The Importance of Hospitality in Ancient Greece versus The Dark Ages Es

In ancient Greek society, the mistreatment of strangers was considered to be a serious offence. Hellenic culture was encouraged to cultivate ethics, an attitude of welcome, and was very proud of its hospitality to strangers. The Greek word for hospitality, philoxenia, literally means â€Å"love of strangers†. Homer might have had such a definition in mind while introducing the theme of hospitality in his epic poem, The Odyssey. His idea correlates with those of his time. I realized in the sixth episode (The Princess and the Stranger) that the reason for such a prominent position on this theme made by the author was due to the importance of this subject in society at a time of strong belief in divinity and superstition. However, in a similar story that takes place in another part of the world, in another period of time, we once again come across the same theme of hospitality. This is the story of Tristan and Isolde, a sweeping tale of love and loss, based on a timeless Celtic myth of star-crossed passion. In both of these timeless classic stories, the main storyline begins when a young, beautiful princess finds a lost, foreign stranger in desperate need of help. Whether it is by providing vital medication for a poisoned wound, or simply providing the necessary tools for bathing and clothing, both these princesses greet these strangers with unquestionable hospitality and generosity, and eventually fall in love with them. After hearing of Odysseus’ bold and courageous adventures, the Phaecian princess, Nausicaa feels compelled to provide him with everything and anything he needs. â€Å"But now, seeing you’ve reached our city and our land, / you’ll never lack for clothing or any other gift†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Book 6, line 210) She then takes him b... ... In terms of storyline, hospitality also plays as a big role on the turn of events and on the direction in which the story takes its main characters. In both tales, it is hospitality that at first invites suffering and predicament, and later concludes the story in irony, the basis of tragic storytelling. Without conflict, a love story is just that, plain and dull. It is the struggle and hardships of others that comforts and entertains us, enabling us to escape the harsh reality that is our lives. Whatever the reason for hospitality, be it a socially acceptable norm due to the circumstances of the times, or for the sake of protection against gods or invaders, hospitality plays a very important role in the two stories The Odyssey and Tristan and Isolde. It portrays the vital aspect in ancient Greek culture, as well as the importance of random acts of kindness.

Brian Clarks Play Whose Life Is It Anyway? Essay -- Brian Clark Whose

Brian Clark's Play "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" The play "Whose Life Is It Anyway" by Brian Clark was made into a stage play and film. The television play was made in 1972 and the stage plays in 1978. In the play,† written by Brian Clarke, the intense argument of committing Voluntary Euthanasia is discussed. The main point of the play, Ken Harrison, once an imaginative, devoted sculptor, is involved in a terrible car crash. Following a long operation, Ken is paralyzed from the neck down; he is informed that he may never be able to move his body ever again. Brian Clark in a similar way uses different characters to show a different view of Ken's possibilities. Dr. Emerson thinks Ken's life is precious and should be kept at any cost, no matter what Ken's wishes are. Dr. Scott also wants Ken to stay alive but values Ken's opinion and thoughts more than Dr. Emerson, she thinks sympathy a lot. Dr. Travers shows a view on Ken's problem, he sees it the same way as Dr. Emerson, and thinks of it as a mental patient wanting to commit suicide, and is happy to back up Dr. Emerson in a court of law, and also sees it as doing a favor for Dr. Emerson, no matter what he finds whilst talking to Ken. In order to make the play more dramatic the debate further Brian Clark uses a dramatic point. The point is that before Ken suffered his accident he was happy and wanted to go on living, but at that time people listened to him and he could have argued a point and people would have listened to it. Now that Ken finds himself in a situation where he doesn't want to go on living, few people want to listen to him: 'Only my brain functions unimpaired but even that is futile because I can't act on any conclusions it comes to.... ...uthanasia is becoming his decision. The lights out at the end of the play represents kens decision to follow euthanasia if the light would have been left on then he may have decided to live. Euthanasia should not be made legal because it will be easily misused unnecessarily. Euthanasia would not only be for people who are "terminally ill", it will become non-voluntary. I also believe that Euthanasia is a rejection of the importance and value of human life. Emotional and psychological pressures could become overpowering for depressed or dependent people. If the choice of euthanasia is considered as good as a decision to receive care, loads of people will feel guilty for not choosing death. Financial considerations, added to the concern about being a burden could serve as powerful forces that would lead a person to "choose" euthanasia or assisted suicide.

Mark Antony’s Speech

How does Mark Antony persuade the crowd to reject the conspirators in Act III. 3 of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? During Mark Antony’s compelling speech, he uses various techniques to convince the crowd that the conspirators are murderers not legends. Because the plebians were easily swayed, Mark Antony had this opportunity. To make sure the crowd took his points seriously, Mark Antony has to appear fair and wise. He knows that the plebians are strongly in favour of Brutus, as Brutus has just given them a speech, so if he starts by accusing Brutus, no one would listen to him.Therefore, at the beginning of his speech, Mark Antony was saying that Brutus was â€Å"noble† and â€Å"honourable†. Mark Antony approaches the crowd discernibly. As his arguments grow stronger, the crowds begin to realize that Brutus and the conspirators are wrong. Every time he calls the conspirators â€Å"honourable†, it becomes more ironic and sarcastic and the people start believing it less. To oppose Brutus' claim that Caesar was a heartless tyrant Antony recounts â€Å"how dearly he loved Brutus.Also, Antony humbles himself as â€Å"no orator, as Brutus is† hinting that Brutus used trickery in his speech to deceive the crowd. After that Antony reveals to the crowd Caesar's will, in which â€Å"To every Roman citizen he gives, to every several man seventy-five drachmas† as well as land. He then asks the crowd, â€Å"Here was a Caesar, when comes such another? † which questions the conspirators ability to lead. Finally, Antony releases the crowd and utters, â€Å"Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou course thou wilt. After this the crowd riots and searches out the traitors in an attempt to kill them. Mark Antony shows that Caesar was compassionate and that he had a big impact on Antony’s life that he can never forget Caesar: â€Å"My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar. † He claims that they ar e so close that whenever one hurts, the other does too. He starts crying and the crowd understands what he’s going through and we can see this when one plebian says, â€Å"Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping. † Antony then teases the crowd with Caesar's will, which the beg him to read, but he refuses.Antony tells the crowd to â€Å"have patience† and expresses his feeling that he will â€Å"wrong the honourable men whose daggers have stabbed Caesar† if he is to read the will. The crowd yells out â€Å"they were traitors. â€Å"Honourable men† and have at this time completely turned against the conspirators and are inflamed about Caesar’s death. Even though in his speech Antony never directly calls the conspirators traitors, he is able to call them â€Å"honourable† in a sarcastic manner that the crowd is able to understand.He starts out by pointing out that Caesar had refused the crown three times, which refutes the cons pirator’s main cause for killing Caesar. He reminds them of Caesar's kindness and love for all, proving Caesar as innocent. Next he teases them with the will until they demand he read it, and he reveals Caesar's ‘gift' to the citizens. Finally, Mark Antony, leaves them with the question was there ever a greater one than Caesar, which infuriates the crowd. Mark Antony is able to eloquently manipulate the crowd through remarkable rhetoric skills and turn them against the â€Å"honourable men†.

