A Working Community – Ellen Goodman

Goodman quotes from her dictionary that geographically a community is defined as a â€Å"body of people who live in one place† and that in the past we â€Å"were members of precincts or parishes or school districts.†Perhaps if people in the past were asked what â€Å"a community† was to them, this would be the definition they would give. Over the years however, people have been increasingly spending more time in their place of employment rather than in their home.Goodman points out that in today’s societies many of us only use the community in which we live – our home – in order to sleep. Communities are becoming more a group of people who get to know each other and interact regularly. They gather around a concept or common goal or interest. Rather than belonging to a community in which we live, we increasingly create â€Å"a sense of belonging† in the workplace – within the community in which we find ourselves most of the time. 2.   Goodman also points out that not only has our â€Å"sense of community †¦ moved from office house to office building† but that â€Å"the labels we wear connect us with the members† and that â€Å"we assume we have something in common† with them. In modern society this notion of assigning labels to oneself and others is becoming more evident.People do this because they want to feel a sense of belonging, a sense that they have things in common with others. A problem not mentioned in Goodman’s article however, is that not only do we assign labels in the workplace, but we tend to describe most people by assigning labels. These labels most often contain assumptions, which in turn become stereotypes3. According to Goodman, in the same way that we have â€Å"replaced our neighborhoods with the workplace,† we have replaced our â€Å"ethnic identity with professional identity.†She goes on to state that the most obvious â€Å"realignment of community† is in the â€Å"mobile professions.† In today’s society many professionals are required to move from city to city in order to fulfill their work. They are able to â€Å"put roots down in their profession† rather than in their place of residence (residential community). This intensifies the shift from home communities to workplace communities and the sense of identifying oneself in terms of profession rather than self.4. Goodman begins her article by providing a few scenarios of people she knows and how they belong to different communities. Most readers would be able to associate with somebody or some community, so by doing this she is setting the scene for her readers; she is appealing to their sense of belonging from the onset and involving them emotionally from the beginning.In fact, she continues to do this throughout the article, especially by using the first person plural pronoun â€Å"we†. She does however, attempt to rationally appeal to her readers by presenting many scenarios and examples to support her arguments but she provides no real facts or figures in support.Her examples need to be extended to give real examples rather than continually referring to issues in general terms. She makes reference to researchers asking Americans what they like best about work but again only in general terms; she doesn’t provide any real evidence of what Americans say.Ethically, she appears to be knowledgeable and reasonable and she certainly tries to establish common ground with her readers but she falls short in not providing any consideration of opposing views.5.   â€Å"Bi-cultural collision† as discussed by Nhu in â€Å"Becoming American in a Constant Cultural Collision† is similar to a â€Å"loss of community,† in that they both refer to a movement of people – a realignment from one â€Å"sense of belonging† to another.

Strategic Analysis & Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Analysis & Planning - Coursework Example With such widespread popularity, it would appear that Microsoft made a lucrative and rational decision to acquire Minecraft in order to secure a more profitable strategic position in the international gaming market. However, the acquisition of Minecraft was an all-cash agreement that cost Microsoft $2.5 billion, which is a substantial financial risk in terms of expenditures for the acquisition in an environment where Mojang, Minecraft’s original developing company, only earned $326 million in revenues in 2013 (Stuart and Hern 2014). With the assumption that Minecraft manages the same revenue-producing capabilities year-on-year, it would theoretically take Microsoft 6.1 years to recover the just the cost of the acquisition of Mojang. This report conducts a strategic analysis of this acquisition in order to determine whether this was a shrewd business decision and whether the $2.5 billion acquisition can effectively serve the strategic objectives of Microsoft. It should be recognised that there is not a specific strategic business unit at Microsoft that is being evaluated as in 2013 the firm restructured the organisation in an effort to consolidate global business operations. The firm desired to unify the company and believed that this reorganization and consolidation would contribute to greater control and innovation production as a result of incorporating established SBUs (Ludwig 2013). Hence, strategic analysis will consider Microsoft as a newly-combined firm that now has inter-dependencies controlled centrally in areas of production, development, marketing and strategy. Michael Porter (1987) introduced his Five Forces model which describes the potential competitive forces that pose risk to a competing business, a framework for projecting future competitive activity and potential for profitability over an extended period of time. Figure 1 illustrates Porter’s

