Logic Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Logic Application - Essay Example Now, this belief goes against the teachings of Bible about stealing. The fact is that a culture is surrounded by a variety of beliefs and human actions that they perform in different situations. Sometimes, those actions earn people benefits even when they are wrong if compared with the God’s words. In such situations, those negative actions become common human behaviors, as well as part of the culture. The impact of following the culture blindly is not good for a society in the long-term. For example, if people adopt the habit of stealing each other’s assets, it will give rise to insecurity and mistrust everywhere in the society. People should understand that stealing is wrong because it makes the environment insecure. As Kurtus (2010) states, â€Å"There have been cases of a mob of angry people catching a purse-snatcher and beating him senseless†. People should understand that what a person earns is his/her personal asset and nobody has the right to steal that asset even if a person has an excess of an

Encouragement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Encouragement - Essay Example So let me clarify once and for all; your objectives are to attain and execute the highest level of scholarship, character, community service, and leadership. When I say scholarship, I do not mean a Fulbright Scholarship. Well, it’s nothing less than a privilege to have one, but i mean to talk about scholarship in a more generic and holistic sense. You need to be a scholar, or at least act out as one till you become one. As they say, â€Å"Fake it till you make it.† It’s not THAT difficult, you’ve got to trust me on that one. When it comes to achieving big goals, it’s the little things that matter. Sleep less, workout more, eat moderately, think positively†¦so remotely connected to scholarship as all this appears, it is just as much intrinsically linked with scholarship. And not just with scholarship, but also with character building. To build your character, you need to reflect. Make it a regular practice. Don’t go to sleep until you have reflected upon your day’s experiences. You’d realize and learn more. And hopefully, you would be able to apply more. You’d literally s ense the process of becoming a more responsible son/daughter, sibling, citizen, and in the long run, spouse, and parent. â€Å"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth† (Ali cited in Rivanna Natural Designs, 2013). You would be a living legend many would cherish and adore. But all this would not come just from character building, you would actually have to do some community service to be there. And when I say â€Å"some community service†, that means â€Å"a lot of it†. Community service can be done even by sowing a seed, by watering a plant, and by sharing the fruit of your own grown tree with others. You can get motivation to do community service by having a firm belief that you would receive what you send around. â€Å"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give† (Churchill cited in Lycoming College, 2011). Whether or not

Quality management focuses attention on continuous improvement Essay Example for Free

Quality management focuses attention on continuous improvement Essay Th e work of W. Edwards Deming is a cornerstone of the quality movement in management. 27 His story began in 1951, when he was invited to Japan to explain quality control techniques that had been developed in the United States. â€Å"When Deming spoke,† we might say, â€Å"the Japanese listened. † Th e principles he taught the Japanese were straightforward, and they worked: Tally defects, analyze and trace them to the source, make corrections, and keep a record of what happens afterward. Deming’s approach to quality emphasizes constant innovation, use of statistical methods, and commitment to training in the fundamentals of quality assurance. One outgrowth of Deming’s work was the emergence of total quality management, or TQM. Th is process makes quality principles part of the organization’s strategic objectives, applying them to all aspects of operations and striving to meet customers’ needs by doing things right the fi rst time. Most TQM approaches begin with an insistence that the total quality commitment applies to everyone in an organization, from resource acquisition and supply chain management, through production and into the distribution of fi nished goods and services, and ultimately to customer relationship management. The search for and commitment to quality is now tied to the emphasis modern management gives to the notion of continuous improvement—always looking for new ways to improve on current performance. 29 Th e goal is that one can never be satisfi ed; something always can and should be improved upon. Evidence-based management seeks hard facts about what really works. Looking back on the historical foundations of management, one thing that stands out is criticism by today’s scholars of the scientifi c rigor of some historical cornerstones, among them Taylor’s scientifi c management approach and the Hawthorne studies. The worry is that we may be too quick in accepting as factual the results of studies that are based on weak or even shoddy empirical evidence. And if the studies are fl awed, perhaps more care needs to be exercised when trying to apply their insights to improve management practices. Th is problem isn’t limited to the distant past. 30 A book by Jim Collins, Good to Great, achieved great acclaim and best-seller status for its depiction of highly successful organizations. But Collins’s methods and fi ndings have since been criticized by researchers. 32 And after problems appeared at many fi rms previously considered by him to be â€Å"great,† he wrote a follow-up book called How the Mighty Fall. 33 Th e point here is not to discredit what keen observers of management practice like Collins and others report. But it is meant to make you cautious and a bit skeptical when it comes to separating fads from facts and conjecture from informed insight. Today’s management scholars are trying to move beyond generalized impressions of excellence to understand more empirically the characteristics of high-performance organizations—ones that consistently achieve highperformance results while also creating high quality-of-work-life environments for their employees. Following this line of thinking, Jeff rey Pfeff er and Robert Sutton make the case for evidence-based management, or EBM. Th is is the process of making management decisions on â€Å"hard facts†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is, about what really works—rather than on â€Å"dangerous half-truths†Ã¢â‚¬â€things that sound good but lack empirical substantiation. Using data from a sample of some 1,000 fi rms, for example, Pfeff er and a colleague found that fi rms using a mix of well selected human resource management practices had more sales and higher profi ts per employee than those that didn’t. 35 Th ose practices included employment security, selective hiring, self-managed teams, high wages based on performance merit, training and skill development, minimal status diff erences, and shared information. Examples of other EBM fi ndings include challenging goals accepted by an employee are likely to result in high performance, and that unstructured employment interviews are unlikely to result in the best person being hired to fi ll a vacant position. 36 Scholars pursue a variety of solid empirical studies using proven scientifi c methods in many areas of management research. Some carve out new and innovative territories, while others build upon and extend knowledge that has come down through the history of management thought. By staying abreast of such

