American Political System

The American political system is presidential type of system where the president is the head of state and head of government. There is the state government and the federal government; these two shares the sovereignty with the Supreme Court balancing their powers. The American system also has the two-party legislative and electoral system. The American political system is made up of three main branches which are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The executive branch is headed by the president and is independent of the legislature.The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces and exercise overall authority in the management of national affairs of the United States. The ideology of the incumbent President and the President's advisers largely determines the government's attitude in foreign affairs. The legislative power is vested in the two chambers of congress which is the senate and the House of Representatives while the judiciary comprises of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. The function of the judiciary is to interpret the United States Constitution and the federal laws and regulations.These include resolving disputes between the executive branch and the legislative branch. The American political system has always been dominated by two political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party since the time of the American civil war. Other parties have existed but they have not been as dominant as these two. It is a usual view that the American political system is weak and disjointed. It is also a usual opinion that this was by deliberate design for the American founding fathers believed in limited government, and designed a system to ensure it.In a number of ways, it is certainly true that the American system is fragmented, if not necessarily weak. Many governmental functions that are performed by the national government as a matter of course in most countries are in the United States relegated to the states. In turn the states pass many of these functions on to local government. The standard form of identification carried by most people is a state driver's license, not a national identification card. Local police perform most law enforcement. They are not directly answerable, in a day-to-day administrative sense, to the national government or even the state government.Local government officials register marriages, property transactions, and much of the other fundamental administration of society. Basically the political system is made up of the federal government the state government and the local government; these include the state, the local, the county, and the town and village governments. (Bruce, 1997) Federal, state and local governments The federal entity created by the Constitution is the dominant feature of the American governmental system. Every person outside the capital is subject to at least three governing bodies: the federal government, a state and units of local governm ent.The local government includes counties, municipalities, and special districts. The federal government was created by the states, which as colonies were established separately and governed themselves independently of the others. Units of local government were created by the colonies to efficiently carry out various state functions. As the country expanded, it admitted new states modeled on the existing ones. State government States governments have the power to make law on all subjects that are not granted to the national government or denied to the states in the U.S. Constitution. These include education, family law, contract law, and most crimes. Unlike the national government, which only has those powers granted to it in the Constitution, a state government has intrinsic powers allowing it to act unless limited by a provision of the state or national constitution. Like the national government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The chi ef executive of a state is its popularly elected governor, who holds office for a four-year term (although in a few states the term is two years).Apart from for Nebraska, which has one-chamber legislature (known as a unicameral legislature), all states have a bicameral legislature, with the upper house usually called the Senate and the lower house called the House of Representatives, the House of Delegates or Assembly. In most states, senators serve four-year terms, and members of the lower house serve two-year terms. The constitutions of the various states differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government.State constitutions are generally more detailed. (Bruce, 1997) Local government There are 87,000 local governments, including 3,034 counties, 19,498 municipalities, 16,500 townships, 13,500 school districts, and 35,000 other special districts which deal with issues like fire protection. To a greater extent than on the federal or state level, the local governments directly serve the needs of the people, providing everything from police and fire protection to sanitary codes, health regulations, education, public transportation, and housing. Nearly 30% of the people live in cities of 100,000 or more population.City governments are chartered by states, and their charters feature the objectives and powers of the municipal government. For most big cities, cooperation with both state and federal organizations is essential to meeting the needs of their residents. Types of city governments vary widely across the nation. However, almost all have some kind of central council, elected by the voters, and an executive officer, assisted by various departmental heads, to manage the city's affairs. There are three general types of city government: the mayor-council, the commission, and the council-manager.These are the pure forms; most c ities have developed a combination of two or three of them. (Bruce, 1997) Mayor- Council. This is the oldest form of city government in the United States and, until the beginning of the 20th century, was used by nearly all American cities. Its structure is similar to that of the state and national governments, with an elected mayor as chief of the executive branch and an elected council that represents the various neighborhoods forming the legislative branch. The mayor appoints heads of city departments and other officials with the approval of the council.He or she has the power of veto over the laws of the city and regularly is in charge of preparing the city's budget. The council passes city by laws that sets the tax rate on property, and apportions money among the various city departments for various developments that have been ratified by the council. Cities have grown and council seats have more often than not come to represent more than a single neighborhood. The Commission: T his combines both the legislative and executive functions in one group of officials, usually three and more in number, elected all around the city. Each official supervises the work of one or more city departments.One of the officials is named chairperson of the body and is often called the mayor, although his or her power is equivalent to that of the other commissioners. Council- Manager: The city manager is an answer to the increasing difficulty of metropolitan problems, which require management expertise not often possessed by elected public officials. The answer has been to entrust most of the executive powers, including law enforcement and provision of services, to a highly trained and experienced professional city manager. The person usually holding this office is a government employee sent to the council or city by the federal government.The city manager plan has been adopted by a large number of cities. Under this plan, a small, elected council makes the city laws and regula tions and sets policy, but hires a paid administrator, also called a city manager, to carry out its decisions. The manager draws up the city budget and supervises most of the departments. Usually, there is no set term; the manager serves as long as the council is satisfied with his or her work(Bruce, 1997) County government The county is a subdivision of the state, sometimes containing two or more townships and several villages.New York City is so large that it is divided into five separate sections, each a county in its own right In most U. S. counties, one town or city is designated as the county seat, and this is where the government offices are situated and where the board of commissioners or supervisors meets. The board collects taxes for state and local governments; borrows and appropriates money; fixes the salaries of county employees; supervises elections; builds and maintains highways and bridges; and administers national, state, and county welfare programs Town and village governmentThousands of municipal jurisdictions are too small to qualify as city governments. These are chartered as towns and villages and deal with such strictly local needs as paving and lighting the streets; ensuring a water supply; providing police and fire protection; waste management; and, in cooperation with the state and county, directly administering the local school system. The government is usually entrusted to an elected board or council, which may be known by a variety of names: town or village council, board of supervisors, board of commissioners.The board may have a chairperson or president who functions as chief executive officer, or there may be an elected mayor. Governmental employees may include a clerk, treasurer, police and fire officers, and health and welfare officers. One distinctive characteristic of local government is the town meeting. Once a year the registered voters of a town meet in open session to elect officers, debate local issues, and pass laws fo r operating the government. As a body, they decide on road construction and repair, construction of public buildings and facilities, tax rates, and the town budget.The town meeting, which has existed for more than three centuries in some places, is often cited as the purest form of direct democracy. (Bruce, 1997) Voting in America is by adult Suffrage which is nearly universal for citizens who are18 years of age and older. All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, contribute to the electoral vote for President. However, the District, and other U. S. holdings like Guam do not have states' representation in Congress. They do not have the right to choose any political representative outside their respective areas.Each commonwealth, territory, or district can only elect a non-voting delegate to serve in the House of Representatives. Voting rights are sometimes restricted as a result of felony conviction, but such laws vary widely by state. Election of the president is an indir ect suffrage: Voters vote for electors to vote for President. The voters who elect a president are usually called the Electoral College. A candidate may have the majority of votes but looses in the Electoral College, this candidate is deemed to have lost the elections to the candidate who wins more votes in the Electoral College.Finance In order to participate in winning elections, especially in Federal elections it requires large amounts of money. The money is usually used for television advertising. This money is always very hard to raise. Candidates raise their money by appealing to a mass base. Both the two major parties normally depend on wealthy donors and organizations. Traditionally the Democrats depend on contributions from organized labor while the Republicans rely on business donations. Democrats' business donations have surpassed those from labor organizations.This dependency on donors is contentious, and has led to laws limiting spending on political campaigns being ena cted. Opponents of campaign finance laws challenge campaign finance laws on the grounds that they attempt to evade the people's constitutionally-guaranteed rights. Even when laws are upheld, the complication of compliance with these laws requires careful and cautious drafting of legislation, leading to laws that are still fairly limited in scope. (Bruce, 1997) Voting There is the primary election.This is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for an ensuing election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election. â€Å"Primaries† are widespread in the United States where their beginning is traced to the progressive movement. The primary elections are conducted by the government on behalf of the parties. Elsewhere in the world, the nomination of candidates is usually the responsibility of the political party organizations themselves and does not involve the general public.Besides prim aries, other ways that parties may choose candidates include caucuses; conventions and nomination meetings. There are several types of primaries. These include the open, semi open, closed semi closed. There is also the blanket type. In the closed type voters vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party. Independents cannot participate. In Semi-closed, as in closed primaries, registered party members can vote only in their own party's primary. Semi-closed systems, however, allow unaffiliated voters to participate as well.Depending on the state, independents either make their choice of party primary privately, inside the voting booth, or publicly, by registering with any party on Election Day. In an open style a registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary, it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she wishes to vote in on Election Day. Because of the open nature of this system, a practice known as â€Å"raiding† may occur.â€Å"Raiding† consists of voters of one party crossing over and voting in the primary of another party, effectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition's candidate. The theory is that opposing party members vote for the weakest candidate of the opposite party in order to give their own party the advantage in the general election. In a Semi-open style each voter may vote in any single primary, but must publicly declare which primary she will vote in before entering the voting booth. Typically this declaration is accomplished by requesting a ballot.In many states with semi-open primaries, election officials record each voter's choice of party and provide the parties access to this information. In the blanket type the voters are allowed to vote for one candidate per office, regardless of party affiliation. The current Presidential primary election schedule is that it gives undue weight to the few states with early primaries, as those states often build momentum for leading candidates and rule out trailing candidates long before the rest of the country has even had a chance to weigh in, leaving the last states with virtually no actual input on the process.The counterargument to this criticism, however, is that, by subjecting candidates to the scrutiny of a few early states, the parties can â€Å"weed out† candidates who are unfit for office. (Bruce, 1997) Reference Bruce, E. J. (1997): Native American Political Systems and the Evolution of Democracy: Greenwood Press; Westport,