Defining Leadership and Providing a Brief Overview of Leadership Essay

Defining Leadership and Providing a Brief Overview of Leadership Theories - Essay Example Thus, a leader may also be described as a person with the authority and/or the position within an organization capable of influencing the people around them and making decisions that people around them are willing to follow. There are 5 different types of leadership styles2 namely Directive (Authoritative), Delegative (Free Reign), Participative (Democratic), Consultative and Negotiative. Directive (Authoritative) Leaders are characterized as individuals who instruct their employees on the ways to perform a task without allowing them much leeway to give their own thoughts or display independence. The leader exercises firm authority over his employees and makes sure that they follow his rules and guidelines in performing a task. Delegative (Free Reign) Leaders, segregates and hands out the tasks to their employees and allows them to make decisions and decide on how a task should be performed. However, as the leader will still be held accountable for the decisions made and the fact tha t this style is not entirely democratic, situations may arise whereby employees may be assigned work rather than being allowed to participate actively on how a task should be done or completed. ... They often motivate their employees with incentives or words of encouragement to push them in the same direction as the rest of the team. 2.0 Case Study Analysis 2.0.1 Leadership at Swatch In my opinion, the leadership paradigm displayed at Swatch is that of the Consultative style. Although the leadership lies on both Hayek Senior and Nicolas Hayek Junior to drive the organization forward, they allow their employees to contribute and participate in brainstorming for new ideas and allows for new project teams to come up with ideas. Leadership seems widely distributed across the Swatch Group with only a small number of positions existing to ‘head’ different sections. The Group does not believe in bureaucracy and has very little formal hierarchy. The employees are given the discretion to develop ideas and lead project teams in their own areas. There is room for growth and independence for the employees working with Swatch. Based on the case study, it would seem that the org anization is quite dependent on the energy and influence of the Hayeks as both senior and junior Hayeks are very involved in the business. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide ‘hands on’ assistance to various levels of needs in the Group. Although leadership seems widely distributed across the divisions at Swatch, it is mentioned that if the Hayeks dislike a product or idea, the company’s morale is said to decline but morale is notably high if the Hayeks are behind an idea. That clearly shows how important the Hayeks are in the organization. In terms of securing the future leadership of the organization, Hayek Senior has placed members of his family in significant positions within Group to ensure the longevity and growth

