Locate the budget for a local government Assignment

Locate the budget for a local government - Assignment Example This league has been serving officials since 1915 through the Garden State, and it was authorized by state statute (Dressel, 2014). The revenue sources for the league include property taxes that are levied on all classes of properties this levy is assessed locally and collected to aid in the running of the municipality and county government. The state also gives the municipality some funds directly or indirectly through reliefs in for instance property taxes. Other sources of revenue include; service charge, optional local taxes and counties or special district government levies (Dressel, 2014). Another source of revenue is the inter-governmental transfers, which may be for funding of government activities or specific projects. The largest income percentage of the budget comes from taxes, this is so because there are many direct and indirect taxes levied on individuals and corporations within the league. They include property, sales and income taxes (Dressel, 2014). This method is the best since it covers a wider base as they are charged either directly or indirectly. The government should think outside the box in collecting revenues by looking at other avenues instead of relying on the traditional sources. The internet has opened up many possible opportunities that may help to a great extend in harnessing the incomes. The league can also reduce the operational costs thus increase the net revenues, which will be available to

Write a proposal for relax quantitative easing monetary policy Essay

Write a proposal for relax quantitative easing monetary policy - Essay Example quantitative assistance so as to improve the economic recovery thus the quantitative easing is a monetary policy used to impede the money supply falling when the standard policy turn to ineffective. This policy important in raising the export market but has also effects on the export market and money depreciation of the given currency. Quantitative easing monetary policy intends to increase the money supply which can no longer be decreased further and can only be carried out with controlled currency thus affecting both money depreciation and exportation in both positive and negative ways. Firstly, the policy is used to increase bank reserves via the central bank liquidity appliances and are absolutely executed as it depends on the ordinary channel of credit creation which reduce the risk of bank runs and does not pose any exit problems (Klyuev, De Imus and Srinivasan 9).Creating a habit of energized trades based on pure essential fundamentals’ is an outstanding way for traders to raise their probability of success and produce consistent profitability. It also allows purchases of long term securities that operate with minimal credit risks since it sends a signal that the central bank desire to lower the long term rates thus it’s a way to commit to an accommodative opinion since it will take time to unwind. The policy allows one to borrow by providing credit in a direct manner to end borrowers which is more impressive than going through banks when banks’ role and /or readiness to lend are impaired. This is possible since the inflammatory pressures must be equalized by means of lending out the money and the bank has the possibility of restoring reserves to higher levels. This will furnish a powerful signal to the market participants since the bank is ready to go to large extensiveness to resuscitate the economy. The central bank can be highly specific in effect intending to achieve important and distressed markets. Quantitative easing is also beneficial when

Geographic Profiling of Serial Offenders

Geographic Profiling of Serial Offenders As psychological profiling seems to garner all the attention with television shows that feature FBI profilers, one should be reminded that there is another method of criminal profiling that, while less glamorous, seems to provide a very high degree of reliability. The ‘other’ method is geographic profiling that had it beginnings in a London crime spree involving a serial rapist. In these cases occurring in the mid-1990’s, stumped police called in David Canter, Professor of Psychology at the University of Surrey to assist. After analyzing crime data superimposed over a map, Professor Canter made the suggestion that the perpetrator was to be found in a very specific geographic area based upon these furloughs of crime (Wilson 2002, pp. 14-16). Subsequent retroactive studies have confirmed a number of precepts regarding the proposition that one can predict the â€Å"base† of criminals from computerized algorithms that use generally one of two validated heuristic methods. In fact, of the area defined by a â€Å"search† algorithm that states that is inclusive of a circle defined by the two furthermost crime scenes, fully 51% of the serial rapist offenders lived within the first 5% of the defined area and an overwhelming lived within 87% of the first 25% of the defined search area (Canter, Coffey, Huntley, Missen 2000, p. 457). This algorithm holds regardless of the crime as indicated by the table below (Canter, et al 2000, p. 458): In addition to the â€Å"circle† algorithm described above, another method utilized is the â€Å"Decay† method with analyzes data from the assumption that perpetrators commit crimes near where they live. This method is based upon the idea that crimes ‘decay’ as the distance to the criminal’s residence decrease, in effect, creating something of a ‘buffer zone’ immediately surrounding their house (Snook, Taylor, Bennell 2004, p. 107; Canter, Coffey, Huntley, Missen 2000, pp. 459-460). Somewhat against these two algorithms are the approximately 10% of perpetrators that are labeled as â€Å"commuters† and do not live near the crime scene (Snook, Taylor, Bennell 2004, p. 117). Nevertheless, in these cases as in the easier to classify â€Å"marauder†-type crimes, there is the idea that criminals operate from a base of familiarity such as a home or workplace or other personally significant locale or the route that connects them. While focusing on geography, this brings into the consideration the important psychological construct of â€Å"mental maps† in that the location must have significance from the perspective of the perpetrator†¦ it need not be an actual geographic landmark to have psychological significance that plays out geo-centrically (Holmes Holmes 1996, p. 152). As such it is no surprise that both methods are reliable and that there is a significant degree of overlap in the two model predictions. Of greater interests to both researchers and law enforcement are â€Å"serious† crimes such as murder, rape, arson and burglary. While there is likely a logical high correlation between other ‘petty’ crimes such as speeding tickets or parking violations due to the correlates of where one most spends time is of course most likely a location where there is a high likelihood of violation. With regards to the applicability of the model with regards to even serious crimes, the model is based upon serial crimes, that is, a perpetrator who does so multiple times. Research suggests that as criminals gain â€Å"experience† there is a statistically significant correlation with the distance from home the criminal is (Snook 2004, p. 53). Further, in regards to burglary, there is the additional significant correlation of the value of the crime with the distance traveled to commit the crime (Snook 2004, p. 55). While difficult to put a value on personal crimes, this find ing may extend to crimes such as murder, arson or rape in which it is conceivable that victims could have some relative value to the criminal, similar to the monetary value gained from burglary. Such a concept may partially explain that, as these types of criminal gain experience, they tend to venture out further from their base as they commit additional predatory crimes. In terms of geographical profiling and the case in which an investigator believes that a number of crimes have been committed by a single person, this has special significance as it can serve to focus the hunt for the offender in the vicinity of the first few crimes (Holmes Holmes 1996, p. 155). Of particular interest is that these methods can be utilized without the computer or complex mathematical algorithms. Studies indicated that, in lieu of years or experience or ‘gut feelings’, incorporating these methods simply as heuristic models whose basic precepts can be taught in a class, students can nearly equal the computerized version (Snook, Canter, Bennel 2002, pp. 116-117). Though all law enforcement operates with the goal of catching the perpetrator, authorities do not have unlimited resources of time or finances to investigate all leads thoroughly. Geographical profiling also serves to focus the attention and other resources of an investigative department into the area in which validated statistics indicate there is is a pay-off. By using these methods, search costs can be minimized and offender can be apprehended faster, ideally prior to the accumulation of an additional victim that shows up as a simply data point on a geographic profile (Canter, Coffey, Huntley, Missen 2000, pp. 459-460). Works Consulted Canter, D., T. Coffey, M. Huntley, C. Missen. (2000). â€Å"Predicting Serial Killers’ Home Base Using a Decision Support System†. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, (16), 4, pp. 457-478. Holmes, R. S. Holmes. (1996). Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool, 2nd Edition. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, California. Snook, B., P. Taylor, C. Bennell. (2004). â€Å"Geographic Profiling: The Fast, Frugal and Accurate Way†. Applied Cognitive Psychology, (18), pp. 105-121. Snook, B., D. Canter, C. Bennel. (2002). Predicting the Home Location of Serial Offenders: A Preliminary Comparison of the Accuracy of Human Judges with a Geographic Profiling System†. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, (20), pp. 109-118. Snook, B. (2004). â€Å"Individual Differences in Distance Traveled by Serial Burglars†. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, (1), pp. 53-66. Wilson, J. (2002, November). â€Å"Mapping Murder†. Geographical, (74), pp. 14-17.

Cheaper by the Dozen :: essays papers

Cheaper by the Dozen The book Cheaper by the Dozen written by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey was the life story of the Gilbreth family before Mr. Gilbreth died. Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth were two of the twelve children. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbreth, both industrial engineers, ran a firm, Gilbreth, Inc. which was employed as "efficiency experts" by major industrial plants in the United States, Britain, and Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbreth had twelve children, six girls and six boys. The names of the children are Anne, Ernestine, Frank, Bill, Lillian, Martha, Jack, Jane, Fred, Mart, Bob, and Dan. The older children's job is to take care of the youngest and the mother took care of the intermediate children and babies. Nothing was consider more a sin than wasting time, that is why the father, Frank, times himself trying to go as fast as he can with almost everything. He timed himself buttoning his shirt to see which way is faster, top-bottom or bottom-top. He timed himself shaving to see which way took longer, using two brushes to apply the shaving cream of one. He found that two were faster. Frank, the father also experiment on which ways was faster, using two razors of one. He found that one was faster, because with two he cut himself so many times it took him twice as much time to cover the cuts up. The book talked about how smart Frank, the Father was. He painted mores code on the walls of their summerhouse to teach it to his children. When the children decoded the message written on the wall, it revealed a clue that tells the child who decoded it where a prize was hidden. He painted also all of the planets and stars you can see in the sky on the walls of their summerhouse to teach his kids astrology. A neat power that the father, Frank, had was that as soon as he look at a person he would know their nationality. When ever the family would go somewhere were you would have to pay by the person, such as a toll bridge, Frank, the father, would take one look at the person and know that their nationality was Irish. The father, Frank, would say, "do my Irishmen come cheaper by the dozen?" The owner would probably say, "Irishmen? If you are Irish, you should not pay a toll on my road. Your trip is on the house." At the end of the book the father, Frank is called for work in