School Administrator/Self Evaluation

Opening up possibilities for betterment revolves around an individual’s capacity to explore options available for education and learning. Here, it tries to foster better means to consolidate effective acquisition of information alongside the application of skill sets in specific scenarios. With the ability to bridge connections between theory and practice, I have learned to actively consolidate effective means to address changing trends within the educational sector and infuse responsible and accountable means of engagement and practice. Reflecting on my participation within the program, numerous ideas have been introduced and consolidated to supplement my role as a school administrator. Realizing the increasing needs of today’s schools with regards to planning, budget implementation, adherence to educational standards and so much more, immersing myself in this course instilled better means of handling these issues altogether and fully function as a competent leader. One that is ready to take part in the interplay of administrative and management dynamics related to my future endeavor as a school administrator. Similarly, it is also through this program that I had gained useful insights regarding my abilities both positive and negative. By looking into connections that have equally shaped my growth, I was able to imbibe specific principles related to administration and management. At the same time, I have also recognized my weaknesses as a professional. Due to this, I was able to harness an effective direction towards synchronizing and establishing my role within the educational sector. Through such capacity, I gained inputs that with constantly seeking engagement and improving my capabilities through experience, I can handle different challenges shaping 21st century education. Indeed, I am proud to have been part of this initiative. Though at times there were instances of hurdles and challenges on my part, I was able to utilize these situations and use them as instruments towards my personal development. All the activities and the principles taught throughout the course remain vital towards sustaining the capacity to become responsible educational leaders in the future. In essence, the capacity to acquire these management and administrative skills cultivates opportunities not only for my professional development or the needs of the educational community but also to maintain what the process of educational administration seeks to promote.

What function does religion play in human society Essay

What function does religion play in human society - Essay Example This paper is going to explore the possible function of religion that plays an active role in human society. Clifford Geertz opens his chapter on Religion as a Cultural System in a book called Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Religion, with a quote by George Santayana which explains the meaning of â€Å"living† and â€Å"healthy† religion as having a â€Å"marked idiosyncrasy† (Banton 1969). There is always a sense of security whenever one hears something about religion. It is like a belonging that one never wants to lose. At the same time, however, one feels apprehensive about it, especially in times of despair and hardship. In order to remain in touch with one’s religion, the American culture, which is said to be very religions, has developed the principle narrative technique, whereby it reflects moral deeds, illuminating the ways of living that have existed ever since a long time (Burton 2000). Hence, each individual of the society carries a narrative of his own, which allows him to embrace life through his own philosophy. Some people might tell a story with no mention of God/gods. They gear themselves for another life, probably after death. For some, religion clashes with medical interventions, which make them, doubt their own existence. They question whether religion will be of any help in these troubled times. A great political leader once said that it does not really matter what religion one follows as long as he is religious. To be religious has many possibilities and limitations. For humans to stay civilized they need to have a sense of moral duty towards their relative community. In a more philosophical speech, religion harmonizes â€Å"human actions† to a visualized â€Å"cosmic order and projects images of cosmic order onto a plane of human experience† (Banton 1969). Religion has a major role to play in human society. Society is

B2B Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

B2B Marketing - Essay Example Thus, B2B marketing precedes what might later lead to a consumer packaged-goods marketing. These then constitutes the most fundamental differences between the two types of marketing. However, as far as the business conducting the marketing is concerned, the purpose of both is similar in that both are usually designed to support the company’s sales strategy. More such differences can be highlighted when we consider the nature of the markets, the buying processes, relationships between the buyer and seller, the marketing environment, and the overall marketing strategy. Although much of the theories principles of marketing are similar, the two contexts differ in which the theories and principles are applied. In B2B, the important characteristics to be acquainted with are business buying behaviour rather than consumer buying behaviour. Moreover, the need in B2B is to deliver a ‘value proposition’ considering the goals of the other business. Consumers or households usually only have simple such ‘goals’, but for a business, purchasing takes on a more structured and strategic objective. Therefore, extra components must be considered in B2B such as how businesses evaluate ‘value propositions’ and suppliers, employ business purchasing decision processes, assess environmental variables, and so on. Some consumers for packaged goods may exhibit a degree of similar technicality but on the whole consumer behaviour is very much different from analytical business behaviour. Besides, depending on the packaged good, consumers are unlikely to be buying the same product repeatedly or in bulk. In addition, there is a greater possibility that in B2B marketing, the two businesses could be collaborating or even have a strategic alliance. This also makes the negotiation process more personal. The other business might have specific technical or design needs, which it would seek to acquire through a close relationship with its

WEEK 3 DISCUSSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WEEK 3 DISCUSSION - Essay Example Porter is clear in explaining that because a company is profitable and effective at a given moment; that is not necessarily the benchmark of how a company will perform in the future. Like science’s description of life on Earth, the corporation must continually evolve and become more efficient as it maintains a keen eye on its competitors. Most economists like to use the Japanese as a business model when it comes to efficiency and profitability. True the country’s top businesses seized upon a time period where Western companies seemed to be asleep at the switch. Yet their competition has seized upon strategy and in a sense is beating the country’s businesses at their own game and it appears several decades later that the opposition is winning (Porter). In using the Japanese model, Harvard Business Review points out that in 1970 Komatsu was a tiny bulldozer company hardly known outside Japan and had a minute sales fraction of Caterpillar, the American giant in the industry. Fifteen years later, Komatsu had expanded to a $2.8 billion company with as many product lines as their mammoth opposition. As well, they had expanded into the emerging industrial robotics area (Hamel). Did Caterpillar concern themselves with Komatsu in 1970? It is doubtful but had they done a Strategic Intent analysis at the time, they may not have had such a tremendous slice of profit removed in 1985. In a sense, Albani Perfumes is the current Goliath in its market of Latin America. With current sales of $10 million, it is still a relatively small company but has managed to do well against its current competitors. Yet as discussed in Week 2, China is making headway into the market with knockoff perfumes. It could probably be argued that Albani would not win a trade war with the world’s fastest growing economy and this would be rated at zero, Strong Negative

Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Starbucks - Essay Example Today is the 10th of November; the weather is cloudy here in Prescott Arizona and it is somewhat cold. It is the perfect weather for having a walk in Prescott’s downtown for me; however, unfortunately the same is not true for others. Starbucks is the perfect place for studying for most of my friends because it is quiet, but today its not. Unlike usual, I waited for around fifteen minutes in the line just to give my order; not to mention how long I waited to finally receive my order. Starbucks seems to be experiencing a very busy day today. Before I came to Prescott, I was at Nashville Tennessee studying English as a second language. As I have been told Starbucks is the best place to study, I was eager to check it out and see for myself. I am seeing students at their laptops; however, they are seem to be mentally distracted. They are having trouble concentrating in what they are doing; probably because of the noise that people are creating all around them. Unfortunately, this â€Å"best place to study† is not the best today. The people creating most of this noise are in the ordering line. However, the individuals that are sitting at tables are also conversing loudly, talking on cell phones, laughing. What had really grabbed my attention is a guy setting with a very old man; they look like a father and his son. The father seams to be sad and the son was trying to make him feel better. Seeing them started to stir thoughts in my mind with regards to how I would behave with my own son in the future. Regardless of whether Starbucks Coffee can be considered a good place to study or a good place to concentrate, the fact remains that a large group of people from all strata of society regularly can be seen in such a place. As such, going there to enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack can oftentimes lead one to consider many aspects of the way that people interact. Accordingly, it can

The Impact of Business Partnering on the HR Function and HR Practice Literature review