The annual budgeting process has been criticised

The annual budgeting process has been criticised The annual budgeting process has been criticised as a cumbersome process which occupies considerable management time; concentrating unduly on short term financial control; having undesirable effects on motivation of managers; emphasising formal organisation structure. Introduction A budget is a quantitative measurable long term plan with specified corporate goals set to be achieved within a specific time period. The annual budget is usually divided into sub-plans usually quarterly and is based on an annual strategic business plan. It is formulated by following a process that requires careful analysis and evaluation of organizational objectives, alternatives, strategic options, decisions and actions and implementation of objectives as well as monitoring of results. The comprehensive nature of the budgeting process thus require participation of managers and executives who are responsible for the planning of actual operations, coordination of activities, communication of plans to responsibility centres; motivate managers to achieve budget goals; controlling activities; and evaluating performance. In all of these processes and activities, one notices the conflicting roles of budgets that involve planning, motivation and performance evaluation (Drury 2004). Due to these conflicting roles of budgets, in the recent years critics are of the opinion that the annual budget process is merely a waste of resource and a burden to management rather than enabling them to control their management environment. In the following discussion the researcher shall discuss the factors concerned and offers some recommendation for improvement of the annual budget process. Discussion a. Management time consumption Conventional annual budget process is a quantified plan prepared and approved to define the course of action and activities to be carried out during a specified time period utilizing certain amount of resources to achieve given objectives (Drury 2004). The process deals with projection of activities, contingencies, strategies and interaction of processes within an organization. Budgets are also controls in the planning process to ensure the organization does not deviate from its financial and operational goals. These activities and processes require extensive analysis of organizational processes; plans for targets to be achieved by individual departments and by the overall organization; and results expected to be achieved etc. Consequently, one observes that the annual budgeting process is a complex and tedious process that requires top management directives and participation of lower management and staffs. Not only this but according to Jeremy Hope and Robin Fraser (2003) the tradit ional budget process require four to five months for completion and efforts of 20 to 30 percent of the manager's time. Furthermore, traditional budgeting is based on incremental budgeting whereby expenditures or revenue estimations are based the increments on the previous outcomes, and does not necessarily reflect the need of the environment in which the firm operates resulting in unachievable targets and undesirable outcomes. To resolve modern day organizations are focussing more on rolling forecasts and driver based budgeting models which are concentrated on participation and usage of drivers that operate the organization (Hunt 2003). b. Short financial control Another aspect of the annual budget process is that it is divided and based on quarterly objectives and results. Whether the organization is segmented into profit centres; cost centres; revenue or investment centres, the basic premise is that each of these centres are responsible for the designated outcome set by the annual budget. The overall outcome is estimated based on the quarterly results. The objective for quarterly results is to enable management to estimate expected results at the end of the year and also to use budgets as financial controls to counteract deviation, if there are any before the situation proliferate out of hand. Yet this very factor not only takes up a lot of management time but it also forces managers to dedicate significant time to target achievements, financial objectives and compliance with the process therein instead of concentrating on management excellence. c. Undesirable effect on manager motivation The pressure to deliver as Hope and Fraser (2003) note force managers and their teams to concentrate on sales targets; customers order of goods whether they want it or not; and achieve financial objectives. There is less and less time for managers to concentrate on team building; motivation; performance level; evaluation; or even time for designing effective and productive departmental structure to achieve better results. For this reason budgeting process tend to motivate managers to set their objectives to financial objectives and deliverables rather than on working as a team. The managers are thus the gatekeepers while the team members are forced to become dissociated from the organization's structure. d. Emphasis on formal organizational structure Given