Haitian Vodou Essay

Vodou, A Haitian religion deeply rooted in colonialism stems from several African sources, which have constructed and maintained a hybrid Africana and European diaspora in the Caribbean. In an effort to preserve African tradition and spiritual belief, slaves in Haiti prior to the Haitian Revolution of 1791, established and developed the heterogeneous religion known as Vodou. As Vodou became a more prominent aspect of slave culture in Haiti the hybridization between traditional Africana religion and European religion fashioned a new system of belief. The fusion of Catholicism from Europe and African religions make up one of the most influential religions in Haiti today, in fact Vodou plays an imperative role in Haitian life. In addition to having a tremendous effect on Haitian religious practices, Vodou also plays a fundamentally important role in driving Haitian politics, economics, community, and social relations. From a student and non-Haitian perspective I seek to obtain knowledge on how Vodou has and continues to play a detrimental role in every aspect of Haitian life. Through analyzing and cross-examination of several texts it appears that without boundaries Vodou is important. Before delving into how Vodou effects nearly every aspect of Haitian culture I would like to first analyze the importance of understanding the roots and origin of a belief and practice that has become such a prominent aspect of Haitian life. In the eighteenth century the slave trade in Haiti ushered in a number of African slaves from various groups. These groups of African people brought with them to Haiti their traditions, beliefs, and lifestyles. In â€Å"Haitian Vodou† of Creole Religions of the Caribbean, the authors state that the slave trade was in fact the European way of â€Å"destroying all cultural connections† to the homelands of the slaves (Fernandez-Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert 101). European slave owners and slave traders thought it necessary to force European ideals and beliefs onto their slaves, ridding and dismantling the beliefs and tradition of their native land. In this respect the slave trade played a significant role in the creation of Vodou, catalyzing Afro-European syncretism into a new belief system. Vodou began as a way for slaves to hold on to their cultural beliefs, and helped refute the impositions of Catholic religion that the French attempted to employ, as they saw it necessary to condition African slaves to their lifestyle (102). In my opinion Afro-European syncretism is one of the more complex and intriguing religious developments as it pertains to Vodou. In Voodoo Africa’s Secret Power author Gert Chesi describes the fusion of African and European culture stating that slaves brought with them the gods of Africa to the Caribbean where they then blended with the Saints and other Catholic and Christian symbols (Chesi 231). The imposition of Catholic and Christian beliefs by Europeans onto African slaves made it nearly impossible for African slaves to remain entirely devoted to their home land beliefs and traditions. African slaves in Haiti adopted Vodou as a means of maintaining their traditional beliefs, however, Christian and Catholic ideals were still important influential factors in the establishment of Vodou. The spirits often associated with Vodou known, as Lwa are similar to Saints in the Catholic Church. Slaves in Haiti dealt with the pressures of forcibly having to adapt to European religion by integrating their belief system with that of the European belief system. I think that Slaves in Haiti used Vodou as a stabilizing factor in Haitian culture. The ritual and practice that developed through the integration of European tradition with African tradition ensures that African tradition will remain considerably important regardless of the fact that Europeans once tried to dismantle African tradition and impose Western tradition on those slaves living in Haiti. Vodou serves as a mechanism for passing on tradition from generation to generation. In Voodoo: Truth and Fantasy the author states that Vodou has emerged as a vibrant cultural force in twenty-first century Haiti (Hurbon 126). This statement supports the idea that Vodou has and continues to have a role in Haitian life and Haitian culture. Vodou has undoubtedly helped restore an almost lost identity to African slaves in Haiti, and has allowed generation after generation to know and understand the beliefs of the homeland from which their ancestors originated. The foundation of many Haitian affairs may not be solely rooted in Vodou, however, the religion holds weight in many political spheres throughout Haiti. Starting from the moment of its development, Vodou has been politically important to Haiti. In fact, its very creation resulted from various political, cultural, and religious â€Å"struggles for freedom† (33). After analyzing the roots of Vodou it has become quite apparent that Vodou played an important role during Haiti’s revolutionary period. During and before the Haitain revolution Vodou was used as a means of protecting and politicizing the interest of Haitian slaves. From that time forward Haitian people have continued to use Vodou as a political tool to protect their interests and assets. Vodou has indeed been subjected to â€Å"persecution at the hands of both Church and state† leaving many non-believers and outsiders to attribute negative connotations to Vodou as a whole (117). In 1835 Vodou began to publically suffer from political ostracizing under president Jean-Pierre Boyer who passed a penal code that called for the imprisonment of six months to two years for followers of Vodou practicing superstitious act (118). It seems to me that the reason behind the ban on Vodou practices not only stemmed from political issues occurring at the time, but also from past political experiences in Haiti. Hurbon does not mention Boyer’s reasoning behind implementing a penal code, therefore allowing one to speculate whether or not Boyer, although Haitian had ties to France. The reason I bring this point to light is because for one, Jean-Pierre Boyer sounds relatively French and secondly Boyer implemented a code that put restrictions on a religion that has roots deep within African culture. In addition to dealing with the idea of possible imprisonment, if caught practicing Vodou, Haitians also faced the possibility of abandoning and giving up the African culture and belief that was associated with Vodou. In response to government restrictions some Haitians created secret societies in order to keep the bonds of Vodou ritual and ties to kinship in motion. In 1957 President Francois Duvalier also known as â€Å"Papa Doc† started a political rehabilitation for Vodou (118). Duvalier’s involvement in Vodou was for the soul purpose of engaging the Lwa through ceremonies in order to gain the Lwas’ good will and also to spark enthusiasm in those who practice Vodou. Papa Doc’s presidency marked a period characterized by dark magic and sorcery. This period in Haitian history displays the negative aspects often associated with Vodou. In my opinion President Francois Duvalier’s understanding of Vodou curtails from misinterpretation and misuse. Duvalier did not seem to grasp the reasoning behind certain Vodou rituals and ceremonies, using them only as a way to advance himself politically. During Duvalier’s reign Haiti saw tremendous political change resulting from the misunderstanding or misuse of Vodou. On one hand Jean-Pierre Boyer refused to let any one in Haiti practice Vodou because of the negative connotations surrounding the religion. On the other hand Francois Duvalier used Vodou to bolster his political appeal, which dismantled the meaning and reasoning behind the ceremonies and rituals performed by those who practiced and truly understood and appreciated the meaning that those Vodou acts carry. In Creole Religions of the Caribbean, the authors mention that within Vodou practices the chief communicators that draw â€Å"konesans† or connaissance/knowledge are the Oungand and the Manbo (Fernandez-Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert 107). The Oungand and the Manbo are believed to receive knowledge passed down from the Lwa. The Oungand and the Manbo act as political leaders and have rural political power within their own community because the ability to communicate with the Lwa is looked up to. In Michel Laguerre’s book Voodoo and Politics the author states that Francois Duvalier used the political power of the Oungand and the Manbo to establish legitimacy among those who practiced Vodou (Laguerre 87). Today Vodou can be represented in popular culture as dark, sadistic, and involving many acts of superstition, denying it a position central to Haitian culture. However, despite the misconceptions surrounding Vodou today many religious works are carried out by Haitian elites. This goes to show yet another transformation in Haitian politics, and Vodou’s role in shaping a new system of life. From my examination of the texts that emphasized Vodou’s relationship to Haitian politics I have concluded that Vodou does in fact affect politics in Haitian communities and Haiti as a whole. The relationship between Vodou and Haitian economics is a long-standing phenomenon that has existed prior to the Haitian revolution in 1791 and continues to exist today. The slave trades influence on the creation of Vodou links the existence of the religion and also the economics involved between masters and sellers of slaves. During this time the Haitian economy was being stimulated by the slave trade. As the slaves grew weary, a number of rebellions occurred and Vodou greatly affected the plantation economy that the Haitian people originally were forced into. According to Omos and Gerbert, the economy in Haiti shifted from one of plantation to that of a â€Å"rural economy† of â€Å"subsistent farmers† working their own lands (Fernandez-Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert 103). Vodou practices and rituals play an important role in shaping and maintaing Haitian economics. The initiation and sacrificial rituals performed by many Vodou sects involve a great amount of â€Å"financial sacrifice† (Fernandez-Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert 117). From my examination of several texts, including that of Olmos and Gerbet I have concluded that preparation for the many Vodou festivals, initiations, and temple gatherings are intensive and call for many financial sacrifices from those who may already be financially unstable. Animal sacrifice plays an important role in the finances of Haitian people. In Voodoo Africa’s Secret Power the author, Gert Chesi, included various photographs of Haitian Vodou sacrifices and rituals. Many of the photographs throughout Chesi’s book showed the sacrificing of cattle, sheep, and chicken. The cross-examination of various texts did not leave me with much information on the Haitian economy as it related to Vodou, however, I was able to infer that the economic sacrifices made by Haitian people were performed in order to obtain personal advancements or for the betterment of the community as a whole. Some sacrifices were performed to win the protection and trust of the Lwa spirits, and some sacrifices were performed in hopes that the Lwa would shed some rain to strengthen planation production. I think that the Haitian economy and the Vodou religion are dependent on each other. The dependency I see in the relationship stems from the fact that without an economy like the one in Haiti, Vodou would not be as prominent or even meaningful to the Haitian people. The economy as it is creates a buffer for Vodou as a religion. The economy allows for Haitians to use their beliefs and connections with the spirits to envoke hope, or optimism that the plantation life in Haiti will somehow flourish. This claim can be supported through the existence of rituals performed for protection, knowledge, and even rainfall. In Hurbon’s, Olmos’ and Gebert’s, Chesi’s, Laguerre and Michel’s and Smith’s descriptions of Vodou in Haitian culture one thing is for certain, Vodou has and continues to influence communities through and through. In Chesi’s pictorial account of Vodou in Haiti one can see pictures of various ways that the religion is linked to community. In one picture, Chesi captured a ritual being performed near a beach where one individual was having a ritual performed on him (ritual not clear from picture) while dozens of his Vodou community member looked on and supported him. What puzzles me the most is how instinctual and ritualized Vodou actually is. Chesi’s pictures show dozens and dozens of Haitian people flocking to support another Vodou practice, but for what reason? Why do these members feel so indebted to one another? From my observation the answer to this question comes from the simple fact that Vodou needs a sense of community mong its members to remain relevant. It was from the simple yearning to keep tradition relevant that Vodou stemmed, so it appears to me that the idea of community or family has been long standing, even deep within Vodou’s African roots. Hurbon’s choice of words within Voodoo: Truth and Fantasy shed’s lite on the communal aspect of Vodou a little differently. Like Chesi, Hurbon acknowledges the importance of community, even stating that Vodou â€Å"bring families together in large gatherings, a festive way of ensuring that religious traditions will endure† (Hurbon 14). In Hurbon’s text it appears that the family and passing of tradition from generation to generation is in fact important to the survival of Vodou. In my examination of Hurbon’s text it seemed as though Hurbon was promoting a balance of kinship and communal ties. Hurbon states that it is important to have family agreement in order to have a positive communal bond. One aspect of Hurbon’s text was that Vodou was often referred to as â€Å"a cult dedicated to spirits. † Hurbon did not let the wording of her description interfere with the way information was conveyed, however, I found it quiet bias that she would call Vodou a cult. Personally I associate the word cult with negative connotations. It is unclear whether Hurbon planned on conveying Vodou in a negative light, but one thing is for certain a cult describes a group of people or the communal bond that Vodou encourages. In Michel’s and Smith’s book, Voodou in Haitian Life and Culture: Invisible Powers, The authors proceed to explain how the â€Å"magical† or â€Å"superstitious† aspect of Vodou conveys a sense of community among its supporters. The authors show that not only is Vodou practice a family effort, but a community effort as well. Smith and Michel both depict a type of Vodou were literally everyone in a community is involved. From small children to the eldest members of a community, all play an important role in carrying on and performing the tradition of Vodou culture. The elaborate rituals and preparation described by the authors is only made possible through communal efforts. From my understanding of the community in Vodou culture, it appears that only through community and unity can tradition be kept alive. Despite any negative connotations Vodou may have, each author showed how important Vodou is in respects to several aspects of Haitian culture. Vodou is not only a religious matter, but also a political, economic, and social one as well. On May 14, 2013 guest lecturer Carnie Fabious stated, â€Å"Vodou is a way of life. † This statement alone sums up what Vodou was, and what Vodou continues to be in regards to Haitian culture. Fabious’ words show the importance that Vodou plays in all aspects of Haitian life, and demonstrates how relative the religion is to such a vast group of people.

