Indian Boarding Schools

Indian Boarding Schools Introduction In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the U. S. government opened many schools for Indians or Native American children in order to introduce Euro-American standards (Harley, 1994).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Indian Boarding Schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to reflect on the events that led to the establishment of the schools, what life was at these schools and their effects on Indian populations, this is in regard to the larger context of the Native American Experience and propose mechanisms of dealing with the effects. Establishment of Indian boarding schools Indian boarding schools were primarily established in order to kill the Indian culture and ensure that they adopt a Euro-American culture that was completely alien to them. There are several other reasons why the Indian boarding school was established, such as weakening families by taking their children away (Smith, 2010). Indian boarding schools were first established by Christian missionaries, who had the sole intention to provide education for the native people, â€Å"The Carlisle Indian Industrial School established by a US Army officer Richard Henry Pratt† was the first school to adopt total assimilation of the Indian culture (Smith, 2010, p. 34). The school was built in 1879 at a military facility and its curriculum was based on what was taught in prison. The school was established following Pratt’s successful teaching â€Å"experiments† on young Indian prisoners (Smith, 2010, p. 35). Schools were widely used as a way of â€Å"civilizing† Indians mainly by the church (Monaghan, 2005, p. 56). The rationalizations of the â€Å"manifest destiny† and the doctrine of â€Å"discovery† were widely used as an excuse by the European settlers to commit atrocities on the Native Americans (Pease, 1986). The Christian belief of manifest destiny wa s used as a prelude in the expansion and colonization of the Americas (Harley, 1994). Basing on this belief, the missionaries felt obliged to spread the gospel to the natives, who, after being softened through Christian ideals, would be colonized by the European settlers. Seemingly, the initial boarding schools established by missionaries were not only meant to impart civilization but also serve as means of achieving the divine mission of spreading the gospel.Advertising Looking for critical writing on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The doctrine of â€Å"discovery† was a major source of friction and some of its aspects are still present in the current United States property rights (Smith, 2010, p. 45). This doctrine was used to validate the claim that Europeans discovered empty land in the America’s.The Native Americans had a communal land ownership system. The Europeans had embraced individua l land ownership practices. Boarding schools were therefore used to change the Native American’s cultureand the communal land practices by extension. The boarding school experience Life in the Indian boarding schools was tough, several victims told about the horrifying experience they went through at the boarding schools. Bill, who belongs to the Pattwin Indian group, remembers that he was sent to the boarding school while aged only six years (Harley, 1994). He remembers a sad experience which filled an everyday life of the boarding school. He remembers being bathed in Kerosene by matrons and having his head shaved against the Indian culture. In what can be regarded as transforming Indians inside and out, it’s seen that all aspects of the Indian culture were forbidden. Different accounts provided by individuals who went through the schools show that the Native Americans denied everything that pertained to their culture, from wearing long hair to speaking their language . The Indian children’s names were changed and they were not allowed to go home to their parents to ensure a cultural disconnection. The aim of the government was to replace the Indian culture, indeed as stated by Pratt â€Å"the only good Indian is a dead one† (Monaghan, 2005, p. 23). This implied that the Indian culture had to be killed. The methods advanced by Pratt and fellow minded Americans were geared towards ensuring that assimilation was gained through total immersion (Pease, 1986).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Indian Boarding Schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aim was to â€Å"kill the Indian culture in the Indians and save them† (Smith, 2010, p. 67). History says that Pratt organized the education of some young Native Americans after he had encountered them at a prison in Florida (Smith, 2010). It’s said that Pratt saw positive changes in the Indians aft er teaching them English, some basic economic skills and ways to govern themselves. It was the main reason to establish several boarding schools and kill the Indian culture, as well as ensure that Indians are assimilated into the popular American culture. Therefore students were to be transformed in regard to â€Å"language, religion, family structure, economics, and emotional expression among others† (Smith, 2010, p. 13). However, things did not always go according to the plan as the children were later subjected to untold abuses. This can be compared to genocide in the sense that it purported to kill the Indian culture and ensure their forceful adoption of an alien culture. Several historical accounts indicate that students were abused in the boarding schools. The US government ran as many as 100 schools both on and of reservations (Harley, 1994). Young children were sometimes forcibly snatched from their parents. Many of them did not understand what was going on. The late Indian Activist Floyd Red Crow shared on how it felt to be taken away from his mother (Harley, 1994). He was taken as a young child from a reservation in South Dakota for the Wahpeton Indian Boarding School in North Dakota (Monaghan, 2005). He remembers seeing his mother cry as the bus took him away. It’s hard to imagine how hurting that was for him and his mother. Annual reports on Indian affairs seemed to suggest that Indians were savages who needed to be compelled by whatever means possible, to send their children to school (Smith, 2010).Advertising Looking for critical writing on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some parents just took their children to these boarding schools simply because there were no other schools for them. It’s important to note that most other public schools were closed for the Indian child. The federal schools were the only ones available to them and curriculum at these boarding schools was different. The curriculum in the public schools was focused on trades, for example boys studied carpentry, while girls curriculum included house keeping (Smith, 2010). There were no concepts in math or other science subjects. Thus, it can be said that, as much as the boarding schools were used to assimilate the Indians, the curriculum was not complete and was not meant to achieve total good for the Indian children. Punishment in the boarding schools was severe. There were accounts of abuses taking place in the boarding schools in form of beatings, food rationing and heavy labor. The federal government commissioned an investigation on the progress and policies towards the Ind ian boarding schools (Pease, 1986). The report provided in 1928 revealed the â€Å"problem of the Indian Administration† (Smith, 2010, p. 70). It showed that many of the children in the boarding schools were â€Å"overworked, harshly punished and poorly educated† (Smith, 2010, p. 71).This finding makes it hard to believe that the government was indeed committed to ensuring the assimilation of Indians. The care provided to the Indian children was inadequate in all aspects. In spite of the fact that the food provided was insufficient in both quantity and quality, young children aged between 10 and 12 were being subjected to heavy industrial work for up to four hours a day. A survey conducted in the 1960s shows that many teacher’s felt that their primary role was to civilize the Native Americans rather than to teach them. This indicates how the schools were institutionalized. The Kennedy administration declared the Indian education to be a national tragedy (Monagha n, 2005). The emotional impact caused on the Indian children who attended the boarding schools can be seen in some written accounts. For instance, one former student says that he can never forget when he saw his mother cry when he was taken away forcibly. To this date, there are still several factors that have not been properly addressed regarding the plight of Indians. These problems are often summed up as the â€Å"Indian Problem† and most of them pertain to their cultural practices and the land factor. As stated earlier, the doctrine of discovery is still very much in the US constitution (Pease, 1986). Conclusion This paper sought to reflect on the events that led to the establishment of the schools, how life was at the schools and their effects on Indian populations, this is in regard to the larger context of the Native American Experience and propose mechanisms on how to deal with the effects. It’s imperative that the government identifies new workable ways of dea ling with the issues affecting the Indians.The government should ensure that measures are undertaken to preserve the Indian culture. By extension, the Dakota and Ojibwe languages should be preserved through measures such as provision of support, promotion and encouragement by the federal government. References Harley, B. (1994). Readings in Diocesan Heritage Volume VIII St. Boniface Indian School. San Bernardino: Diocese of San Bernardino. Monaghan, E. (2005). Learning to Read and Write in Colonial America. Boston: University of Massachusetts. Pease, M. (1986). A Worthy Work in a Needy Time: The Montana Industrial School for Indians. Montana: M. Pease. Smith, A. (2010). Soul Wound: The legacy of Native American Schools. New york: Amnesty International.