The Impact of Business Partnering on the HR Function and HR Practice - Literature review Example This paper stresses that one can say that a great number of the various impacts that can be identified as a result of business partnering on the HR function are positive. This new practice allows for the expansion of the various HR practices that take place in an organization and can therefore be said to aid the Human Resource Management process through strengthening its capabilities and presence. The relationship between business partnering and Human Resource can not be ignored as it can be considered to be a symbiotic relationship whereby, each benefits from the other. This report makes a conclusion that managing to do so will strengthen the success rate that a business will be able to enjoy as well as improve the business frame of the company through better tactics and management of resources. In order to find a way that these practices can work in harmony with one another however, one has to identify the impact that business partnering has on the HR practice and its various functions. In order to do this, it is essential that one understands the full context of both business partnering and Human Resource Management. By identifying what the two practices are one is able to understand their operations and the best way to integrate both systems into one unified network that is able to easily collaborate with each other. Human Resource Management can be termed as the management of an organizations workforce or employee base. (Nag, Hambrick & Chen, 2007). It deals with the relationship between the organization and its employees and the various subject matters that arise from such a relationship such as the hiring and firing of individuals among other criteria. The main aim of Human Resource Management is ensuring that the organization has a capable workforce that will allow it to carry out its operations without a problem (Conaty & Charan, 2011). In this regard, HRM can be considered to be the backbone of the operations that take place within an organization. It can be seen as one of the most important departments within an organization and thus it is essential that it is approached in the correct manner and with sustainable ideologies. A failure to do so may lead to the downfall of the organization as a result of a breakdown in operations. There are a number of responsibilities that are held by the HRM department and most of this are with regard

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Journal - Essay Example The article offers that â€Å"retailers already are bracing for another meager holiday season† (Rugaber, 1). At the microeconomic level, less demand for credit can impact the retail industry significantly if there are wide scale changes in consumer behavior and attitude toward retail spending. Some consumers may be considering that the cost of a car would be too significant on their personal budgets and would rather keep their creditworthiness by paying down debt. Consumer attitudes might also be focused around small scale items, as cost savings, such as reducing grocery store volume per trip or changing their favorite brands. The article offers that jobs are scarce currently which also changes the mindset of buyers, giving them more incentive to cut back on personal spending in the retail environment. The National Retail Federation believes that the retail holiday season will see a one percent drop in sales this year, due to consumers reducing their spending and their need for credit. Speaking strictly from the microeconomics level, this makes sense how one aspect of consumer attitude can strongly impact the strength of a specific industry, such as retail. It would seem that the real question which should be asked is whether consumers would be cutting back on large purchases or small purchases and in what specific retail segment. Is it scattered throughout retail or does this concern only deal with high dollar purchases? Microeconomics has taught the importance of conducting research and gaining demographic information in order to support local business success and profitability. Consumer attitudes changing to reflect a new attitude regarding spending and credit is a microeconomic issue with potential real-life problems for certain retail marketplaces. It would be very important to conduct consumer research to find out why. The new light bulbs

Hedley Bull And the Presence of the International Society Essay

Hedley Bull And the Presence of the International Society - Essay Example This report stresses that there are situations where despite a war taking place, no state is able to achieve victory, thus reaching a stalemate. Under such circumstances, both of these states take an active role in ensuring that the order is retained within the international society because long wars might lead to the collapse of the state. This paper has attempted to agree with Hedley Bull’s statement that the international society has always been a part of the world political system. The international society has been based on the actions of states to make sure that their principal interests are catered for while at the same time protecting their existence. In addition, within the world political system, the international society has been in existence mainly through the influence of powerful states over weaker ones. Moreover, throughout history, the world has been dominated by a need to ensure a balance of power so that the state systems that had developed could be protected. It is also essential to note that the international society has been developed through the willingness of states to ensure that they adhere to international laws. Furthermore, diplomacy plays a crucial role in the formation of an international society because it allows for the development of constant contact between the governments of diff erent states. Finally, despite its chaotic nature, war has always been an important factor in the formation of international society throughout history as seen through the various conflicts between states that have eventually resulted in stable systems.

Patient care in inadvertent hypothermia Assignment

Patient care in inadvertent hypothermia - Assignment Example Perioperative hypothermia had a potential for morbidity and mortality. The patients who had perioperative hypothermia had a chance for surgical site infections especially in patients with colorectal surgery (Hart et al, 2011). The guidelines of Surgical Care Improvement Project encouraged the decrease in incidence of this illness. Human beings required internal body temperatures to be constant for the multiple organs to function optimally. The situation changed when the patient entered the operation theatre. The temperatures of the operation rooms were kept below 230C. Almost all the surgeries required this temperature for maintenance of normothermia for the reason that the operation theatre staff found the temperature for normothermia slightly warm for work. This caused the maintenance of lower temperatures in the theatre. Actual heat loss was governed by room temperature as the temperature gradient determined the heat loss. Surgeons and other staff could not withstand the warmth be cause of the stress of surgery and the layers of clothing they wore and the lead aprons. Prevention of perspiration was essential to avoid the problem of sweat polluting the surgical site. Staff could generally become lethargic with the higher room temperature hindering their vigilance which was critical in the operation theatre. However patients commented about the cold room. Inadvertent hypothermia is the aspect of care that has been selected by this researcher for study. Information on the issue of hypothermia was gathered from review of literature beginning with the study by Hart et al (2011). The review of literature provided plenty of basic information that could help readers to understand this topic of management of inadvertent hypothermia better. This researcher has carefully selected articles most recently published from the Pubmed Central site. Analysis of current evidence base Perioperative hypothermia Perioperative hypothermia of below 360C was experienced by 20% of pati ents (Kurz, 2008). Anaesthesia rendered a patient devoid of many defensive mechanisms for becoming warmer in the instance of hypothermia. Behavioural modification was eliminated so that patients became colder. Thermoregulatory mechanisms did not function so unwarmed patients became hypothermic. Perioperative hypothermia produced adverse effects like elevated loss of blood during surgery, a higher rate by 20% of allogeneic transfusions and an increase of surgical site infections by three times (Hart et al, 2011). Prevention of hypothermia had guidelines instituted by the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) for operative and post-operative patients. Perioperative normothermia was to be maintained by warming devices. Staff providing the warming support was to be knowledgeable about the mechanisms of temperature regulation, perioperative hypothermia and the methods to prevent or manage hypothermia. Temperature monitoring Temperature monitoring became an essential component of perio perative care. Oral temperature measurement was the best technique according to the American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses (ASPAN). The same method of measurement needed to be maintained throughout perianaesthesia (Hart et al, 2011). The temperature at the depth of the thoracic, abdominal and central nervous systems was the core temperature. It was more consistently controlled and was 2-40C higher than skin temperature. The measurement was made at the distal end of the oesophagus, from a bladder with good urine flow, the nasopharynx and the pulmonary artery in general anaesthesia patients. The core temperature was the most reliable indicator of the thermal status (Sessler, 2008). Near-core temperatures were taken from the axillary area, rectum, bladder with low urinary flow and