Organisational behaviour case study Essay

Introduction The main goal for any business has always been to increase profit margins. In the past the companies focused only on the number of productions and other technical issues, whereas other aspects, such as human recourses management, were not valued as of high important. These days, business environment has changed dramatically. It is believed that organisational behaviour is one of the main areas for potential improvement in order to run a sustainable business (Robbins et al 2011, p.8). This case study will examine the internal management strategies of Westpac group (Westpac), one of the four main banks in Australia. It shows how Westpac uses organisational behaviour principles to increase job satisfaction to motivate its employees. It will also explain how the company supports its employees in conflict situations and analyse the leadership styles of the bank’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gail Kelly. Studies have shown that using the appropriate organisational behavioural tech niques can promote a motivated, satisfied and conflict free work force, but how does Westpac motivate its staff and how satisfied are its employees in their job roles? Job satisfaction and motivation Westpac being a large, well established company is well aware of how finding, retaining and motivating its employees can be crucial for a successful business to prosper (Westpac 2006). The company is faced with motivating employees and, in turn, generating high job satisfaction throughout all levels of the organisation (Root 2014). It can also be deduced that if employees feel job satisfaction then this, consecutively, will filter through to create a positive experience for Westpac’s customers as well. However, in order to generate a motivated workforce, Westpac must offer its employees benefits, rewards and recognition, which are a few of the key causes of job satisfaction (Robbins et al 2013, p.59-74). These motivators come in many different forms and are sometimes, specific to an employee’s needs. When motivating a person with a benefit or reward, Westpac must understand that each individual person will value a reward differently (Root 2014). For example, an employee with a young family may value paid parental leave, or a shorter working day, over a promotion or a pay increase. Westpac shows that they understand that not all employees are the same and have  differing needs by ranking first in 2013 in the annual benchmarking survey ‘Work/Life Initiatives’ for their flexible work options, offering 12 weeks paid parental leave, access to child care as well as offering flexible working hours (‘Westpac leads in satisfaction poll’ 2013). However, for another employee, a valued reward may take the shape of opportunity to move up in the company. If an employee is promoted to a role they have been striving to obtain then that promotion is a means of recognising their hard work and determination and makes the employee more motivated in their job and the company, thus generating job satisfaction (Robbins et al 2013, p.59-74), while benefiting the company too. There are many ways that Westpac generates motivation and in turn job satisfaction, however, one of these is through job enrichment (Darling 1997). This is the practice of enhancing an employee’s individual jobs and increasing responsibility which, in turn makes the job more stimulating and rewarding for the employee, by giving them more control over their work and how they perform it, promoting increased job satisfaction (Robbins et al 2013, p. 171-190). By giving employees more responsibility and control of the work they are doing increased job satisfaction, as a lack of control or stimulation is often a cause of stress and boredom, which causes a decrease in motivation. It is hard to dispute that the correct employee motivation creates job satisfaction, and in turn customer satisfaction. In 2013, Westpac surveyed its employees and 70% said they were committed to their job, moreover, in the same year Westpac came out on top of the four main banks for customer satisfaction (Bennet 2014). Westpac places great emphasis on the prevention and resolution of potential conflicts between its employees. It can also be said that by creating a more comfortable workplace for employees this will in turn contribute to the efficiency of the company’s performance as a whole. Conflict management It is difficult to imagine any workplace to be completely conflict free. First of all, workplace brings together people with different values, personality traits and people of different ages. Moreover, when there is increased pressure on employees to meet targets, complete tasks faster often with a lack of resources, tensions can arise and the work environment becomes progressively more stressful for the employees. This means that  co-workers always need to seek an appropriate way to interact with each other at work. However, it is also an issue for managers as they are responsible for comfortable communication and conflict resolution between workers. According to Robbins et al (2012 p.450), there are three main causes or sources of conflict: communication, structural factors (such as size of a group and specialisation) and personal variables (including personality, emotions and values). Examining the conflict management system of Westpac, it is fair to conclude, that the company i s more focused on the prevention of conflicts that may arise from personal variables. As an example, the company pays great attention to the rights of employees to an equal employment opportunity. Indeed, today the recruitment practices of many companies indirectly discriminate potential employees because of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation or ethnic background. One of the main strategies of Westpac is to create a balanced work environment, free of harassment and discrimination. According to Westpac (People policies 2014), the handling claims about the events of discrimination applies to all employees, customers and partners working for the company. Westpac takes all reasonable steps to prevent potential conflicts caused by such events from occurring in the workplace. The company requires all employees to undertake special discrimination/harassment trainings and requires them to be familiarised with the current discrimination and harassment policies and procedures. Two other types of personality-based conflict in the workplace are emotional-based and values-based. The ability to balance emotions and reasons, understand the interests of each other as well as the ability to maintain good communication and stay reliable can help to prevent and manage a conflict (‘Managing Conflict’ 2007, pp. 46-47). In order to maintain a comfortable work environment for the employees Westpac has created the Employee Assistance Program, which provides employees with confidential counselling on a range of issues, such as family bereavements, lack of job satisfaction, outcomes of target oriented management, stress and trauma management. Another foundation, Critical Incident Management Program, helps employees after traumatic events: personal threats in the workplace, the death of work colleagues and threats from different external events. Why is it important for the company to pay so much attention to such type of conflict? As Robbins et al (2012, p.448 ) state, relationship conflicts are  dysfunctional. It means that they have a negative impact on the work efficiency. This point of view was shared by Karim (2009, p.289), who argues that stress on the job causes lower productivity and poor performance in the organisation. As an example, managing traumatic incidents can significantly reduce employee’s absences after the event (‘Prompt trauma management can reduce employee absence’ 2007). The company aims to encourage staff members to report any wrongdoing in order to help managers to adequately manage risk and cultural issues. Examples of wrongdoing can be a breach of Westpac’s Policies and Codes, improper behaviour and safety issues. As a part of conflict management, the company has established the ‘Concern Reporting’ system (Westpac 2013). It includes an online and telephone service, which allows anonymous communication, which connects employees to trained specialists from an independent organisation. However, if the conflict has already occurred, Westpac has a number of processes to highlight issues between employees and their managers with further investigation with senior managers if the issue is not resolved. It is important to realise that the relationships between employees are very susceptible to the leadership style set in the group. Leadership styles Leadership plays an important role to maximise efficiency and to achieve organisational goals. Effective leaders have an ability to motivate and inspire employees and contribute to the great success of the company (Keskes 2014). Gail Kelly emphases the importance of setting a clear direction for an organisation and articulate all employees and other stakeholders (‘Leadership advice from the CEO of Westpac, Gail Kelly’ 2014). This style of leadership has been successful to achieve the company’s goals and visions. This achievement brought her as a charismatic leader and her charisma helps her to all employees commit to the firm and generate higher financial performance (Davidson et all 2009, pp. 386-387). Now she is ranked the 11th most powerful woman in the world and is Australian’s highest paid businesswomen. According to Goleman et all (2002), leaderships are divided by six types, namely visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and command ing.Each type of the leadership can be used apart, depending on situations. Companies spend a great deal of money on new  processes and efficiencies to increase one per cent of bottom-line profitability, but thirty per cent of the company’s bottom-line profitability is responsible by leadership style. Therefore, it is very important to use leadership styles to respond to different situations effectively. These days, dramatic changes can be seen across the financial services. Australian banks have competed for the biggest share of the home loans market. However, this competition has shifted to getting customers’ deposits. When the company pursue a new direction, visionary leadership style is the most appropriate. The objective of this style is to move people towards a new set of shared targets with clear explanation. Many companies end up with failure to changes due to slow response or when employees are not sure about the direction of the firm. One of the great successes of Westpac is that Gail Kelly uses this style effectively (‘Leader ship Styles’ 2011). Another style of leadership that is inherent to Gail Kelly is affinitive style. Affinitive style of leadership is also seen to achieve high employee satisfaction (Brook, K 2003). Westpac put the value on the importance of teamwork and the diversity of employees regardless of age, race and ability (People policies 2014). The company helps the employees’ to solve personal problems and encourages them to be more cohesive in order to create a comfortable work environment. This style of leadership is useful to enhance team harmony, increases the morale and the improvement of communication in employees, that is essential in current volatile situation in financial industry. However, affinitive leadership would be dangerous to use by itself since its emphasis’s on group work and it might promote poor performance or no future growth. For this reason, the need to combine different styles of leadership, that the company does successfully, is essential to reach the goals of the bus iness (Robbins et al 2011, p 357). Conclusion Organisational behaviour is more than just the principles of how people can work in the group together. It is a complex study that shows how the right interaction of employees can benefit the business’s effectiveness. The analysis of Westpac Group has revealed that the company endeavours to increase job satisfaction of the employees by rewarding each person correspondingly. Thus, in order, has a beneficial effect on the production  effectiveness, causing positive feelings among customers. The company appreciates the diversity among its employees and successfully manages the conflicts caused by personal problems as well as conflicts in relationships with others. The Westpac’s system of conflict management helps to prevent a potential decline in job performance and creates a comfortable work environment. The case study has also revealed that the company benefitted from the efficient use of different styles of leadership. The ability to quickly respond to the volatility in a finance sector by changing leadership styles helps Gail Kelly to lead the business successfully, enhancing team involvement and overall contribution. References Brooks, K 2003, ‘Primal Leadership: Realising the Power of Emotional Intelligence’, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 14, 2, pp. 235-238, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 September 2014. Darling, K & Arn, J 1997, ‘How to effectively reward employees’, Industrial Management, 39, no. 4, Masterfile Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 8 September 2014. Davidson, P, Simon, A, Woods, P & Griffin, R 2009, Gail Kelly, bank executive – outstanding leader and manager in Management: Core Concepts and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Queensland. ‘Dealing with Workplace Conflict’ 2006, Point For Credit Union Research & Advice, p. 19, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 August 2014. Goleman, D, Boyatzis, R & McKee, A 2002, Primal leadership: Learning to lead with emotional intelligence, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, USA. Karim, N 2009, ‘Stress in Organsations: Management Strategies’, Dialogue (1819-6462) , 4, 2, pp. 286-300, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 August 2014. Keskes, I 2014, ‘Relationship between leadership styles and dimensions of employee organizational commitment: A critical review and discussion of future directions’, Intangible Capital, 10, 1, pp. 26-51, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 10 September 2014. ‘Leadership Styles 2011’, The Wall Street Journal, pp. 1-3, viewed 9 September 2014, . ‘Leadership advice from the CEO of Westpac, Gail Kelly’ 2014, Australia Business Review, viewed 30 August 2014,