What You Need to Know About Returning To Work After Having a Baby

What You Need to Know About Returning To Work After Having a Baby It’s awfully hard taking a leave from work to go and have a baby. It’s even harder leaving that baby behind to go back to work- even if you love your job! So whether you’re going back for monetary necessity, or because you have to keep your place in your career, or because you love what you do, here are a few tips to help ease your transition. 1. Start childcare plans early.If you want in on a specific day care center, get on their waiting list ASAP- sometimes even before the baby is born. Either way, set up who will be caring for your child in advance of needing it. Visit the facility or meet the person in advance. Maybe even do a dry run to make sure things don’t all crash and burn the minute Mommy/Daddy leaves. Having a good, safe option that you and your family feel good about will help ease your jitters.2. Stock up on supplies.You’re going to need a bunch of supplies for whomever is taking care of your kid. Buy things like breast milk bags and nursing pads and diapers in bulk. Make a checklist of all the things your baby needs when going out of the house and make sure to pass it along to your child minder.3. Start out slowly.Don’t go right back into full time. See if you can do part-time the first week or two, just until you iron out all the kinks and get your family settled in the new routine.4. Stay in touch.It’s okay to ask for regular updates throughout the day- a quick text or photo will often do to help you keep from worrying and focus on your work. If you are the type to call in every day, go for it!5. Talk to a lactation expert.If you’re a mom who’s going to keep nursing, talk to a lactation consultant and start figuring out your pumping schedule. Make sure you’re comfortable with your system before you dive into it. Get your baby used to drinking your milk from a bottle- to make sure she takes it- especially from someone else. And make sure to have the pumping conversation with your boss so she’s best prepared to support you. Your HR department should make it very easy on you and find you somewhere private and dedicated for when you need to pump.6. Plan everything the night before.After bedtime is your best friend. Pretend like you’re back in school again: lay out your clothes, pack your lunch, prep breakfast, pack the diaper bag, get organized, etc. This time will be less harried than the morning and will also mean you get more quality time before heading off to work each day when you aren’t running mad with stress.7. Don’t take work home.Your boss should understand that you have a brand new family at home. Leave your job when you come home and don’t pick it up again until you arrive the next morning. Life is too short to be missing your already limited family time being glued to projects or emails.8. Don’t feel guilty.Work is important to sustain your family. Even if you don’t have to work for the money- m aybe your partner makes more than enough to go around- if you’re going back to work because you love your job†¦ that’s important. Either way, you’re setting a wonderful example for your kids.

