Thursday, December 26, 2019

Diversity And Discrimination In The Workplace - 1518 Words

Diversity and Discrimination in the Workplace Diversity and discrimination are taken to have the same meaning to most people but this is not the case. Diversity is more in differ of certain things such as ideas and beliefs while discrimination is more in differ of things such as race, age, and gender. Yes, both are in differ of something but what is important to understand is that they are in differ of a variety of things. Yet it is sad but these qualities happen each and every day in the workplace. It does not matter what kind of work or business it is, there is always going to be some sort of diversity and discrimination. Diversity in the workplace can come from examples such as not following the same ideas as your boss or not being a†¦show more content†¦He/she studied 133 teams across 5 industries in South Korea to see the effect that team diversity have. â€Å"As expected, the results showed that team diversity exerted negative effects on team-learning behavior, Moonjo o said (Moonjoo, 2017).† But, it also shows that groups that had that traditionally good leadership saw the negative affects towards deep-level diversity disappear due to the qualities that the leader had which was bringing the team together to work as one. Also, the teams that had the good perception of support saw that the negative affects of differential attitude towards diversity started to decrease because the leadership actually showed they cared about the people and company. This shows why good and positive leadership can really change an organization for the best because it will motivate the employees to work when they are happy. While most think that any kind of diversity can hurt businesses in the workplace that is not always the case. Actually, cultural diversity has just as much or maybe more benefits then it does challenges. According to the Hult News, one benefit from cultural diversity is it allows an organization to offer a broader and more adaptable range of p roducts and services (hult.edu). â€Å"A broader skills base and a more potentially diverse offering of products and services can help your business to have theShow MoreRelatedDiscrimination And Diversity : The Challenges And Rewards Of The Workplace Essay1942 Words   |  8 Pages Discrimination and Diversity: The Challenges and Rewards of the Workplace David Kiedis Palm Beach State College â€Æ' Abstract This paper will be one that explores some of the challenges that have made up the workplace. Namely the fact that discrimination of people who are considered different than others in the workplace has been commonplace since the dawn of our great nation. By contrasting discrimination with how diversity can be extremely rewarding for businesses and the employees,Read MoreDiversity in the Workplace1452 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction As a general statement diversity refers to the prevention of discrimination in conjunction with the improvement of equality. It’s about valuing differences and inclusion; this is the act of spanning such areas as ethnicity, age, race, culture, sexual orientation, physical disability and religious beliefs. In a global marketplace diversity is theorised as a corporation that employs a diverse workforce in that includes both genders, people of many generations and those from ethnicallyRead MoreDiversity in the Workplace Essay1071 Words   |  5 Pages Diversity in a Workplace Discrimination are more common in workplaces, because some people only think of discrimination as making a distinction and judgment of a person based on color of skin. Discrimination goes far beyond color of skin. A person can be disseminated agonist for their age, disability, gender, religion, or even for being pregnant. In a workplace there are standards and policies in place to decrease the chances of a person being discriminated against. When the staff is diverseRead MoreWorkplace Diversity Within The Workplace865 Words   |  4 Pagesmarket today is workplace diversity. Workplace diversity is defined as all characteristics and experiences that defined each employee as individuals, but it can also be misunderstood as discrimination against employees. Diversity can include race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability and sexual orientation discrimination. One reason why workplace diversity is important is because when you respect your employees productivity rate rises and many companies do not know that. A diverse workplace targets toRead MoreEqual Employment, Diversity And Discrimination1499 Words   |  6 PagesEqual Employment, diversity and discrimination because I feel that these topics are strongly needed in any organization. Employees in the workplace can be discriminated against of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, and so on. Companies need to strive to eliminate any of the various barriers above to ensure equal access to employment, services, and benefits, to both the current and future employees. The author, of a discrimination article I read, statesRead MoreDiversity Analysis : Diversity Management Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesDiversity Journal Diversity Management is the Key to Growth: Make it Authentic (Glenn Llopis, June 13, 2010) Article Summary: In the current fierce competitive global market, diversity management remains critically advantageous if any firm should make progress. Organizations must integrate diversity in their thoughts, actions and innovations. Diversity in organizations goes beyond making numbers to how people are treated in relation to its business model. It’s a time-sensitive necessity inRead MoreThe Australian Workplace Is A Evolving Environment1483 Words   |  6 Pages The Australian workplace is a constantly evolving environment. When we look at the structure of the Australian workplace environment, we can infer that Australia’s multicultural society has broken down the barriers of uniformity. This both contextual and individual concept is refereed to as diversity. Contrary to popular belief, diversity does not jus relate to gender, race cultural identity. Diversity is categorized into four main categories: organisational, internal, external and personalityRead MoreAnalyzing Diversity Within The Workplace1061 Words   |  5 Pagesas a â€Å"melting pot† because of the diversity of its people. People from hundreds of countries with different cultures, languages, religious beliefs, and different ethnicities have come to the United States seeking a better opportunities and a better way of life. Melting pot is defined as â€Å"a place where a variety of races, cultures, or individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole† (Merria m-Webster, n.d.). For the purpose of analyzing diversity in the workplace, it is necessary to also define â€Å"cohesionRead MoreDiversity Is A Practice Of Acknowledging, Understanding, Accepting, And Valuing People s Differences1313 Words   |  6 PagesDiversity is a practice of acknowledging, understanding, accepting, and valuing people’s differences. There is respect for people’s age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental abilities, race, sexual orientation, and spiritual practices. This definition goes alongside with Saint Leo’s core value of respect where the animated spirit of Jesus Christ should be valued by all individuals’ unique talents, while respecting the dignity and striving to commit to excellence in one’s work (Okoro Read MoreGender Based Pay And Promotion Discrimination1104 Words   |  5 Pagesand Moser explore the claims of gender-based pay and promotion discrimination that is fast emerging as the latest challenge for employers seeking to reduce litigation risks. These claims are from recent jury verdicts, pending legislation in Congress, and headline-grabbing court decisions. These court decisions and legislative initiatives raise the specter of a flood of class claims against employers for pay and promotion discrimination. I will use this source for ground for my argument. It shows 500

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Harper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird - 931 Words

Harper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngest of four children. Ms. Lees novel has many characters that have similar characteristics to Lees own family. Atticus Finch was an attorney, while Lees own father was also an attorney, as well as Harper Lees sister, Alice Finch Lee (Kansas).†¦show more content†¦The black population increased, but their representation in government did not (Simon 150). During Harper Lees life, she was likely to have witnessed this same type of injustice and prejudice. With the characters Scout and Jem, Ms. Lee portrays the innocenc e of childhood. She shows how Scout and Jem learn about these flaws in society and how they react to them. 4. In 1929 the stock market crash started the downfall of the economy that let to the Great Depression (Nash 836). Aticus Finch, from Lees novel was an attorney, but even an attorney felt the hard times of the depression. There was an incidence in which Atticus Finch took an entailment of turnip greens from the Cunninghams as payment for legal services (Lee 21). Farmers possibly were hit the greatest by the crash (Freeman 19.) Harper Lee experienced childhood during the depression, just as her young characters did in her novel. Although people were poor, Ms. Lees writings indicate the happiness the children had in their lives in spite of the poverty. Overalls Lee portrayal of southern life in the 1930s was accurate. Having grown up during that time period, she was able to describe the difficulties of living during the depression. She gives the reader a chance to experience life in that time and setting through the eyes of a child. Lessons of life can be felt and experienced, just as her characters learned theirShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mother. With that being said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by H arper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the difference between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee873 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that â€Å"it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil. Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the bird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the sto ry in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was poverty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to children or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establ ishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,Read MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, herRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1547 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† is a classic piece of American literature written by Harper Lee. She illustrates a t heme of the intolerance of prejudice and the quick judgments of others. The book takes the reader back to the 1930’s in a small town known as Maycomb. Harper Lee chose to give the reader an innocent, pure view of the different situations in the book through the eyes of a young girl named Jean Louise Finch who is also known as Scout. To Kill a Mockingbird is a pleasurable read for people of

