to the Newsweek journal. "The Future of Capitalism" is an analytical look at the state of world economics in the late Twentieth Century. Thurow predicts the future of capitalism based upon recent trends in empirical data combined with his own political/economic analysis. Central to this book is a powerful analogy that Thurow uses to communicate his ideas and thoughts to the reader. The distribution of wealth in the world is likened to the surface of the earth - parts of the earth are characterized by high mountainous regions (areas of wealth) while others are of lesser altitude (areas of poverty). In Geology, it is understood that the earth's surface is constantly in a state of flux, impacted by gradual movements in the tectonic plates that float upon the earth's molten inner core. The five tectonic plates affecting the earth's surface (distribution of wealth) are analogous to the driving forces behind changes in world economics; the molten inner core represents the flowing currents of technology and ideology. Thurow contends that movements in the "plates" caused by ideological and/or technological changes can be gradual, having an imperceptible impact on the world's population or they can be sudden with far greater social consequences . When tectonic plates move suddenly, they cause earthquakes on the earth's surface; the distribution of wealth is changed over a very short period of time. In this analogy, periods of rapid change caused by sudden movements in the plates are equated to times of "punctuated equilibrium". Thurow describes "punctuated equilibrium" as fundamental changes in the state of world economics that redefine what it takes to be successful and thus increase one's wealth. By their very nature, periods of "punctuated equilibrium" threaten the status quo, the Midas touch is weakened, what was successful in the past might not be so in the future. "The Future of Capitalism" asserts that we are living in a time of "punctuated equilibrium" and that successful ... ...mained unchanged for millennia. For these countries, the "western way" is a formidable threat that must be thwarted at all costs. When a country's culture is synonymous with its religion, a threat to that culture leads to a rise in religious fundamentalism with often-violent consequences. Sadly, Thurow's prediction of rising religious fundamentalism rings true today. Thurow's book is a rational, well-communicated analysis of world economics. His arguments are based upon sound intuitive reasoning supported with the appropriate empirical analysis. Thurow's use of analogy to communicate his subject is the most impressive aspect of his book. The use of "plate tectonics" accurately reflects the inner workings of world economics; the drivers of change are not obvious to the average bystander. Thurow's book should be mandatory reading for those politicians with an adversity to looking beneath the surface; too many policies target the effect and not the cause. "The Future of Capitalism" stands out because it motivates the reader to look beneath the surface; it provokes a new way of thinking about the world in which we live.