Create atmosphere Essay Example for Free

Create atmosphere Essay Media Studies Assignment: In Extract from Die Another Day analyse the way in which director Lee Tamaton has used the following to create atmosphere The scene that I will be analysing is the Ice Chase scene in which Zao the villain is chasing James Bond on the ice lake- as his aim is to rescue his lover played by Halle Berry which Zao is trying to prevent. The audience is taken in the scene with an opening aerial shot of Bond in the Aston and Zao in the Jaguar as they are on the chase. With the use of non-diegetic sound of fast car music and diegetic sound of car screeching that the director implements reflects the rush and anxiety of both rivals on the chase to kill. The director cuts from long sweeping aerial shots to medium shots which is used to emphasize on the car movements following into close up shots of both characters. This is used so the audience can see the expressions of both characters where James has a straight face which emphasises on his intelligence, confidence and collective attitude towards his fast movements whereas we see a contrast of Zaos disfurged expressions which portray a evil and reactive ability of his nature to kill this adds tension towards the sequence of adventure displayed leaving the audience in suspense of what to expect from the two challenging opponents. As the audience is exposed with cuts of medium between long and close-up shots help to give the sequence balance keeping the audience focused on the main characters and excited until they are at the edge of their seats. As music gets faster and louder the acceleration of the car then slows down this crescendo is emphasised so that the audience focuses on the actions of bond and Zao in the car. Therefore this relates to their techniques of immediacy needed where the use of tracking shots are employed so the audience can see both characters taking advantage of firing missals, rockets and gunshots at each other continuously engineered by their cars. Their high powered gadget packed sports cars relates to the familiar trademark used in bond films. The cross cutting of the three stories where Halle is trying to escape inside of the ice mountain and the other scene from space creates suspense. These different editing speeds of fast motion and then the slow down of motion in between the different shots draws attention to the audience the main features of action which is the ice chase scene. At the part where Bonds car is upside down Zao locks onto fire a heat seeker with the use of computer system Bond presses his ejected seat where the audience see the pivoting of the car upwards in seconds just before the rocket whizzes by this illustrates to the audience that bond is a precise professional alert man and this is a moment where the natural trait of perfection of Bond is demonstrated. This part of the scene brings the audience to a calm feeling after the climax has been minimised by Bonds careful reactions. The directors use of stunts from the heat sensors, computer time bombs and missals are conventions expected in Bond films as this leads to dramatic climax of action and leaves the audience burning with excitement of what it going to happen next and gives more realism to the culture of the scene. The diegetic sound of these properties adds realism and an exciting atmosphere within the scene as the tracking shot employs the captive fast action of these elements. As James is in his car the denotation of his dress code which is black suit and sleek hair connotes to the audience his natural charisma and precise movements against his rival. This is another convention of Bonds styles in his films. Whereas the villain is dressed sporty and this signifies a thugged out style and a man who spontaneously thinks who is fast and dangerous but cannot outsmart Bond. Natural light is used to portray the cold, edgy atmosphere surrounded by ice elements of rocks and the lake; this creates an unbalanced atmosphere of a calm bright vista which is irony to the action portrayed in the scene. The use of back projection of ice rocks adds realism of natural tranquillity and isolates the two characters within the scene Computer generated images are used as the audience is shown a cut in space where the light from satellite reflects directly on the outer edges of the ice palate. The director uses this method to create a pattern of expectations throughout the film and leaves the audience in tension of dangerous consequences that could occur from this. The director portrays a long shot at the ending of the sequence, where the audience visualise Bond in the Aston speeding with Zao in the Jaguar following him. This is portrayed so that the audience capture the speed and density of driving on the blue colouring spread on the ice lake to give a glossy real effect where the shot also adds distance and a cold wiery atmosphere that Bond escapes from in which the scene ends. My conclusion of Tamatons use of spectacular physical action in the Ice chase scene of explosions, chases and battles adds to the narrative of the story and the deployment of state-of -art special effects to emphasis in performance on athletic feats and stunts. This has been a conventional trend from the 1980s and a dominant trend in the 1990. Therefore these natural conventions in the scene that Tamaton has used create the expected atmosphere of unprediction and tension that builds up playing on these important elements. This is why the Ice lake scene has given a cold exciting thrilling atmosphere and exhilaration to the audiences expectations from the beginning and the ending of the scene.