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Hotel Industry Analysis

Question: Discuss about the Hotel Industry Analysis. Answer: Introduction Service industry is different from manufacturing industry due to intense direct customer participation in whole process, there is direct service encounters and experiences that creates customer satisfaction(Kandampully, 2002). Therefore organizations need to develop robust system that ensure low amount of service failure and high customer satisfaction. This is a service management paper that focuses exclusively on hotel industry service organization blueprint. It aims to evaluate detail service process that take place within hotel, areas that can cause service failure, different functions of front and back office department. It will help in creating a clear picture of the whole service delivering process. Later part also evaluates different strategies for service recovery within organization. Service blueprint can be regarded as tool used for service improvement; it is a visual tool that helps in evaluating systematic process for developing services. It is an integral part of service engineering process that starts with idea evaluation for a service to service implementation in real terms. There are five primary phase of this process, it include new ideas, evaluating firm requirements for services, third phase is service design to plan the performance, fourth is testing the service before launching it to market and final is feedback to evaluate after launch effect through customer satisfaction. Blueprint is the process used for designing the service. Service Blueprint Service blueprinting can be defined as planning instrument that is used to plan innovative services, finding problem in the present services, evaluating quality of services and improving the same. It includes a graphical visual presentation of different services process and activities to foresee future service development requirements. This tool also helps in finding various service failure points that can cause customer dissatisfaction and plan strategy accordingly. Primary objective of this tool is to line up all activities of the whole service execution process, it is planned using strong customer focus therefore covering all areas that might cause service failure, analysing different type of possible service gap and recovery strategies for the same. It is a powerful cost effective tool for service evaluation and planning (Seyring, 2009). Service blue print involve complete service production process, therefore it is crucial to collect information regarding customer requirement from the service provider, required resources for different process and time requirement for the same (Seyring, 2009). There are five key components of service blueprint, it include customer actions which include all actions taken by customers for availing the services; second is onstage action that include visible acts of employees; third is backstage that is invisible employees contact actions; fourth is support process that is divided using internal line process which include actions taken by departments and employees who are not visible but without their action service execution is also not possible and fifth is physical evidence that include all tangible elements that customers come across(Lovelock, 2007). Hotel Industry Blueprint Physical evidence Advertisements/ website Hotel exterior parking Desk registration Papers Elevators Hallway Room Cart for bags Room Amenities Bath Menu Delivery tray Food Appearance Food taste and temperature Bill desk Lobby Hotel Customer action Arrive at hotel Give bell persons bag Check in Go to rooms Receive bags Sleep, shower Call room service Receive food Eat Check out and leave Line of interaction Onstage action greet Take bags Process registration Deliver bags Deliver food Process check out Line of visibility Backstage action IT department Take bags to room Take food order Line of internal interaction Support process and IT Registration system Room maintenance, facilities Prepare food Registration system First step of service process is customer seek information regarding the hotel, availability of room, facilities, pricing etc. This information is collected through various sources such as internet, company website, various online hotel booking sites such as Trivago, booking.com etc. Therefore from the hotel end it is crucial that someone maintains strong IT system, integrate various websites and booking system. Customer can plan wither to pay online or direct cash at counter, therefore proper IT integration must be done between company, banks and booking sites. Usually there is time gap between booking the hotel and actual stay at the hotel. After few days of booking customer make a visit to hotel either using his own car, booked car or hotel car as per service availed. This leads to first physical interaction with parking space of the company. Further, customer goes to reception, which is a major customer interaction point to check in. Proper information system helps in smooth and quick check-in process, after several processes of paper check and registration, customer leave their luggage and go to their room. Luggage is picked and delivered to the room by hotel staff. After this customer have direct experience in the room which is impacted through various amenities available in the room such as lights, Wi-Fi, infrastructure, dcor, bathrobe, size of the room, tea, coffee, other wide range of amenities. Now customer can do several act such as eat, sleep, call for room service etc. every service impact customer perception about the service provider. In in-house experience have strong impact on customer perception and the way they represent the brand in their word of mouth. After completing their stay customer goes to lobby for checkout, complete the payment, staffs leaves the customer to their vehicle and bid goodbye. Each stage of the service process has strong impact on customer perception regarding the brand. Front Stage Functions Front stage can be defined as interaction between customer and services. It includes range of activities and steps perform by contact employees that are visible to customer. Action taken by front stage employees has direct impact on customer perception and satisfaction. Various instances when front stage interaction takes place between employees and customers are as follow; When a customer calls up hotel staff for some booking or other information When customer arrives at the hotel and greeted by the staff When customer give their bags to bellboy At the lobby for registration or check in At restaurant visit, food order or room services During bags delivery system at their room During checkout Front stage staff act as the face of the hotel they need to have strong interpersonal skills, they need to behave in friendly and confident manner. While greeting customers staff needs to ensure to welcome them with a smile, eye contact and willingness to listen. Front stage employee need to have the ability to control stress and behave politely during unusual situation also. While handshake with customers it should convey a sense of responsibility to customers. Departments that have active role in front stage services are discussed below; Front desk have prime role to play in a hotel as it create first impression on customers mind, it is also a deciding factor to avail or not to avail services. In hotel industry front desk jobs are generally designated to young and smart people, who are energetic, presentable, available 24*7, strong interpersonal skills and relationship management. Front desk staffs have highest number of customer interaction; they are responsible for various activities such as booking, providing safety lockers to customers, making reservation, interacting over phone, providing various services to customers. Housekeeping is another front stage department that comes into customer contact after hotel check in till their check out. It involve wide range of services such as 24 hour availability of staff, taking food orders, making their rooms, cleaning, laundry services etc. Food and beverage department: This department is in interaction with customers by taking their food and beverage related orders over phone or at restaurants, conference rooms etc. waiters, bartenders and restaurant managers are primary front stage staff in this department, they need to behave in friendly, courteous and polite manner. Backstage Functions It include the part of service chain that customers cannot see but they provide key services in the value chain process and help front stage staff to complete their tasks (Talwar, 2006). There are several back stage services that supports smooth service delivery in hotels. The job of back end starts prior to room booking also. Hotel use various promotional tools such as websites, booking sites, travel agents and direct booking options. A strong IT department, software and its proper management is crucial to ensure hassle free customer experience, integrating bookings made through various sources, ensuring real time display of online booking status at different platform. Hotels now days also use live chat options on their website to answer customer queries and bookings. These employees need to interact with customer, provide information etc. After taking various orders such as laundry or food the back stage work starts. In case of food, kitchen staff and chef need to follow hygiene standards, high quality of food and safety norms. Different other back stage staff category in hotel include security system managers who checks room, security of customers, staff who take baggage to the room, hotel engineering staff who are responsible for managing lights, electricity, elevator etc. Moment of Truth It can be defined as the period or moment when customer encounters the services that involve a direct interaction. According to Lovelock it is the time when customers have direct interaction with service employee or any self-service platform, whose experience will have direct impact on customer perception regarding the service provider. There are three types of service encounters, over the phone, remote and face to face encounter. Poor staff behaviour can lead to customer dissatisfaction. It is the most critical moment for service provider as experience at this stage can lead to service dissatisfaction or high satisfaction. Each moment of truth is an opportunity to hotel staff to enhance customer experience, deliver high quality and increase chances to get customer loyalty and future business (Widjaja, 2005). Different scenarios when moment of truth takes place in hotel industry are discussed below; First is during hotel information search, sometime customers calls at reservation department for collecting information regarding various facilities, location and tariff from the hotel staff. At this stage staff behaviour, ability to listen to customer with patience and answer their queries has strong impact on customer decision to avail the service. Second is during booking a room in the hotel, this might involve customer interaction with front office staff, who will be responsible for explaining room, its amenities, completing paper work, registration etc. Staff politeness and behaviour needs to provide confidence and faith to customer on the brand selected by them Third is during check in the hotel, here different parameters such as availability of proper signage, behaviour of the valet parking staff, the parking area, the self-check in machine needs to work properly, if customer encounter problem in check in, it might cause dissatisfaction and bitter customer experience (Bebko, 2001). Fourth moment of truth is during availing any of in-house services by customers, whenever customer ask for any service, it involve direct interaction with hotel staff, their