Essay on the Next Global Stage

[pic] SEMINAR CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Essay on ?The Next Global Stage ? By Kenichi Ohmae 2005, Pearson Education, Inc, publishing as Wharton School Publishing, New Jersey. ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY HONOLULU, HAWAI July 2007 Introduction In his book, The Next Global Stage, Challenges and Opportunities in our Borderless World, the author Kenichi Ohmae, one of the world’s leading business and corporate strategists, makes the key point that Globalization is a fact, here to stay and unstoppable.In addition, we are moving to the next global stage, led by the world elite of â€Å"internet-ians†, a kind of global tribe, and our leaders in a borderless world. Ohmae does not question at any moment the sustainability of the global world growth model, nor the principles that rule globalization, nor the human rights of different countries, nor any other values. He accepts that profit and the prosperity and even wealth are part of the capitalist global world .Those countries, re gions more so in his terminology, corporations or individuals that do not have the flexibility to adapt to the new reality will be wiped out by the economic and social forces emerging and leading globalization. The author explains in detail, the key drivers of the globalization, such as the â€Å"no theory† of the economy dynamics, the leverage of the fundamental platforms for success and growth, the English language of Microsoft PC operating systems, or the prevalence of global brands.He points out the new face technology is giving the world and examples of governments which put economic prosperity at the forefront of their agendas, independent of the political system, i. e. China, other non democratic countries and countries with a political system based on individual freedom. Ohmae focuses on the technical capacities and skills that the leaders of the new global world must have in order to succeed in it.It is a very interesting book that offers a vision of economic growth where the main objective is to attract the money in the form of investment, local or foreign, to those areas that make the shortlist of most interesting places to invest and create wealth. Ohmae describes the skills needed to prosper in it and the characteristics of efficiency and competitiveness that attract investors. His viewpoint is that of the capital, without considering the freedom or human rights issues in human social and economic growth. In this sense the book is controversial.It does not question Globalization and explains with very good arguments the roadmap to success in it. The preeminence of the capital over any other production factor or human development is assumed. Ohmae is one of the most famous strategists, business persons, and academics in business and management theories and practices. He admits that traditional economic theories do not work anymore and that the case study approach, based on learning from the past and traditionally followed in western universi ties lacks relevance to the future and is obsolete to analyze and learn about the new realities.He is a believer in innovation and leadership as a means to improve the skills of future business leaders (and political ones, independently of their ideology, paradoxically enough). I am going to analyze, develop and comment on the main ideas contained in this important book, recommendable to all those dealing in the development of economic, business and management theories and practices. Whether one is a practitioner or an academic, I think that many of the ideas are very relevant to our global world. If you want to succeed in it, this book contains many recipes for success.The question that I will be trying to answer throughout this paper is whether you can skip the question of the model of economic growth in a sustainable way for the planet. And therefore for humanity . I will add my ideas to the analysis in the conclusions. I will start my analysis of the book by discussing the key i deas. Part 1: The Stage The world as a stage World wide music tours are a symbol of globalization . The author uses â€Å"Riverdance†, the Irish musical with its Celtic music and Irish dancing, as a metaphor for the global economy.It is originated and performed by participants of different nationalities and is enjoyed in many countries or ‘stages’. It is an encapsulated example of players in the global stage. The global economy is invisible, but its effects are evident throughout the world. We are players on the global stage and we all feel its effects, no matter where they take place. Ohmae says that China is the country that is benefiting the most from global economy, especially those regions like Dalian, that have an approach of being attractive with incentives to attract direct foreign Investment or DFI .China cannot be seen as a unity but as a group of regions with different approaches and levels of political and economic independence. In reality, those regi ons are competing with one another for investment and resources, not from China, but from the outside world. Ohmae explains the examples of two countries that have embraced globalization, such as Ireland and Finland. The first by attracting DFI and the second one by embracing the internationalization as the natural situation, plus the innovation and knowledge based economies that both countries promote.They have taken the whole world as their natural market, and they have not been economically nationalistic. What is the Global Economy? x Borderless Tariffs are disappearing, but borders still exit for people and goods for the sake of security and safety. But in terms of the key factors of business life, the world has become borderless. These business factors are designated as the four C’s : communications, capital, corporations and consumers. -Effective communications, with the development of internet in the mid-1990s onwards the world is getting truly borderless. The second C , capital, aided by the deregulation of financial markets, is also a beneficiary of a borderless world with the US dollar the monetary platform of the globalization so far. -The third C, corporations, have been successfully responding to the globalization by locating their functions in different countries, that is to say, for example, R&D in Switzerland, Engineering in India, Financing in London, etc. -And the last C, consumers, enabled by the internet to compare prices and products and making much more informed choices.And also the products are made in different countries, e. x. its fabric in one country, its assembling process in another and its design in a third one. . Invisible Transactions and settlements of money now take place mostly on and through computers. Plus the B2B trade exchanges, or as C2C auctions. Most ATMs around the world give money in the local currency with foreign credit cards. There is no way that governments can know what you have withdrawn and spent abroad or how much you have spent with a credit card to purchase goods and services across national borders. Cyber connected The global economy would not be possible without the cyber technology allowing large amounts of data to be transferred incredibly quickly. The internet is only the most public part of it. Voice over IP (Internet Protocol) is rapidly facilitating and making cheaper the communications. Everything and everybody with access to the internet can connect. . Measured in multiples â€Å"Money makes the world go round†. Money is the main and almost single value in the global economy.Shareholders demand to take advantage of business opportunities with expectations of profit. Ohmae states that the current globalization process is in its infancy and more changes, many of them permanent, will go on to benefit the world. Globalization is an opportunity to create more wealth and prosperity, as long as one has the recipes or skills necessary to succeed in it. His view contrast s starkly with the negative opinions of these same features expressed by other ecology-oriented authors and economists.In my opinion, we have to be positive and within the global stage and develop the skills that represent an evolution ofhumanity towards a better stage,provided that using those characteristics to create economic incentives are based on the maintenance and regeneration of the sustainability of