Healthy People 2010--Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Healthy People 2010--Obesity - Essay Example But it also is the cause of many other diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and some types of cancer. Because of its growing trend and dangers, it is extremely important to make it one of the most important health issues of the people of North Carolina. Obesity is the result of unhealthy food habits, lack of physical activity and lack of awareness of how it can be dangerous in the future. Out of the 27 nutrition objectives in the program Healthy People 2010, overweight and obesity are the two movements that are observed to be getting away from the targets. In particular, it has been noted that the proportion of adults and children who are obese has increased substantially, and this represents one of the biggest challenges for Healthy People 2010. This worrisome trend has led to set a goal to promote knowledge about healthy habits and reduce chronic disease associated with diet and weight. The study of the obesity issue from the past does not show a positive picture. It was noted that between 1976 and 1994, the number of cases of obesity alone have increased by more than 50 percent—from 14.5 percent of the adult population to 22.5 percent. Approximately 25 percent of U.S. adult females and 20 percent of U.S. adult males are obese ( Healthy People 2010). Overweight and obesity occurs when a person consumes more calories from food (energy) than he or she expends through physical activity. And looking at the fast paced mechanical life, where most of the work is done on computer and machines, there are no chances of people getting involved

Case IV, Black and Decker International Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IV, Black and Decker International - Case Study Example More importantly, it is realized that the organization has the ability to establish a strong base in the world in this particular industry. Black & Decker International Question 1 Indeed, Black & Decker has been much successful in its bid to expand its operations across the world. The acquisition of the Emhart Corporation created a wave of opportunities for the organization in terms of harnessing new markets and gaining from the increased pool of employees. In any case, Grunewald's plan of creating a global business venture from this acquisition can certainly become a reality in the context of the emerging situations. It should also be remembered that the plan to expand operations following the acquisition of the Emhart Corporation brought with it a new set of challenges which had to be addressed before any positive results could be deduced. Therefore, it is imperative to note that Grunewald's plan was a positive move, considering that all organizations should always aspire to expand beyond borders. It only calls for proper and effective strategies in place in order to steer operations and realize the ultimate goals of the organization. Considering the turbulent nature of the operations in the organization, any future plans intended for the success of the organization are certainly welcome. ... Several factors certainly favor Grunewald in his decision to expand operations and establish a global venture. The lock business will enable the organization to diversify its operations and realize a wide operational base. In the same way, the globalization momentum offers a good ground for the expansion process as it will provide the basic framework for the expansion of operations (Gale, 2009). Black & Decker has a solid international base which will greatly help in building a global ground. The acquisition of Emhart creates the need for a complete restructuring of all the operations in order to facilitate progress. The door hardware industry was hitherto dominated by firms which relied on old traditions that separately emphasized security, systems and technology. In this case, the entry of Black & Decker into the market with a new set of operations will effectively enable it to win much of the market with products that are focused on the entire market segments. In order to succeed in any market, it is important to have a thorough grasp of all the operations of the market and be well acquainted with all the dimensions of competitors, customers and product needs (Laszlo & Laugel, 2000). Considering these imperatives, Black & Decker has been at the forefront in acquiring such information and will therefore effectively benefit from the knowledge. The most important aspect in this expansion is the fact that the establishment of global operations will increase the revenue base and the profit for the organization which will ultimately provide the impetus for further growth and expansion (Connor & Lake, 2002). Like any major global expansions, the global lock business will face a number of challenges in the process.

The Market for Separately Ticketed Suits Essay Example for Free

The Market for Separately Ticketed Suits Essay 1Versatility refers to the ability to mix-and-match items after the purchase. 2Traditional suits have low versatility as they are expected to be worn as a ‘whole’ suit (or uniform). 2. The traditional suit (TS) customer is different than the target customer for high-quality separates (HQS), as they have distinct preferences and exhibit different behavior. Firstly, the TS customer will require sales assistance, while the target customer for HQS will prefer to shop by self-service. Secondly, the TS customer likes to plan his purchase, while the target customer for HQS will most likely make his purchase spontaneously. Thirdly, the target customer for HQS prefers versatility in the form of choosing and customizing his own suit, while the TS customer does not mind purchasing the prescribed design of a business suit. Finally, the TS customer puts higher emphasis on achieving the ‘executive look’ when they make a purchase, while the target customer for HQS focuses on comfort and ease of purchase. 3. With regards to merchandising and marketing techniques, high quality separates (HQS) will offer a good fit with Jaymar Ruby (JR). As the Jaymar customer is already a quality-slack (or separates) customer, encouraging him to purchase other quality separates would be considerably easier. Hence, selling HQS in JR will seemingly be an expansion of the product line since JR already has a head-start in selling ‘separates’. In addition, the aggressive marketing strategies of JR would be put into good use when introducing this new segment of products into the market. However, it is worth noting that the quality of garments in JR seems to be in conflict with HQS, as JR’s garments are classified as 1 make (Exhibit 4), which is in the lower end of the ‘quality spectrum’. In spite of this, HQS will offer a good fit with JR as the competitive advantage reaped in initiating the separates business via JR outweighs the conflict in quality of garments. A possible solution to this issue is to communicate clearly to the customer that HQS are of a superior quality. 4. This will depend on the position that HSM will take. The separates customer ignores quality in preference to the ability to purchase more garments, and might not perceive any difference b etween HQS and low-quality separates (LQS). Hence, if no action is taken by HSM, the separates customer might still prefer LQS (since it costs lesser than HQS, and enables them to purchase more garments), and HSM will still face significant competitive threat from LQS. Therefore, HSM must be able to differentiate HQS such that the separates customer perceives distinct benefits in HQS as compared to LQS, which also justifies the difference in price. One example would be to market HQS strategically so as to convince the separates customer that higher quality will equate to higher comfort (since separates customer places emphasis on comfort), which justifies the higher prices charged for HQS. Thus, LQS could cater to the separates customer who prefers having the ability to purchase more garments (and hence, sacrificing ‘comfort’), while HQS could cater to the separates customer who does not mind paying a higher price for more ‘comfort’. Hence, if HSM is able to create perceived value for its HQS and communicate this message effectively, it will be able to successfully thwart the competitive threat from LQS in the short run. However, it should be noted that if HSM experiences success in selling HQS, companies of LQS will then consider upgrading to HQS, or new competitors could be attracted to the market. Therefore, in the long run, it is a likelihood that the competitive threat faced by HSM might then intensify. 5. HSM should introduce a line of HQS. Firstly, from the perceptual map, we can see clearly that HQS, LQS and TS each represent a different benefit combination, and hence, could cater to different segments of customers. As seen from the second question, the traditional suit customer and the target customer for HQS have distinct preferences and behavior, and HSM could thus better target the separates customer by introducing a line of HQS. In addition, as seen from the 3rd question, HSM will have a competitive advantage in selling HQS as the avenue chosen for starting the separates business (JR) is already selling quality slacks, and introducing HQS in JR would only be an expansion of the product line. Also, as mentioned in question 4, introducing a line of HQS will be able to thwart the competitive threat from LQS for the time being. Therefore, based on the above points, and that the current level of competition in the market for HQS is nearly non-existent, it is strongly recommended for HSM to introduce a line of HQS.