Quotes About Being a Good Wife

Quotes About Being a Good Wife What qualities do men look for in a wife? Unlike what many women believe, men are not necessarily looking for a drop dead gorgeous woman as a spouse. True, men are attracted to smoking hot women who make their heart do a double flip. But when it comes to marriage, these are the questions men should ask: Do I Have a Karmic Connection With theGirl? She is immensely compatible. There is something about her that makes you miss her every moment that she is away from you. It is almost as if she can read your mind.  If you hit it off with this girl you are dating instantly. You enjoy her presence and she is probably the right girl for you. Does She Know Me Inside Out? Your girl is in tune with your needs, moods, and weaknesses. She knows how to turn you on and how to reach deep into your heart. But, if you find yourself satisfying her needs while ignoring your own,  back off from this relationship immediately. Does She Complete Me? Does your girl love you unconditionally? Do you trust her completely? Is she responsible, caring, and selfless? If yes, then get down on one knee now. You need a woman who will be by your side, loving you,  and caring for you. What more could you want from a wife? Wife Quotes Bring out the Flavors of Marriage If you are unsure whether you want to marry at all, read these wife quotes. Please note that most of them are by men who are trying to be funny. So if you can take a sporting look at marriage, go ahead and read these. There are a couple of quotes in this list that arent meant to be funny. Can you identify them? Groucho Marx Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife. Voltaire The husband who decides to surprise his wife is often very much surprised himself. Patrick Murray Ive had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me and the second one didnt. Ambrose Bierce Beauty, n: the power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband. Jimmy Durante My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe. Henry Youngman Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take the time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays. Milton Berle A good wife always forgives her husband when shes wrong. Franklin P. Jones All women should know how to take care of children. Most of them will have a husband some day. Spike Milligan It was a perfect marriage. She didnt want to and he couldnt. Rodney Dangerfield Its tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she wont drink from my glass. Anthony Trollope A womans life is not perfect or whole till she has added herself to a husband. Nor is a mans life perfect or whole till he has added to himself a wife. Rose Pastor Stokes Some pray to marry the man they love, my prayer will somewhat vary; I humbly pray to Heaven above that I love the man I marry. Henny Youngman My wife dresses to kill. She also cooks the same way. Prince Philip When a man opens the car door for his wife, its either a new car or a new wife. James Holt McGavran Theres a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. Its called marriage. Helen Rowland Never trust a husband too far, nor a bachelor too near. Hillary Clinton Whether a womans running for office or shes supporting her husband whos running for office and she gets criticized for wearing open-toed shoes or for the color of her coat, theres just a lot of history that you bear if you are a woman who puts herself out in the political arena. Bill Cosby Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge. Martin Luther Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave. Michel de Montaigne The concern that some women show at the absence of their husbands, does not arise from their not seeing them and being with them, but from their apprehension that their husbands are enjoying pleasures in which they do not participate, and which, from their being at a distance, they have not the power of interrupting. Oscar Wilde The husbands of very beautiful women belong to the criminal classes. Paul-Jean Toulet A woman who loves her husband is merely paying her bills.  A woman who loves her lover gives alms to the poor. Sacha Guitry When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her. Walter Winchell The reason theyre called the opposite sex is because every time you think you have your wife fooled - its just the opposite! Lee Trevino My wife tells me she doesnt care what I do when Im away, as long as Im not enjoying it. Kin Hubbard If you havent seen your wife smile at a traffic cop, you havent seen her smile her prettiest.

The Thousand Days War

The Thousand Days' War The Thousand Days’ War was a Civil War fought in Colombia between the years of 1899 and 1902. The basic conflict behind the war was the conflict between liberals and conservatives, so it was an ideological war as opposed to a regional one, and it divided families and was fought all over the nation. After about 100,000 Colombians had died, both sides called a halt to the fighting. Background By 1899, Colombia had a long tradition of conflict between liberals and conservatives. The fundamental issues were these: the conservatives favored a strong central government, limited voting rights and strong links between church and state. The liberals, on the other hand, favored stronger regional governments, universal voting rights and a division between church and state. The two factions had been at odds since the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1831. Attack of the Liberals In 1898, conservative Manuel Antonio Sanclemente was elected president of Colombia. The liberals were outraged, because they believed that significant election fraud had taken place. Sanclemente, who was well into his eighties, had participated in a conservative overthrow of the government in 1861 and was extremely unpopular among liberals. Because of health problems, Sanclemente’s grip on power was not very firm, and liberal generals plotted a rebellion for October 1899. War Breaks Out The liberal revolt began in Santander Province. The first clash took place when liberal forces tried to take Bucaramanga in November 1899 but were repulsed. A month later, the liberals scored their largest victory of the war when General Rafael Uribe Uribe routed a larger conservative force at the battle of Peralonso. The victory at Peralonso gave the liberals the hope and strength to drag out the conflict for two more years against superior numbers. The Battle of Palonegro Foolishly refusing to press his advantage, liberal General Vargas Santos stalled long enough for the conservatives to recover and send an army after him. They clashed in May 1900 at Palonegro, in Santander Department. The battle was brutal. It lasted approximately two weeks, which meant that by the end decomposing bodies became a factor on both sides. Oppressive heat and lack of medical care made the battleground a living hell as the two armies fought time and again over the same stretch of trenches. When the smoke cleared, there were close to 4,000 dead and the liberal army had broken. Reinforcements Up until this point, the liberals had been getting aid from neighboring Venezuela. The government of Venezuelan President Cipriano Castro had been sending men and weapons to fight on the liberal side. The devastating loss at Palonegro made him halt all support for a time, although a visit from liberal General Rafael Uribe Uribe convinced him to resume sending aid. The End of the War After the rout at Palonegro, the defeat of the liberals was only a question of time. Their armies in tatters, they would rely for the rest of the war on guerrilla tactics. They did manage to secure some victories in present-day Panama, including a small-scale naval battle that saw the gunboat Padilla sink the Chilean ship (â€Å"borrowed† by the conservatives) Lautaro in the harbor of Panama City. These small victories notwithstanding, even reinforcements from Venezuela could not save the liberal cause. After the butchery at Peralonso and Palonegro, the people of Colombia had lost any desire to continue the fighting. Two Treaties Moderate liberals had been trying to bring about a peaceful end to the war for some time. Although their cause was lost, they refused to consider an unconditional surrender: they wanted liberal representation in government as a minimum price for ending hostilities. The conservatives knew how weak the liberal position was and remained firm in their demands. The Treaty of Neerlandia, signed on October 24, 1902, was basically a cease-fire agreement that included the disarming of all liberal forces. The war was formally ended on November 21, 1902, when a second treaty was signed on the deck of the US warship Wisconsin. Results of the War The Thousand Days’ War did nothing to alleviate the long-standing differences between the Liberals and Conservatives, who would again go to war in the 1940’s in the conflict known as La Violencia. Although nominally a conservative victory, there were no real winners, only losers. The losers were the people of Colombia, as thousands of lives were lost and the country was ravaged. As an extra insult, the chaos caused by the war allowed the United States to bring about the independence of Panama, and Colombia lost this valuable territory forever. One Hundred Years of Solitude The Thousand Days’ War is well-known inside of Colombia as an important historical event, but it has been brought to international attention due to an extraordinary novel. Nobel Prize Winner Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez’ 1967 masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude covers a century in the life of a fictional Colombian family. One of the most famous characters of this novel is Colonel Aureliano Buendà ­a, who leaves the tiny town of Macondo to fight for years in the Thousand Days’ War (for the record, he fought for the liberals and is thought to have been loosely based on Rafael Uribe Uribe).