the planet. In other words, I think that adding new â€Å"values in the market† economy can direct or redirect development towards those sustainability values, such as protection of human rights, freedom, democracy and protection of the environment.In my judgement, that is where some of the defenders of a collectivist approach to development are wrong. The human individual thrives in a free global stage that protects and promotes the right values with a regulatory framework based upon freedom and democracy, so the planet can increase its wealth and reach all the corners of it. Opening Night: Globalization started with the most important Earth-changing event . The opening night of capitalism spins around the information and telecoms revolution, with Bill Gates as the epitome of this new era.The fall of Soviet communism was due to the opening of Russia (The Soviet Union) thanks to Gorbachev and his reforms with the â€Å"glasnost† (transparency). This was another key change towards a borderless globalized world. The dollar as the world currency after the agreement of the G5 in New York, and the flexibilization of currency exchange rate. The Fiscal revolution to combat Budget deficit in the 80’s in the USA was another key factor for the fiscal revolution in public finance management.Both helped the globalization process at the beginning of the 90’s. The Microsoft eruption and accessible information technology and software have become a commonplace communication tool in today’s world and is the key technological factor for t he new global stage. The coming of China into the world economy, with their reforms accepting efficiency and prosperity and private property with the famous, †one country, two systems†, claimed by the Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping, and the continued by Zhu Ronji, was not short of a revolution.China now exhibits capitalism in its rawest form. And finally, the internet at the beginning of the 90’s and the development of the world wide web with its common hypertext language allow millions to communicate and has changed profoundly our way of living and working. These are facts and Ohmae is right when he says that they are here to stay and that the global stage is spreading more and more, not confined to an elite, but affecting an ever growing part of the world population.Turning our backs to them would not be rational, these situations give more freedom to people, companies and politicians all over the world and should not limit Freedom, which is the most impor tant human value, but enable societies to protect the weak and provide equal opportunities for people to make their own choices. Each of us knows better how to make decision for ourselves. Certainly better than governments. The idea is that Politicians set up frameworks, where fair values, not only profit rule, and allow the arket, with its limitations watched upon to bring prosperity and redistribute wealth with human criteria for the general benefit of all individuals. I do not believe in limitations on freedom, be it political, social or economic freedom. Countries with no democracy cannot claim that everything goes at the expense of prosperity. In other words, the Singapore model vs the Chinese model or the western model. For me prosperity does not justify political or human right limitations. The end of Economics The Global economy is not a theory, it is a reality.Not even economists understand how it works. The old masters theories and the well known parameters do not work any more. Economic theories are used to explain causalities, especially within a country . The problem is that national economies do not exist anymore. There is no model to explain the global economy as such, because we are dealing with many parameters and variables, and so many units of economy, so many new financial products, bonds, hedge funds, and so many derivatives and multiples, that make it almost impossible to establish a mathematical economic model.The theory of complexity is more suitable to approach this new 21st century economy, fundamentally different from the 20th century one. Part of the paradox that surrounds economic theory is that it is often divorced from the world in which it has been developed. The Author cites several classic economic theories from old masters such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, or Keynes that explain the reality around them. However, the global economy of today needs new thinking to tackle its realities.The technological revolution has transformed geopolitics, including turning obsolete the nation-states. Economic environments are constantly changing and are difficult to encapsulate. The liquidity of money, says the author, is another feature of the global economy. There is a constant flow, no absorption anywhere; absorption would cause inflation. Traditional economic theory cannotexplain this either. Technology and deregulation have liberated money from national economies. Money flows to areas of highest return, no matter where that is.Money has not patriotism. There is an over liquidity. Deflation’s antidote was inflation according to the theories of some famous economists (Paul Krugman) but the Japanese example contradicts the theory. Consumers know better than economists what is good for them and what to do with their money. Another aspect of monetary policy that the advent of the global economy has altered is the position of interest rates. More and more individuals save, for instance in a â€Å"portfolioâ€℠¢ of assets in the global world in the world stocks exchanges and the different currencies.The theory of complexity was developed because the traditional linear theories could explain less and less the complexity of the world, the relationships, the behaviors, the expectations of individuals, corporations and governments. There more and more thinkers, academics and business people who, like Kenichi Ohmae, see a parallel between the global economy and the world of complexity. Predictability, or more so the lack of it, is one. A small change in one variable can have a huge and inexplicable impact elsewhere. Traditional theories tended to think that equilibrium was the natural state of economic systems.Nobody is completely sure of how the very recently developed global economy works. The old economic paradigms that supported the classical theories have been broken, but despite that many countries, or governments find difficult changing habits, the old interventionism, or â€Å"touchin g a key† to obtain a result is still in place, but with sometimes opposite results to those expected. Those who do not understand the new economic paradigms are liable to become the victim of someone else who does. In the developed world the economic policy should focus on asset appreciation, which has much bigger impact than increasing the flow of income.China, the author says, in one of them. So, in summary, some the characteristics of the new economic paradigm of the global world according to the author, are: . For the first time in human history, prosperity and riches do not depend on existing wealth. In the global economy, there is no need for mineral resources or colonies, or any other â€Å"traditional† resources. A country or a region can attract foreign investment to create prosperity . The world has an excess of capital. There is plenty of money always looking for places to invest. A regions has to show worthy of consideration.Regions know that they are in a b uyer’s market and that they have to compete for investment. Investment means prosperity. . Size no longer matters. The need of an internal substantial market is not necessary anymore. International success is accessible to countries with small populations, i. e. Nokia in Finland, Ireland, etc. I agree fully with the book’s ideas about the end of the old economic theories. The complexity of the borderless world, where individuals, corporations and governments try to maximize their return on investment is the reality of today.The global economy still has to produce its theorist, with the permanent state of flux and metamorphosis as a defining characteristic. We see how the global economy emerges in front of us, but it is difficult to grasp. Those who understand it and use new thinking, succeed. Innovation and productivity for competitiveness are the real drivers. Part 2: Stage