2000 US Presidental Election :: essays research papers

The fourth principle of the rule of law state, "all persons must be given due process, that is, a fair chance to defend themselves against formal charges that they have violated the rules." The premise for this principle is the example that, the official body that hears and renders judgment on the charges may be biased against the defendant instead of impartial. The decision of the United States Supreme Court to discontinue the counting of "undervotes" in the state of Florida was not only a politically biased decision, it was also a decision that violated the rule of law. My argument is based on not so much the dissenting opinion of the minority, but of the concurring opinion of the majority of the Supreme Court. A political trial is one in which political considerations, not simply the law and the facts, affect the proceedings and verdict. Every human being has a certain set of morals and beliefs that they hold to be an important part of their character. This is no different for the judges of the Supreme Court. They too have a set of morals and beliefs that they live by. The difference is that their job description says that they have to make decisions not based on their morals and beliefs, but their decisions must be based on the rule of law. It is obvious to me that many of the judges on the Supreme Court, did not follow their job description and instead of basing their decision of Bush vs. Gore on the rule of law, they based it on who they voted for. Every conservative on that panel voted to stop the recount which in turn helped Bush win, and every liberal on the panel voted to continue the recount which would have given Gore a chance at winning. The concurring opinion of the majority seems to make it evident in some of the arguments they make that their opinion was based on politics and not on law. Much of the evidence they bring up only seems to contradict their decision more than support it. In Rehnquist's opinion, with whom Scalia and Thomas join, concurring, he brings up the case of Anderson v. Celebrezze, (1983), in which the court said ''In the context of a Presidential election, state-imposed restrictions implicate a uniquely important national interest. For the President and the Vice President of the United States are the only elected officials who represent all the voters in the Nation.