responsiveness, service quality that impact their experience. Determinants of Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction To plan a proper service encounter to ensure customer satisfaction it is crucial to define determinants that might lead to positive or negative experience. According to Zeithaml and Bitner, (2003) there are four common themes impacting customer satisfaction from services, which are as follow; Recovery: it deals with the process and actions taken by organization employees during service failure, the way they deal with unforseen situations etc. At this stage hotel staff needs to acknowledge customer problem, explain them a cause, apologise, compensate or take responsibility leads to customer satisfaction. On contrary ignoring the customer, laming and passing the buck leads to customer dissatisfaction. Adaptability: the degree to which employee response to customer request also influence customer perception regarding a hotel. For example, if a customer request food over phone, how much time taken to deliver the food etc. influences customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction level. It requires employees to recognise the seriousness of customer request, adjust the system and accommodate customer requirement, explain rules and policies to customers. Whereas if employee ignore customer request, show unwillingness, promise but did not perform the task, will lead to high level of customer dissatisfaction (Cronin, 2000). Spontaneity: service delivery needs to be fast, it defines the degree to which hotel staff took an unprompted action on customer request. To ensure customer satisfaction hotel staff needs to give time, listen to customers properly, provide information and show empathy. On contrary, impatience from hotel staff, ignorance, rude behaviour and customer discrimination leads to poor customer relationship. Coping: the way hotel staff deals with problem customers, unforseen situations and unpleasant customer behaviour. In such conditions, hotel staff needs to be polite, explain and let go the customer. However taking customer behaviour personally and impacting services to other customer might lead to customer dissatisfaction (Zeithaml Bitner, 2000). Apart from this, intangible factors have strong impact on customer perception on the service provider. According to Bebko (2001) customers have higher standard set for intangible factors in comparison to tangible elements. Third factor that impact customer service satisfaction level is nonverbal communication and cues. The degree to which employee display effective characteristics such as friendliness, responsive, positive, polite etc. impact customer perception regarding service provider (Kueh Bagul, 2013 ). Further different nonverbal cues impacting customer perception include Kinesics elements such as eye and body movement including smiling, handshaking etc. paralanguage elements such as tone of voice, loudness, pitch etc. proximity that include the distance and posture of service provider with customer and physical appearance of the staff (Bebko, 2001). Apart from this, culture also have strong impact on service encounter experience and perception; customer requirements also var y with their culture, for example western culture customers would give highest importance to timely services and efficiency whereas Asian customer give highest score to interpersonal relationship of the hotel staff (Christensen-Hughes, 1992). Motive of purchase is also key element that impact customer perception of service level, for instance if a customer is visiting for a leisure purpose, he would expect different category for services in comparison to one visiting for business purpose. Service Quality Measurement and Gaps Failure to meet customer expectations of the service leads to service gap. According to theoretical model of service gap there are five different type of service gap that can occur during service delivery in hotel industry (Blesic, 2011), which are as follow; Positioning gap: it can occur due to difference in perception of hotel management regarding customer expectation of service with actual customer expectations. It occurs due to lack in marketing research, poor upward communication, lack of coordination and poor information regarding external environment. Specification gap: it occur when hotel management clearly understand customer expectation of the service level but fail to translate or execute them into real service specifications. Lack of formal specification also leads to service variability, low quality. Factors that impact specification gap include designing specification, task standardization, perception of feasibility, levels of management, coordination and HRM (Uran, 2005). Service execution gap: It occurs due to service delivery failure as a variance between actually delivered service and what is said by the customer. Communication gap: difference between actual service delivery and message communicated to customer using various external tools such as website, advertisements, social media etc. Evaluation gap: evaluation gap is to failure to evaluate customer service quality expectations, it can be done using SERVQUAL model; this gap is outcome of two dimensions that are measuring feedback and performance (Daniel Berinyuy, 2010). Service-Recovery Strategy Plan Justice to Customer According to few researches unfairness is the primary cause behind service failure; therefore fairness is the key to re-establish customer faith on the brand. Customer service recovery evaluation is based on three types of justice, it include distributive, procedural and interactional. First is distributive recovery strategy that aims to ensure that customer receive benefit for the amount of cost paid by them, therefore failure to deliver customer expected value for the price paid leads to service failure? To deal with such situation, first employee should true to address customers negative emotions and then they will be willing to accept the solution (Kumar, Lemon, Parasuraman, 2006). Second element is procedural justice that include process used to evaluate customer outcome, it include speed of service recovery, information collection process; it is crucial to accept responsibility of service failure, acknowledge it and address it. Such approach helps in regaining customer faith i n the brand. Third factor is interaction justice that includes the way manager or other hotel staffs behaves with the customer. It is crucial to face emotional experience during service failure (Michel, Bowen, Johnston, 2008). Process Recovery Customers remain dissatisfied if even after service failure the system remains unchanged. Therefore company needs to collect problem data through surveys, direct interaction from customers as well as hotel staff. Different strategies that can be used to collect detail data on process failure include mystery hopper, critical incident, TQM. Organizations need to collect problem, evaluate root causes and take corrective actions. Employee Recovery In hotel industry customers are in direct interaction with front office staff, their service encounters impact service quality. Therefore it is crucial that management implement staff satisfaction strategies to enhance their motivation and ability to encounter service failure situations (Chianga, Back, Canter, 2005). It requires providing adequate training to employees on customer relationship management, rewarding employees for customer acquisition and retention etc. Service recovery require joint effort from marketing, human resource and operational department of the company. Customer feedback is a primary tool to understand service experiences. Conclusion Above analysis helped in understanding service blueprint for hotel industry. All organizations in this industry aim to manage high service quality to achieve high customer satisfaction level. There is direct relationship between control over service quality and customer satisfaction from the service, which leads to customer loyalty, repurchase and profitability for the company (Bei Chiao, 2006). Moment of truth is the prime element that help in understanding the degree of service quality and gaps in the planning done by organization, it help in understanding various failure points that can cause customer dissatisfaction. Further these paper present different strategies that can help hotel industry in reducing the risk of service failure and enhance customer experience with the organization. Further, service recovery only works once but if the company fails twice to the same customer, it might not help. Bibliography Bebko, C. (2001). Service encounter problems: Which service providers are more likely to be blamed? Journal of Services Marketing, 15. Bei, L., Chiao, Y. (2006). The determinants of customer loyalty: an analysis of intangible factors in three service industries. International Journal of Commerce and Management,, 267-287. Blesic, I. (2011). Application of gap model in the researches of hotel service quality. Toruizam, 40-52. Chianga, C.-F., Back, K.-J., Canter, D. D. (2005). The Impact of Employee Training on Job Satisfaction and Intention to Stay in the Hotel Industry. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality Tourism, 99-118. Christensen-Hughes, J. (1992). Cultural diversity: The lesson of Toronto's hotels. The Cornell hotel and resturant administration quaterly, 77-87. Cronin, J. (2000). Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 193-218. Daniel, C. N., Berinyuy, L. P. (2010). Using the SERVQUAL Model to assess Service Quality and CustomerSatisfaction. Umea: Umea School of Business. Grove, S. J. (1998). Assessing the Theatrical Components of Service Encounter. Services Industries Journal, 18(3), 116-134. Kandampully, J. (2002). Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation: the role of technology, knowledge and networks. European Journal of Innovation Management, 18 - 26. Kang, G., James, J., Alexandris, K. (2002). Measurement of internal service quality: Application of the SERVQUAL battery to internal service quality. Managing Service Quality, 278-291. Kueh, S., Bagul, D. A. ( 2013 ). The Effects of Nonverbal Communication of Hotel Employees upon Emotional Responses of Hotel Guests. International Journal of Research in Management Technology , 126-132. Kumar, V., Lemon, K. N., Parasuraman, A. (2006). Managing Customers for Value. Journal of Service Research, 87-94. Lovelock, C. (2007). Services Marketing People, Technology, Strategy. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. McLean-Conner, P. (2006). Customer Service: Utility Style : Proven Strategies for Improving Customer Service and Reducing Customer Care Costs. Oklahoma: PennWell Books. Michel, S., Bowen, D., Johnston, R. (2008). Service recovery management: closing the gap between best practices. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from www.dienstleistungsmarketing.ch: https://www.dienstleistungsmarketing.ch/documents/MichelBowenJohnston_ServRecMgt_Reformated.pdf Parasuman, A., Berry, L., Zeithmal, V. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implication of service quality. Cambridge : Marketing sceince institute . Robledo, M. A. (2001). Measuring and managing service quality: integrating customer expectations. Managing Service Quality, 11(1), 22-31. Seyring, M. (2009). Service Blueprinting. SEPT Program. Talwar, P. (2006). Hotel And Hospitality Management: Housekeeping. New delhi: Gyan Books. Uran, M. (2005). The organizational gap model for Hotel management. Managing global transistion , 405-422. Widjaja, D. C. (2005). Managing service quality in hospitality industrythrough managing the moment of truth: a theoretical approach. Journal manajemen perhotelan, 6-15. Zeithaml, V., Bitner, J. (2000). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. Boston: McGraw-Hill, .