Directions. Playmakers For the author, the geographical and economic unit of the global economy is the region. Not so much the nation-state which, despite its political importance, cannot be viewed as an economic unit within the global economy.That is why political economy studied in classic economic theory is obsolete. The nation-state had its own currency and its natural territory and economic boundaries. With the global borderless economy, that notion is overcome. This idea is relatively new and revolutionary, and not ‘politically correct’ for some as it suggests governments should have a subsidiary role in the regulations of economic transactions. There is a group of economists and thinkers closer to the political â€Å"left† that oppose to this notion.In their opinion there should be more regulations to protect the nation-state citizens from the global economy, capitalists and multinationals. Indeed they argue there should be less international trade and more national barriers and clearly defined borders to protect the life style of the citizens withi n and that the market and the capital not only have profit as the only value, but others such as the environment and sustainable growth, influencing the market forces to adapt to a more â€Å"human† global, but local economies.This is a central confrontation in terms of vision of the global world and the political consequences. It will be a central debate for the sustainability of the world and its social, political and economic consequences. In his explanation of the rise of the regions, versus the nation-state, the author mentions several examples, like Singapore, Ireland, the Tokio region, Dalian and Guangzhou in China. Some of these regions are component parts of old nation-states; others spill over existing borders.Ohmae says that globalization is a liberalization of individuals, consumers, corporations and regions from the legacy of the nation-state in which they belong. Eventually the information available to each of them will give them the wisdom of choice, r. e. Part 1: The Stage Whether a consumer buys the best and cheapest from anywhere in the world is also their choice and not the decision of the government. Likewise corporations will shift eventually to the best host regions. Ultimately is a competitive world and one that will discipline all members of the global village, because wealth will migrate national borders. Platforms for ProgressThese are the developments that have promoted human progress; what the author calls the platforms for progress; that is to say means of allowing companies or individuals to communicate with each other to get things done more quickly and efficiently by enhancing communication and delivery, and creating the common standards accepted by the players. Technology platforms: These include operating systems, (Microsoft), personal and corporate computers, the HTML programming platform for writing web pages (Java), the internet, the World Wide Web and its applications like online transactions, shopping in the cybers pace, etc.The Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) and the versatility and affordability of telecommunications. Language: The English language is the linguistic platform of the global world. Many critics see it as symptomatic of US dominance and cultural imperialism. Attempts to impose other languages, like Russian in the old Soviet block of communist countries have failed totally. English language is spreading all over Asia where it is synonymous of business success. Being bilingual in your own mother tongue and English will become the norm, not a special skill.The US Dollar: The reason is historical and practical and dates from the end of WWII (mid 40’s). Many countries trade in the US dollar, e. x. North and South America, Australia, oil producing nations and Asian countries such as China and Japan. This puts the US in a privileged position, although, the recent trend in the importance of other currencies is balancing the situation versus the dollar and creating a group of gl obal currencies, such as the Euro, the Yen and the Chinese Renminbi. Other Platforms: These include ‘Branding’ in the global economy.The majority are American, but more brands from other regions of the world are becoming global. Global business culture; the global jargon of business is understood across borders. The ATM platform; this allows cash to be dispensed from locations far away from your locality. The credit card and smart cards platform. GPs platform, and other platforms are becoming available to a large number of users in a global world and those doing business need to understand this. Out and About Another issue shaping the global stage is the business process outsourcing (BPO).This means business optimization and refers to the relocation of sources and resources. Again it is the the Telecommunications revolution which drives BPO. An immediate benefit has been the reduction in costs. However, BPO is one of the most controversial aspects of global economy, see n by some as a capitalist exploitation of the poor, a new way of making money at the expense of poor countries, creating new global economy â€Å"slaves†. India (also Ireland) has benefited the most from BPO (again the English platform).The author defends this new form of globalization arguing that it facilitates the distribution and spread of wealth in a more effectively and efficiently than development aid. The money goes directly to individuals rather than potentially corrupt government agencies. The increased prosperity in India and Ireland is undeniable (other examples include China and the Philippines). Ohmae defends BPD as a source of wealth for poorer countries and criticizes those myths and half truths about the â€Å"sweat workshop† cliches, claiming these stem from western fear and insecurity about the loss of white collar jobs.The view from those countries is radically opposite. Cross-border BPO, is yet another example of the borderless world. Many clerical jobs have been replaced by computers and companies outsource more and more functions in search of cost reductions and competitiveness. It is natural that some of the better and cheaper operators should be found across national borders. Some politicians and intellectuals have a different point of view. In my opinion, BPO, like everything else in life has a right and wrong approach to it. If the conditions for fairness and other values other than just profit are introduced, the advantages outweigh the isadvantages. A global effort is needed by international political institutions to guarantee that exploitation by multinationals is not allowed. I believe in market forces over governmental control. In other words, if market rules penalize companies that do not comply with international norms of fair work then they will have the incentive to change. More so than a compliance with national regulations open, in some cases, to corruption, lack of transparency and consequently disregard for human rights. Breaking the chains The internet and the portal are becoming more and more important in the global stage.The search engine is the best â€Å"travel† guide and helpmate for internet users as they move through billions of pages in the cyber jungle. This is creating the emergence of â€Å"cyberites† or â€Å"netians†. This group of internet users has a tendency to follow behavior patters that Ohmae classifies in theorems. . Theorem 1; internet users for five years or more tend to think, act and behave similarly. They want to buy the best and cheapest from anywhere in the world. They are confident that they can live well under the liberated regime of a truly global environment. Theorem 2; (Age-10/10) is the number of years to become a real cyberite according to the non-scientific observation of the author. It takes longer to unlearn accumulated 20th century assumptions and myths depending on your exposure. The younger generations have less difficulty in learning the rules and games of the cyberworld. . Theorem 3; Cyberite as proactive consumers. People are passive when watching TV. They want to be entertained. By typing the names in a search engine cyberites are more likely to discover or buy something.The payment systems are a fundamental part for the development of internet. In fact, security is one of the issues that prevent people from buying and trading in the World Wide