the emphasis on extensive and detailed planning at the departmental level, it is imperative that organizations have formal structure so that budgeting process can be integrated into the forecasting and goal achievement activities. Formal organizational structure is also required for building and approving budgets through communication and coordination. Managers are therefore expected to align day to day activities with organizational strategies and budgets in order to achieve the desired objectives. Without a formal organizational structure, it would be difficult for the management to have a control over operational activities and financial consequences therein. Conclusion Given the above discussion, the researcher deduce that the annual budgeting process is a tedious process that eats up the time of management and lower staff alike without much productivity. The reason for this low productivity despite well planned budgeting is because of the long process that entails and the nature of the budgeting process. Budgeting from a top down approach is usually an imposition rather than participation. In modern day organization participation of team members, managers and supervisors with the top management is imperative for efficient operation. Dictated objectives and plans do not help in this regard. For this reason many organizations are changing their approach to budgeting by focussing on operational outcomes and inputs to fixate targets reinforced by incentives rather than outlined targets to be achieved without any motivation. As McGregor indicate in his Theory X/Y human beings are liable to work better if their desired motivation are in place (2005) and they are satisfied. Similarly, effective organizational planning in the form of budgets should be based on firm's ability to respond to change and more importantly on the satisfaction of those who are responsible for carrying out the plans. Increased participation not only encourages responsibility but also makes accountability easier as individuals feel they are responsible for the operational outcomes. They are not bogged by the imposed accountability (Hunt 2003). References McGregor, D. 2005, The Human Side of Enterprise, Annotated Edition. McGraw-Hill. Drury, C., 2004, Management and Cost Accounting, London: Thompson Business Press, 6th Edition. Hope, J. and Fraser, R. Feb 2003, Trash The Budget. Optimize, Issue 22. Hunt, S. Aug 2003, Budgets Roll With The Times. Optimize, Issue 22.

Traditional And Utilitarian Approaches To The Euthyphro Dilemma Essay

Traditional And Utilitarian Approaches To The Euthyphro Dilemma In the Euthyphro, Plato describes the proceedings of a largely circular argument between Socrates and Euthyphro, a self-declared prophet and pious man, over the nature of piety and even of the gods themselves. The issues raised in this dialogue have been reinterpreted and extended to remain relevant even with a modern theological framework, so much so that the central issue is now known simply as ?the Euthyphro dilemma.? This is based on Socrates? two-way choice which he offers in the dialogue: "Consider this: Is the pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?" (10a) In the context of the dialogue, this simply segues to a logical argument about the definition of piety, and the question is more or less rhetorical as Socrates asks it. When Euthyphro chooses the first option, the discussion moves on to his next point without further ado, and the implication that this limits the omnipotence of the gods is ignored, probably because the omnipotence of the pantheon of gods wasn?t an assumption of Greek theology (after all, as we read in the dialogue, the father and grandfather of Zeus were castrated; what kind of omnipotent being would allow that to happen to himself?). However, when read with a Judeo-Christian concept of God in mind, the dilemma becomes this: "Did God decide what goodness is? If so, then "good" is more or less the arbitrary decision of a frightening being to which we cannot relate, and that being could just as easily have made murder and stealing the ultimate moral actions without any contradictions. On the other hand, if God did not decide what goodness is, he cannot truly be omnipo... ...urry now, and it is time for me to go" (15e). Works Cited The Tanakh. Jewish Publication Society, 1917. Grisham, Jules. "Euthyphro, God's Nature, And The Question Of Divine Attributes." Third Mill Magazine Online, Volume 4, Number 20. 20 May 2002 <http://www.thirdmill.org/files/english/html/th/TH.h.Grisham.Simplicity.1.html> Macbeath, Murray. "The Euthyphro Dilemma." Mind, New Series, Vol. 91, No. 364. Oct.1982. 565-571. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-4423%28198210%292%3A91%3A364%3C565%3ATED%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R> Plato. Five Dialogues. Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, 2002. Rich, Gregory P. "Omnipotence And God's Existence." North Carolina Religious Studies Association, Wake Forest University. 20 November 2002 <http://www.wfu.edu/Organizations/ncrsa/papers/gregrich.pdf> Solomon, Norman. Judaism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford.