Overview Of The Sampath Bank Management Essay

Overview Of The Sampath Bank Management Essay Objective of this chapter is to present a general idea about the research. Hence, Chapter one is divided into eight areas such as background of the study, Objectives of the research, research problem, conceptual framework, research hypotheses, research questions, significance of the research and organization of the study. 1.1 Overview of the Sampath bank and Background of the study The dynamic nature of the new marketplace today has created a competitive incentive among many companies to consolidate and reconcile their knowledge assets as a means of creating value that is sustainable over time. Knowledge transferring is believed to be able to improve performance and productivity of the organization and knowledge transferring has been illustrated as a significant discipline in leading to positive performance in the organization (Kasim, 2008). To achieve competitive sustainability, many companies are launching extensive knowledge transferring efforts. More recently, knowledge transfer has emerged as powerful determinants of value creation in organizations. Organizations specific knowledge becomes as a necessary factor of competitive advantage (Gold, Malhotra, and Segars, 2001). The Sampath Bank has commenced its operations as a License commercial bank in 1987 with 47 employees. At present 3rd largest PCB in the contry Its vision statement, The Growing Force in Sri Lankan Financial services and values mentioned in below enhancing professional standards of internal and external customers (Sampath bank, 2012). Create a learning culture that promotes individual and organizational development as well as promoting innovation and value for customers. Treat all internal and external customers the way we would like to be treated. Encourage and promote teamwork in all aspects of behavior. Open to feedback and demonstrate an eagerness for personal development. Monitor and demonstrate an impressive commitment to results. Uncompromising ethical and professional standards of behavior The bank believes that its greatest treasure in what is truly a service industry is its investment in human capital, the high quality of management staff, motivation, dedication, and team spirit. The bank does not employ clerks and peons and ubiquitous features in most other institutions. Its staff is composed of executives assisted by secretaries, all of whom have been handpicked and adequately remunerated at levels well above prevailing market rates. Team of Sampath Bank is young and energetic, adaptable to change and are blessed with a gungkok bo attitude which in all circumstances allows us to pursue the vision and mission of the bank stridently. They are committed to constant improvement, new ideas and remain unafraid of challenges. They seek new opportunities within the knowledge based culture we permeate across the bank and this has resulted in winning accolades from all spheres of competencies. Moreover, among the corporate objectives of the bank was employ, develop and retai n a self-motivated group of employees who themselves enforce high standards of performance (Sampath bank, 2012). According to General Manager of Sampath bank the relative youth, together with the enthusiasm and the pioneering spirit of all members of the staff had laid the foundation for the development of an innovative culture which was so essential in a field as competitive as banking. Intensive training, recreation and welfare facilities transform and guided the development and skills attitudes of the team necessary to deliver superior customer satisfaction (Sampath bank, 2012). The numbers of employees and branches have been increased to 3230 and 206 respectively in 2011. It has recruited new employees parallel to the vision of accelerating the branch network with the aim of gaining competitive advantage. The Sampath Bank had to fill the new vacancies from strategic level to function level in the newly opened 35 branches. The rapid expansion did not give a room to in-house built the skilled team members to allocate for newly opened branches. Most of team members were promoted to higher potential grades than their real potential grades. Number of employees who have been worked in different department in Sampath bank utilized the opportunity to work in branches. Transferred team members were required enhancing professional standards of internal and external customers with moving from their functions to branch banking.nb Several issues can be explored with reference to knowledge transferring in Sampath Bank. This research intends to identify whether the transferred employees have been shared or gain their knowledge within the subordinate employees. The main objectives of this study to explore links between employee transfer and knowledge transfer. This study is monitoring these issues and identified ways in which they may be overcome by introducing changes to the effective knowledge transferring. Objectives of the research The purpose of this research is to examine the links between employee transfer and knowledge transfer. The following objectives will be fulfilled above aim of this study. To explore management concepts to review links between employee transfer and knowledge transfer To identify individual and organizational factors for affecting effectiveness of knowledge transfer Research problem Top corporate entities in the world are beginning to realize the significance and importance of transferring knowledge and are beginning to appreciate knowledge as the most important and valued assets that leads to organizational performance. The Sampath Bank will compete for business only on the basis of quality, price and superior service to its customers. Considering values in Sampath bank, The Bank develops a highly motivated and competent team of individuals who independently ensure that the highest standards are maintained throughout the Bank. The bank Create a learning culture that promotes individual and organizational development as well as promoting innovation and value for customers are highly focused. Promoting open to feedback and monitor commitment to results are aimed to enhance its ethical and professional standards of behavior. The Sampath bank makes every effort to train and develop team members to acquire the professional skills and knowledge they would need to use in the Bank and the bank do hope that both team members professional and personal goals will be realized in a satisfying and rewarding career at the Sampath bank. The bank encourages team members to find new and better ways of doing their job or improving their Banks systems and processes. Innovation creates value not only for customers but for team members. It would add to the quality of work life and ensure that quality work of team members. The Sampath bank considers training and development as one of the most valuable investment in realizing their enduring goals and aspirations. Work towards developing their own talents and creating a culture where team members strive to acquire and share new knowledge critical to achieve mission of the bank. The Sampath bank deploys systematic and modern learning methods to enhance knowledge and productivity. As a matter of policy, the bank provides minimum of sixty hours of training per year for every team member. The type of training will be determined by an analysis of what skills and knowledge are required by each. The analysis will consider not only what is necessary in their current job but also what they would require in successive positions in the future. Team members are generally expected to serve in a particular workstation for a minimum period of four years. However, request for a transfer from team members assigned to Branches in remote areas may be considered after completion of three years. In the event of transfer of a team member, subsequent to his/her promotion, the minimum period of three years will not apply. Except for team members identified for specialization. The Bank encourages team members to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to do their job and the future positions they will hold and to disseminate those skills and knowledge within the Bank, So that, the Banks organizational capabilities and effectiveness are always improved. Career at the bank will depend on how well team members perform in the jobs they hold and the attitudes they exhibit. The work performance will be the sole criteria for any promotion. Considering rapid expansion in Sampath bank, it has emerged more vacancies in Branch banking. In presenting issue in promoting team members who has fewer competencies in branch banking to team members in branches. Required knowledge transferring through the transferred employees is questionable. Relationship between knowledge transferring and employee transferring in the Sampath bank is vital for academic performances. Considering these events and factors less publication in banking industry have addressed the effectiveness of knowledge transferring. As such, this study effort to identify the effectiveness of knowledge transferring from transferred employees at the Sampath bank. Conceptual framework A conceptual framework represents the relationships and the type of relationships among the concepts. The conceptual framework portrayed in figure.1 explains the relevant concepts in this study, and the form of relationship between the perceptions. Figure 1.1 Conceptual framework of the study Characteristics of the Transferred Employees Employee Transfers Effectiveness of Knowledge Transferring Source: Researchers orginal constraction. Moreover, figure 1 describes an analytical model in a graphical model based on some theoretical foundations. Accordingly, the conceptual framework is developed based on theories. The model assumes transferred employees as independent and knowledge transferring as dependent. Research hypotheses Bhatti, Zaheer and Rehman (2010) studied the effect of knowledge management practices on organizational performance. Specially, the study explored the effectiveness of knowledge transferring depend on learning capability, leadership skills and experience of employees. H1: Effectiveness of knowledge transfer is influenced by characteristics of the transferred team members at the Sampath bank. Research questions How individual and organizational factors influence for the effectiveness of knowledge transfer? What are the individual characteristics affect to knowledge transfer? How transfer knowledge via transferred employees? Significance of the research The main significance of this study is to help management of The Sampath Bank identify the effectiveness of knowledge transferring from transferred employees. Effectiveness of knowledge transferring relates to Banks current business performance named as customer orientation, competent people, long term profitability and growth, image building, effectiveness leadership among major customer segments. This knowledge will enable management implement the appropriate strategies that help improve the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. On the other hand, knowledge transferring plays significance role in building up sustainable competitive advantage in Banking industry. Limitation of the study The aim of this section is to define the boundaries of the study or to enumerate how the researcher has narrowed down its focus. The survey was conducted over a period of three months. Organization of the Report The main body of this report comprises seven sections. Its structural organization is presented in Figure 1.2 given below. Chapter 03 Research methodology and framework Chapter 04 Thematic organization, presentation and Analysis of data Chapter 05 Statistics outcome. Chapter 06 Concluding remarks Chapter 01 Introduction Chapter 02 Literature review Source: Researchers orginal constraction. The introduction that comprises a glimpse of the study, focusing on the context, the objectives of the study, an overview of the Sampath bank in Sri Lanka, the research issue and empirical setting of the research. it also provides an account of limitations that the researcher has set for defining the boundaries of the study. Chapter two contains a review of past research on the topics covered in this study. In this section, some important findings of past studies are outlined, while attention is paid to their methodological concerns. A special feature of thhhis literature review is the emphasis placed on bringing to the fore findings of knowledge transferring and characteristics of employees. The research methodology and framework of the study are presented in chapter three. Key areas addressed therein include the case study research strategy employed, units of analysis, the method of sampling, methods of data collection, the quality of research strategy and the research framework. The foundation for this study as developed in the preceding two sections leads to the development of a conceptual framework as a piece of original work of the researcher, which has strengthened the researchers endeavor to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the subject. Chapter four and five which are based on Knowledge transferring and transferred employees. Chapter Four explains the methodology, adopted in this study in order to empirically test the research hypotheses. Moreover, the chapter presents findings, statistics outcomes and facts. Chapter Five comprises of a review of data collection, followed by a detailed review of the factor analysis.in addition, objectives of the study, evaluate hypotheses and limitations are presented. And, it presents the similarities and differences between knowledge transfers and employee transfers with special reference to the organization of knowledge transferring function and job transfer. Chapter six presents findings and concluding remarks of the study. Latter part of this section documents presents limitations of the study, inviting the attention of academics, researchers, scholars and practitioners to understand how they could plan future research taking cognizance of these limitations. Potential research would essentially contribute to broadening the horizons of the body of knowledge and wisdom on knowledge transferring as an academic and professional discipline. Literature Review 2.0 Introduction to the chapter The purpose of this chapter is to present the literature review related to the concepts incorporated in the study. This chapter consists of sections such as definition of knowledge, definition of knowledge management, types of knowledge, importance of knowledge, knowledge and organizational performance, knowledge transferring, knowledge transferring and competitive advantage, factors affecting for knowledge transferring, effectiveness of knowledge transferring and knowledge transferring in financial institutions and Individual characteristics and knowledge transferring. Meanwhile 2.1 Knowledge and Knowledge transferring Knowledge is fluid mixes of framed experience, values, contextual information and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incur pirating new experiences and information or Knowledge is about people, relationship. Communities and new ways of working Tan (2010) reviewed that knowledge are the two types of knowledge such as explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge. Information systems which achieved by organization named as explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge refers to informal knowledge which gain through work experiences. Most scholars divide knowledge into two types such as explicit knowledge or information, and tacit knowledge or know-how (Hussain. Lucas. and Ali., 2004). The key to knowledge is capturing intellectual assets for the tangible benefits for the organization. As such, imperatives of knowledge is to transform knowledge to add value to the processes and operations of the business, leverage knowledge strategic to business to accelerate growth and innovation and use knowledge to provide a competitive advantage for the business. (Hussain. Lucas. and Ali., 2004). Knowledge management is an organizational discipline bridging information demand and supply in support of learning processes within organizations (Curado.n.d.). Knowledge management enables the communication of knowledge from one person to another so that it can be used by the other person. (Hussain. Lucas. and Ali. , 2004). Knowledge transfer (KT), knowledge retention (KR), and knowledge utilization (KU) are identified as components of knowledge management systems.