Web. Improvement of the security will increase the number of cyber transactions. More companies are introducing security and convenience to internet payment systems. The final part of the net revolution is logistics, or the physical distributions of goods. The new technologies have created many new business models, from the case of Dell, to Amazon, Zara and others.Parcel delivery companies have grasped the opportunity to become global logistics business partners with the outsourcing of that important function in the global world to many companies. Time and distance are barriers. This ‘barrierless’ global world is a psychological shift that shapes our understanding the global economy and its benefits. We consume items from any cornerofplanet,becausetheyareavailabletousasglobalconsumers. Part 3: The Script Reinventing Government Governments are losing their power in this global world. Some do better than others, and decentralization is happening within their countries.Nevertheless, strong central control is something of the past, Ohmae argues. Today’s intellectual battle is between the old and the new. Governments are wealth distributors, not wealth facilitators. They create wealth only through taxation. That is the way many people experience governmental intervention. The best taxation is the simple one explained in the book and also the fact that money raised from taxation should be invested in the places it is raised. As distributors of wealth, governments have gone the way of developing welfare states and welfare economies.They protect national industries, even if they are inefficient and weak globally, at the expense of the taxpayer. The distributive state is when distributed wealth is spread evenly and fairly throughout the country. Governments of the future must seek to facilitate rather than frustrate. The public service of any country must be prepared to work more on short term projects with identifiable goals as is the practice in the majority of European countries, rather than enter into a permanent employment regime. A pragmatic approach is necessary. A Vision for ChangeGovernments need to have a vision for the future, not only one developed by politicians, but by all social agents, which identifies national strategy and policies in an open and transparent way and reach all layers of society. It must not be just a mere collection or words and aspirations, but identify clear, practical and obtainable goals. Democracy should be used to reach majority consensus. Naturally coming with t his vision is not easy. First because of the political fractions in a country, then because we now live in a borderless world and can no longer put national interests first.And finally because we live in a cyberspace and are bound to the TIC (Telecommunications and Information technologies) . Mapping the future These are the fundamentals to develop a viable vision for a country: . It must empower individuals .It must invite capital from the rest of the world .It must maintain an even keel Government vision. These are things Governments can do: . Be ambassadors for new technology .Diminish the hindrances for capital flow .Eliminate obstacles for companies to attract the best people, skilled workers or managers .Minimize bureaucracy .Specialize the country around a competitive advantage A truly visionary government is dedicated to education. A highly educated work force is necessary to add intellectual value to the country or region. Workers in all areas should be educated in being ve rsatile and open-minded. Possession of disciplined thought processes and the ability to approach problem-solving are always the areas one can build upon and apply in many different areas. To this end, further education or skill acquisition should be made easy.The internet and broadband technology make attending and participating in learning from remote locations possible. A new Role for the Government Governments have been involved in providing education, but their role should change to being a member of a team and open up to the private sector involvement. Education and the school system represent one of the best ways in which governments can teach the citizens of the future about changing roles. But world reality is not very encouraging. Many governments, on the contrary, want to set up barriers to protect their national economies.There are examples of countries and/or regions with different characteristics, that are successful in the government involvement and the understanding o f the global economy. Some regions of China, Scandinavian countries, Ireland or Singapore are among them. In each there is tradition of interventionist government action, especially in the economic sphere. In different ways they have given more, by doing less, often providing only the initial impulse and vision and the right background conditions, but thereafter sitting on the sidelines. The Futures MarketGovernments must change, but the global stage, change is both necessary and inevitable at three fundamental levels: . Technological- Technological progress has the capacity to reshape countries . Personal- Individuals must become more proactive and more adaptable . Organizational- The emergent corporation will be homeless. It will be adaptive, focused on innovation and unencumbered by needless hierarchy or the psychological baggage of the past The technological Future Technological progress means that industrial death is increasingly a fact of business life.The rise and fall of com mercial enterprises is part of the landscape. Each technological wave usually has its victims, those who were unable to change in time. Time has been compressed. The history of the digital camera is just an example of this. Big companies like Kodak and Fuji are facing restructuring. Or the music and cinema industries with the emergence of the internet and the digital technologies. Something similar can be said about telephony, with the rise of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and its impact on Telecoms. The personal futureNo matter where they are, individuals will have to learn to adapt. A job career for life is a concept to be discarded. Another change will be the accepted norm that life always gets better and that workers, no matter their education level, can look forward to an incrementally improving lifestyle, leading to a post-retirement soft-landing, in which almost all their needs are provided for. People will have to learn to be lifestyle mangers. Flexibility will be cent ral to success. Success in the global economy will also depend on good leadership. This is true with regard to a region-state, or a company.Good leaders need vision but must remain pragmatists. Leaders must value information and innovation. One of the most important assets that a leader can possess is a flexible attitude to his/her role. He/She must be intuitive and able to change. The Corporate Future Uncertainty is another feature of the global economy. Paradoxically this provides opportunities for those brave and adept enough to adapt. The global economy is new. The rulebook remains unwritten. Nobody knows what will work. The best way forward is to try anyway and to learn from your mistakes, then try again.The author dismisses the case study method followed by universities, arguing business needs to be done in new ways. Notions from the past cannot be applied to the future. Companies need to commit to the global economy wholeheartedly, unless they want to be absorbed by others. C ompanies will be homeless. The traditional link to a nation-state will disappear, the relationships will be different, because their business will be widespread. The notion of headquarters is giving way to the reality that the market is open 24/365, the market never sleeps.The natural state of the homo economicus is movement. Innovation is another feature of global economy. And whatever innovation system a company may establish, the innovation of new, better, more efficient, cheaper, more convenient products and services will be permanent; Business systems, products and services, customer relationships and internal staff relationships, will become four key areas for innovations. Companies also need to learn to adapt their identities and shift their business models to adapt to market changes. More and more corporations will have to be like living creatures.The