Emotion and moods in organization behaviour Essay

Emotion and moods in organization behaviour - Essay Example Emotions have been proven to be a significant contributor to our daily mental life influencing the eminence of our being. Researcher and psychologists have pointed out that, emotions make life worth living to people by being making them be receptive to certain environmental stimulus (Giovann, Petrella, Blasi, Zontini, & Nolfe, 66). Emotions help as do determine what people whom we interact with feel towards us. People know how their partners feel about them by looking at their facial expression. Tonal voice is also a key determinant which helps to evaluate a human’s true feelings (Charmine, Neal, Ashkanasy & Zerbe, 46). There are two main categories of emotions. They include the complex and simple emotions. These two categories are further subdivided into positive and negative emotions. Common emotions which are normally depicted by human beings include anger love, hatred, depression, and joy and happiness etcetera. Mood Mood is an expression of emotion which is perceived to b e long lasting state. Moods can take a longer duration of time to last taking even up to a couple of days. As compared to simple emotions, moods are less intensive. Literary, when someone is in a negative emotional condition, the person is said to be in a bad mood. On the other hand, positive emotions induce good moods (Ashkanasy, Neal & Cary, 24). Sources of emotions and moods A variety of studies have been conducted to identify sources of particular emotions evoked to an individual. Positive incidents are bound to have an effect on positive mood and emotions which are positive as well. Conversely, negative occurrences influence the negative moods for those who have emotional imbalance. To make an illustration, let us consider two employees who work in a particular organization Ashkanasy, Neal & Cary, 26). Employee A has a high level of emotional stability while his counterpart B scores low. One day, both the employees are notice that there is a bonus to be granted for each of thei r sale. Soon after, their boss passes by and scolds them for no obvious reason. In this circumstance, it would be expected for the one who is mentally stable to remain solid because he focuses only on then news with helps him achieve maximum happiness Ashkanasy, Neal & Cary, 24). The news with negatively affect employee B due to his emotional disadvantage of emotional instability hence he will get demoralized that faithful day. It has been noted that some people’s emotions depends on the time of the day and day of the week. Weekdays are known to the working days where most people are busy running various errands. Nevertheless weekends are special days of the week where individual getting to relax and take a rest from their busy weekday schedule. This means that you will find a majority of people in their best mood during weekends Ashkanasy, Neal & Cary, 27). Monday is a week day that you will find a bigger section of the populace in their worst mood due to Monday blues. Early in the morning, it is expected to find many individuals lowly spirited. Our moods revive in the course of the day and a projected decrease during the evening hours. What time people go to sleep at night or what time they wake up necessary impact the level of positive implication Positive influence peaks up in the midst of when one wakes up and when one goes to bed? At work place, how well we interact is depicted in midmorning and later in the week. A couple of people

To kill a mockingbird Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

To kill a mockingbird - Essay Example Whether well-meaning or ill intentioned the town’s journey spanning three years reveals both optimistic and pessimistic sides of human behavior, and teaches that you must look within yourself – not to your neighbors - to decide what is right and wrong. Set in the Bible belt southern state of Alabama in the 1930’s, To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on the town of Maycomb and the racial tension of a lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. Though everyone knows the black man, Tom Robinson, is innocent, times have not progressed sufficiently that a white woman would be proven to be a liar over the word of a black man. Several townspeople know that this thinking is wrong, but only one white person openly flaunts his beliefs that blacks should be treated no different than white folks. This man is Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Scorned by whites for living with a black woman and producing mixed children, Mr. Raymond doesn’t have an easy time of it with the black population, either. He is, however, one of the few people who live what they believe in and try to set an example for others who might change the ways of the future. Despite his preference for the company of Negroes, Mr. Raymond is respectful of the inabilit y of the white people to comprehend his way of life and therefore pretends to be a drunk. As he explains to Jem, Dill and Scout one day when they discover his secret, â€Å"It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town†¦ folks can cay Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey – that’s why he won’t change his ways† (p. 204). It is a unspoken (and mostly unknown) compromise that allows the town folk to pity him instead of hating him. Another contribution to the story is that of ignorance and how it can be used to shame others or to learn to â€Å"put yourself in their shoes† as Atticus suggests several times throughout the novel. One example of this ignorance is the plight of Miss Caroline

A Critical Discussion on the Issue of Gay Marriage Essay

A Critical Discussion on the Issue of Gay Marriage - Essay Example For the purpose of arguments, the term traditional marriage will represent a marriage between consenting adults of opposite genders, and the term gay marriage will relate to male/male, female/female as well as transgender marriage. One could argue that the majority of arguments against gay marriage are moralistic in nature. The first such example is those gay relationships and by extension gay marriage are forbidden by most religious texts. By contrast, traditional marriages are held up as the preferred model using religious texts. According to Eckholm (2011), it was identified that homosexuality in regards to the Christian faith was not in accordance with God's law on sexual morality. Some people who oppose gay marriage would do so because they differentiate between religious and civil unions. As such, some people only recognize religious unions and in specific terms oppose the idea of the state overseeing and approving marriages. As gay relationships are forbidden in religious text s then gay marriage would represent a sort of sacrilege and people who adhere to a religious lifestyle may oppose gay marriages for this reason. ... From this perspective, it could also be argued that gay marriages represent a sort of slippery slope that will ultimately lead to the destruction of traditional marriages and by extension the collapse of 'traditional' society. The reasoning behind this argument is that in the eyes of some people who oppose gay marriage, the very institution of traditional marriage is for couples to raise children in a wholesome family-oriented environment, and these children go on to live productive lives and raise children of their own (Presumably also in a wholesome family environment). As is the case that gay couples cannot conceive children on their own, then gay marriage will be built on a foundation that is not considered traditional. As such some people who oppose gay marriage would do so as a means of preserving traditional societal norms.  