( Gayton, 2009). Knowledge transfer revealed by Makino (1990) typically has been used to describe the movement of knowledge between different units, divisions, or organizations rather than individuals. This is described Tan,(2010) and Disterer (2001) by stating Knowledge transferring can be defined as a social interaction culture involving the exchange of employee knowledge, experiences and knowledge through the whole department or organizations. However, Gayton (2009) concluded knowledge transferring is not only between departments. The process of knowledge can be transferred through one channel to another channel such as group, department and branch. Therefore, Knowledge transfer means knowledge sharing within an organization between individual and groups (Trautman,2011). 2.2 Significance of Knowledge transferring Most knowledge organizations, uses multiple knowledge management tools to transfer knowledge. With the result of knowledge transfer any organization that competes with other organizations in the marketplace on quality, price, or customer loyalty. (Schlomer, Anderson and Shaw,1997). Due to the, emergence of personal networks and applications, knowledge transferring and capturing are becoming more on-demand. And, Organizations must continuously update their knowledge resource to stay in the competition (Bhatti, Zaheer and Rehman, 2010). Knowledge transferring is necessary for companies because what worked yesterday may or may not work tomorrow because, market needs are changing rapidly. Knowledge is a vital factor for financial institutions. Use the knowledge management system enhances continuous improvement and innovation to gain competitive advantage. Demands from customers and Human resources require transfer knowledge within the organization (Rasoulinezhad,n.d.). 2.3 Factors that Influence Knowledge Sharing There is a scarcity of research specifically in the area of knowledge sharing between individuals in organizations, and empirical evidence has just begun to uncover some of the complex dynamics that exist in processes related to knowledge sharing. Based on a review of theory and research related to knowledge sharing, the following have been identified as the major factors that influence knowledge sharing between individuals in organizations: the nature of knowledge, motivation to share, opportunities to share, and the culture of the work environment. 2.3.1 Nature of Knowledge Knowledge by its very nature exists in both tacit and explicit forms. However, with the increasing recognition of the importance of knowledge in organizations, different types of knowledge have also begun to be valued differently within organizations. These two characteristics of the nature of knowledge, tackiness and explicitness of knowledge, and the value attributed to knowledge have a significant influence on the way knowledge is shared within organizations. 2.3.2 Tacit and explicit knowledge. The dominant classification of knowledge in organizations divides it into two types, tacit and explicit. The critical differences between these two types are found in three major areas codifiability and mechanisms for transfer, methods for acquisition and accumulation, and the potential to be collected and distributed (Lam, 2000). The concept of tacit knowledge was first presented by Polanyi (1966), who argued that a large part of human knowledge cannot be articulated and made explicit easily. Tacit knowledge can be thought of as the know-how that is acquired through personal experience (Nonaka, 1994). It is therefore not easily codifiable and cannot be communicated or used without the individual who is the knower. Tacit knowledge also tends to be sticky in nature. Lam (2000) defined stickiness as the incremental expenditure involved in moving knowledge in a form that is useable and easily understood by the information seeker. According to Lam, stickiness for the knowledge supplier c omes from the tackiness of the knowledge that has to be shared, whereas absorptive capacity creates stickiness for the knowledge user. Therefore, tackiness of knowledge is a natural impediment to the successful sharing of knowledge between individuals in organizations. Explicit knowledge, on the other hand, can be easily codified, stored at a single location, and transferred across time and space independent of individuals (Lam, 2000). It is easier to disseminate and communicate (Schulz, 2001). Explicit knowledge therefore has a natural advantage over tacit knowledge in terms of its ability to be shared relatively easily among individuals. However, just because explicit knowledge is easily transferred across individuals and settings, it should not be assumed that it is easily shared in organizations. Weiss (1999) argued that the ability to articulate knowledge should not be equated with its availability for use by others in the organization. To support this point, he made a distinct ion between explicit knowledge that is easily shared with that which is not by introducing the notion of rationalized knowledge and embedded knowledge within the context of professional services organizations. Rationalized knowledge is general, context independent, standardized, and public. Weiss suggested that because this knowledge has been separated from its original source and is independent of specific individuals, this knowledge is readily shared and available to all those who seek it. Embedded knowledge, on the other hand, is context dependent, narrowly applicable, personalized, and may be personally or professionally sensitive. Therefore, explicit knowledge that is embedded in nature is not likely to be easily shared among individuals. However, knowledge must be seen as more than just explicit and tacit in nature. Regardless of whether knowledge is tacit or explicit, the value attributed to it also has a significant impact on whether and how individuals share it. 2.3.3 Value of knowledge Knowledge is increasingly perceived as being commercially valuable, and its ownership is being recognized by both individuals and the organizations they work in (Brown Woodland, 1999). When individuals perceive the knowledge they possess as a valuable commodity, knowledge sharing becomes a process mediated by decisions about what knowledge to share, when to share, and who to share it with (Andrews and Delahaye, 2000). In situations in which it is valued highly, individuals may tend to claim emotional ownership of knowledge (Jones and Jordan, 1998). This sense of ownership comes from the fact that in several settings, individual knowledge is linked to status, career prospects, and individual reputations (Andrews and Delahaye, 2000). The sharing of such knowledge is a complex process, and Jones and Jordan (1998) found that it involved, among other things, the extent to which individuals perceived themselves to be valued by their organization. Certain types of knowledge are valued highly by both individuals and organizations. For example, knowledge related to research and development is valued highly because of its commercial and scientific value. Research suggests that in research and development organizations, creative power resides in a relatively small number of individuals (Armbrecht et al., 2001), creating issues of ownership particularly because it is linked to tangible outcomes such as creation of new products, patents, research grants, and individual incomes. Therefore, in highly competitive environments or those in which knowledge has high commercial value, there exists a dilemma resulting from contradictory incentives to share knowledge and to withhold it. In organizations in which an individuals knowledge becomes his or her primary source of value to the firm, sharing this knowledge might potentially result in diminishing the value of the individual, creating a reluctance to engage in knowledge-sharing activities. Professionals, in particular, tend to guard their knowledge as they perceive that their own value to the firm is a product of the knowledge they possess (Weiss, 1999). Any reluctance to share knowledge is further heightened in situations characterized by uncertainties and insecurities, such as mergers and acquisitions (Armbrecht et al., 2001). 2.3.4 Motivation to Share Knowledge is intimately and inextricably bound with peoples egos and occupations and does not flow easily across the organization. According to Stenmark (2001), People are not likely to share knowledge without strong personal motivation. Motivational factors that influence knowledge sharing between individuals can be divided into internal and external factors. Internal factors include the perceived power attached to the knowledge and the reciprocity that results from sharing. External factors include relationship with the recipient and rewards for sharing. Knowledge as power, the increasing importance given to knowledge in organizations, and the increasing value attributed to individuals who possess the right kind of knowledge are conducive to creating the notion of power around knowledge. If individuals perceive that power comes from the knowledge they possess, it is likely to lead to knowledge hoarding instead of knowledge sharing. According to Brown and Woodland, individuals use knowledge for both control and defense (Armbrecht et al., 2001).In a competitive environment, withholding knowledge from those considered competitors is often regarded as being useful to attaining ones goals. Power politics is therefore an important aspect of knowledge sharing in organizations (Weiss, 1999). Blackler, Crump, and McDonald (1998) concurred with the notion that knowledge can be perceived as a source of power in organizations. They suggested that because knowledge is always situated within a particular context, it is natural that culture and power dynamics within the context affect the way knowledge is perceived and used. Reciprocity or the mutual give-and-take of knowledge can facilitate knowledge sharing if individuals see that the value-add to them depends on the extent to which they share their own knowledge with others. Reciprocal acts as those in which individuals help others and share information without negotiation of terms and without knowledge of whether or when the other will reciprocate. Reciprocity as a motivator of knowledge sharing implies that individuals must be able to anticipate that sharing knowledge will prove worthwhile (Weiss, 1999). It is the expectation that those involved in sharing knowledge will be able to acquire or benefit from some of the value created by their involvement. Empirical evidence for the relationship between reciprocity and knowledge sharing indicates that receiving knowledge from others stimulates a reciprocal flow of knowledge in the direction of the sender both horizontally and vertically in organizations (Schulz, 2001). Support for the relationship between reciprocity and knowledge sharing was also found by Hall (2001). Reciprocity is also thought to be a motivator of knowledge sharing in communities of practice where knowledge sharing results in enhancing participants expertise and providing opportunities for recognition. 2.3.5 Opportunities to Share Opportunities to share knowledge in organizations can be both formal and informal in nature. Formal opportunities include training programs, structured work teams, and technology-based systems that facilitate the sharing of knowledge. Stenmark (2001) referred to these asformal interactions, and Hall (2001) called them purposive learning channelsthose that are designed to explicitly acquire and disseminate knowledge. Informal opportunities include personal relationships and social networks that facilitate learning and the sharing of knowledge Weiss (1999) referred to these informal opportunities as relational learning channels. Purposive learning channels provide individuals with a structured environment in which to share knowledge. Armbrecht et al (2001) identified some formal interventions that facilitate knowledge sharing in organizations, from basic instructions to share knowledge, to more complex interventions such as Nominal Group Technique and the Delphi Technique. However, knowledge shared through formal channels tends to be mainly explicit in nature (Yang ,2007) The advantages of purposive learning channels are that they are able to connect a large number of individuals and they allow for the speedy dissemination of shared knowledge, especially through electronic networks and other technology-based systems. Empirical evidence for successful knowledge sharing through formal channels was found by Chini (2004) and Tan (2010) Although purposive learning channels play an important role in facilitating knowledge sharing, research indicates that the most amount of knowledge is shared in informal settings through the relational learning. Relational channels facilitate face-to-face communication, which allows for the building of trust, which in turn is critical to sharing knowledge. These informal opportunities to interact with other people help individuals develop respect and friendship, which influences their behavior Lim (2005) called this relation al embeddedness the kind of personal relationships that people develop when they interact with each other over a period of time. 2.3.6 Culture of the Work Environment The factors described above are important to understanding the manner in which knowledge is shared between individuals. However, all of these factors are influenced by the culture of the work environment the culture of the subunit and/or the culture of the organization at large. Organizational culture is increasingly being recognized as a major barrier to effective knowledge creation, sharing, and use (Weiss,1999). Organizations are essentially cultural entities Lim (2005) and therefore, regardless of what organizations do to manage knowledge, the influences of the organizations culture are much stronger. Dyer (1998) defined culture as a pattern of basic assumptions that is developed by a group as they grapple with and develop solutions to everyday problems. When these assumptions work well enough to be considered valid, they are taught to new members as the appropriate way to approach these problems. Schein further added that a key part of every culture is a set of assumptions about how to determine or discover what is real and how members of a group take an action, how they determine what is relevant information, and when they have enough of it, to determine whether to act and what to do. Culture is therefore reflected in the values, norms, and practices of the organization, where values are manifested in norms that in turn shape specific practices (Kasim, 2008). Weiss (1999) identified certain aspects of organizational culture that influence knowledge sharing culture shapes assumptions about which knowledge is important, it control