America’s Mergence of Personal and Public Realms in Arendt’s The Human Condition

United Human Integration in Arendt's Personal and Public Areas The United States is a superpower and is undoubtedly the most dominant country in the world. But emphasizing this advantage is some of the problems that American society faces. Among these problems, Hannah Arendt called the fusion of individuals and the public domain as the rise of society. This major problem has created many other problems and is therefore chosen as the root cause of suffering in modern American society. In 1958's work The situation of mankind, Arendt defined the public sphere according to intense struggle. There are two important concepts related to the definition of her public domain: visibility and humanity. First of all, for Arendt, the public domain is the space where people can appear. As long as they are restricted to private areas, people become helpless, but private areas are dominated by intimacy. But once people become public, they gain reality and strength without saying anything, otherwise t hey can not understand (Arendt, 1998, p. 50). Protest at Tiananmen Square explains this point. Protestors took advantage of the fact that many international TV crews happened to participate in Mikhail Gorbachev's visit record. For Arendt, the lack of an overall definition of the private sector compared to the nature of the public domain. She wrote, public, First, you can see and hear everything publicly visible for us - appearance - look at others with others From seeing yourself - from the reality you have seen and heard even the most intimate life force leads to uncertain and dark existence, but she continues to say that she can change the richness of private life I am. In order to overcome such a situation, appearance of the public according to their body type. She pointed out that the means to achieve this change is art. If colonies become self-sufficient, Arendtian's prerequisites for entering the public domain are satisfied. Arendt discussed two major areas - public domain an d private sector - (Arendt, human condition). The private sector is an essential item, with labor usually falling with families. If colonies are self-sufficient, it means that they must take care of the necessity, and it is necessary to consider the labor of each colony member who will be used for colonial maintenance or scientific research We will guarantee. Of course, it is the individual's responsibility to satisfy familiar needs. However, once the private realm is realized, people can enter the public domain and participate in politics.

Health and safety assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health and safety assessment - Essay Example According to Health and Safety at Work ( 2007), organizations have legal responsibilities towards their employees, among them are : In view of this, organizations must seriously consider conducting periodic risk assessment in order to prevent serious legal problems which could lead to the closure of a business. Although a business cannot totally eliminate all the risks in a workplace, management can lessen the probability of accidents by carefully evaluating the potential hazards by carrying out a risk assessment. The group assumed that certain hazards would be visible upon our visit to the facility we have chosen. The group selected the engineering facilities of Penrhyn Road - Sopwith Building since it a good example of a workplace that carries a lot of risks for two main reasons: it is a very busy workplace and a lot of equipment and machinery are being used there on a daily basis. The group visited the said facilities after asking permission. A Technician was assigned to us who willingly guided us through the facilities and explained to us some of the equipments that they have been using. They also allowed us to take some pictures since they were aware that we are doing a risk assessment for educational purposes. In order to have a reliable report, we visited the facility a couple of times and recorded our observations. Moreover, the group met after every visit to discuss the observations that we just recorded. The most important thing in this report is to abide by the guidelines in conducting a risk assessment which can be found at the HSE website. The group members agreed to follow the fi ve steps indicated in the brochure. The first step in Risk Assessment is to walk around the place by making observations on possible sources of hazard that can cause harm to the workers. In order to substantiate the findings, the group took pictures of situations where hazards exist. An example of this is a picture of wooden

Political ideologies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political ideologies - Research Paper Example This essay explores the political ideologies. The word Conservatism has been used both in an ordinary way and also in technical usage. Ordinary idea is focused on conserving something or keeping something intact. While the technical use is a bit complicated. The followers of Conservatism belief that its human nature to be conservative at times, we all want to stick to our own old culture and traditions and don’t prefer a change usually. Conservative ideas, as proposed by its allies are prevalent everywhere in our life and not just politics. Liberalism is the most complicated and obscure of all ideologies. Liberalism is associated with many kinds of moral values. These values include liberty, progress, individualism, and tolerance which have been linked with liberalism since the pre-historic era. Liberalism has been linked to philosophical thoughts because of its generosity of spirit, openness, and tolerance. Political users of liberalism view it as a source of freedom of media and worldly constitution. This term was first used in Spain and then it was spread all across Europe. Socialism is derived from a Latin ‘sociare’ whose literal meaning is to share or combine. It further succeeded to fellowship or companionship. It is a consensual contract between freemen. Socialism believes in a society in which there are liberated contracting individuals and rule of law state. The idea of socialism is based upon populus (sovereignty of people). It beliefs that people have the right to decide the best for themselves and collectively they can form a well established social society. (Vincent, A. (2009) Marxism Marxism and Communism are both a mixture of theory and practice. Marxism is the theoretical approach, and Communism deals with practicing Marxism. Karl Marx was the founder of Marxism. The believers of Marxism have always linked it with sacred thoughts and sacred beliefs and with Bible. Marx formulates a sphere of life in which human beings should be aware of their activities. They should have a control over their life activities, what they do and how they do it. Human beings are so preoccupied with pity activities of their life such as endless rules and regulations and oppressive and deceitful economy that they forget the divinely attributes of life. Marxism refurbishes those concepts. (Eatwell, R., & Wright, A. (1993). Fascism The term Fascism is derived from the Latin word ‘fasces’ which means bundles of rods which are bonded together to show the unity and parity of a nation. This political concept deals with unity and how strength is derived from being united. It is taken from the Roman Empire as it used to be the custom of Roman consuls to take decisions based on harmony. Fascism has suffered bad reputation in Europe during the past decades and is not as popular as other political ideologies. (Vincent, A. (2009) Totalitarianism Totalitarian concept urges that societies and nations can be controlled via the u se of terror. They can be terrorized to follow the rules and regulations of the state. The Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Union and also the Taliban Afghanistan in recent times have used this concept to rule their countries. It is based upon dictatorship, tyranny, using political power arbitrarily, allowing the minimal

The United Nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The United Nations - Essay Example The UN peace troops only observed from the ground and neutrally reported on obedience to the cessation of hostilities, personnel pullout or other elements of peace treaties. The United Nations Principle of peacekeeping had commenced during the height of the Cold War as a probable solution to the growing tensions between states by fielding military personnel who are either unarmed or lightly armed. These personnel are from various countries who could be called anytime by the UN Security Council when the observing of peacekeeping or ceasefires are being observed to uphold peace and security for all citizens, "as projected by the United Nations Charter." (UN Meeting New Challenges 2007). The end of the Cold War had profoundly affected the role of world peacekeeping of the UN. The demise of bipolarization triggered the Security Council to establish a larger and more expanded peacekeeping missions, more often than not to persuade states to pursue peace agreements. Moreover, UN peacekeeping after the Cold War integrated into a non-military element form to guarantee sustainability.

Product Design and Development Management [Brand creation and Essay

Product Design and Development Management [Brand creation and development] - Essay Example Karl Speak even argues that marketplace position and intimate relationships are today valued above profitability. The present â€Å"information age† has turned consumer culture development and brand relationships as the new â€Å"best practice† in business (49). What makes branding an important marketing tool, is that â€Å"the brand image is enduring in the minds of the customer† (Montague 17). Branding is a powerful instrument to counteract market negative pressures, because branding makes companies, products and services visible and distinct; it prolongs products life cycles, and allows companies to sustain costs and prices to levels that are less dependent on competition. Developing a strong brand identity that is consistent with corporate strategy is therefore the recipe for long-term success. Brand identity refers to the degree a product has achieved a distinct image in the eyes of consumers and the general public (Schmitt et al 83). â€Å"It’s corporate strategy made visible.† (Peters 11). Brand identity is closely related to customer impressions, meaning the image a product or a company actually has, as opposed to product or corporate expressions, meaning the image that is desired (Schmitt et al 84). Often companies produce positioning statements that describe how the brands should be positioned in the minds of customers. These statements are the backbone for branding strategies that attempt to minimize the gap between desired brand image and actual identity. Brands make promises for unique product experience. Delivery of those promises is therefore crucial for creating lasting impressions and loyal customers. The brand management profession commands a range of tools for successful brand development. These are graphic standards, conformity to corporate identity, marketing communications sending consistent brand