Quantitative risk assessment Essay Example for Free

Quantitative risk assessment Essay Monte-Carlo simulation is carried out using a large number of computations, using a computer, with random inputs. This method is particularly useful when it comes to â€Å"predicting† the outcome a complex eventuality. Typically, the Monte-Carlo simulation is useful when predicting the outcome of a large number inter-related factors that are â€Å"uncertain†. Predictivity using Monte-Carlo simulation is far more accurate where variables under consideration are many, uncertain and random. For this particular reason, using Monte-Carlo simulation for this study is the best choice as there are many uncertain factors that need to be analyzed for computing a risk assessment. In this study, the first step begins with the production of meat and ends with health effects that meat can probably induce in consuming subjects. There is a large interplay of uncertain factors, and the entire food chain model proposed in the study has inherent variability across most levels. 2. What comment would you make about the source of data used for the concentration of E. coli in cattle feces? Prevalence and concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was used to assess the level of contamination of the meat. The level of contamination of the meat is a pointer to the probable exposure that a consuming subject could possibly have, to E. Coli. Concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter is directly related to factors like seasonality, geographical properties, and feeding practices. However, the data related to concentration of E. Coli in the cattle fecal matter was constructed without consideration for these factors. Data used for concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter was obtained using enrichment methods. The results show a wide bipolar variation, from as low as undetectable E. Coli levels to as much as 5. 0 log10 CFU/g. The data for prevalence of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was obtained from previously held studies. However, only data from those studies was used, that primarily aimed at detecting E. Coli prevalence rates in cattle fecal matter for beef that was supposedly slated for human consumption. 3. What comment would you make about the following: †¢ modeling the distribution of feces on carcass as Uniform? Slaughtering invariably causes the fecal matter to come in contact with the meat. Skinning a carcass will lead to contamination of exposed meat due to contact with the hide. Although, fecal matter is the main source of bacterial reservoir, the nature and number of agents that can directly or indirectly participate as contaminating agents is uncertain. However, the concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter is directly proportional to the extent of meat contamination. The distribution of fecal matter on carcass surface is uneven. A dilution factor was used as a model simplification. †¢ modeling fecal contamination only on the carcass surface? As a fact, E. Coli are present in the fecal matter but not inside red meat. Contamination of red meat, therefore, occurs only when fecal matter comes in contact with it. This will usually happen during slaughtering, and the following processes like packaging and trimming. For this reason fecal contamination has been modeled only on the carcass surface. 4. Briefly (less than 500 words), discuss the practicalities and likely success of implementing each of the proposed hypothetical mitigation strategies in the paper. The author has proposed three hypothetical risk mitigation strategies for risk reduction. However, the strategies have been proposed to reduce risk as per mentioned figures, assuming that the strategy is being implemented and the desired goal is being achieved. For instance, the first strategy of regulating storage temperature control norms shows a reduced risk to over 80%. Practically, this strategy can indeed cause a large risk reduction but a protocol will need to be developed that incorporates all the levels of the proposed beef-cold-chain, starting right from the farm to the retailer. Even with a concrete legislature to make sure this strategy works, it needs to be evaluated how far would this strategy prove to be practically enforceable. With definite legislature, a good compliance can be expected out of this strategy and apparently this strategy is far more practicable, and could prove successful. Pre-slaughter screening proposes to reduce risk by over 46%. However, more variables like feeding practices, geographical locations, and seasonal variation (that affect E. Coli fecal load) need to considered, before a definite â€Å"control† level can be instated to rule out slaughters for animals that have more than a certain level of bacterial fecal