Is multicultural-nationalism possible?

Is multicultural-nationalism possible? Introduction: Nations- states used to be the premier and most important form of human gathering, where this implies that this entity does have the necessary requirements of existence as a state such as (people, territory, sovereignty, etc) along with having just one nation within its territorial borders. This was later changed due to the influx of immigration all over the world where immigrants move between countries either because of wars or seeking employment and better economic conditions or any other necessitating reason. This phenomenon led to the situation we are facing recently that almost all states now are culturally or religiously or ethnically diverse. Popper states this in such a criticizing way, Principle of the national state is not only inapplicable†¦it is a myth†¦and utopian dream†¦. So, having multinational states became a fact that we have to deal with. The coinciding between the states borders and the inclusion of a nation is no longer the only form of countries. There are even cases when there are stateless nations. This made Connor observes that now we can almost find only seven nation-states remaining, he named them: the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Japan, Luxembourg, Iceland and Norway. To be able to deal with such multinational states, we need to understand what both (multiculturalism and nationalism) mean. This will help us answer the main question of the paper; whether multicultural nationalism is applicable or not? Nationalism and multiculturalism: Nationalism is deeply related to nations, being the social phenomenon that refers to the unique relation between individuals and their homeland. Citizens identify with their nation through the commonalities they share (history, values, myths, identity, language, customs †¦etc). A central aspect of nationalism is that the individuals identity is being formulated through their membership to their society. Nationalism has different forms where Sweeney identifies four types: The Civic Nationalism which is a desirable form of nationalism since it focuses on the civic values that unites the citizens, it stresses on both the territorial and cultural bonds and thus manages to recognize the various ethnic communities. The Ethnic Nationalism whose focal point is the common descent. The State Nationalism which calls for the superiority and the dominance of the ethnicity of the majority and finally Multicultural Nationalism which is a new phenomenon arising form the era of globalization we are living in and the high degree of interdependence that we witness all over the globe. Usually, both (civic and state nationalisms) are referred to as top-down nationalism being directed by the state institutions, unlike the (ethnic nationalism) which depends upon the public, arising from the bottom to up. From Sweeneys famous typology, we can see how both the ethnic and state nationalisms are traditional forms of nationalism , unlike the other two types which are more modern and also similar in some aspects. Brown defines multicultural nationalism as, a vision of community which respects and promotes the cultural economy and status equality of its component ethnic group. This means it goes beyond the mere civic tolerance towards the different communities within the society, rather it respects them and is interested in such diversity. That is why I consider it wider than the civic nationalism since it encompasses it all; recognition of diversity, tolerance, respect and interest in promoting such diversity through different governmental and societal mechanisms. Generally, Nationalism is perceived as a positive movement which is needed to strengthen the loyalty of nationals towards their country, uniting them to fulfil the national interests. But with the rise of multinational states, whether due to the existence of minorities, immigrants or indigenous groups, this claim is being questioned. Nationalism is no longer merely perceived as a positive force, rather now it is a double sided force. Through observing history we notice how sometimes violent banal nationalist movements lead to bloody wars and confrontations between different national groups especially when each of them is promoting their nationalism or if there is a minority which is calling for self independence. This can be seen clearly in what used to happen between the Scottish and the British in the United Kingdom. Thus, a rationalization of nationalist sentiments is what is needed nowadays to strike a balance between the new phenomenon of multinational states. On the other side, Multiculturalism is not only a phenomenon; it is considered as both a descriptive demographic term to describe the existence of culturally different groups within a certain society; It refers to this feature of having multiple cultural and/or ethnic and/or religious backgrounds between the citizens, and it is also seen as a political concept to refer to the public policies adopted by a specific government to deal with the cultural diversity within its society where it calls for mutual respect and tolerance and acceptance for the diversity. As a public policy, multiculturalism first emerged in Canada to solve the problem between the French and the English divisions. Parekh succinctly describes what multiculturalism means in this quote; â€Å"Multiculturalism doesnt simply mean numerical plurality of different cultures, but rather a community which is creating, guaranteeing, encouraging spaces within which different communities are able to grow at their pace. At the same time it means creating a public space in which these communities are able to interact, enrich the existing culture and create a new consensual culture in which they recognize reflections of their own identity† Like nationalism, multiculturalism also has different types. Grillo distinguishes between two kinds: the weak multiculturalism and strong multiculturalism where the former exists when multiculturalism only prevails in the private sphere while in the public sphere all citizens are required to fully assimilate and get absorbed within the majoritarian culture and values forgetting about their own culture ,while the latter exits when cultural diversity is recognized both in the public and private spheres, allowing the immigrants and minorities to preserve their national identity while integrating with the whole society. Multiculturalism is considered an inescapable situation we have to deal with, bearing in mind that huge efforts should be exerted by the state and the wider society to ensure that the diversity within any one society leads to unity and exchange of benefits between cultures, rather than disintegration and ghettoization. From this, we can see how both nationalism and multiculturalism are desirable phenomena on condition that their limitations are avoided, promoting only their positive side. Is Multicultural Nationalism possible? An important question rises about whether nationalism can be multicultural or not? Can they both coexist together? Kernerman highlights that the main objective of multicultural nationalism is striking a balance between both the diversity and the unity of the state, so that state is able to preserve its national sentiments and identity while at the same time promoting diversity and multiculturalism. He believes that the main question to answer is; how are the various manifestations of diversity to be recognized and understood in relation to one another and to the political community? It is important to notice that we will focus in here on the multicultural state nationalism which tackles the way of dealing with the immigrants, accommodating them within the society while preserving the states original national identity. But, it is important to mention that on the other hand there is the multicultural sub- state nationalism which is concerned with the sub state nationalisms within countries. But, it is not the focus of this paper. To understand how multicultural state nationalism exists, it is important to examine the states response and its policies regarding immigrants and the relation between those immigrants and the society as a whole to discover the possibility of having strong common feelings uniting all the citizens no matter where they originally come from. Can a multicultural society achieve both integration of immigrants while achieving national unity and cohesion? The paradox of multicultural societies: Nationalism vs. Multiculturalism? A debatable issue always takes place in multicultural societies and that is how to achieve the states national unity? Some suggest equal treatment for all citizens regardless of their origin; religion or ethnicity and that citizenship should be difference blind, while others believe this is illogical, calling for the recognition of differences and even going further calling for the adoption of policies that reflect these differences. This second approach believes that this will be more integrative to immigrants fostering their sense of loyalty and belonging to the society. Due to this endless debate, we find that immigrants and minorities issues are gaining attention in states policies and debates, issues such as (minorities rights, immigrants representation, collective rights, states loyalty†¦etc). This increases the role of the state especially that such issues can not be left to the different communities within the society to resolve especially when each one of them will be aiming at deepening their national identity more than the others identities. This will lead to disunity and absence of common loyalty. That is why the state should be the main actor in the creation of a common identity that bonds all the citizens including the immigrants. This identity should be as inclusive as possible focusing more on civic symbols and signifiers rather than cultural and ethnic ones. Different states differ in the way they fulfil this role depending upon their histories, their legal frameworks, their national interests†¦etc. But, all states should ai m at ensuring that its national identity is preserved and not threatened by immigrants, rather is being inclusive for them. Parekh highlights an important equation that is needed to achieve this: â€Å"If immigrants are to make an emotional commitment to society, the latters view of its national identity needs to be inclusive and hospitable enough for them to identify with it. Its self understanding should take full account of their presence; its view of its history should include the story of their arrival, settlement and contributions; its official symbols should symbolize them as well, and not be allowed to become the monopoly of a section of it; its national events should recognize their presence and contributions and not become occasions to display the solidarity of the rest of society against them†. One of the best ways to achieve such equation is through the creation of a sense of common belonging between citizens. Such a process is double sided; it requires the efforts of both the immigrants from one side and the state along with the wider society form another side. Both should aim at fulfilling its duties so that its rights can be met by the other side. This is even formulated as one of the EU common basic principles of immigrants integration policy as follows: Integration is a dynamic, two-way process of mutual accommodation by all immigrants and residents of the Member States On the immigrants side, They do have the right to ask for certain claims from the government and even modifications within the polices of the governmental institutions so as to help them better integrate in the society but it is necessary for them to fulfill their obligations as citizens, being the only way they can secure that their rights will be met by the state. Since immigrants settled willingly in the host society, they are expected to be loyal and to abide by the laws and rules of this society, especially that it is the rights of the nationals to act upon the preservation of their own society where they lived their whole lives, offering sacrifices for maintaining its well being. Consequently, immigrants must prove they are loyal to the society, showing all signs of good faith. This comes in different forms; (respecting the constitution and laws, being productive workers to add economic value, interacting socially and politically with the wider society†¦etc). This will make the immigrants an inseparable necessary component within the host society being active loyal citizens. But still this does not require them breaking ties with their original homelands, but they just are expected to be committed to the well being of the host society. In return to this, the immigrants can claim some cultural rights from the host society, such as: Asking to be excluded from some laws that may be hindering some of their religious practices. The state needs to take such claims into consideration because it will show how the state respects the immigrants cultures even if their practices are differently perceived from the majority but still as long as they are not harmful for the wider society, they should be allowed to practice them. Calling for assistance to pursue some activities which help them get integrated within the society. Such as helping them acquire the cultural competence needed to adapt with the society (offering language classes, teaching them the societal life style, having publications about the societys traditions, customs and history†¦). Also, sometimes this assistance is needed to overcome disadvantages that prevent the immigrants from practicing some of their rights or daily life practices, either because they are discriminated against and in this case the state is required to fight this racism or because these practices or activities were designed in a way that only fits the majority without considering others. Immigrants can ask to be properly represented in the states institutions and governmental bodies so as to have voices that call for their rights and needs and to allocate them their shares of the public resources. Such a mechanism also helps greatly in fighting discrimination. Thos representatives can ask for some symbolic representation to the minorities such as national holiday or official name for the minority†¦etc. The state and the wider society on the other hand should be meeting the other side of the equation by helping the immigrants to integrate, taking all the measures that can help in this. From observation, we can notice that the states integration policies differed over time due to some changes that took place such as: The influx in immigration especially that the old assumption that their number will decreases or that they will dissolve in the society did not happen, on the contrary they are increasing steadily compared to the western societies birth rates, especially that these societies are facing an ageing problem. The increase in the immigrants consciousness about their rights due to the increase in the human rights organizations along with the democratic movements that make equality and justice basic priorities that can not be negotiated. Thus, this encourages minorities to have representatives calling for their needs and rights. Such changes increased the necessity to respect the minorities and immigrants rights and it added a burden over the states to meet their role in integrating the immigrants within their societies. Consequently, from the states side, there must be a commitment to help the immigrants integrate getting over any disadvantages they have (lack of knowledge about host society, being stereotyped†¦). The state needs to work on different levels to fulfill this role: The state needs to address the exclusion problems that face the immigrants who get discriminated against in many spheres of life especially economically and socially .The state must set penalties on discriminatory acts against immigrants being illegal, this will increase the immigrants loyalty to the state, being just to them, looking after their rights. But, if the state did not respond to discrimination taking place, the immigrants will feel inferior and more alienated which make them easily attracted by terrorist organizations. The state needs to adopt policies that help the immigrants get over any disadvantages they face due to their transitional positions as we stated earlier (language classes, citizenship classes, equal employment opportunities†¦etc).Such policies may be accused of being discriminatory, but actually they are not since the immigrants are usually the least advantaged category in any society. The state also shall make changes to the educational system so as to be more multicultural. This will help in creating attachments and a sense of belonging between the students and the citizens afterwards by fostering values such as tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, respect for diversityetc. These values are necessary in such multinational societies as it ensures that each community preserves its national culture and identity but still all communities will be sharing one common civic identity that tighten the relations between them for the good of the society. This shall be leading to active citizens who are both responsible and productive. Such multicultural education will be teaching the students about the relationship with The other. this learning process will enhance their critical thinking about themselves and the immigrants. They may include histories about how these minorities contributed to the host society or mentioning their major historical events and national h olidays. All this shall be implemented in a multicultural educational atmosphere where the administrators and teachers are all committed to promoting diversity and protecting the cultures of the students while fostering a common sense of identity. Also, the civil society does play a role in bringing together different communities together in shared activities and interests to increase their sense of having a civic common identity which transcends the ethnic and national differences, while everyone is still retaining its own national identity and culture. How to make these efforts work together while avoiding the critics stated against them? These are the efforts and roles that need to be pursued by the state, the immigrants and the civil society. Cooperating together to ensure the preservation of a common sense of identity along with the preservation of each ones national culture and identity, helps greatly in the success of the integration of the immigrants within the host society easily and quickly. It makes them integrated without being alienated or discriminated against. We find at the end by looking at different multicultural societies how all the communities are cooperating together having many shred interests and feeling a common sense of loyalty to the society, while at the same time they all feel both equal and different. This is the equation that need to be maintained; to assure that the national identity of the state (of the host society) is preserved while being inclusive to other different national communities through an over arching civic identity. These efforts sometimes are criticized by being discriminatory to nationals in favor of immigrants as stated earlier- but it is not, it just an engine for affirmative actions since the disadvantages faced by immigrants are much more than other citizens face. Also, some analysts think that such efforts are repressive imposing obligatory civic integration from above on the whole society. To avoid this we must ensure that the process of integration is smoothly undertaken , ensuring the help of all sectors of the society (civil society, citizens, local association, the government, the immigrants†¦etc) to assure the shared willingness of all to be one common whole, facing any disadvantages that may arise to achieve the common good for the whole state and the wider host society without threatening anyones culture or national identity, rather being more inclusive and more understandable to all differences while maintaining one common civic ground. An important mechanism that can be a safe guard that integration is not imposed rather is a natural flow of interaction between the different communities is through encouraging dialogues between these communities with their different cultural backgrounds both through their representatives and between normal citizens as well. This dialogue it will help them understands one another culture and creating more common grounds between them. On the other hand, it will be asserting every ones loyalty to his/her own national identity through critical analysis and constructive self criticisms. Such actions shall be ensuring on the long run that both the differences are understandably respected and that the states national identity is protected and even enriched through dialogue. Others believe that on the contrary, the states now are less willing to accept/ integrate immigrants rather they count on their immigration policies as a mechanism to lessen immigrants entrance. But this is exaggerating, where although it is true that some countries have every strict immigration policies but still others are moderate. Countries in general tend to refine the immigrants accepted to entry to ensure the success of its integration policies according to its societal framework. Such immigration policies try to make sure that immigrants will be an added value to the society not an economic burden and that they are willing to commit to be good citizens to ensure a peaceful multicultural society that both preserves it identity while respecting its diversity. But still an important basic rule should be taken into consideration, immigration policies ought to be seeking the national interests of the state as a priority and in applying such a vision, it can not be accused of intol erance or discrimination against prospective citizens as long as it is logical in its requirements and limits. By avoiding these limitations and consolidating all parties efforts, multiculturalism and state nationalism will be coexisting peacefully. Conclusion: As Brown believes that when a country adopts the ideology of a multicultural nationalism it means; the nation is viewed as a community bound by a commitment to the values of ethnic diversity and inter-ethnic equity An authentic multicultural state nationalism can flourish when both diversity and state national identity are being promoted and respected. Multicultural governance can achieve that with its focus on having a strong active citizenship along with a respected multicultural societal framework. Such multicultural authority not only protects diversity found within the society, rather it also works on flourishing it. In this way the citizens -including immigrants- can belong to the nation state as a whole while at the same time keeping their attachment to their cultural or ethnic community. Multicultural governance, with the different state policies that aim at integrating the immigrants and with the efforts of both the private and civil associations along with the commitment of the immigrants to be loyal integrated citizens, creates a society where cultural freedoms are protected and national state identity is also asserted. The state needs to put in mind while doing her national policie s that immigrants are citizens in training who need all the help and support to lead a good life in the host society where they can be active loyal citizens. It should be noticed by now how multiculturalism neither negates nor avoids nationalism rather it just implies a society with various internal micro nationalisms. That is why they can work together as long as the efforts undertaken are genuine seeking the creation of spaces where various cultures are respected without weakening the states national identity. Since multiculturalism goes beyond tolerance towards recognition of others, it entails the reassertion of all identities and cultures involved in such an interaction.