traditional military-like organization that companies have today, based on hierarchy will also have to be adapted. The old py ramid will not survive. The control focus organization will evolve to other forms of flexible, innovation-focused organizations. The next Stage The Region as the unit of the global economy will continue to rise. There are many examples, from Vancouver, to Sao Paulo, Estonia, Ho Chi Ming City or the Baltic Corner, that have been the chance to put together some of the right features to succeed in the global economy. The formula for success is not too complicated.What is complex is the need to unlearn the legacies of the nation-state and acquire new skills to work with global businesses. These regions now compete to attract investors to create wealth, and to this end are marketing themselves as brands to make potential target group investors aware oftheir competitive advantages. Conclusions Ohmae’s definition of the Globalization is described as one global stage where players act in an ever changing plot, brought about by the information technology and telecoms revolution which defies physical and political barriers.A network of powerful machines create, analyze and synthesize information in milliseconds. The information within them is easily and instantly available. The traditional nation-state is an obstacle in many instances to the functioning of this global network. All regions, not nations, of the world, fight and compete with each other to attract money and investment to create wealth in their territory. Traditional economic thinking is obsolete to explain such globalization. Knowledge and education are more important thantangible natural resources, locations or previous sources of wealth.Governments, businesses and individuals can only prosper through flexibility and pragmatism. The world is going through a globalization process , that is both inevitable as part of the natural human evolution and unstoppable ,because of the incentives that produces . The Global economy is a reality not a theory. Globalization is in reality unknown even for those who succeed in it. The features of the global economy are : borderless, invisible, cyber connected, and measured in multiples ,where profit or money is the single most important value.The complexity of the global economy is such that no existing theories can explain it There are many variables that change constantly and create unexpected effects, and the theories and mathematic model that explain complexity can’t be proved empirically. Ohmae does not defend the suppression of the state, but with what I consider good judgment, thinks governments should not try to do things for business, but should allow business to do things for itself.However, he does not emphasize the fact that governments should create the political framework that guarantee the human rights, freedom, and education for people to be able to be competitive in a fair world with a consensus on the big questions of life, including democracy, sustainable growth and basic moral and/or human values in the performance o f the companies. It would be as though the free Market can increase the value of those companies that comply with those â€Å"general framework conditions†, and not only profit determines the value and/or performance of corporations.This may sound like â€Å"wishful thinking†, but I believe the market can better guarantee the sustainability, efficiency, freedom and prosperity of humanity than government. The difficulty, of course, is how to reach that â€Å"general political framework†. World leaders need to search for it and, in my opinion, this will be the single most important issue for world sustainability and prosperity. It has to be the next big revolution. The Humane Political Revolution.

Overtime vs Hiring: A Case Study Essay

Abstract This report aims to address the debate over whether it is more beneficial to hire new employees when faced with shortages, or cover the shifts with overtime. The issue is examined from the viewpoint of Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, and takes into account factors and costs as found therein. This report includes a graphical comparison of the costs associated with each option, and analyses and discusses the greater expense of hiring. One of the most debated topics in management is whether it is more beneficial to hire new employees or pay overtime to increase production or coverage. Many factors go into this decision, including benefits, duration of the period of extra work needed, and even type of work involved. In Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, this issue gets more attention than at most places of business. Minimal staffing levels, union regulations, and round-the-clock posts – among other factors – conspire to make this decision one that is faced often. When all factors are considered, is it better for the department to hire new officers when coverage is lacking, or to utilize overtime to staff positions as needed? Executive Summary In almost all instances, it is more cost-efficient to fill gaps in coverage with overtime rather than hiring new officers in this department. This report will examine the factors involved, analyze the financial implications, and discuss exceptions to the findings. Explicit and implicit costs to the department will be discussed, along with their relevance to the decision-making process. This report will also compare the costs of new hires and overtime to find an equilibrium point beyond which the decision should change, and introduce the concept of diminishing returns. Finally, it will summarize the process and discuss application. Definition In Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, there is a minimum level of on-duty staffing required at all times. Department employees are licensed, uniformed personnel belonging to the Transit Workers’ Union, Local 241. Management is required to ensure sufficient coverage on a daily basis, while conforming to the guidelines of the collective bargaining agreement. Sick time, vacation time, requests for guard services or special details, and emergencies such as natural disasters can create shortages in coverage that need to be addressed. Failure to cover these openings is not an option, and so management is left with two choices: hire additional full-time personnel to cover the openings, or pay overtime – at the rate of one-and-one-half times normal salary. Spending large amounts on overtime raises concerns in multiple areas, such as yearly budget reviews and union negotiations. This report aims to examine the issue in depth, and decide which option is mor e fiscally appropriate in a given situation. Factors and Costs As previously mentioned, there are numerous factors that influence this decision. The following are the most critical points that must be considered: * Department employees are unionized. Due to contractual agreements, the department must maintain all currently occupied positions. Any vacated position must be filled, somewhere in the department; for example, if an officer resigns, the department must fill that vacancy, whether in the same position or laterally, or be found in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. * Note that this is regardless of shortages, and only applies to permanently vacated positions. If the department has three extra officers on a given tour, and one resigns, the department may not continue to operate with two extras; rather, it is necessary to hire a new third extra. If an officer goes out on extended disability, however, it is not contractually necessary to fill that opening. In these cases, the department can cover the shortages, if any, through other means. Hiring remains an option, but the mandate to retain positions applies to newly created positions as well. In effect, if a new officer is hired in this situation, and the disabled officer returns to duty, the department is now obligated to keep both positions filled permanently and has a new minimum level of staffing. * New hires are paid at a rate of 80% salary for the first two years, then 82.5% the third year, 85% the fourth year, then 100% from year five on. * Overtime is paid at one-and-one-half times salary for any work done beyond 40 hours in a week. If an employee works a shift during all 7 days of the pay period, work done on the 7th day is paid