Embracing Technological Change Essay Example for Free

Embracing Technological Change Essay To what extent is embracing technological change the most significant factor in the future success of UK manufacturing businesses? Justify your answer with reference to your own research and the item above. (40 marks) Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. It can be argued that skills and other factors are considerably more important than technological change, for the future success of UK manufacturing businesses. Yet I disagree, I view technological change to be the most significant. In this essay, I am going to talk about several companies in which technology is vital. Firstly, within the Food sectors, technology is absolutely essential. This is due to the need to adapt, not only to changes in demand, but from a business perspective too. As in the food sector, technology allows for food manufacturers to lower costs, by having machinery doing menial tasks such as filling cans or producing such items such as Walkers Crisps. Walkers factory in Leicester is amongst the largest crisp production plants in the world, producing over 11 million bags of crisps per day and using 800 tons of potatoes. This process mostly uses machinery to cook, flavour and package the crisps, as humans would not be able to withstand the amount of work needed to fulfil the demand. Technology has allowed Walkers to move from hand-sliced and fried potatoes in the 1880s, to mass machinery production. This shows that technology has allowed them to produce new products, and with this change has provided investment allowing the business to further grow into a market leader. It is not only within the production of food stuffs that technology has changed businesses, but in selling the goods too, as Tesco and Asda, have also implemented technology into their processes. The large supermarkets use technology to implement processes such as lean production, which encompasses the â€Å"Just In Time† technique. Tescos have been able to use this so that storage isnt used up with unnecessary goods, as when an item is scanned at the checkout, it then logs into the computer, and when that item is low on stock, then an order is sent directly to the warehouse or supplier. This technique means that there is no wastage of stock, and reduces time wastage too as the manager doesnt need to assess the remaining stock throughout the day. Also, as robots are becoming cheaper  and slowly more advanced, it has seen the sales of them go up by 28% in 2013 in the food sector, once again showing how technology plays a large part in UK manufacturing. However, in contrast, technology isnt vital for Crockett Jones of Northampton. This shoe company was founded in 1879. It began with 20 employees hand cutting and tanning leather. As technology developed, the company did begin to use it, yet only on the smallest of tasks, in order to not lose the significance of the hand quality goods which they gained their reputation for. Despite not using a lot of technology, they still have implemented some, which shows again how important technological change is to UK manufacturing. Yet in the automotive sector, technology is viewed to be vital, as it allows from quality and precision to be improved greatly. This is shown in the case of Jaguar Land Rover, where they produce premium cars that provide excellent quality, whilst being assembled quickly. This has been successful due to the implementation of robotics and automation, whilst also reducing the costs of production too. The costs are reduced, because the business is seen to be more efficient due to the greater amounts of precision and lack of human error, which in turn reduces wastage. Another point as to why technology is significant in the automotive sector is that these advancements allow for each customer to have the exact car they want in the exact specification. For example, robotics for painting to be quicker, allowing for change to happen in the shortest possible time, again reducing time wastage. With this reducing costs, it means that these increased levels in profits can lead to future product development, such as giving more investment to RD to become more innovative, thus gaining a competitive advantage. The RD may lead to investments into such technologies as Green Technology, which encompasses a continuously evolving group o methods and materials, from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning products, thus allowing products to be more sustainable. By doing this it allows for companies to meet the needs of society, which can continue into the future without damaging or depleting natural resources. Already, green technology is playing a massive part in Uk manufacturing, with the  £60bn a year industry managing to save nearly  180,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2012. Toyota are leading the way for Green Technology in the UK, with their production plant situated in Wales. They produce the Prius, which, has near to zero emissions, which offers incentives from the government, such as lower road tax. Green Technologies have broadened the visionary design of the car of tomorrow, which if the UK wish to be market leaders, with a large customer base then they should further implement this technology available to them. The BMW i3 is a key example of this, as it is emissions free, and acts as a USP, heightening BMW’s success and allowing them to be market leaders. In contrast, companies such as Rolls Royce, pride themselves on quality, bespoke, hand-made vehicles. Despite being the only car manufacturer in the FTSE100, they invest 7.53% of their revenue in RD, yet they do not pride themselves on technology being needed as a USP. As it is said that each