Transparency and leadership in organisations Dissertation

Transparency and leadership in organisations - Dissertation Example ndful of the fact that the world’s national economies are inextricably linked and therefore the weakness of one is the weakness of all, global financial and economic alliances and unions called for greater transparency and regulatory compliance from all regional unions. The Middle East and North African (MENA) region is among the regions most cited for lack of transparency, with Somalia and Iraq identified as two of the worst-ranked countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. While the UAE is far removed from either of these two, it nevertheless is bound by many commonalities including regional economic, political, and trade agreements. Furthermore, the UAE has been one of the nations which had attracted public attention precisely on this issue. Dubai, more than the other emirates, has been under tighter scrutiny because of the Dubai World debt restructuring and the significant slow-down in development projects, even before the US subprime mar ket crisis hit (Afridi & Angell, 2010). The stigma of corruption and lack of transparency is a mark a country could not afford to obtain if it wishes to attract trade and investment from outside its borders. 1.3 Statement of aim and objectives The principal aim of this dissertation is to assess the degree to which transparency and good governance have been advanced by organizational leadership in the United Arab Emirates, as they impact upon the management of projects within the federation. In particular, the study seeks to fulfil the following objectives: (1) To trace the historical context of the UAE’s imperative for transparency and governance; (2) To understand the measures that have been instituted and are currently in place to enhance transparency and good governance in the UAE; (3) To... The intention of this study is transparency as capable of being seen through; without guile or concealment; open, frank, candid. It is also unavoidable to likewise discuss the concept of concealment. This is because the very concept of transparency is drawn from the absence of concealment. According to Kerfoot, concealment is at the heart of any dysfunctional relationship between the staff, its customers principally, and its other stakeholders. Concealment breeds distrust, and the lack of trust compromises the success of any attempt at a productive relationship. This can be a particularly disadvantageous relationship, particularly in industries where the organization works in close contact with the customer, such as health care services and hospital concerns. For the organization to discharge its function well, it cannot afford a situation wherein customers can find reason not to repose their full trust and reliance upon the firm. The avoidance of concealment, even the very appearanc e of it, is therefore to be avoided by a show of full disclosure and the conduct of an open enterprise. The various and divergent views on transparency is expected to be reflected in the specific application of transparency programmes within the different companies; likewise, the understanding of transparency within the cultural context of the UAE is also expected to differ from that of other countries. This material difference should be taken into consideration during the analysis of qualitative data to be undertaken in this dissertation, so that false conclusions may be avoided by careful qualification.

Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Answers - Essay Example Hot rolling is a metal processing process that occurs above the material’s recrystallization temperature. It uses large pieces of metals in the process, such as slabs. On the other hand, cold rolling entails metal processing below the material’s recrystallization temperatures. It involves passing small pieces of metals through rollers. Hardwood has straighter and cleaner grain patterns. They possess higher density and are more fire resistant compared to softwoods. Hardwood is more applicable for engineering works, making of floors and high-quality furniture. They also have slower growth rates. Softwoods have a lower density and relatively cheap to in terms of cost. Softwoods have reduced fire resistance capacity. The woods also possess rugged grain patterns. Soft woods use is limited to low-quality furniture and is not preferred for engineering works (Bawa, 2009). By definition, OSB is a material of high mechanical properties, such that it becomes particularly suitable for use in heavy load-bearing applications especially in construction works and industries. On the other hand, MDF is a wood product that is engineered by breaking down softwood or hardwood residuals to make wood fibers. The process often takes place in a defibrator, where it gets combined with resin and binder. The product has a higher density than plywood. Stress is pressure or tension exerted on a material object. Strain is a force that tends to pull or stretch an object to an extreme degree, usually, damaging levels. By definition, elastic modulus is the ratio of force exerted on an object to the resultant deformation it undergoes. Plastic deformation is a process whereby force is exerted to a metal or plastic object to change its shape permanently. For the yield strength, it is a stress point where it is possible to produce a given particular plastic deformation amount. Toughness is the actual ability of any material to absorb energy without fracturing

Transparency and leadership in organisations Dissertation

Transparency and leadership in organisations - Dissertation Example ndful of the fact that the world’s national economies are inextricably linked and therefore the weakness of one is the weakness of all, global financial and economic alliances and unions called for greater transparency and regulatory compliance from all regional unions. The Middle East and North African (MENA) region is among the regions most cited for lack of transparency, with Somalia and Iraq identified as two of the worst-ranked countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. While the UAE is far removed from either of these two, it nevertheless is bound by many commonalities including regional economic, political, and trade agreements. Furthermore, the UAE has been one of the nations which had attracted public attention precisely on this issue. Dubai, more than the other emirates, has been under tighter scrutiny because of the Dubai World debt restructuring and the significant slow-down in development projects, even before the US subprime mar ket crisis hit (Afridi & Angell, 2010). The stigma of corruption and lack of transparency is a mark a country could not afford to obtain if it wishes to attract trade and investment from outside its borders. 1.3 Statement of aim and objectives The principal aim of this dissertation is to assess the degree to which transparency and good governance have been advanced by organizational leadership in the United Arab Emirates, as they impact upon the management of projects within the federation. In particular, the study seeks to fulfil the following objectives: (1) To trace the historical context of the UAE’s imperative for transparency and governance; (2) To understand the measures that have been instituted and are currently in place to enhance transparency and good governance in the UAE; (3) To... The intention of this study is transparency as capable of being seen through; without guile or concealment; open, frank, candid. It is also unavoidable to likewise discuss the concept of concealment. This is because the very concept of transparency is drawn from the absence of concealment. According to Kerfoot, concealment is at the heart of any dysfunctional relationship between the staff, its customers principally, and its other stakeholders. Concealment breeds distrust, and the lack of trust compromises the success of any attempt at a productive relationship. This can be a particularly disadvantageous relationship, particularly in industries where the organization works in close contact with the customer, such as health care services and hospital concerns. For the organization to discharge its function well, it cannot afford a situation wherein customers can find reason not to repose their full trust and reliance upon the firm. The avoidance of concealment, even the very appearanc e of it, is therefore to be avoided by a show of full disclosure and the conduct of an open enterprise. The various and divergent views on transparency is expected to be reflected in the specific application of transparency programmes within the different companies; likewise, the understanding of transparency within the cultural context of the UAE is also expected to differ from that of other countries. This material difference should be taken into consideration during the analysis of qualitative data to be undertaken in this dissertation, so that false conclusions may be avoided by careful qualification.

Subhas Chandra Bose Essay Example for Free

Subhas Chandra Bose Essay Subhas Chandra Bose ( listen (help ·info); 23 January 1897 – unknown) also known as Netaji (Bengali/Oriya/Hindi): â€Å"Respected Leader†), was one of the most prominent Indian nationalist leaders who attempted to gain Indias independence from British rule by force during the waning years of World War II with the help of the Axis powers. Bose, who had been ousted from the Indian National Congress in 1939 following differences with the more conservative high command,[2] and subsequently placed under house arrest by the British, escaped from India in early 1941. 3] He turned to the Axis powers for help in gaining Indias independence by force. [4] With Japanese support, he organised the Indian National Army (INA), composed largely of Indian soldiers of the British Indian army who had been captured in the Battle of Singapore by the Japanese. As the war turned against them, the Japanese came to support a number of countries to form provisional governments in the captured regions, including those in Burma, the Philippines and Vietnam, and in addition, the Provisional Government of Azad Hind, presided by Bose. 4] Boses effort, however, was short lived; in 1945 the British army first halted and then reversed the Japanese U Go offensive, beginning the successful part of the Burma Campaign. The INA was driven down the Malay Peninsula, and surrendered with the recapture of Singapore. It was reported that Bose died soon thereafter from third degree burns received after attempting to escape in an overloaded Japanese plane which crashed in Taiwan,[5] which is disputed. 6] The trials of the INA soldiers at Red Fort, Delhi, in late 1945 caused huge public response in India. [7][8] Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister during whose rule India became independent, mentioned that INA activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (which weakened the Indian Army – the very foundation of the British Empire in India) and the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in 1946[9][10][11][12] were major reasons that made the British realise that they were no longer in a position to rule India.