at twice salary. * Any mandatory overtime performed without at least one hour of advance notice is paid at double time. This is relevant because when electing to not cover openings with additional personnel, any emergency shortages could lead to mandatory overtime without notice. * Most posts on campus require continuous coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This means there are three distinct tours with their own unique dynamics for coverage. The 8Ãâ€"4 tour, for example, has the highest concentration of senior officers, meaning they accrue more vacation time than junior officers. The summer months are obviously prime time for vacation picks, and two officers are allowed out at a time during summer. This means that summer vacation time is booked solid on the 8Ãâ€"4, so the tour is perennially short two officers all summer. Also, as a medical research facility in addition to a university campus, there are more posts open during the 8Ãâ€"4 tour than any other. As a result, it makes a difference where the shortage occurs. * Shortages on the night tours are easier to absorb, because there are fewer posts, but there is also night differential to consider: any officer working between 4pm and 8am makes an extra stipend of $1.80 per hour for night differentia l. As a fixed bonus separate from salary, however, night differential has no impact on this decision, as shown later. * New employees must be trained for a minimum period of one month before being able to assume post unsupervised and unassisted. This not only reduces the utility of a new hire for the first month, but also reduces the utility of the officers assigned to train him or her. * The department provides, as a service, officers for hire on campus for special events. The department charges $50 hourly for this service per officer assigned. If there is extra coverage on the tour during which the guard service is requested, an officer may be reassigned from a non-mandatory post, at a significant savings to the department. By using already assigned personnel as opposed to paying overtime for another officer in addition to the scheduled non-mandatory officer, the department can significantly reduce the overtime budget. For the purposes of this report, it will be assumed that no overtime is covered in this way, to preserve an empirical comparison of salary costs. * Officers are paid hourly, and thus are a variable labor cost. If the amount of time worked during a pay period changes, the officer’s salary for that period will change accordingly. For the purposes of this report, it will be assumed that labor costs are fixed. All officers not assigned to overtime always work exactly 40 hours per week, and those assigned to overtime always work in increments of exactly 8 hours per additional shift. Docking pay for tardiness will be disregarded. * The department pays an amount equal to 37.7% of each officer’s salary for his or her benefits package. This payment remains in effect so long as the officer is on the University’s payroll, whether or not he or she actually works or is paid. Officers on vacation, sick leave, or disability still incur this cost. While the cost of benefits itself is highly relevant, and will be used extensively in analysis, the fact that disabled officers still incur this cost even when not being paid by the department is not relevant to this discussion. Measurement In trying to determine how best to fill coverage, the most obvious comparison is between costs of a new hire and overtime. As previously stated, overtime is equal to one-and-one-half times salary (S). Cost of overtime can therefore be represented by the equation COT=h(1.5S), where h represents hours worked. New hires, who incur a cost of 37.7% of their salary, have a cost of CNH=h(1.377S). New hires always have a starting salary of 80% of full pay, while officers working longer than two years have a gradually increasing pay scale. One eight hour shift of salary at the rookie wage scale is equal to $149.20. For a third-year officer, that rises to $153.84, then $158.56 for a fourth-year employee. Finally, upon completion of four years of employment, the wage scale tops out at $186.48. A new hire will always work 5 shifts a week, leading to CNH=5(1.377)(149.2), or CNH=1027.24. COT, on the other hand, varies based on how many shifts of overtime are required that week, and the seniority of the officer performing the overtime. Plotting those equations against each other leaves us with the first graph below, labeled Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Overtime at Each Level of Seniority. As expected, officers receiving full pay cost significantly more to cover with overtime than any other officer, but even at that escalated rate, there would need to be shortages in excess of 3 positions per week to justify hiring a new officer. For all other levels of seniority, 4 shifts of overtime could be covered per week at a lower cost than one new hire. In order to simplify the situation, this report will henceforth take an average of the salary levels and assume that all officers working overtime earn that rate of pay. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Overtime at Each Level of Seniority After applying this assumption, full pay is removed as an outlier, and it becomes always less expensive to fill four shifts of overtime than to hire one new officer. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Average Overtime Rate for Day Shift As seen in these graphs, the presence of night differential increases cost equally across the board, and therefore has no impact on this decision. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Average Overtime Rate for Night Shifts Analysis The graphs provide striking evidence that new hires are significantly more costly for small to reasonable shortages, seemingly four or fewer per week. However, due to the nature of the department, this is an underestimation. Since all three tours need to be covered, and officers must contractually be assigned to a stable tour, each tour must have its own graph. It is clear in every graph above that if there are five or more shifts of overtime per week, it is always less costly to hire a new officer; this is not completely accurate. During a given stretch, if there were expected to be 6 shifts of overtime that need to be filled each week, but the shifts are distributed evenly, with two shortages per tour per week, hiring one new officer will not account for five tours of overtime, but two. As presented by Bob Thomas (2006, p.13), â€Å"adding officers does not automatically reduce an equivalent number of overtime hours by the amount of the actual hours worked.† Thomas explains that while adding officers reduces overtime, it also raises costs disproportionately in an example of diminishing returns, an effect found mirrored in the previous graphs in this report. In essence, hiring additional officers beyond a certain point will produce reduced utility with each new hire. Hiring additional officers will add utility, but at a much higher cost per unit of utility, creating an inefficient Summary The measurements set forth in this report clearly show that only the most extreme of shortages justifies hiring an additional employee from a cost-effectiveness standpoint, but this is not the only factor to consider. Most important among these is the contractual obligation of the department to hire a new officer each time a position is vacated. Fatigue is a concern that is often raised regarding the use of overtime to fill gaps in coverage. Steve Earley’s report for the Riverside Fire Department (2001, p.14) cited studies finding a correlation between the number of hours worked and work-related injuries. The department has already taken steps to mitigate this, as employees are prohibited from working longer than 16 consecutive hours, and are strongly dissuaded from working 7-day weeks. Overtime is also distributed in a rotation, by seniority, so that no one officer has significantly more overtime opportunities than any other. In conclusion, the data is so compelling that whenever possible, shortages should be covered with overtime rather than hiring. Works Cited Earley, S. (2001). An Analysis of the Utilization of Overtime Versus Hiring Additional Personnel. Riverside, CA. Thomas, B. (2006). Corrections Overtime Planning Study. Olympia, WA.