Monday, December 2, 2019

Strategy to gain a competitive advantage through managing cultural diversity within a service sector organization

Introduction In his definition of service industry, Punia (2005) explains that â€Å"the service sector produces â€Å"intangible† goods, some well known-government, health, education, and business services-and some quite new-modern communications, information, and business services†. This industry is among those with the highest levels of growth and expansion. Like Othman (2011) notes, â€Å"everything that grows also changes its structure†.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategy to gain a competitive advantage through managing cultural diversity within a service sector organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A growing economy and competition in the service sector means that management, trends, human resource needs and other areas in the industry are constantly adjusting to accommodate the changes. Diverse needs in the service sector means that most organizations are not able to sat isfy their human resource needs from one market. As a result, recruitments are done from different markets and regions. Human resource management is therefore no longer an easy task for the organizations in the service industry (World Bank, n.d). It requires a precise skill to accommodate people with diverse cultural backgrounds, and convert the differences to a valuable asset. Even as this happens in the industry, â€Å"each individual, irrespective of background and context, wants to be valued for what they can bring to an organization† (Smircich, 1983). The need to be valued is instilled in every human being. Perhaps that is why Barnard and Ronald (2000) argue that â€Å"it is this human-hunger to be valued that drives the positive power that cultural diversity can bring to the workplace†. In an attempt to do this, it is notable that managing workforce diversity can be a complex task for many organizations in the service industry. In the face of growing diversity in the sector, organizations need to overcome traditional habits and assumptions to ensure the best practices are implemented. Cultural diversity in an organization can manifest itself in the following ways: Problem-solving style National culture Ethics Attitude towards problems and opportunities Embracing change Embracing technology The role of human resource management As Bratton and Gold (2003) explain, â€Å"human resources management is the function in an organization charged with the responsibility of implementing policies and strategies related to management of individuals who comprise the work force of an organization†. Without a stable, well supported and well equipped human resource management team, expensive investments and innovative ideas in the service industry may not yield any results.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, for a company’ s HRM efforts to pay returns, â€Å"the human resource department must align the supply of skilled and qualified individuals and capabilities of the workforce with the organization’s plans to maximize output and secure future success† (McNamara, 2009). Its functions and strategies have to be performed and implemented effectively and pragmatically for it to bear any meaningful results. The same author explains that â€Å"successful organizations are those which are adaptable, resilient, quick to change directions, and customer-centered† (Frame, 2003). The working environment in the service sector today is constantly changing and demands strategic planning and organization. People in a business are a key determinant of how successful it is going to be and how long it will last. As the labor markets get more and more competitive, and the need for talent becomes more obvious for optimum performance, human resource managers are facing major challenges as they try to get the best in the market, retain them and ensure they have consistent performance. Strategies that create a competitive advantage Managing the differences Several challenges arise when people from different backgrounds with different ways of doing things and relating to people come together. Albrecht (2001) helps the reader understand by explaining that â€Å"challenges arising include rightness in conflict where judgments are made from our upbringing, our history, circumstances and our religion, race, beliefs and cultural alignment†. There are also stresses caused by traditional practices, diversity in values, varying interpretations of various happenings, as well as the normal conflicts arising from backbiting and other bad habits at the workplace. In the service industry, a competitive advantage is paramount for a business to survive in the highly competitive industry. To develop one, a business must find relevant solutions to these challenges. One way through which thes e differences can be managed is by developing and adopting acceptance and an understanding of diversity (Baumuller, 2007). This allows everyone in the organization to experience and work in a harmonious environment. They can also solved by helping employees understand why they have come together and what they need to accomplish. Developing a common team-based mission is one way of doing this.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategy to gain a competitive advantage through managing cultural diversity within a service sector organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regular meetings to clear past group or individual differences is also a significant way of encouraging harmony and letting go of any animosity that may be building up. An organization can even go further and have employees sign agreements and commitments to respect everyone regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Information and background mana gement Information management is a challenge when dealing with a team of people from all over the globe. Technological innovations such as Human Resource Management Systems have made it easy for organizations to handle HR information. Such systems also feature personnel administration, organizational management, industrial management and manpower management. They are tools towards understanding employees’ background in what the organization is involved in. For multinational corporations, their team could be from all over the globe. It is important that their backgrounds are investigated and past experience understood. Information management is therefore paramount to ensure that employees don’t suffer damaging culture shock by exposed to extremely new kinds of treatment. For example, employees from Muslim countries might expect that a company provides a private space for prayer hours as it is the case in most companies in the Middle East. An employee from the west may f ind it hard to cope with a more conservative dress code if they are working for an organization in the more religious nation. When making decisions of what should be available for employees, how they should dress and how they should behave at work, it is important for a business to understand their backgrounds and come up with standards that suit everyone. For this reason, having access and managing information about employees’ background is paramount. Communication Gaining competitive advantage has become a major challenge for organizations in the service industry today. As markets get larger and more competitive, strategic human resource management is a key recipe when formulating effective strategies.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Employers must be able to establish what works in their human resource management efforts and what doesn’t, to eliminate those strategies that waste time and cost the business. This can be much easier when an organization has more open communication channels available for their employees. It is critical that an organization makes it completely easy for employees to communicate any discomfort. Managing cultural diversity will make more sense to an organization that allows employees to express their feelings freely (Marchington and Adrian, 2005). The avenue should be open for all topics and issues that affect them. This should include sensitive issues such as disagreements with the executive and company policies. While some people may be conservative where risks are concerned, some are bold and will take bigger risks. It is therefore paramount that an organization understands this before building teams and putting people together for tasks. Allowing them to communicate is the o nly way to understand their cultural weaknesses and strengths. Language barriers should also be addressed to ensure everyone can communicate with each other effectively. Motivation and discipline Motivation and discipline can be achieved by making sure that everyone’s differences are treated as an asset to an organization. Criticizing employees because they are not like everyone else encourages pretence and discourages openness. It may create resentment among employees who feel looked down upon. Like Syed and Mustafa (2010) explain, there can never be success in a team when people don’t have each other’s best interests at heart. It is also not possible when people are attempting to bring each other down. Such negative happenings occur when an organization is selective when giving praise or compliments. Motivation and discipline will be achieved when an organization adopts a culture of appreciation and accommodation among its employees. Every member of the organi zation should be trained to appreciate differences, as well as identify the differences among their colleagues and find ways of putting them into use in different tasks. Policies should be clear enough for anyone who tries to intimidate or disrespect colleagues for being different from them. Reward mechanisms should only be based on performance at work and not on outlook or cultural backgrounds or practices. A major challenge facing organizations in the service industry is ensuring talented employees stay motivated and disciplined. A good employer must be courageous enough to let go of employees who affect results negatively. If such qualities lack, holding on to employees simply because they come from a certain cultural background may be costly for an organization. Relating with customers The service sector is one of the industries that deal with people directly. Cultural diversity can affect the way employees deal with clients. A business must ensure that no differences occur betw een employees and customers due to cultural differences. There should be consistency in the way services are provided regardless of who is doing it (Ramsay, Dora and Bill, 2000). For example, one marketing person may have an extremely different way of interacting with customers and discrepancies could occur when the customers are served by another member of an organization. It is therefore paramount that an organization ensures consistency in employees’ line of duty through training and setting rules and guidelines on how services are delivered. Effective policies HR policies serve several purposes in the service sector. They allow organizations to be clear with their employees on issues that affect the way they work and achieve set objectives. Such issues include what employees should expect from the organization, how policies and procedures work in an organization, acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, the organization’s expectations on employees, and how to handle cultural diversity, among other important issues. As Baptiste (2007) argues, â€Å"the establishment of policies can help an organization demonstrate, both internally and externally, that it meets requirements for diversity, ethics and training as well as its commitments in relation to regulation and corporate governance†. When managing cultural diversity, they help an organization define everyone’s obligations towards achieving harmony, standards of behavior and document disciplinary procedures, as well as supportive strategies among employees towards helping each other meet goals towards the good of an organization. Conclusion Cultural diversity in the service industry can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending with how it is managed. Differences among an organization’s team can be used to enable it manage diverse circumstances. They can also divide the organization when employees are allowed to focus on what is not common between them. Finding a balance between embracing differences and using them as strength is a major challenge in the service industry. It is also presents a challenge as far as dealing with a diverse clientele is concerned. â€Å"In our fast transforming world, company and organizational leadership often lag the reality of their employee and client-base† (Ely and David, 2001). From the discussion, it is obvious that these challenges can be managed. To achieve competitive advantage, an organization needs to address the differences, put in place tough discipline measures, identify areas of conflict and solve them, as well as establish communication channels that allow employees to express themselves and get feedback. As the need for a more diverse workforce grows, cultural diversity is here to stay for businesses in the service sector. It is only wise that organizations start investing in finding long-lasting solutions. These include aggressive training on how to manage differences when performing team work, how to manage conflicts arising from cultural differences, establishing standard values and professional ethics, as well as enhancing communication channels to allow employees speak out before animosity builds up to unbearable levels. Reference List Albrecht, M.H., 2001. International HRM: Managing diversity in the workplace. Oxford: Blackwell. Baptiste, N.R., 2007. Tightening the link between employees’ well-being at work and performance. A New Dimension for HRM, 46(2), PP. 284-305. Barnard, M.E. and Ronald, A.R., 2000. How are internally oriented HRM policies related to high-performance work practices? Evidence from Singapore. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(6), pp. 1017-1046. Baumuller, M., 2007. Managing cultural diversity an empirical examination of cultural networks and organizational structures as governance mechanisms in multinational corporations. Oxford Books: New York. Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2003. Human resource management theory and pract ice 3rd ed. London: Bath Press. Ely, R.J. and David, A.T., 2001. Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspective on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(2), pp. 229-273. Frame, J.D., 2003. Managing projects in organizations: How to make the best use of time, techniques, and people. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass. Marchington, M., and Adrian, W., 2005. Human resource management at work. United Kingdom: CIPD. McNamara, C., 2009. Human resource management. Available at: https://managementhelp.org/humanresources/index.htm . Punia, B.K., 2005. Organizational cultures in service sector an exploration. Delhi Business Review, 6(1), pp. 45-52. Smircich, L., 1983. Concept of culture and organizational analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, pp. 339-358. Syed, J. and Mustafa, O., 2010. Managing cultural diversity in Asia: A research companion. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Othman, R., 2011. Human resource management practice of servic e organizations: Evidence from selected Malaysian firms. Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, 2(3):pp. 65-80. Ramsay, H., Dora, S. and Bill, H., 2000. Employee and high performance work systems: Testing inside the black box. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 38(4), pp. 501-531. World Bank, n.d. Growth of the service sector. Available at:  http://www.worldbank.org/ . This report on Strategy to gain a competitive advantage through managing cultural diversity within a service sector organization was written and submitted by user Abby Hines to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Entomophagy as Portrayed by Western Media and Literature