“That’s Not My Job” †Learning Delegation at Cin-Made

â€Å"THAT'S NOT MY JOB† – LEARNING DELEGATION AT CIN-MADE When Robert Frey purchased Cin – Made in 1984, the company was near ruin. The Cincinnati, Ohi-based manufacturer of paper packaging had not altered its product line in 20 years. Labor costs had hit the ceiling, while profits were falling through the floor. A solid quarter of the company's shipments were late and absenteeism was high. Management and workers were at each other's throats. Ten years later, Cin – Made is producing a new assortment of highly differentiated composite cans, and pre-tax profits have increased more than five times. The Cin – Made workforce is both flexible and deeply committed to the success of the company. On-time delivery of products has reached 98 percent, and absenteeism has virtually disappeared. There are even plans to form two spin – off companies to be owned and operated by Cin-Made employees. In fact, at the one day â€Å"Future of the American Workforce† conference held in July 1993, Cin-Made was recognized by President Clinton as one of the best – run companies in the United States. â€Å"How did we achieve this startling turnaround? †    Mused Frey. â€Å"Employee empowerment is one part of the answer. Profit sharing is another. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the late spring of 1986, relations between management and labor had reached rock bottom. Having recently suffered a pay cut, employees at Cin- Made came to work each day, performed the duties required of their particular positions, and returned home-nothing more. Frey could see that his company was suffering. â€Å"To survive we needed to stop being worthy adversaries and start being worthy partners,† he realized. Toward this end, Frey decided to call a meeting with the union. He offered to restore worker pay to its previous level by the end of the year. On top of that, he offered  something no one expected: a 15 percent share of Cin-Made's pre-tax profits. † I do not choose to own a company that has an adversarial relationship with its employees. † Frey proclaimed at the meeting. He therefore proposed a new arrangement that would encourage a collaborative employee-management relationship â€Å"Employee participation will play an essential role in management. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Managers within the company were among the first people to oppose Frey's new idea of employee involvement. â€Å"My three managers felt they were paid to be worthy adversaries of the unions.    Frey recalled. It's what they'd been trained for. It's what made them good managers. Moreover, they were not used to participation in any form, certainly not in decision making. †    The workers also resisted the idea of extending themselves beyond the written requirements of their jobs. † (Employees) wan ted generous wages and benefits, of course, but they did not want to take responsibility for anything more than doing their own jobs the way they had always done them,† Frey noted. Employees were therefore skeptical of Frey's overtures toward â€Å"employee participation.   Ã‚   â€Å"We thought he was trying to rip us off and shaft us,† explained Ocelia Williams, one of many Cin-Made employees who distrusted Frey's plans. Frey, however, did not give up, and he eventually convinced the union to agree to his terms. † I wouldn't take no for an answer,† he asserted. â€Å"Once I had made my two grand pronouncements, I was determined to press ahead and make them come true. †    But still ahead lay the considerable challenge of convincing employees to take charge   :   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I made people meet with me, then instead   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of telling them what to do, I asked them. They resisted. † How can we cut the waste on his run ? † I'd   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   say, or â€Å"How are we going to allocate the overtime on this order ? † â€Å"That's not my job,† they'd say. â€Å"But I need your input,† I'd say. â€Å"How in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World can we have participative management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If you won't participate? â€Å"I don't know,† they'd say. â€Å"Because that's   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   not my job either. That's your job. ?† Gradually, Frey made progress. Managers began sharing more information with employees. Frey was able slowly to expand the responsibilities workers would carry. Managers who were unable to work with employees left, and union relations began to improve. Empowerment began to happen. By 1993, Cin Made employees were taking responsibility for numerous tasks. Williams, for example, used to operate a tin-slitting machine on the company's factory floor. She still runs that same machine, but now is also responsible for ordering almost $ 100,000 in supplies. Williams is just one example of how job roles and duties have been redefined throughout Cin-Made. Joyce Bell, president of the local union, still runs the punch press she always has, but now also serves as Cin- Made's corporate safety director. The company's scheduling team, composed of one manager and five lead workers from various plant areas, is charged with setting hours, designating layoffs, and deciding when temporary help is needed. The hiring review team, staffed by three hourly employees and two managers, is responsible for interviewing applicants and deciding whom to hire. An employee committee performs both short – and long – term planning of labor, materials, equipment, production runs, packing, and delivery. Employees even meet daily in order to set their own production schedules. â€Å"We empower employees to make decisions, not just have input,† Frey remarked. â€Å"I just coach. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Under Frey's new management regime, company secrets have virtually disappeared. All Cin-Made employees, from entry-level employees all the way to the top, take part in running the company. In fact, Frey has delegated so much of the company's operations to its workers that he now feels little in the dark. â€Å"I now know very little about what's going on, on a day-to-day basis,† he confessed. At Cin-Made, empowerment and delegation are more than mere buzzwords; they are the way of doing business – good business. â€Å"We, as workers, have a lot of opportunities,† said Williams. â€Å"If we want to take leadership, it's offered to us. † Questions and answers: Q. 1   How were principles of delegation and decentralization incorporated into Cine – Made operations? Answer :- a. The employee participation was made an integral part of the company's management practices. b. Establishing Participative Management c. Centralized hiring process which was independent in itself and managed by esignated managers. Q. 2  Ã‚   What are the sources and uses of power at Cin – Made? Answer : Collaboration, Innovation, Participative management Empowerment through delegation and decentralization Deriving more output through employees' sense of ownership for their actions Improving flexibility of the companies' employees. Giving a free hand to their imagina tion rather than reining it in. Q. 3. What were some of the barriers to delegation and empowerment at Cin –Made? Answer : Our perceptions about work and the way we are part of it need to change. These are the lessons in management that can be learnt from the Cin-Made experience. a. Transparent management policies are the call of the day b. Managers must lead by example rather than simply lecturing and ordering the employees. c. Any status quo achieved or stagnation point reached by way of policies being in place for long term must be challenged and remedied with cautious efforts; that to while taking care of sentimentalities and emotional attachments of old employees of company – all leading to change for the better.