W.B. Yeats: Nationalistic Reflection in His Poetry Essay -- Yeats Poet

W.B. Yeats: Nationalistic Reflection in His Poetry William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer who was one of most influential poets of the Twentieth century. His talents were celebrated by scholars and activists and, in 1923, Yeats received the Nobel Prize for literature. Through his poetry, Yeats confronted the reality that felt was Oppression and Heartship for himself and his Irish brethren. Armed only with a pen, parchment, and a dissident tongue, Yeats helped to ignite the Powderkeg that was Ireland in the early twentieth century. Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland, In 1865. His father was a lawyer turned into a painter, and thus his son inherited the creative (and unconventional) genes. Most of Yeats’ childhood was spent in London, where he attended the Godolphin School. At age fifteen, he attended Erasmus Smich School, in Dublin, where he studied are for three years, concentrating devoutly on literature, finding his outlet for expressing his dissident sentiments towards British rule. From the dawning of recorded history, it seems as though Ireland has been divided by a more powerful entity. Ireland, all and parts, at various times, was a colony governed by English rule. From the late middle-ages, it was a kingdom, under the same monarch as England, but a separate kingdom. In law and practice, however, the Irish government was usually subordinate to the English government. The saga continues; Ireland’s dispute in later years was not only pertaining to land ownership, but also religious freedom, as most English are Protestant, and most Irish are Roman Catholic. The conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism played a large part in the Seventeenth century to the present. The Irish litera... ...er Yeats, it is a clear depiction of his nationalistic sentiments as well as his poetic style. If anything of value can be extracted from this paper, understand that Yeats was not a staunch right wing activist who sought revolution; neither was he a conservative who simply prayed for social order in Ireland. He was a talented individual who cultivated his talents to produce change in the country he loved so dearly. Perhaps that is what makes Yeats so special; he took his gift and gave it to the world. Works Cited Hogan, Patrick, "Colonialism and the problem of identity in Irish literature.," Vol. 23, College Literature, 10-01-1996, pp 163. Saul, George Brandon; Ferrar, Harold., "Irish Literature.," Vol. 13, Colliers Encyclopedia CD-ROM, 02-28-1996. Yeats, William Butler., "Poetry of William Butler Yeats: Critical Commentary.," Monarch Notes, 01-01-1963.