car produce by them is individual, as it is hand made, by well-trained craftsmen. Their premium price shows the prestige that they portray, and the amount of skill put into the cars. So this shows that Rolls Royce customers value quality above technology when they buy this car, which has lead to the business becoming so successful. On the other hand, in some sectors of UK manufacturing embracing technological change is not the most significant factor in the future success of UK manufacturing, as skills are required to incorporate the technology into the business. Skills may also be considered to be more important as they allow for quality and premium prices to be associated with some products. For example, I M Kelly, has become the centre of excellence for automotive interior leather trim within the United Kingdom, whilst also diversifying into Rail and Passenger Aircraft industries. The company was established in 1975 and its head office and main production facility is situated in Northamptonshire, a figure point for high quality leather. The company also has a second production facility on the outskirts of Coventry, which thus allows it to be closer to the centre of the UK allowing for easier transport and delivery to such automotive manufactures as Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Aston Martin and Lotus. These prestigious, premium brands illustrate the quality that I M Kelly produce, due to the high level of  skills from their employees. These skills are used in tandem with the up-to-date technology, allowing them to produce outstanding quality, and exceed their customer’s expectations. Due to the type of leather work carried out here, means that robots or machines cant sew small intricate stitches into the gear sticks, or along the steering wheel, again showing where skills are beneficial. The UK government have also seen to play an active role in promoting how important skills are, with David Cameron giving â€Å"fast-track’ visas to technology experts from outside of the UK. Whilst other businesses have called for increased investment into the education of scientists and engineers in schools, such as the Jaguar Land Rover apprenticeship scheme. Yet there are many sectors that do not require skills to be too important, meaning that skills are not vital for every co mpany. In conclusion, in the short term, it is arguable that skills are of utmost importance in progressing the future development of UK manufacturing, as it allows for the technology to be created and implemented. Shown by David Cameron being keen to fast track technology experts. Yet that statement also shows that the experts are needed for the technology only, so in the long term technology will be more significant. As the world is continually using up more of the natural resources, and their being a greater need for the reduction of wastage and emissions, it is clear that technology is the only way to achieve this. As it was due to old technologies that this â€Å"mess† occurred in the first place. Therefore by using technology to become innovative, to reduce costs and attract more demand, it will lead to UK manufacturing businesses to be more successful. Which will allow for manufacturing sectors to become world market leaders.

Can The Legalisation Of Drugs Be Justified Philosophy Essay

Can The Legalisation Of Drugs Be Justified Philosophy Essay When we want to decide if a particular substance should be legalized, by which I mean the substance is not entirely prohibited and is available to non-professional recreational users, the first enquiry should be into whether or not people will come to harm as a result of the drug being made available. But this assumption rests upon an initial normative ethical decision where we ask on what grounds a government or legal entity should be entitled to prohibit certain substances by use of force and coercion. John Stuart Mill puts forward two possible conditions which must be met for a government to interfere with someones privacy and freedom of behaviour. The first principle is what I will describe as the harm principle, while the second one is what I will call Mills soft paternalism, which is a practical extension of the harm principle. Mill argues that the only criteria for limiting freedom of behavior with legal or physical measures are if the consequences of the actions result in harm to another member of society. If a persons activities do not result in harm to another person then a government has no rational grounds for preventing that behavior, even if the behavior breaks a social taboo. As Mill puts it: the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is to prevent harm to others  [1]  . According to the harm principle, then, we would have grounds to legalize drugs as long as we could see no way in which this would result in harm to another person. This means that harm is a jointly sufficient and necessary condition for prohibiting a substance or a type of behavior. If these conditions are not met then we have no rational grounds for making drugs illegal. The practical implementation of this principle means we would be justified in prohi biting a school bus driver from smoking cannabis while driving, as this could result in harm to other people, but we would not be justified in stopping him from smoking cannabis in his own home. The second condition, which follows naturally from the harm principle, is a condition of soft paternalism. If we are entitled to prohibit types of behavior in order to reduce harm then it follows that harm can befall someone due to ignorance and lack of consent. The soft paternalist stance means that we would be entitled to prohibit someone from taking a drug if they did not know the possible harmful consequences