Subsidiary Perspective of a Mobile Phone Service Company

Subsidiary Perspective of a Mobile Phone Service Company Global Integration Background The literature review looks into the various resources related to the study on the subsidiary perspective of a mobile phone service company towards MNC global integration. This would justify the significance of the study in terms of the clarification and application of concepts as well as contribution to knowledge or research gaps. The literature review is structured to start with a clarification of the research issue for purposes of determining linkages to available literature before moving on with the identification of the parent, intermediate and immediate literature. Afterwards, debates or differences in perspectives based on various literatures, together with the gaps or unresolved questions follows. The literature review ends with a summary of developments in literature pertinent to the research topic. The Research Issue Investigating the subsidiary perspective of a mobile phone service company on MNC global integration has a number of research implications. One, the subsidiary perspective of firms on global integration determines the success of the global business operations through value chain configuration and marketing standardization. Another, the subsidiary perspective of a mobile phone service company on global integration also provides a contextual basis of the issues and problems experienced by the subsidiary and the mother company in achieving value chain integration and marketing standardization for its entire global operations. Integration and standardization are important to successful international business operations. Concurrently, it becomes important to clarify the concepts of global integration and subsidiary relations together with the sub-concepts under these general principles to provide a sufficient framework for the study. Categorization of literature covering these concepts an d sub-concepts fall under parent, intermediate or immediate literature with most of the literature constituting parent and intermediate literatures. This implies the need for empirical research investigating the application of these concepts and sub-concepts to actual business contexts, which the present study attempts to fulfill. The Parent and Intermediate Literature This section covers the parent literature, specifically those explaining the basic concepts involved in the study especially global integration and organizational structures of multinational corporations involving subsidiaries. Existing literature sufficiently covers the definition of global integration as well as the organizational structure that involve business operations in various markets through subsidiaries. Definition of Global Integration Existing literature on global integration have not been able to arrive at a consensus on the definition of global integration. Haspeslagh and Jemison (1991) explained that global integration actually carries a different meaning for various parties involved in different situations. This means the possibility that a subsidiary, operating on a distinct market environment, can develop a different perspective and understanding of global integration relative to the mother company or other subsidiaries operating in different markets. Although, there is no clear consensus on the definition of global integration, Schweiger and Goulet (2000) stated that the different perspectives commonly revolve around the combination of the assets and human resources of the target and the buyer or the subsidiary and the mother company. The concept of coordination has found close links to global integration. Mintzberg (1983a; 1983b) stated that coordination constitutes a fundamental element of management and since the management of global operations involves coordination, then integrating the operation of subsidiaries with the operations of the mother company necessitates coordination. However, even with the close links between global integration and coordination, there are distinctions between these two concepts, with the extent of difference covered by various perspectives. On one hand, Martinez and Jarillo (1989) described the close links between the global integration and coordination by using these two concepts as synonyms describing the same situation. The authors also defined coordinative mechanisms as administrative tools used in developing integration of the various business units of a business organization. On the other hand, Kobrin (1991) provided a clear variance between global integration and coordinati on. Global integration also meant transnational integration that involves the processes of product standardization, technology development centralization, and manufacturing linkages that is either horizontal or vertical. As such, global integration was characterized as a change process involving centralization, combination, concentration, and standardization. Coordination also meant cross-border coordination that pertains to the business efforts directed towards the alignment of the operations of various business units to ensure the completion of the tasks of these units in contributing to aggregate productivity. Global integration has also found links to value creating activities at the level of the business headquarters. Goold, Campbell and Alexander (1994) and Burgelman and Doz (1996) stated that global integration pertains to the manner that headquarters creates value encompassing its international operations. This definition of global integration provides a limit to the scope of the concept to cover only business units forming part of a multinational corporation. This means that global integration does not involve business units considered as external to the firm. In addition, existing literature also discussed the definition of global integration by looking at its opposite or contrast concepts. Through the process of contrasting, these resources have been able to determine the areas not covered by global integration (Hambrick Finkelstein, 1987). Bartlett (1986) considered local autonomy as the opposite of global integration with local autonomy referring to the independent management of the operations of different business units under a single multinational corporation so that decision-making in the local level is made without need of consulting the other business units or headquarters. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) identified local responsiveness as another opposite of global integration. This is similar to independent decision-making exclusively based on the particular context of the local market without need to consult decision with other business units or the corporate headquarters. However, Prahalad and Doz (1987) explained that business f irms could achieve high levels of responsiveness and integration. As such, the more rational opposite of global integration is local autonomy. Based on existing literature covering the definition of global integration, the definition used in the dissertation is cross-border integration, encompassing value-creating activities and marketing standardization, arising between business units operating in different markets but falling under a single multinational corporation. This definition limits the scope to business units forming part of a multinational corporation but operating in particular markets. This definition fits the requirements of the study in investigating the perspectives of subsidiaries on global integration that involves a subsidiary and headquarters as the units of data collection and analysis. Elements of Global Integration Based on the definition of global integration, this has two specific elements, which are the configuration and coordination of the multinational corporation’s value change and the standardization of marketing strategies. Existing literature have differentiated the configuration and coordination. Porter (1985) explained that configuration of the value chain pertains to the spatial decisions of the multinational corporation covering the location or site of business units together with the number of business units within the multinational corporation and in the different sites. Lim, Acito and Rusetki (2006) developed the concentration-dispersion perspective to encompass decision-making on spatial issues. Porter (1985) stated explained that coordination refers to the manner and extent that the activities of the different business units are combined as opposed to being autonomous. Lim et al. (2006) introduced integration-independence perspective as the concept that covers the combination of activities of various business units forming part of a single multinational corporation. The configuration and coordination of value chain processes of business units belonging to a single multinational firm includes t he sourcing of raw materials and basic service components, production processes and linkages, marketing strategies, distribution networks, and support activities encompassing the operations of business units located in different countries but comprising the sub-units of the multinational firm. Available literature also covered marketing standardization, which Jain (1989) describes as the extent of the uniformity in the experiences of customers of the different business units operating in various countries. Here, classification of literature depends on internal and external focus. Literature on strategies focus on business activity as the core basis of analysis so that these looks into the manner that business units apply uniform policies given specific business contexts. Literature on international marketing carries an external focus by considering the uniformity in the marketing mix applied across the business units. (Yip, 1997) The extent of uniformity in the aspects of price, product, place and promotion determines the level of uniformity in the experiences of the firm’s customers in different countries. Rationale for Global Integration After identifying the definition of global integration as limited to cross-border decisions encompassing business units belonging to the same multinational firm and covering the areas of value chain configuration and marketing standardization, the next area that involves clarification is the rationale for engaging in global integration. Available literature provided two distinct perspectives, which are environmental contingency and strategic choice, explaining the rationale for global integration. While the distinctions between these two perspectives is theoretical, these determines the driving factors for global integration as either industry forces and other factors in the external environment or firm-specific capabilities and other factors within the internal environment of the multinational firm. The distinctions reflect similar characteristics as the debates on environmental determinism as against strategic choice (Astley Van de Ven, 1983; Hrebiniak Joyce, 1985). In addition, the distinctions between the two perspectives are parallel to debates involving the positioning-oriented view (Porter, 1985) as opposed to the resource-based view (Barney, 1991) or the dynamic capabilities view (Eisenhardt Martin, 2000). These perspectives highlight one aspect or more reasons for engaging in global integration so that focusing on only one perspective would provide the study with a limited theoretical foundation (Morgan, 1997). As such, these perspectives require consideration to allow the study to gain insight on the multi-dimensional reasons of justifications for global integration. Advocates of the environmental contingency perspective propound the basic assumption that industries hold different potential for globalization. As such, firm strategists play the important role of identifying the trends and influencing factors affecting the industry as bases for the determination of the appropriate strategy addressing the needs and demands of the industry (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989). In application, a number of best practices have emerged as generic strategies for various industry trends found to lead to positive performance (Prahalad Doz, 1987). This implies that the environmental contingency view favors the development of contingencies (Galbraith, 1973) that considers the alignment or congruence of the structure of the firm and the strategies implemented by the organization with the environment within which the business firm operates. These contingencies find expression in the different types and levels of structures and corresponding strategies that have evolved. A simplistic typology is the description of global firms as evolving from ethnocentric to polycentric before finally becoming geocentric (Perlmutter, 1969). This means that the structure of multinational firms evolves according to this evolutionary process and the strategy of multinational firms depend on the best practices determined for the different evolutionary stages. Another simplistic structure and strategy is one determined by technological drivers (Levitt, 1983) so that the organizational structure revolves around the enhancement of technological capabilities and the strategies involve the standardization of products through a uniform technological capability in order to enhance the homogeneity of customer experiences. However, the simplistic perspectives received criticisms for not being able to cover other important business factors. An alternative perspective involves mixed strategies (Douglas Wind, 1987) so that standardization occurs for some products and product components become while differentiation occurs for others. In application, the mixed strategy involves standardization marketing mix aspects in a given region, market or market segments and differentiation for one or more of the marketing mix components for different regions or markets. The rationale for the mixed perspective is that achieving a universal strategy is not possible since some strategies receive rational support in some market context but not in others even if the same products, brand and company is involved but operating as different business units (Ohmae, 1989). This implies that the purpose of global integration is not really to derive a universal structure and strategy but to provide a way for the multinational corp oration to rationalize its mixed strategies across regions or markets and tie these efforts to address common goals. Most of the typologies that emerged later on found basis on mixed strategies. One manner of classifying multinational firms is through worldwide integration, national responsiveness, and administrative coordination (Doz, 1980). This developed the concept of transnational firms and propounded the important role of administrative coordination to facilitate administrative and structural shifts directed towards the achievement of the benefits of integration on a global scale and responsiveness on a national level. This manner of classification revolves around firm level analysis. Another typology, which considered the industry perspective, distinguished industries as either multidomestic or global (Hout, Porter Rudden, 1982). This means that the structure and strategy selection of business firms depend on the characteristics of the industry within which the firm belongs, which is either multidomestic or global. Another typology that considered the industry level perspective distinguishes strategy selection based on whether the firm falls under multinational or transnational industry (Bartlett, 1986). The author explicitly developed the transnational concept. This means that integration and responsiveness act as the forces that pressure firms to move towards the transnational model. Hedlund (1986) further expanded this typology by introducing the concept of heterarchy to describe the business units of international firms organized into non-hierarchical networks moving toward the goals of integration and responsiveness. The characterization of international fi rms as networks was carried by other literature through the development of the concept