Entomophagy as Portrayed by Western Media and Literature Entomophagy is consumption of insects by humans. Consumption of insects has been practiced by humans for ages. However, different cultures consumed insects for different reasons. In western and European cultures insect consumption is restricted to extreme conditions. In these cultures insects were considered to be repulsive organisms and their consumption was not condoned. In fact insects were viewed as causes of various health problems that inflicted pain on man. Currently, literary works portray insects as desirable creatures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Entomophagy as Portrayed by Western Media and Literature specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Insect eating has existed for long in some cultures. Entomophagy is widely practiced in Eastern cultures and Africa. Members of these communities eat insects for their taste, for survival, and as a cultural expression. In western culture insect eating is largely regarded a s a disgusting undertaking. The aspect of insect eating for survival is emphasized in western media perhaps in an attempt to make entomophagy more acceptable. However, media and literary productions in the west are preoccupied with portraying entomophagy as exotic. Exoticism appears to be the driving force behind the emergence of television shows featuring insect eating and insect containing cuisines. Exoticism appears to provoke the interest of the viewers and television audiences. Viewed from this perspective, entomophagy seems acceptable to the western viewer. Mass media and literary productions are increasingly portraying insects as acceptable creatures. This is evidenced by arguments supporting environmental protection. The love for nature should compel one to consider insects as part and parcel of a beautiful environment. It has been argued that to love nature is to love everything in it. Previously insects were not considered as food in western culture. Therefore, accidental ingestion of insects would evoke a lot of misery and suffering. However, mass media and literary productions have helped shape the notion that insects are other food. Some people have accepted insects as alternative food. The aim is to give an impression that insects should not be reserved for extreme times only. Insect eating is currently portrayed as a source of entertainment and awe. There are many television shows whose main content is insect eating. These shows tend be sensationalistic in nature. Entomophagy in the shows is packed in such a way that it provokes fear and disgust at the same time. Insect eating is used to create spectacle. The television shows feature characters playfully eating insects. Before the emergence of these shows insects were largely viewed as disgusting creatures. They were perceived as dirty disease causing organisms. Few would dare touch them and even less would dare eat them.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mass media and literary works are aiding change in attitude towards insects. Insect consumers can now critically examine their position as consumers. Similarly, they assist the consumers to examine their opinion of insects. Critical examination of consumers and products was suppressed in the past. In the process consumers get to understand that they must support conservation efforts. In conclusion, entomophagy has always existed in various societies but the advent of popular culture has significantly affected our perception of insects. In the past western culture did not consider insects as ‘normal’ food. However, media has contributed to the perception of insects as ‘other’ food in the west. Insect cuisines are viewed as exotic delicacies worth trying. Media has used insect eating as a source of entertainment and amazement. This has contributed to the acceptance of insects as beautiful creatures.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The impact of media on society

The impact of media on society Introduction Media is one of the world’s power and force that can not be undermined. Media has a remarkable control in almost every aspect of our lives; in politics, social and cultural or economic welfares. Perhaps the best analysis of the impact that media has played in the society is through first acknowledging its role in information flow and circulation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The impact of media on society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is would be unjust to overlook the importance of information to the society. Information is the significant to the society in the sense that, all that happens in the society must be channeled and communicated among the society’s habitats. Without media, the habitats or else the population will be left clueless on what is happening or what is ought to happen. From another perspective, the society benefits from the media in a number of ways and as well it derives a lot of misfortunes from the society. However, regardless of the impact that is made by media on the society, the media remains to be one of the strongest forces that influence the pillars of the society. This essay paper highlights the impacts that media has continued to assert on the society either in a positive or in a negative manner. Role of media in the society The most common role that media has played in the society has been; to inform people, to educate people and sometimes to offer leisure or entertainment. The role of media in the society is stretched back in the ancient traditions when, there were approaches on which media role in the society was perceived. Some of these approaches included a positive approach, critical approach, production approach, technological approach, information approach and finally a post colonial approach. A positivist approach assumed that media’s role in the society was to achieve predetermined objectives of the society, usu ally from a beneficial perspective. The critical approach assumes that media is pertinent can be used in struggle for power and other issues in the society that were preceded by a spark of a new or old ideology. The production approach is that media plays a greater role in society by providing a new experience of reality to the masses by providing an avenue of new perceptions and visions. The information approach assumes that the key role of media in the society is to provide information channels for the benefit of the society (Fourie178). Impact of media on society With the above roles being achieved in one of the most remarkable means over centuries, media has some solid impacts that have been imprinted on the society. Some of these impacts and effects are to remain for ever as long as media existence will remain while others require control and monitoring due to their negative effects on the society. The best approach to look at this is by first describing the positive impacts th at media has had on the society (Fourie 25).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The development of media and advancement of mass media is such positive impact that media has accomplished in recent times. It has been proven that mass communication has influenced social foundation and governments to means that only can be termed pro-social (Preiss 485). An example of such can be use of mass media in campaigns to eradicate HIV and AIDS in the society. Mass communication through media avenues such as the internet, television and radio has seen great co-operation of government, government agencies, non-government organizations, private corporations and the public in what is seen as key society players in mutual efforts towards constructing better society. In this context, media has contributed to awareness, education of the society and better governance of the society. W ere it not for media, the worlds most historical moments would probably be forgotten today especially in the manner they reshape our contemporary society in matters regarding politics, economics and culture (Fourie 58). However, media has had its shortcomings that have negative influence on the society. These negatives if not counterchecked or controlled will continue to ruin the values and morals of a society that once treasured morality and value of information. These negative impacts include: media has contributed to immense exposure of violence and antisocial acts from media program that are aimed at entertaining the public. Media roles in the society have been reversed by merely assuming a role of society visibility thus controlling the society rather than being controlled by society. Media has continued to use biased tactics to attract society attention and thus having a negative impact on the society’s culture due to stereotyping of other cultures. Media has continued to target vulnerable groups in the society such as children and youths be exposing them to pornographic materials that has sexual immorality consequence on the society’s young generations. It is through such shortcomings that the cognitive behavior’s which shape the moral fiber of the society gets threatened by media (Berger 106). However, regardless of the impacts of the media on the society, the future of the media will evolve with time and its role in the society will unlikely fade.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The impact of media on society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Berger, Arthur. Media and society: a critical perspective. Maryland: Rowman Littlefield. 2007 Fourie, Pieter. Media studies: media history, media and society. Cape Town: Juta and company ltd. 2008 Preiss, Raymond. Mass media effects research: advances through meta-analysis. New York: Routledge. 2007

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Singapore Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Singapore - Research Paper Example At the end of that period, the economy expound by 7.7%, reducing the level of unemployment to 2.1% and the level of employment being 235,000 (World Trade Organization, 2008, p. 112). The level of inflation, on the other hand, reduced from 4.9% to 3.5% this year. Singapore is one of the richest nations in the world. This has been facilitated by the removal of trade barriers, letting over 99% of the rest of the world to visit the country for trade without imposing a tax on them. This means that it is easy to import and export goods from and to other countries of the world and shows how open the country is. The currency used in Singapore is the Singapore dollar denoted as SD. It is almost equivalent to the US dollar with the exchange rate being 1USD =1.23 SD meaning that it is weaker than the US dollar by 0.23 (Huff, 1997, p. 44). Trade (expressed in billions of USD): Singapore Exports Imports 1975 5.375 8.133 1980 19.376 24.007 1985 22.812 26.285 1990 52.752 60.899 1995 118.268 124.507 1998 109.895 104.719 (International Monetary Fund, 1999) Trade is one the major factors that facilitate the growth of an economy since it earns the country foreign exchange that can be used to develop other sectors of that economy. It involves one country exporting goods that it produces more to avoid wastages and also importing goods that it lacks to avoid shortages. In this, it ensures resources are used appropriately and fully. Singapore’s current export stands at 41,538,700 showing a decrease by about 1,028,330.7 as compared to the previous period (Gerber, 2007, p. 94). Its major exports include: Aircraft and its parts Singapore is ranked number one among the many countries that provide aerospace design, manufacturing services and maintenance. It has all the required equipment to facilitate this, and this has also enabled it to capture a large market in Asia. It has created employment opportunities to the citizens, having over 18,000 employees in this sector. Oil and Gas Singapore is in the top three major traders of oil, and it has become the most important center for shipping in Asia. Oil is being used all over the world, and this is a major source of revenue for the government for different countries (Huff, 1997, p. 64). Since all the countries use oil and gas to run their daily activities, means that they have to purchase it. Singapore being one of the major exporters of oil and gas, it earns a lot, and this helps to improve its economic performance. Computers Computers are very essential in raising the total productivity and in transformation of business processes. Many of the citizens in Singapore have access to computers, and this has greatly contributed to its economy. Some of the computers produced are exported to the other part of the world, earning the country foreign exchange while others are used locally to facilitate or ease production of other products. The total trade value it obtains from export of computers and printers is about 1 2.5 billion (World Trade Organization, 2008, p. 119). Telecommunication Equipment Internet is very useful in the modern world. Many businesses advertise their products online as it is cheap and attracts many customers all over the world. With networking, it is easy to get more ideas on how you can compete globally through improving the quality of your products. Singapore provides the best network in the world and is in the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Wabashiki river report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wabashiki river report - Essay Example The materials required for testing in the field included a pencil or pen, notebook, sunscreen, bug repellant, water bottle, field appropriate clothing, weather appropriate clothing and closed shoes for walking in the dumpy area. The sampling strategies used in the field involved stratified random sample where the test objects were categorized into groups and various test conducted on them. The test conducted on the different soils types were aimed at determining the presence of gases like nitrogen and other minerals like potassium and phosphorus in the soil. These samples were taken from different areas like Taken at the top of a hill on the path near the parking lot. Closest to the parking lot, Further down the hill that sample one was taken, down the levi path. Halfway between the parking lot and sharp bend in the path and down past the storm drains on the levi near where the storm drains empty. Moreover, the bottles were used to carry other samples which were tested in the classro om using laboratory apparatus. The results obtained from determining the soil color, soil texture and the acidity or alkalinity of the soil were as follows; the soils texture of the samples tested revealed that the soil was sandy clay because of the sizes of particles of the samples. This sample was collected in an area which was surrounded by trees, small rocks and old grass. The second sample revealed that the soil was clay loam as the soil color value was three. There was presence of soil color and soil chroma, moreover, the Ph was seven. This sample was taken from the lake side and its characteristics were sandy and small rocks. Silty Clay was discovered to posses soil pH between three to four, contained minerals like phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium value at pH value of seven. The experiment proved successful as I established the soil texture, soil Ph, soil acidity