ABC Co. Marketing Strategy Case Essay

ABC Manufacturing Company is a manufacturer of fine furniture designed to resemble the furniture used in various historical periods. The company’s furniture is sold by approximately fifty dealers throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. Dealers are carefully selected by ABC to be sure they maintain the high quality imagine that ABC has established in its 100-year history of making fine furniture. Most dealers sell only ABC’s furniture, but a few also sell noncompeting lines of similar quality. Dealers who sell only ABC’s furniture are franchised to do business under ABC’s trade name and would appear to the public to be branch stores rather than independent business. ABC’s factory is a three-story building of heavy timber (mill) construction located in a New England town of 2,500 population. The first floor is used for warehousing and office space, and the two upper floors house the production facilities. The building is 75 years old and has been occupied by ABC since its construction. The local fire department is above average for towns of this size, but its water supply system does not have adequate reserve capacity to maintain pressure for fighting a major fire over a period of several hours. See more:Â  First Poem for You Essay Adjacent to the factory building is a large frame structure used by ABC to store seasoned lumber for its furniture. Lumber is first air dried in the yard adjoining the shed, with the exact drying period depending on the kind of wood involved. The air-dried wood is then kiln dried in ABC’s own kiln, after which it is stored in the frame storage building until needed. ABC’s power plant is located in a brick building about 50 feet from the main plant. It furnishes heat and steam for all operations. Water for the stream boilers is drawn from a large river adjacent to the power plant. Electricity is purchased from a public utility. Due to the length of the seasoning period, ABC usually has on the premises a supply of lumber adequate for four months of operations. Much of the lumber is purchased within a 200-mile radius of the factory, but substantial amounts are purchased from more distant sections of the United States or from foreign countries. For example, mahogany lumber, which is used in almost half of ABC’s products, is imported by ABC from Latin American and Africa. Most of the lumber arrives at ABC’s yard by railroad and is shipped FOB point of origin. The imported lumber is shipped by water to the nearest port, approximately 100 miles from ABC’s factory, and then by train to the factory. Some locally produced lumber is delivered to ABC by truck, FOB ABC’s yard. Workers in ABC’s factory use some small power tools, such as saws, planers, lathes, and similar equipment. However, the production process is primarily manual. Highly skilled craftsmen build the company’s products, using many of the same techniques that were used two centuries ago. Furniture finishing is done by hand, and most of the stains, varnishes and other finishing materials are compounded by ABC’s employees according to the company’s proprietary formulas. ABC’s labour force is very stable because each craftsman undergoes a lengthy apprenticeship in the plant and because ABC pays wages that are relatively high by the standards of the community. Management considers the high wages to be necessary because of the time and expense required to hire and train a replacement for a craftsman who leaves the firm. Some finished furniture is shipped by railroad, but most of it is shipped by contract carrier trucks. The contract with the trucker does not include any provision relative to liability for damage to goods in transit. Export shipments are transported by truck to the nearest port and by water to the country of destination. All shipments are made FOB purchaser’s warehouse. All sales, including export sales, are made on open account and only to ABC’s established dealers. Export accounts usually are denominated in and payable in the currency of the importer’s country. Accounts receivable, on the average, are equal to about one-eighth of annual sales. Accounts receivable records are kept on ABC’s computer in the office section of the first floor of the factory building. The computer is also used for inventory and production control, payroll management, and other accounting functions. The computer equipment is owned by ABC. The office is cut off from the warehouse section of the first floor by a wood partition. The office and computer room are air conditioned, but the remainder of the building is not. Duplicate computer tapes, updated weekly, are stored in a well-protected vault in another part of the city. A monthly fee is paid for the tape storage. ABC owns several small trucks that are used to move lumber about its own premises and for local pickup and delivery. The trucks are kept in the lumber storage shed when they are not in use. Several lift trucks are used for moving lumber and other heavy items in and around the factory and lumber storage area. A freight elevator moves materials, finished furniture, lift trucks, and other equipment between floors in the factory. Automatic grillwork gates have been installed to prevent workers from falling into the elevator shaft. There is no passenger elevator. Workers use either the freight elevator or the open stairwells when moving between floors. Steel fire escapes have been installed on the exterior of the building to facilitate evacuation of the upper floors in case of fire or other catastrophe. ABC Manufacturing Company is wholly owned by its president, Mr. Carpenter, who is the grandson of the company’s founder. Mr. Carpenter is considered wealthy by local standards. However, his fortune consists almost entirely of the stock of ABC Manufacturing Company, and he is dependent on his salary and company dividends for his livelihood. Nearly all of ABC’s operating profit has been paid in dividends in recent years. Consequently, the company has only a modest cushion of liquid assets in excess of its operating needs. Profits have been consistent, but they have been relatively low because of the inefficiency of the present factory facilities. Although the dollar amount of ABC’s sales has increased steadily because of price increases, the physical volume of sales has remained almost constant over the past several years. The lack of growth has resulted primarily from two factors. First, the present plant cannot accommodate greater production because of space limitations, and there is no available land adjacent to the plant to permit expansion. Second, the long training period required for new employees prevents rapid expansion of production. Mr. Carpenter has considered building a new factory at another location in the same town. However, such a move is not financially feasible unless the present plant can be sold, and no prospective purchasers have been found. A move to any location outside its present hometown would not be practical because of the company’s dependence on its well-trained craftsman. The sales manager estimates that both the dealer network and sales could be increased by 30% over the next 5 years if production facilities could be provided. The cost to rebuild the present factory building in its present form would be $2.5 million. However, Mr. Carpenter has indicated that he would not build a new mill-type building to replace the current structure because of the high cost of the thick brick walls and heavy timber interior construction. A new, one-story, noncombustible masonry and steel building of comparable floor area would cost approximately $2 million to build and would be more efficient for ABC’s purpose. The actual cash value of the present factory building is estimated to be $1.5 million, and ABC has insured it for that amount against fire and the extended coverage perils. The lumber storage shed, power plant, table and lumber kiln are also insured for their actual cash values. The following table shows the actual cash value and replacement cost for each of the structures. Table 1: ABC Company Building Values ___________________________________________________________________________________ BuildingActual Cash ValueReplacement Cost Factory$1,500,000$2,500,000 Lumber shed 150,000 200,000 Power plant 230,000 300,000 Kiln 270,000 320,000 ___________________________________________________________________________________ ABC’s annual premium for fire and extended coverage insurance is $136,000, including the coverage for contends of the buildings and for lumber stored in the yard. There have been no fire or extended coverage losses during the past five years and only minor losses prior to that time. The company’s estimated annual workers’ compensation premium is $165,000. Loss experience has been fairly consistent from year to year. Based on past experience, with adjustments for inflation and current benefit levels, normal losses of $104,000 can be expected. The most frequent claims have been small and have resulted from such minor injuries as splinters in hands, several minor dermatitis cases, and sawdust or metal particles in eyes. The more serious injuries have included back strains and loss of fingers in power saws and other power tools. ABC now has 15 percent debit under workers’ compensation experience rating plan. (That is, they are paying a rate 15% greater than manual rates). Questions 1. Identify the following loss exposures faced by ABC Manufacturing Company: 1) Direct property loss exposures 2) Indirect property loss exposures 3) Liability exposures 2. Your suggestions in risk management for ABC Company Case 2: Bite-O-Burger Company (Risk Management and Insurance) Description of Operations The Bite-O-Burger Company is a publicly held corporation. It owns and operates 843 fast-food restaurants located in eleven states in the United States. The restaurants feature a limited menu consisting of hamburgers, French fried potatoes, fried chicken, chili, related food items, and nonalcoholic beverages. The restaurants vary in size, but each is located in a free-standing building and surrounded by customer parking areas. All of the buildings were built to Bite-O-Burger’s plans and specifications and share enough architectural characteristics to make them easily recognized as units of the chain. All have forced air heat and are air conditioned. At current prices, the average replacement cost of the restaurants is estimated at $125,000 per unit for the building and $100,000 for the equipment. Because of differences in size, the replacement cost, including building and equipment, ranges from $175,000 for the smallest restaurants to $300,000 for the largest. The average actual cash value is $205,000 for building and equipment combined. The restaurants vary in age from a few days to approximately 20 years. All of them are owned by Bite-O-Burger, but the newer ones are subject to substantial mortgages. The home office of the company is located in leased space in a building in the business district of a midwestern city. Bite-O-Burger occupies the upper three floors of the thirty-story building. The company’s data processing centre is located on the top floor. All of the computer equipment is leased from the manufacturer. Bite-O-Burger also occupies a leased warehouse near the home office. It is used for storage and distribution of supplies (paper cups, wrapping materials, etc.) and nonperishable food items. Perishable food items are purchased from local suppliers near the restaurants in which they will be used, and they are delivered directly to the restaurants by the suppliers. There is no refrigeration equipment at the warehouse, but each restaurant has a large, walk-in refrigerator. Items from the company warehouse are distributed to the individual restaurants by a fleet of 30 owned tractor-trailer units. The same units also transport goods from the suppliers to the central warehouse when truck-load quantities are purchased. Smaller lots are shipped by common carrier FOB point of shipment. The values of the contents at the warehouse and home office are $15,750,000 and $3,200,000, respectively. Values at both locations are relatively constant throughout the year. Bite-O-Burger advertises extensively in newspapers in the cities in which it has several restaurants. Many of its advertisements feature endorsements of its products by prominent athletes and theatre personalities. Some advertisements feature pictures of local people and their favourable comments on the company’s food and service. The company also sponsors softball and bowling teams in some cities as a part of its public relations program. Bite-O-Burger’s profit and loss statement and an abbreviated balance sheet for last year are shown in Tables 2-1 and 2-2. The company’s operating results for last year were typical of past years, but sales and assets have been growing at a rate of approximately 20% per year. Bite-O-Burger’s fire and extended coverage losses for the five years are shown in Table 2-3. The quotations shown in Table 2-4 have been obtained for fire and extended coverage protection–blanket on buildings and contents on an actual cash value basis. Bite-O-Burger is well aware of the fire exposures associated with restaurants. Extensive fire control equipment has been installed in the kitchens of all units, and especially in the range hoods and in the cooking areas.