concentration. The consumer information program, although with a risk reduction of 16%, is certainly a very important level wherein proper intervention can dramatically decrease E. Coli related health morbidity. Even though anticipated risk reduction is only 16%, simple measures like adequate promotional tools, could significantly increase risk reduction through mass communication; the biggest limitation however, is that compliance in this case cannot be ascertained, nor enforceable. Keeping in mind the practical limitations of each of these strategies, a prudent approach would involve application of all the three strategies in conjunct, to ensure greater risk reduction. A good reason for this approach is that due to the uncertain nature of all the factors involved in E. Coli contamination and delivery to consuming host, it appears quite difficult to determine the individual potency of each of these factors, and they would easily remain relative values. ‘Evaluation of MRSA Select, a new chromogenic medium for the detection of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus’ 1. What is the ‘gold standard’ used to assess the sensitivity and specificity etc. of the different diagnostic tests? The sensitivity and specificity of a particular diagnostic test needs to be estimated before the test under consideration can be employed for practical purposes, to ensure that the results obtained are accurate, and of consequence. A â€Å"gold standard†, hence, is an absolute, against which results from a particular diagnostic test are compared. The gold standard, also called as the standard frame of reference, is a perfect test for the given condition, and is 100% sensitive and specific as well. 2. Is the ‘gold standard’ the same for all of the tests? Within the context of this paper, the gold standard used is same for all the tests. The gold standard used is identification of methicillin resistant S. Aureus, from nasal swabs of patients, confirmed for the mecA gene using PCR. 3. Can the tests be compared in this way? Yes, the tests can be compared this way. The same samples (n) were subjected to different growth mediums, to ascertain the presence of MRSA. All these media were specifically designed to promote the growth of MRSA. Hence, depending on the growths shown by these different media, results can be drawn and compared. 4. Are the authors’ conclusions valid? I think that the author’s conclusions are valid. Although, PCR will remain the gold standard in ascertaining presence of MRSA, the application of this procedure, to remain practically enforceable, is quite limiting. For instance, considering the sheer number of samples that an urban community hospital has to handle on a daily basis, using PCR for all instances may not be feasible all the times. In this circumstance, using simple tissue culture techniques would definitely prove to be more desirable, especially with faster results and low costs; like using the MRSA Select that will give results within 24 hours with a sensitivity and specificity over 99%. Moreover, simplicity of the test requires no complex skill set, especially compared with handling PCR techniques. References 1. Fishman, G. S. (1995). Monte Carlo: Concepts, Algorithms, and Applications. New York: Springer 2. Bell, B. P. , Goldoft, M. , Griffin, P. M. , Davis, M. S. , Gordon, D. C. , Tarr, P. I. , Bartleson, C. A. , Lewis, J. H. , Barret, T. J. , Wells, J. G. , Baron, R. , Kobayashi, J. , (1994). A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7-associated bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome from hamburgers: the Washington experience. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 3. Vose, D. , (1996). Quantitative risk analysis: A guide to Monte Carlo simulation modelling. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester England. 4. USDA:APHIS:VS. , 1994a. E. coliO157:H7 issues and ramifications. Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO. 5. Gehlbach SH. (1993) Interpretation: sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. In: Gehlbach SH, ed. Interpreting the medical literature. New York: McGraw-Hill 6. Apfalter P, Assadian O, Kalczyk A, et al. (2002) Performance of a new chromogenic oxacillin resistance screen medium (Oxoid) in the detection and presumptive identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis;44:209–11. 7. Murakami K, Minamide W, Wada K, Nakamura E, Teraoka, H, Watanabe S. (1991) Identification of methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci by polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol;29:2240–4. 8. Safdar N, Narans L, Gordon B, Maki DG. (2003) Comparison of culture screening methods for detection of nasal carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a prospective study comparing 32 methods. J Clin Microbiol;41:3163–6.