Importance of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet Essay example -- Shake

Friar Laurence plays an important part in the narrative development of Romeo and Juliet. He is naà ¯ve and detached from society so doesn’t fully appreciate the bitterness of the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. The well intentioned advice that he gives to Romeo and Juliet is thus misguided and this develops a sense of foreboding. The advice that Friar Laurence gives sets the young lovers on a path which the audience senses will end in tragedy. With regard to his character, Friar Laurence is a contemplative and moral man yet he lacks real insight in human nature i.e. their passions and motivations. When we first meet Friar Laurence, he compares plants to human nature concluding that â€Å"Virtue itself turns vice being misapplied And vice sometime by action dignified† From our first meeting with Friar Laurence the audience sees how naive he is to believe so simply in the goodness of man. It is partly this characteristic that causes his schemes to end tragically. Friar Laurence is a man of self control who believes that â€Å"violent delights have violent ends.† In other words, people should be measured and not let passion overrule their good judgement. This is almost a premonition of what happens later on in the play when Romeo and Juliet’s short but passionate love ends in death. Shakespeare portrays the Friar as a prudent and modest man of God. Friar Laurence is trustworthy; we know this because both Juliet and Romeo trust him enough to confide their love for one another to him. They also seek his advice to find a way to be together. This trust is also based on Friar Laurence’s reputation as a highly respected member of Verona’s society, â€Å"the whole city is much bound to him.† Romeo refers to Friar Laurence as hi... ...eveal their innermost feelings to the audience. Shakespeare uses Friar Laurence as a device to achieve this. Friar Laurence also acts as the messenger in the play. In Shakespearean times, Romeo and Juliet would have been performed in theatres like The Globe. There would be a lot of noise and distraction for the audience and it was likely that they would miss out on important parts of the play. The actor playing Friar Laurence up dates the audience regularly. An example of this is when he gives the audience a synopsis of the story right at the end of the play â€Å"Is not so long as is a tedious tale. . .† This is helpful for the audience because it allows them to catch up with important parts that they might have missed. As the audience sees Friar Laurence’s plans fail one by one, a sense of foreboding develops which prepares the audience for the unfolding tragedy