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Brief History of Computer Essay Example for Free

Brief History of Computer Essay ?First programmable computer: The Z1 originally created by Germanys Konrad Zuse in his parents living room in 1936 to 1938 is considered to be the first electrical binary programmable computer. The first digital computer: Short for Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the ABC started being developed by Professor John Vincent Atanasoff and graduate student Cliff Berry in 1937 and continued to be developed until 1942 at the Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). On October 19, 1973, US Federal Judge Earl R. Larson signed his decision that the ENIAC patent by Eckert and Mauchly was invalid and named Atanasoff the inventor of the electronic digital computer. The ENIAC was invented by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly at the University of Pennsylvania and began construction in 1943 and was not completed until 1946. It occupied about 1,800 square feet and used about 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighing almost 50 tons. Although the Judge ruled that the ABC computer was the first digital computer many still consider the ENIAC to be the first digital computer. Because of the Judge ruling and because the case was never appealed like most we consider the ABC to be the first digital computer. However, because the ABC was never fully functional we consider the first functional digital computer to be the ENIAC. The first stored program computer: The early British computer known as the EDSAC is considered to be the first stored program electronic computer. The computer performed its first calculation on May 6, 1949 and was the computer that ran the first graphical computer game. The first personal computer: In 1975 Ed Roberts coined the term personal computer when he introduced the Altair 8800. Although the first personal computer is considered to be the Kenback-1, which was first introduced for $750 in 1971. The computer relied on a series of switches for inputting data and output data by turning on and off a series of lights. The Micral is considered to be the first commercial non-assembly computer. The computer used the Intel 8008 processor and sold for $1,750 in 1973. The first workstation: Although never sold the first workstation is considered to be the Xerox Alto, introduced in 1974. The computer was revolutionary for its time and included a fully functional computer, display, and mouse. The computer operated like many computers today utilizing windows, menus and icons as an interface to its operating system. The first laptop or portable computer: The first portable computer or laptop is considered to be the Osborne I, a portable computer developed by Adam Osborne that weighed 24 pounds, a 5-inch display, 64 KB of memory, two 5 1/4 floppy drives, and a modem.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Ethics of Pornography and Its Negative Affect on Women Essay -- Pornogr

Women have long been exploited through pornographic material, such as videos, photos and literature, these materials, more-so now, than ever, portray women purely as sexual objects. The evolution of the business? popularity has done nothing but help fuel a false impression, subjugating women in modern day culture and society, yet still, banning pornography in the US would be nearly impossible, due to complex issues dealing with the first amendment and obscenity laws. With instances of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race or sex being in most cases illegal, the practice of pornography should most definitely not be acceptable or perpetuated, especially in a country like the US where this said industry defies everything of which our country is founded upon. This rise [in popularity] looks as if it is related, almost in a hand by hand parallel, with growth of sexual violence against women in America. A real life example of the link between the onset of pornography in American culture and sexual crimes includes a survey done in 1978, in which 44% of the nine hun...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Payment security Essay

A business going online can face many diffuculties. These problems include payment security; unfamiliar markets; errors in ordering; loss of personal information; hostile attacks; keeping the website up-to-date; language problems/issues; hardware failure; staffing issues and financial issues. Payment Security When a customer buys a product by either debt or credit card they are be trusting the business with their personal details to be kept safe and confidentioal. Sellers are also not safe because they could be a victim of Card Not Present (CNP) fraud, this is where someone is using someone else’s card details to buy goods online. They may not have the card physically on them, but all they need is just the details of the card to be able to purchase. This can be kept safe by specific security standards. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) this encrypts the information in a browser eg: Internet Explorer which protects the consumers who can see a padlock symbol and also a ‘https’ on the address bar.SET (Secure Electronic Transfer) also protects the seller since the credit card company authorises the card to prove that the person using the card is legitimate. The seller does not know the card number, only to the card’s issuing bank. Unfamiliar Markets This is where a website is available everywhere and the company could be dealing with consumers in unfamiliar markets. Also with different cultural expectations, accuring with unfamiliar regulations and also legal requirements should be dealt with. The business may not understand the popularity of its website, or the number of orders it will receive or even the costs of running the online operations or more so the distributing goods. If the business doesn’t meet orders promptly it will rapidly lose customers and may even be left with unsold stock or even struggle to repay money borrowed to be able to finance the website development. Errors in ordering Order forms online are to be designed to automatically check fot any errors by questioning unexpected entries and boxes left blank. Also they should be designed to remind the consumer if they leave out any information Loss of personal information An online compay is not allowed to put private information on its website or reveal customer details to other customers or viewers. This is why websites include a privacy policy which says how customer information is used by only the business. All companys that keep and also process private information must register with the Information Commissioner’s Office and have to follow with the Data Protection Act 1998 which means that the data must be all accurate, secure and should not be kept for longer than necessary. There are manu aways data can be lost like through human error, hardware failure, or loss or theft and software corruption as well as computer virus. A daily system back-ups a business to enable the reinstall in its system within 24 hours of any problem occurring. Hostile attacks Business are vulnerable to hackers or other types of cybercrime. Financial fraud occurs when a customer or business is denied of money that is theirs. Keeping the website up-to-date Businessess need to update their website from time to time to make sure that the information they have is accurate and reliable eg: product descriptions and prices. All companies have a legal requirement to provide pricise and up to date information. Most websites have a disclaimer clause to protect the problem if a customer takes action based on wrong information. Language problems/issues Some buyers from multinational online business may not understand. These can be fixed by the firms using a local agent who specialises in overseas sales or they can have enquiries translated by an expert. Hardware failure All people who use computers depend on their Internet Service Provider. If that is lost, then it can cause many problems for the business especially if it’s offline for long. Many businesses have back-up servers that they can switch if one server goes down. Software problems may be caused by programming errors or through a virus. To stop this the, business installs an anti-virus software and network security. Staffing Issues Staff may be concerned that their jobs could be changed or disappear. Most companises have a call centre to answer customer queries. The staff now may feel that they may not have much personal contact with consumers as they now can order things online or email the company if they want information or they could contact a call centre if they have a question. Financial Issues Having to set up a small website can be done not very high priced but companies who like to carry out big amounts of companies online or use their website as a extreamly important way of promoting their business can be expensive. Also, having to calculate the estimated financial benefits is hard. The set-up expenses includes having to register the domain name, to be able to arrang for an ISP to host the site (if not being done in-house), having to pay the agency having specialists to design the website, the marketing and promotional costs (so that potential customers can acknowledge the website) and is nessary any staff training requirements. All companies go online to make more trade. There may be a problem if there is a massive flow of interest in the business. This could cause the site to crash or can make it run slowly and if there is not much stock or very few staff to process them, then the orders and enquiries may not be dealt with. Just simply by buying more stock or even employing more staff could result in a bad cash-flow problems. If the business gets a bad reputation online, it will lose customers rather than gain any. Task 2 (P6, M2) Business benefits The market research information from online enquires are all obtained and looked over for many different reasons. The logs and cookies collect all the information on site usage; eventhough users can see their browsers to close the cookies and also many sites don’t use them. Logs, however, are made by all websites this is because they are the records that are created by the web server. Records include the number of hits it has made, the number of visitors it had or even unique users to a website, and how long they have stayed on the site. Some ISPs look at their log file data for consumers while others provide a software and the compnay produces its own reports. Registration forms also allowe the business to find out about the who is  visiting their site, where the peson lives and also what they need. The onnline market research can go from small pop-up questionnaires (which assess a user’s online experience) to produce longer customer service questionnaires which is sent by email and then once they are completed, they are looked at to provide more market information. The website activity software finds which search engines get customers onto the website; also which pages are popular and also which landing pages result in users going off the website eg: a lengthy form or even registration page. Having access to a whole new markets can include having a remote locations such as rural areas or even Highlands and the Islands of Scotland (if they have Internet access). A new markets could also have customers which have disabilities who may have problems(mobility) or customers who are recovering from surgery or who camt go out as they are ill with a cold or flu. So having the internet provides easy and quicker access to a large range of information and fine priced products from their own homes. Under the Disability Discrimination Act, people in charge of websites are to have legal duty to make sure that the services they give on the Internet is available for disabled people. Customers which have travel difficulties e.g. mothers with young babies, the elderly. Meaning that the customers will not be able to go the shops physically as to the inconvenience it would cause them so it would be suitable for them to buy online. It would also be quicker and easier to buy things online and also receive information from the Internet. Having access from a wide range of devices can also make site be viewed from anywhere. Phones with internet accses, laptops and a Wi-Fi hotspot when they are not at home. Customer Benefits Having a wider choice is a great benefit for people who live in small town or even rural areas as they are able to view information online and they can also see what goods are available in store as they don’t live in places the stores aren’t available. Convenience is a massive benefit because having the internet, it is more easier to search and to order online than to have to travel to the shop. All online businesses are also very beneficial to the people who come home late from their work or those who are simply too busy in the day to shop. Websites that are available 24/7 helps those who are  busy as it would be easier for them to order online to make their life less stress. It also benefits busy families as all they need to so is simply sit with their computer/phone/laptop and just shop there and then. People with disabilities or special needs can also benefit from the online businesses as they also don’t have to go to the shops for hours just to look for one thing as they may get tired, so online businesses make their life easier. There are several ways to pay securely eg: over the internet, through log details and PayPal. Task 3 (D2) Risks Solutions Payment security Improving the security of the cardholder – they have entered the correct pin number, also asking them what their last payment on the card was to make sure it is the actual cardholder before any confirmations Unfamiliar markets Having an option where your website is available in many different languages . Also having the currency of different countries. Errors in ordering Having a database where you can store all the customers’ details eg: name, address, order and shipping date this will prevent any mix up with the orders. Making sure all the correct orders are going to the right address, the staff should always double check before they ship goods and also after the delivery; staff should alwaysa ask the customer if they ordered the goods. Loss of personal information Websites should never put personal information on the website as other users can see. All personal deatils should be kept confidential. Do not give personal information in emails and all customer details should be all kept in a secure files or database. Not keeping the website up to date If there is a new offer, or even price reduction, websites should include or change it in their website. In order for them to achieve this, the owner of  the website will have to check up on the website everyday for atleast a few hours to sort any latest information out and to also keep customers update to their products. If they do this, websites will become known for its reliability. Hardware failure Backup server is when the main server is down it can help prevent any hardware failure. Also making sure you have antivirus on the website and a network security which helps because there could be programming errors or even viruses that could potentionally change or delete information. Staffing issues In call centres, the staff can offer a call centre in which it support people and also trained staff can talk to customers so they can resolve any faults or connection problems. To get aways from having not much of personal contact with customers, staff should always stay and help the customers out. If they start off helping at first they then can build a better trust with them. Staff can also keep in touch with the customers and also stay with them until all their purchase is complete. To avoid any staff being unable to work with the technology, you can make sure all staff are capable with all the latest technology. Financial issues Having a small business can be a good thing as you won’t have to be spending as much money and you would also have a bigger income in which it can help you expand your business and it can also prevent you from having any financial issues in the future. If you start with a big business, you may not be getting much interaction and instead of making any profit, you’ll be making a loss instead. Therefore, starting out as a small business is the best way to avoid any financial issues. The business may think to much for their stock where there is not much for it this can impact on the company as it then will be making a loss. To prevent any of this, you may want to estimate very logically and sensibly. Payment Security This method help as you are able to know for sure who you are actually dealing with the real cardholder and to also avoid any fraud. The  likeliness of the problem going down is high as you will need a pin number as well as a security question if you are to forget it. Unfamiliar markets This method helps as it is available to different people all around the world. The likeliness of the problem going down is likely as you are sure that you have the option available just in case you do get someone not from the country that is viewing website. Errors in ordering The solution to having errors in ordering will decrease the risk as having a database with the customer’s name, an order and a order number and address will reduce the risk. This will make sure that the staff will know exactly who is ordering and what they have bought. Loss of personal information From having anything lost it should be be stored somewhere private where it’s not available for the public eye. It can be reduced and also the effectiveness of the method is good as long as information on the business website has nothing personal and is kept private. Not keeping the website up to date Customers will know always know the latest information and changes in your business. This is very important as it will help in the success of the business going online as the customers will feel that the business is reliable and up-to-date. Hardware failure Having a hardware and protecting it well and also a back up system will be a very good way of reducing the risks from hardware. Using these methods to solve the problem is effective for a business. This will effect as having a back up copy of all the information if it gets lost or deleted. Staffing issues The method for staffing issues are that the staff are able to communicate better with the customers and also have more of a personal approach with them, e.g. emailing requesting orders or deliveries. With the solution it is likely that the risk will reduce if staff has a personal email in which they are able to contact customers individually. Financial issues To not have problems of facing financial issues, by starting a small business instead of a large one can still be very beneficial. It is very likely that a business will not go into financial issues and will also not have to suffer from.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