of independent network (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1990) and differentiated network (Nohria Ghoshal, 1997). Another typology emerged as the alternative by combining the firm and industry level perspectives to come up with four distinctive strategies of multinational firms, which are purest global, export-based, high foreign investments together with extensive subsidiary coordination, and country-centered (Porter, 1986). Purest global and export-based strategies are variants of global strategy; country-centered strategies are similar to the multinational concept; and high foreign investment with extensive subsidiary coordination is similar to the transnational concept. Another alternative emanates from the integration and responsiveness factors to influence the introduction of the types of strategies into global, multifocal and locally responsive. Integration on a global level considers multinational customers, multinational competitors, intensity of investment, intensity of technology, cost reduction pressures, universal needs, and raw materials and energy access. Local responsiveness pres sures the firm to consider variations in customer needs, variances in the distribution channels, existence of substitutes and adaptations, market structure, and regulatory demands. These pressures then comprise the areas of strategy determination for international business firms. In addition, another strategic area that considers the factors of integration and responsiveness revolves around knowledge and capabilities sharing between corporate headquarters and the various business units (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989). Based on the development of various typologies, three general structural and strategic distinctions emerge, which are the multinational, transnational and global configurations. These types involve different integration strategies. The global configuration involves the strategy of tight integration of the value chain processes of the different business units resulting to a high level of centralized strategic resources including knowledge and research and development (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1987a; 1987b). This means that the activities of the business units are likely to revolve around the utilization of raw materials and application of service policies instead of focusing on activities that promote the independence of the business units. Moreover, the business units under the global configuration are unable to function without consulting company headquarters. As such, the high level of centralized control leads to the importance of a strong centralized leadership and decision-making. This would likely involve limited development and innovation from the business units operating in the peripheral markets. The network flows between corporate headquarters and the business units revolve around products. Thus, firms adhe ring to the global configuration tend to achieve high levels of integration because of centralization but low levels of responsiveness on a national level because of the lack of development and innovation coming from the business units operating in various national contexts. The multinational or multidomestic configuration pertains to the fostering of high levels of autonomy on the part of the subsidiary units because of the corresponding high degrees of decentralization in decision-making (Roth Morisson, 1990; Harzing, 1998; 2000). This means that the business units or subsidiaries are self-sufficient in their operations on a national level. As such, the subsidiaries enforce value chains that can stand alone in their country of operations (Leong Tan, 1993). Corporate headquarters manage this situation by considering the business units as independent firms but manages the productivity of the subsidiaries through output controls, especially financial measures. The output controls comprise the integrating factor for the different subsidiaries since this measures their adherence to overall firm goals (Muralidharan Hamilton, 1999). Moreover, an informal network exists between the top managers assigned in the corporate headquarters and the expatriates serv ing as representatives of the headquarters in the subsidiaries (Gupta Govindarajan, 2001). Multinational business units exercise relatively high levels of independence because of the minimal intervention and interference from the corporate headquarters except only the application of output controls. The derivation and enhancement of knowledge occurs locally instead of coming from headquarters for dispersion in the different business units. Concurrently, the flow that involves corporate headquarters and the business units encompasses financial resources. Thus, the application of the multinational configuration leads to a high level of responsiveness on a national or local level but resulting to limited integration. The transnational configuration involves the creation of international business firms with the simultaneous capability for responsiveness on a local level, integration on a global level, and learning on a worldwide level. This configuration involves the ability to consider various areas of responsiveness or ambidexterity, which refers to the ability to target conflicting demands at one time (Birkinshaw Gibson, 2004). Nohria and Ghoshal (1997) described the transnational configuration as both differentiated and interdependent. As such, the transnational configuration involves greater integration relative to the multinational configuration but involves greater responsiveness relative to the global configuration. This means that the activities of the business units covering aspects of the value chain becomes integrated physically and coordinated strategically. The subsidiaries the play pre-determined roles within the context of the multinational goals instead of just focusing on the ma ximization of opportunities in the local level. Creation of knowledge involves a higher level of dispersion compared to the global configuration because the objectives are sharing of knowledge derived on level of the peripheral units. The manner of integration then involves mechanisms of socialization instead of output measures as in the multinational configuration. This means the development of standardized norms across the business units (Mintzberg, 1983a). Flow of resources is also expanded to encompass resources, products as well as knowledge across the various business units. Overall, the rationale for global integration based on the environmental contingency perspectives depends on the typology of the operations of business firms. The different typologies carry corresponding structural frameworks and strategic activities directed towards the achievement of the one or both objectives of integration and responsiveness. Proponents of the strategic choice perspective focus on internal factors and pressures in determining structure and strategy for international business firms constituting the rationale for engagement in integration. As such, the focal areas of the strategy choice view include resources, capabilities and processes (Ghoshal, 1987). Concurrently, available literature focused on the two concepts of strategic integration together with corporate parenting that provide distinct multinational firm capabilities. Strategic integration covers the manner that management develops value that encompasses value creation of the different business units forming part of the international firm. Moreover, strategic integration has links to the combination and cultivation of the different resources of the international firm such as the intangible assets together with capabilities in the long-term through the process of coordinated deployment from the corporate headquarters to the business units. However, the subsidiaries have room to enhance further assets and capabilities to respond to their particular business contexts. (Burgelman Doz, 1996) Another view of strategic integration is as pertaining to dynamic capability that is based on particular strategic and structural routine activities (Eisenhardt Martin, 2000). This means that integrating factors comprise the routine activities common in all the business units. Capabilities for strategic integration receives importance in the case when managers intend to shift from one configuration to another but there are variances in the levels of resource needs, strategic requirements, and structural frameworks involved in the configurations. Strategic integration as a capability is also important in situations involving the shift from a weak to a stronger implementation of a given configuration. (Teece et al., 1997; Eisenhardt Martin, 2000) This means that the international business firm employs various combinations of value chain integration and marketing standardization for particular configurations. To ensure integration and standardization, coordination mechanisms comprise important means of unifying processes and outputs across the different business units. Parenting theory evolved to apply to multi-business contexts, specifically the manner that corporate parents influence the operations of subsidiaries in order to add value to the operations of the business units (Goold, 1996a; 1996b; Goold Campbell, 1991; 2002; Goold, Campbell Alexander, 1998). The parenting theory does not particularly focus on integration. Nevertheless, the descriptions of the parenting strategies capture the situation of multinational firms and the manner that corporate headquarters affect the dynamics or workings of the subsidiaries. Since integration involves limitation on the freedom of operation of the business units, the role of the parent company becomes important in achieving effective integration. This means that according to the parenting theory, the rationale of engaging in integration lies in the significance of the role of the parent company in providing effective integrative factors intended to enhance the output and process outcomes across the diff erent business units. Parent firms can create value for the company in four ways. First, the parent company can apply a stand-alone policy, which means that the strategy and performance of the business units are affected minimally by the parent company. Integration at a minimal level of influence occurs through output standardization (Mintzberg, 1983a), which is implemented through financial rations serving as the targets of the subsidiaries. Second, the parent company can increase its influence on the subsidiaries by implementing synergistic practices and transfer of knowledge and best practices to the business units (Mintzberg, 1983a), specifically activities such as standard work systems, standard norms of practice, and training of workers. Third, parent companies can further enhance its influence on the business units by extending the reach of its central functions to the business units. This extent of influence is nearer integration as strategic change instead of coordination. Fourth, an even greater influence on the business units can be made with the parent company altering the corporate portfolio through the acquisition or removal of operations to facilitate restructuring. This also involves greater parallelism with integration as strategic change instead of a coordinative process. Fifth, parent companies can extend their influence to an extent that covers the influence of purchasing firms during post-mergers (Schweiger, 2002). These different extents of influence applied by the parent company translate into different rationales for integration given different multination firm contexts. Regardless of the extent of influence employed by the parent company, it is necessary that the parent company that constitutes the corporate center constitutes a resource in itself through varying levels of influence or provide alternative processes that derive resources for the business units in order for the level of integration to achieve value to the subsidiaries and justify the engagemen t in integration. In addition, there are also parenting styles (Goold, Campbell Alexander, 1994) that describe the manner that the parent company relates to its subsidiaries. First is the financial control style that involves decentralized decision-making of the business units that usually apply in small business firms (Hout et al., 1982). Second is the strategic planning style that involves an influential staff involved in a wide range of areas of operation in the business units (Hout et al., 1982). Third is the strategic control style involving top-down planning but bottom-up implementation that is achieved through the balanced consideration of financial objectives and strategic milestones. These parenting styles provide the factors that have to be present for parent companies to create value for the business units and provide a reason for the type of integration. Integration Challenges After discussing the definition and rationale for integration, the succeeding discussions look into the integration challenges experienced by the multinational firms. Existing literature classify these challenges into those experienced by corporate headquarters and those felt by the subsidiaries. Corporate headquarters experience a number of integration challenges. First is ensuring the creation of value to support the extent of integration. This means that the integration should create greater value compared to the previous status of the firm (Goold, 1996b). Second is preventing any misguided intervention that depend on the context of business units since excessive guidance can thwart much needed innovative action on the subsidiary level (Goold Campbell, 2002). Third is enhancing the quality of execution and support staff services of the company headquarters (Goold Campbell, 2002). Fourth is avoidance of multiple levels of parenting that could lead to redundancy and contradictions (Goold Campbell, 2002). Fifth is the management of various kinds of intra-firm reporting so that the type of reporting should match the simplicity or complexity of the multinational firm (Prahalad Doz, 1987). Sixth is the avoidance of the building of empires at headquarters by clearly establish ing the roles of top management in maintaining corporate entity and adding value to the subsidiaries (Goold Campbell, 2002). Subsidiaries also experience problems in integration. First is achieving structural and strategic fit (Jemison Sitkin, 1986a; 1986b; Olie, 1994; Carleton, 1997) given variances in administrative heritage (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989) that requires the development of a common administrative infrastructure. Second is managing opportunism among the subsidiary managers within the context of agency relations (Jensen Meckling, 1976; Eisenhardt, 1989a; 1989b) through risk management and agency clarification. Third is ensuring the commitment of the subsidiary managers since commitment determines the success of the integration process (Kim Mauborgne (1991; 1995) by developing a perception of fairness of the integration (Greenberg, 1993). Available literature on the problems experienced by the subsidiaries provide significant foundational information for the study by providing concepts that relate to the study on the perceptions of subsidiaries, particularly the managers of the subsidiaries regarding the integration. The factors of attitudes, commitment and cooperative behavior are the problem areas of integration on the subsidiary side but these also comprise determinants of the perceptions of subsidiaries towards integration. Immediate Literature This section covers immediate literature since the integration capabilities and the modes of managing the subsidiary provide the determinants of the perspectives of subsidiaries towards integration, similar to the part on the problems experienced by the subsidiaries discussed in the previous section. Integration Capabilities A number of integration capabilities are important in the integration initiative. Since integration involves actions and responses not only from the company headquarters