Moroccan Family Values

Moroccan Family Values .  The family is the most significant unit of Moroccan life and plays an important role in all social relations. .  The individual is always subordinate to the family or group. .  Nepotism is viewed positively, since it indicates patronage of one's family. .  The family consists of both the nuclear and the extended family. .  The elderly are revered and respected and often exert a great influence on the rest of the family. Gift Giving Etiquette .  If you are invited to a Moroccan's home bring sweet pastries, nuts, figs, dates or flowers to the hostess.   A small gift for the children is seen as a token of affection. .  Do not bring alcohol unless you know that your host drinks. .  Gifts are not opened when received. Dining Etiquette If you are invited to a Moroccan's house: .  You should remove your shoes. .  Dress smartly. Doing so demonstrates respect towards your hosts. .  Check to see if your spouse is included in the invitation. Con servative Moroccans may not entertain mixed-sex groups. .  Shake everyone's hand individually. Greetings|   | Man greeting Man  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Men shake hands when greeting one another and usually kiss once on each cheek.Handshakes tend to be on the loose side. Woman greeting Woman- Women usually greet each other with kisses on the cheek. This can range from one to five (alternating cheeks) depending on the situation and relationship. Man greeting Woman-   A simple handshake or hand grasp while simultaneously kissing both cheeks is common. It is best to allow the woman to extend her hand or offer her cheek first. If the hand is not extended, than a slight bow or nod is the polite thing for men to do. Note:  It is taboo for religiously observant men to touch women and vice-versa. | | Gender Issues|   | In general, the world of men consists of the whole outside world, while that of women consists of the world inside the home. Cafes are in the male domain and are an intersection between private life and the public life found in the street. * Women are expected to cook and clean and raise the children. In big cities they enjoy much more freedom in dress, behavior and activities; however, it is still not common to find a woman out alone or in sidewalk cafes. * It is unacceptable for a woman to be in bar that serves alcohol, otherwise she is likely to be seen as a prostitute.Because Islam forbids alcohol, most bars have a seedy and unwholesome atmosphere. * As a general rule of thumb, foreigners can get away with drinking and cafe sitting, however, be sure to carefully select the bar or cafe. * Men will often try to pick-up girls along the street. Do not react in any way or they will not leave you alone. In Morocco, it must be the boy who makes the advances, otherwise the girl is seen as easy. The girls is expected to be so lovely and magnetic that the boy comes to her without any prompting. | | |Views Of Time|   | * Punctuality is not usually a virtue in Mo rocco, although some things do function on a strict time table, such as public schools. * Time works differently in Morocco; as long as one does not expect punctuality to be high the list of enviable qualities for a Moroccan and can learn to go with the flow of things, traveling is lots less stressful. * Trains are more or less on time while buses usually have no posted times nor routes, so it is necessary to ask the bus driver or local riders where and when the bus comes. When inviting people over, never expect them to arrive on time. It's best for example to invite people over at 9pm for dinner, fully expecting people to arrive after 10pm. | | Introductions, Greetings and Public Behaviour Moroccans are very hospitable and friendly people. When introductions are made, it is quite customary to ask about your counterpart’s family or friends. The most common way to greet a person in Morocco is to either offer a handshake to a person of the same gender.You may find that the hand shake in Morocco is gentler than in ‘Western’ countries – it is not proper etiquette to firmly grip and enthusiastically shake another person’s hand. Men and women greet in a slightly different way. The woman should always offer her hand first to initiate a handshake. Women who wear a full veil will often refrain from any physical contact, so in these instances it is customary for the man to simply give a slight bow and allow the woman to retain some personal space.If you have become well acquainted with your Moroccan counterparts, the proper greeting etiquette is to initiate a handshake whilst simultaneously kissing both cheeks, kissing the left cheek first. This should only be done with a person of the same gender. In public, you should be aware that it is considered good manners for men and women to leave space in between one another. Handholding is only usually seen as a platonic gesture between the same sexes. Public displays of affection are not real ly tolerated, and certainly homosexuality is still relatively taboo in Morocco.In some instances, it is considered quite uncouth for a woman to be seen alone at a bar or cafe, especially if she is young and unmarried. Although this is not the case with many ‘Western’ women, if female and planning to venture out to such a place, it is best to attempt to go out in a group or be accompanied by a man. Social Events and Dining Etiquette You may find that during your stay in Morocco, you will be invited into the family home for a meal. It is always customary for a Moroccan to offer food whenever you visit, and it would be seen as quite rude to refuse this offer.Likewise, if you are offered a present when invited into the home, you should always graciously accept. You do not have to open your gift in front of your host – equally you shouldn’t expect your host to open your present either. Gifts should be relatively small – sweets, pastries or flowers are al l popular gifts. Bringing a small gift for any children in the home would also be well received. In more conservative households, men and women will dine separately, so if planning on bringing a spouse or partner, you should always find out beforehand if this is the case.In Morocco, it is proper etiquette to dress conservatively, removing your shoes and cleaning your hands before each meal. Because eating is often done with your right hand (although bread can be taken with the left), a small basin will usually be provided before the meal. You will be expected to hold your hands out whilst a jug full of water, often scented, is poured over them. Dry your hands and wait for your host to invite you to begin eating. This ritual is also performed at the end of the meal.