Methods of Instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methods of Instruction - Essay Example Reasons why it is mostly used by instructors are as follows; the instructors don’t have enough time to plan, lecture method is flexible hence can be used in any content delivery and deemed simple. Demonstrations Method This is when the teacher or instructor is showing the students a process or a procedure e.g. scientific process, computing procedure or way of doing things like cooking. The students involved in this process hence they are less passive. Questioning Method This is where the instructor lectures but in the process questioning the students most of the time. Exercise 2 In this exercise, interactive method as an instruction method is used. This method facilitates interaction between the instructor and the learner .Gaining knowledge based on unity and teamwork. The communicative approach involves sharing of experiences, knowledge and personal values. The class is divided based on the stated above features. The course I am teaching is aesthetics. I would divide my class into discussion groups. In this case, the students’ interest is different. This will be depending on their number, the subject discussed and the students’ level of knowledge and abilities, and finally their interests among others. Each group is given a list of items to be discussed. Since it is an aesthetic class, the main topic is the influence of aesthetics studies to the teaching of other subjects namely mathematics, history, art, music, and influence on teaching literature. Each group of students is discussing, related to a specific subject of their interest. The only common cause, the students have is that they share certain common aesthetic course units from where clear relations identified. Each of these groups is by a chosen leader who is spearheading the discussion. With aesthetic education, subjects like art, theatre and music are more subjective in ms of their evaluations , they offer a separate view to the learning experience that rest of the courses do no t. This type of education is not being taught with aim of teaching learners to become theoretical aesthetics. It is part of tolerant arts learning made to widen perspectives. In teaching music the discussion should touch on the fact that aesthetic educators are familiar with deep musical values hence is very supportive in this subject teaching. Teaching history is the education on culture. Many historical activities traced to cultural mores and beliefs. Aesthetics is part of this culture. Understanding the cultural context of the society, to trace its development (Jeanne 27). Exercise (3) Using of Wikipedia Group Project The group project in Wikipedia very effective academic discussion topics which the students can access. Blogs are just online journals used to share ideas by different people on a given subject topic. The ideas and reflections open to public or private. Students are able to form an online discussion group where they reflectively write and share information on classr oom topics. The basic step is to select how the group is going to communicate .Decide on one particular time that all students are able to access the internet services. Then the article discussing about this will be my subject area of teaching importance of taking aesthetic studies. My introductory statement would read: Aesthetics is one of the courses taken in

Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Essay

Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Learning and Teaching - Essay Example This not only soothes him but wakes in him a wish to excel in his academic life. This is called inclusive practice. The students’ participation in the teaching process is also a form of outcome as is considered as important as the teaching and the learning process itself. The whole process is beneficial enough for the educator as well because knowledge is being shared by working with students and thus improved learning is made possible. The learners or those who are using the services bring out their own ideas and innovation and thus the teacher tends to be at a more informed teaching position. According to Ross (2006), â€Å"Inclusive Practice is good practice, and is also about human rights and anti discriminatory approach to mental health. Inclusive practice underpins  anti discriminatory  practice and is  the practical way  in which we put our equality   policies/agenda into action.† 4. Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice An ideal curriculum design fo r inclusive practice in schools with the aim of improving children’s health and social care should, according to linear tradition theory, help the students make predictions and decisions and efficiently solve the problems by bringing out examples from real life. For example, the curriculum should be flexible enough to accommodate paper and pencil discussion along with the use of the latest technology based tools. It should eliminate the gap (as proposed by the gap theory) between the teacher and the students. Moreover, an ideal curriculum should encourage the students to work in groups in an informal environment where teacher does not act as a boss or a dictator; rather, the students act their own instructors. They discuss the topic among themselves; ask each other questions; and, try to... This report approves that an inclusive practice curriculum design not only focuses on lesson plans and syllabus, it also arranges extracurricular activities for the children and â€Å"includes approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, the quality of relationships within school, and the values embodied in the way the school operates†. A good curriculum maintains an easy but intellectual assessment criterion to assess the capability level of children as to what they have learnt. It should be able to accommodate the latest technology based teaching and expertise so that the disabled children are also able to get individual learning offered by the ICT tools. It should provide opportunities to the students to better cooperate with the teachers and with peers. This essay makes a conclusion that designing a perfect curriculum that guarantees inclusive practice, especially in children residential schools and care houses, is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the concerned school authorities. It as â€Å"a continuous, cyclic process† which involves an extensive decision-making process so as to meet the learners’ needs efficiently. The curriculum should be able to adjust both the curricular and non-curricular activities so that the students tend to learn different aspects of life and try to apply this learning in different areas of their personal lives. This way, not only they will be able to meet the academic demands of their curriculum, but also they will be able to excel in their everyday lives. Thus, inclusive practice is vital to engage students in the teaching process to eventually enhance their learning process.