What Is Philosophy

There are many different kinds of philosophy and almost anything and everything has its own philosophy. Philosophy is the inquiring of existence, to find out what it s meaning is. It is the search for truth and understanding. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, not only in oneself but also in others. When asking for a philosophy on something it is mainly picking at one s brain to figure out the most inner thoughts and beliefs that one has on a subject. The idea of philosophy and the way that it works is mainly dependant on a person’s interpretive skill; it is a person’s thoughts on a certain subject in an analytical and exploratory manner. It is different levels of meaning. It is a search for some kind of general understanding of values and reality by a primarily speculative way rather than a merely observational way. Extensively speaking the purpose of philosophy is to study and find a reflective view of certainties, genuine concerns and general beliefs. Philosophy is like a classification of different theories on the disposition of things and what they are about. The branch of philosophy concerned with identifying the ultimate reality of nature of the universe is known as metaphysics. It is like a system of principles underlying a particular subject or study. Metaphysics was originally used to refer to the writings done by Aristotle on Physics. Now, it is better known for its attempt to understand the fundamental nature of all reality, if something is visible or not visible at all. Metaphysics seeks an explanation so basic and simple to everything that is, from what is human to what is spiritual and religious to what anything else really is. It is an argument that tries to figure out the things that actually exist and are truly real against the things that just seem to be real. There is a primary component of metaphysics and that component is ontology. Ontology is the theory of existence and being. It is pretty much concerned with identifying the things of the universe that are basic. Also. It takes a look at if something is composed of many diverse elements or if it plainly consists of only one fundamental compound. Ontology is usually compared with metaphysics proper. Metaphysics proper is more concerned with the general principles and traits of the world. It assumes that the general principles and traits of reality are simple and general and that because they are so general that they will apply to any kind of universe. Another way that metaphysics is divided is by a theoretical way and an applied way. Each describe a different way, one way just simply describes while the other way applies the description to practical problems. It puts knowledge to work and then gathers the knowledge for further examination. The branch of philosophy that studies knowledge is epistemology. Epistemology is a study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity. It seeks to define knowledge, identify its sources and establish its limits. Epistemology is derived from the Greek words Episteme and Theoria. According to the Greek language Episteme means knowledge and Theoria means theory. It addresses the philosophical problems surrounding the theory of knowledge. It attempts to answer the basic question of whether or not knowledge is true or false. What distinguishes true knowledge? What distinguishes false knowledge? These questions translates into issues of scientific methodology, it also forms one of the pillars of the new sciences of cognition. Epistemology is known for being the central area pf philosophy because philosophy is the quest for wisdom and truth. If you take a look at the history of epistemology, you see a clear trend, even though there is much confusion of many seemingly contradictory positions. The first theories of knowledge stressed its absolute, permanent character, while later theories put the emphasis on its relativity, its continuous development or evolution, and its active interference with the world and its subjects and objects. The whole trend seemingly moves from a static, passive view of knowledge towards a more and more adaptive and active one. What Is Philosophy Most definitions of philosophy have been fairly controversial partly because what has been called philosophy has changed drastically in the course of history. What used to be a part of the philosophical inquiries detached themselves from it. This is why most academic subject began as some aspect as philosophy and branched off into knowledge and became specialized. The word philosophy originated from Greek words philia (love) and sophia (wisdom) carrying the meaning love of wisdom. The essential part of being a good philosopher is the faculty of wonder. Philosophy searches for the truth and questioning the unquestionable. Intrinsically it satisfies, or seeks to satisfy, the intellectual desire for comprehensive knowledge and understanding. Philosophers need to be open-minded and never closing door. They have to be accepting and be able to accept changes. A philosopher is curious, reflective and critical. Big philosophical questions like Who is god? , Where does the world come from? , What is life? has remained unanswered. Questions of this genre are asked in every culture, every religion and through every period of time. The quest of philosophy is to answer these questions. Philosophy makes people doubt their beliefs. They make people query their cultural norms and what they have been putting faith into and brought up believing. People who are easily influence might think twice about their beliefs and those who hold true faith in what they already belief think philosophy is a load of rubbish and immature. They ignore the big questions and are too occupied searching for material things. They ignore the fact that these questions are yet to be answered but opt to remaine oblivious to it. By philosophizing, people reflect and criticize their most deeply held conceptions and beliefs. Essentially, the sole purpose of a normal life is to perpetuate and thrive to expand and fill the world galaxy with it. When we humans have gotten past a certain level or mark and into higher sentience. Then comes the aesthetic values, that we currently enjoy. however, the modern day society prevents most from doing so because the earth is overcrowded, and there’s the fight for resources. Philosophy attempts to search the evidence of all beliefs. It takes a second look at cultural norms. They attempt to think through a variety of life problems. It leads the mind to a critical evaluation of things, but critical evaluations often differ from person to person for their personal expierences, cultural background may vary widely. In this changing universe, some people are responsive to it and some are not. Some cling on to old tradtions passed down decads ago and declare that they are final. Often those who are unresponsive to it are old, narrow minded, stubborn people. Philosophy tries to relate reality to belief. It tries to find evidence and speculates the truth behind our daily assumptions. Due to this, some people think philosophy is dangerous. Socrates was accused for corrupting the mind of the youth in Athens. In this epoch, people think philosophy is nonsense and too corrupts the youth. It deters the youth from their original beliefs and confuses them even more that they already are. By philosophizing, people ask questions. They ask questions to get closer to the truth. But in fact, most of the time, they do not get closer to the truth but end up with even more unanswerable questions. Babies and young kids have this faculty of wonder. They ask adults a lot of questions Why is the sky so high? and many adults cannot answer that question because they themselves can t answer those questions. Shallowness, incompleteness, poor reasoning, and assertions with flimsy foundations prevent a truly enlightened person. When a person comes up with a philosophy or theory of his own, he persuades other people and influences them. Orators sways minds and hearts and thereby wage wars, gain control and seduce an unsuspecting public. To illustrate this point, lets say a nobody comes out and questions the government and influences the rest of the public to do so, with enough questioning citizens the government will be overpowered by the overwhelming demand of inquiries and thus cause chaos in a country†¦ Those who advocate total control or even economists philosophy like Carl Marx and his views on social reform can change the whole values of society, which means every single unit of society (us) will be affected even if we resist the next generation will grow up already brainwashed and in their minds that this is good, that is bad. This is why some people say philosophy is dangerous Philosophy can also change a way a person thinks. It can change peoples mind set especially those who are fickle and are not sure about their own true identities. These people change as they get influenced and cannot decide which is right and which is wrong. In our age of confusion and uncertainty, we need a sense of identity. Unaware of the complexities of an issue, unfamiliarity of certain issues, and unable to distinguish valid and invalid reasoning, these disoriented people might give in to authoritarian approaches to sacrifice their lives for certain values and ideas. And if people start philosopizing about things that are dangerous, it might baffle a person of their till then perception of things. People then turn to religion for a sense of direction. But once they start questioning the veracity of the religion, they