Teacher Responsibilities Make It a Weighty Job

Teacher Responsibilities Make It a Weighty Job What do students, parents, administrators and the community really expect of teachers? Obviously, teachers must educate students in certain academic subjects, but society also wants teachers to encourage adherence to a generally accepted code of conduct. The measurable responsibilities speak to the significance of the job, but certain personal qualities might better indicate a teachers potential for long-term success. Teachers Need an Aptitude for Teaching Teachers must be able to explain their subject matter to students, but this goes beyond simply reciting the knowledge they gained through their own education. Teachers must possess an aptitude to teach the material through different methods based on the needs of the students. Teachers must also meet the needs of students of varying abilities within the same classroom, provide all students with an equal opportunity to learn. Teachers must be able to inspire students from diverse backgrounds and experiences to achieve. Teachers Need Strong Organizational Skills Teachers must be organized. Without a good system of organization and daily procedures in place, the job of teaching becomes more difficult. A disorganized teacher could find him or herself in professional jeopardy. If a teacher does not keep accurate attendance, grade and behavioral records, it could result in administrative and legal problems. Teachers Need Common Sense and Discretion Teachers must possess common sense. The ability to make decisions grounded in common sense leads to a more successful teaching experience. Teachers who make judgment errors often create difficulties for themselves and sometimes even the profession. Teachers must maintain the confidentiality of student information, particularly for students with learning disabilities. Teachers can create professional problems for themselves by being indiscreet, but they can also lose the respect of their students, affecting their potential for learning. Teachers Need To Be Good Role Models Teachers must present themselves as a  good role model  both in and out of the classroom. A teachers private life can impact his or her professional success. A teacher who participates in questionable activities  during personal time can experience a loss of moral authority in the classroom. While its true that varying sets of personal morals exist among segments of society, a generally accepted standard for basic rights and wrongs dictates acceptable personal behavior for teachers. Every career has its own level of responsibility, and its perfectly reasonable to expect teachers to meet their professional obligations and responsibilities. Doctors, lawyers and other professionals operate with similar responsibilities and expectations for patient and client privacy. But society often holds teachers to an even higher standard because of their position of influence with children. Its clear that children  learn best with positive role models who demonstrate the types of behavior that lead to personal success. Though written in 1910, the words of Chauncey P. Colegrove in his book The Teacher and the School still ring true today: No one can justly expect that all teachers, or any teacher, shall be endlessly patient, free from mistakes, always perfectly just, a miracle of good temper, unfailingly tactful, and unerring in knowledge. But people have a right to expect that all teachers shall have fairly accurate scholarship, some professional training, average mental ability, moral character, some aptness to teach, and that they shall covet earnestly the best gifts.