are then deterred away again from their search of identity. Leaving them profound and doubtful. Philosophy is dangerous because it threatens to change or lives. But then again, because philosophy precedes the faculty of wonder, many things that were assumed have been justified. The world is not all sleight of hand and deception. A lot of old age enigmas have now been explained by science. What the dark side of the moon look likes was once shrouded in mystery but now we know exactly how it looks like. Philosophy leads to evolution. Because of that people improve. If it weren t because of the curiousness of scientists, we wouldn t have new inventions of machinery, of mathematical formulae, and wouldn t have the technology we now have in our lives. We would still be living in the dark, not knowing where to turn to. With this use, we cannot entirely say that philosophy is dangerous since it brings us so many advantages. Humanity has acquired a great new power in science and technology. We obtain numerous techniques for gaining greater security and comforts have been developed. Philosophy, in conjunction with other disciplines, plays a central in guiding us toward new desires and aspirations. It guides us to a clearer more assuring road into life. Philosophizing leads us to seek more knowledge and thus making a person wiser. It guides us to make more knowledgeable and wiser choices in life. The exploration of the possible, reasonable solution clarifies the options open to thoughtful persons. The usefulness of choosing from the reasoned, researched alternatives rather than from bigoted, impulsive, and unclear claims is apparent inn all dimension of our lives. Ideally, the study of philosophy nurtures our capacity for making informed choices. Ultimately, there isn t really a definite answer to the question whether philosophy is dangerous. This is due to the fact that philosophy brought humanity to evolve and improve yet making people feel anxious and insecure because they are uncertain about the meaning of life and which direction they should take life in. What Is Philosophy Most definitions of philosophy have been fairly controversial partly because what has been called philosophy has changed drastically in the course of history. What used to be a part of the philosophical inquiries detached themselves from it. This is why most academic subject began as some aspect as philosophy and branched off into knowledge and became specialized. The word philosophy originated from Greek words philia (love) and sophia (wisdom) carrying the meaning love of wisdom. The essential part of being a good philosopher is the faculty of wonder. Philosophy searches for the truth and questioning the unquestionable. Intrinsically it satisfies, or seeks to satisfy, the intellectual desire for comprehensive knowledge and understanding. Philosophers need to be open-minded and never closing door. They have to be accepting and be able to accept changes. A philosopher is curious, reflective and critical. Big philosophical questions like Who is god? , Where does the world come from? , What is life? has remained unanswered. Questions of this genre are asked in every culture, every religion and through every period of time. The quest of philosophy is to answer these questions. Philosophy makes people doubt their beliefs. They make people query their cultural norms and what they have been putting faith into and brought up believing. People who are easily influence might think twice about their beliefs and those who hold true faith in what they already belief think philosophy is a load of rubbish and immature. They ignore the big questions and are too occupied searching for material things. They ignore the fact that these questions are yet to be answered but opt to remaine oblivious to it. By philosophizing, people reflect and criticize their most deeply held conceptions and beliefs. Essentially, the sole purpose of a normal life is to perpetuate and thrive to expand and fill the world galaxy with it. When we humans have gotten past a certain level or mark and into higher sentience. Then comes the aesthetic values, that we currently enjoy. however, the modern day society prevents most from doing so because the earth is overcrowded, and there’s the fight for resources. Philosophy attempts to search the evidence of all beliefs. It takes a second look at cultural norms. They attempt to think through a variety of life problems. It leads the mind to a critical evaluation of things, but critical evaluations often differ from person to person for their personal expierences, cultural background may vary widely. In this changing universe, some people are responsive to it and some are not. Some cling on to old tradtions passed down decads ago and declare that they are final. Often those who are unresponsive to it are old, narrow minded, stubborn people. Philosophy tries to relate reality to belief. It tries to find evidence and speculates the truth behind our daily assumptions. Due to this, some people think philosophy is dangerous. Socrates was accused for corrupting the mind of the youth in Athens. In this epoch, people think philosophy is nonsense and too corrupts the youth. It deters the youth from their original beliefs and confuses them even more that they already are. By philosophizing, people ask questions. They ask questions to get closer to the truth. But in fact, most of the time, they do not get closer to the truth but end up with even more unanswerable questions. Babies and young kids have this faculty of wonder. They ask adults a lot of questions Why is the sky so high? and many adults cannot answer that question because they themselves can t answer those questions. Shallowness, incompleteness, poor reasoning, and assertions with flimsy foundations prevent a truly enlightened person. When a person comes up with a philosophy or theory of his own, he persuades other people and influences them. Orators sways minds and hearts and thereby wage wars, gain control and seduce an unsuspecting public. To illustrate this point, lets say a nobody comes out and questions the government and influences the rest of the public to do so, with enough questioning citizens the government will be overpowered by the overwhelming demand of inquiries and thus cause chaos in a country†¦ Those who advocate total control or even economists philosophy like Carl Marx and his views on social reform can change the whole values of society, which means every single unit of society (us) will be affected even if we resist the next generation will grow up already brainwashed and in their minds that this is good, that is bad. This is why some people say philosophy is dangerous Philosophy can also change a way a person thinks. It can change peoples mind set especially those who are fickle and are not sure about their own true identities. These people change as they get influenced and cannot decide which is right and which is wrong. In our age of confusion and uncertainty, we need a sense of identity. Unaware of the complexities of an issue, unfamiliarity of certain issues, and unable to distinguish valid and invalid reasoning, these disoriented people might give in to authoritarian approaches to sacrifice their lives for certain values and ideas. And if people start philosopizing about things that are dangerous, it might baffle a person of their till then perception of things. People then turn to religion for a sense of direction. But once they start questioning the veracity of the religion, they are then deterred away again from their search of identity. Leaving them profound and doubtful. Philosophy is dangerous because it threatens to change or lives. But then again, because philosophy precedes the faculty of wonder, many things that were assumed have been justified. The world is not all sleight of hand and deception. A lot of old age enigmas have now been explained by science. What the dark side of the moon look likes was once shrouded in mystery but now we know exactly how it looks like. Philosophy leads to evolution. Because of that people improve. If it weren t because of the curiousness of scientists, we wouldn t have new inventions of machinery, of mathematical formulae, and wouldn t have the technology we now have in our lives. We would still be living in the dark, not knowing where to turn to. With this use, we cannot entirely say that philosophy is dangerous since it brings us so many advantages. Humanity has acquired a great new power in science and technology. We obtain numerous techniques for gaining greater security and comforts have been developed. Philosophy, in conjunction with other disciplines, plays a central in guiding us toward new desires and aspirations. It guides us to a clearer more assuring road into life. Philosophizing leads us to seek more knowledge and thus making a person wiser. It guides us to make more knowledgeable and wiser choices in life. The exploration of the possible, reasonable solution clarifies the options open to thoughtful persons. The usefulness of choosing from the reasoned, researched alternatives rather than from bigoted, impulsive, and unclear claims is apparent inn all dimension of our lives. Ideally, the study of philosophy nurtures our capacity for making informed choices. Ultimately, there isn t really a definite answer to the question whether philosophy is dangerous. This is due to the fact that philosophy brought humanity to evolve and improve yet making people feel anxious and insecure because they are uncertain about the meaning of life and which direction they should take life in.