Basic Info and Attributes of Hermes Greek God

Basic Info and Attributes of Hermes Greek God Hermes is familiar as the messenger god in Greek mythology. In a related capacity, he brought the dead to the Underworld in his role of Psychopompos. Zeus made his thieving son Hermes god of commerce. Hermes invented various devices, especially musical ones, and possibly fire. He is known as a helpful god. Another aspect of Hermes is fertility god. It may be in connection with this role that the Greeks sculpted phallic stone markers or herms for Hermes. Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia (one of the Pleiades). Offspring of Hermes Hermes union with Aphrodite produced Hermaphroditus. It may have yielded Eros, Tyche, and perhaps Priapus. His union with a nymph, perhaps Callisto, produced Pan. He also sired Autolycus and Myrtilus. There are other possible children. Roman Equivalent Romans called Hermes Mercury. Attributes Hermes is sometimes shown as young and sometimes bearded. He wears a hat, winged sandals, and short cloak. Hermes has a tortoise-shell lyre and the staff of a shepherd. In his role as psychopomps, Hermes is the herdsman of the dead. Hermes is referred to as luck-bringing (messenger), giver of grace, and the Slayer of Argus. Powers Hermes is called Psychopompos (Herdsman of the dead or guider of souls), messenger, patron of travelers and athletics, bringer of sleep and dreams, thief, trickster. Hermes is a god of commerce and music. Hermes is the messenger or Herald of the gods and was known for his cunning and as a thief from the day of his birth. Hermes is the father of Pan and Autolycus. Sources Ancient sources for Hades include Aeschylus, Apollodorus, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Diodorus Siculus, Euripides, Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus, Ovid, Parthenius of Nicaea, Pausanias, Pindar, Plato, Plutarch, Statius, Strabo, and Vergil. Hermes Myths Myths about Hermes (Mercury) re-told by Thomas Bulfinch include: ProserpineGolden Fleece - MedeaJuno and Her Rivals, Io and Callisto - Diana and Actaeon - Latona and the RusticsMonstersPerseusPrometheus and PandoraCupid and PsycheHercules Hebe and GanymedeMidas - Baucis and Philemon

Do 'Nice Guys Finish Last' (Dore, 2006) Will the Anglo-Saxon model Essay

Do 'Nice Guys Finish Last' (Dore, 2006) Will the Anglo-Saxon model ultimately outperform the superior Rhine model - Essay Example Reforms in Japan and Germany The chapter ‘Nice Guys Finish Last’ tends to demonstrate the transformation that is needed for the reformers in Japan as well as Germany who tends to pay utmost attention towards escalating inequality as well as unfair competition. These reformers are further observed to impede the process of cooperation upon which the social cohesion has been grounded. They also promise to humiliate the quality of the lives of the people by a considerable level (Dore, 2006). In comparison to other capitalist economies, it has been noted that the institutional framework belonging to the Germany framework has been quite different. Markets of Germany are found to be instituted politically and socially monitored. The managers belonging to big German firms tend to come across capital as well as labour markets that are further found to be greatly controlled or arranged. This particular facet eventually facilitates capital as well as labour to play an imperative pa rt directly into the day to day business operation. In other words, the German model related to advanced capitalism can be described as an economy possessing high wage along with high competitiveness in the world. It has also been apparent that the country practices strong social cohesion along with low degree of inequality in different dimensions (Streeck, 1996). The various institutions of numerous nations have been found to make proper use of the unique set of socio-economic institutions that generally resides in both social as well as financial markets. Furthermore, these institutions endorses specific framework of production that is also connoted as diversified quality production. The institutions during the 1970s as well as 1980s have made high wages along with their low distribution of the wages and income more effective. It can be stated that the institutionalised high-wage sort of economy such as Germany tends to face greater problems related to financial performances. It i s quite significant for such an economy to meet a set of rules and policies in order to remain competitive and maintain cohesiveness in the society. The crisis prevailing in the German social market economy can be demonstrated in case of concurrence of three factors such as secular collapse of the model, the anxieties related to unification among the people of the society as well as the limitations that has been inflicted by the globalisation of the capitalist economy (Streeck, 1996). It can be revealed that the British as well as the Americans are considered to be the pioneers whose institutions along with the economic behaviour tends to confirm the principles of the neoclassical textbooks. On the other hand, Germany's as well as Japan’s institutions diverge from the principles that have been made in the neoclassical books. It has been apparent that the finance along with the corporate control structures had been quite alike in the 1920s in comparison to the later years. It was by the end of the post-war golden age that demonstrated the signals of convergence related to similar types of managerial capitalism (Dore & et. al., 1999). Approaches to Comparative