of taking the drug or if they were not of a sufficient metal state to appreciate any danger. If we were to legalize drugs then we would also have to satisfy the sub conditions of consent and fore knowledge, which are jointly sufficient conditions for freedom of behavior along with the harm principle. The practical results of this policy would mean that a government would have no grounds in preventing someone from harming themselves by using drugs which are highly addictive and potentially self destructive drugs such as heroin as long as they consented (i.e. acted on their ow n free will) to using the drug and had fore knowledge of the consequences. We would only make selling heroin illegal to children or people who were not entirely responsible for their own behavior such as mentally disabled people or insane people. We would also be obliged to make the consequences of taking such a drug clear to the consumer. The first possible objection to the conclusion of Mills argument outlined above is that there are far reaching social consequences to legalizing drugs which the harm principle does not cover. We could consider, for example, the extortionate cost of drug treatment which it could fall on the state to provide. We might also be suspicious that legalizing drugs and making them available on such a wide scale would result in a moral decline and a threat to an orderly civilized community. These objections essentially expose Mills harm principle and soft paternalism as being socially myopic. Although drug related behavior which may result in harm befalling people other than the drug taker are a priori undesirable, and that harm is therefore a sufficient condition for prohibiting drug use, it is not the only sufficient condition. It does not follow that, just because individual recreational drug use does not result in immediate harm to another individual, it will not cause havoc if it became a widespread cultural practice. Mills argument for justifying the legalization of drugs, his harm principle, cannot be the sole criteria for making ethical judgments. This means that the harm condition may be a sufficient condition for deciding if drugs should be legalized, but it does not mean that it is the sole sufficient condition nor does it mean that it is a necessary condition. The point to be made here is, I think, that normative deliberations over ethical first principles are inconclusive due to this type of enquiry not being able to really see what the consequences of drug legalization are. We should supplement the harm principle and soft paternalism with descriptive ethical questions, such as what the cost of the war against drugs? W.F Buckley Jr. points out the wider social implications of drug taking in a social environment where it is prohibited by law. The fact that drugs are illegal makes them extremely expensive which mean that many drugs users must turn to theft to satisfy their habit, which may require stealing up to $5,000 worth of jewels [or] cars  [2]  . If the fact that drugs are illegal results in a likelihood of harm to other people then it follows that we should at least consider the legalization of some drugs on these grounds. The harm principle, then, must be considered in a wide scope which include sociological and economic conside rations such as those pointed out by Buckley. Another possible objection to the legalization of drugs due to Mills conditions being met is that some drugs are highly addictive, so addictive that it constitutes a breech of an individuals freedom of will. An individual cannot continue to consent to use drugs if he is addicted in an extreme physiological sense to a drug such as heroin. Strong drug addiction does not satisfy the consent condition of Mills harm principle which means that we should prohibit someone from obtaining such a drug even though he consents to this addiction initially. Soft paternalism would extent to prohibiting the sale of highly addictive drugs in order to protect the individuals legal and moral autonomy. The harm principle here is too narrow to encompass the unique effects drug taking can have. We must instead rely upon a Kantian understanding of the moral agent, in which we understand a moral agent is an end in itself, and since powerful addiction would violate this, then we should prohibit highly addicti ve drugs. Kants categorical imperative claims that human freedom is realised in the adoption of humanity as an end in itself.  [3]  This means that even though someone consents and has foreknowledge of drug addiction and decides to get himself addicted to drugs his decision is essentially immoral. A possible condition for the legalization of a drug could be that it is not so addictive that it will interfere with an individuals autonomy or encourage him to act in ways which are harmful to him. If we assent to these arguments there would be no grounds to justify the legalization of heroin while there would be grounds to legalize and permit the use of drugs like cannabis and salvia divinorum which are not highly addictive in a physiological sense. The problem with this objection can be outlined by clarifying what exactly free will is, i.e. what conditions have to be met for an individual to have free will. Frankfurt defines the freedom of will as being the possibility of having done otherwise  [4]  , which means that as long as ones will is synchronized with ones actions, one has free will. If you desired not to take a drug and someone physically forced you to do this you would not have free will as you could not have done otherwise. Frankfurts position on free will is what I will describe as a coherentist position, by which I mean an individual acts freely if his primary intentions coincide with their behaviour even if they are unable to prevent this behaviour. If an individual who is addicted to drugs and is unable to act in any other way because of this then this is still an instance of free will as long as this behaviour coheres with previous decisions made under consent and foreknowledge. A heroin addict is not forced to take drugs even when addicted in the sense that they could have done otherwise. Although his behaviour is determined by the drugs his will is not impeded in the way that brainwashing or direct physical coercion by another person will impede free will. Kane describes the condition of personal autonomy as the power to be the ultimate producers of [ones] own end and the power to make choices which can only and finally be explained in terms of [ones] own [will] (i.e., character, motives, and efforts of will) .  [5]   If these conditions are met then there is no realistic breech of the consent and foreknowledge and there is no ground to prevent the sale of highly addictive drugs. We can conclude, in regard to the above arguments, that Mills harm principle and the sub-conditions of assent and foreknowledge give grounds for legalizing the sale of drugs as long as these conditions are met. The only grounds on which we could make a drug like heroin illegal is by taking a what I will describe as a strong paternalist approach to welfare, in which citizens are prohibited from partaking in activities which will inflict harm of them even though they themselves desire or are aware of harmful consequences. This must be balanced, however, upon the implications of actually making these activities illegal. A strong paternalist approach to car safety is to make it illegal for motorists not to wear seatbelts. There are only positive consequences of this legislation. Making heroin illegal, on the other hand, increases the price of heroin to levels only affordable by serious crime, increases the risk of negative health implications do to unregulated heroin production and inclu des the risk of people infecting themselves by using unregulated drug taking equipment and diverts money and resources into enforcing these laws at the expense of others. Lord Devlin, on the other hand, argues against the legalization of drugs considered taboo or immoral in a society from a view point which does not necessarily rely on the negative consequences to individuals or the harm to an individuals autonomy. Lord Delvin argues, first of all, that any social group posses a right to protect its own existence. He then goes on to argue that particular morals and ethical standards which a community stands by should be enforced to protect the existence of a community. He then concludes that moral standards can be maintained by force and the curtailing of individual liberty. Society, he claims, may use the law to preserve morality in the same way it uses it to safeguard anything else if it is essential to its existence.  [6]  If it could be shown that the legalization of drugs such as cannabis or heroin would contradict moral standards then these deviations from [the] societys shared morality are capable in their nature of threatening the existenc e of society and therefore cannot be put beyond the law.  [7]   The problem with Lord Delvins argument is that it fails to give an adequate explanation as to why a deviation from a routine moral standard is necessarily a threat to a societys existence. It simply does not follow that if an individual practises certain types of behaviour in the privacy of his own home, such as smoking cannabis, this results in a negative impact to the survival of a society. It also does not take into account that particular customs of a society may have evolved to meet specific needs which is no longer relevant. On the other hand, moral standards may have been enforced due to a lack of scientific understanding. It is certainly true that widespread incest could result in a threat to the existence of society due to genetic diseases becoming more prevalent in society, and it is therefore rational and just to enforce compliance to non-incestuous marriage. But it difficult to see how the legalization o f a non addictive hallucinogenic drug with few side effects during moderate consumption could pose any threat to a societys existence. To conclude, I will summarize the conditions which should be met for the legalization of a substance to be considered ethically legitimate. It must first of all only be made available to those who consent and have foreknowledge of the consequences of the drug, no matter how addictive or harmful it may be when it is consumed. The results of the consumption of the drug should also have no negative consequences towards society at large. This could mean that a drug which, when consumed, could result in harmful environmental impact or damage to others who are not consuming the drug, should be banned. This could also mean that people are prohibited from taking the drug at particular public locations. It could also mean that the drug is only allowed be consumed at special facilities in which it can be regulated. The practical implementation of this could mean that one would be permitted to smoke cannabis consume ecstasy at particular venues.

Effects of Isolation in the Older Person

Effects of Isolation in the Older Person John Burke   Introduction: My assignment will focus on the isolation of the older person in Ireland today. I will be researching and investigating all aspects of these involving reasons, causes, affects and how we as a Society can assist or even alleviate this issue in Ireland. This topic is of particular interest to me due to my own personal circumstances growing up in rural Ireland with my grandparents and family and at present my own elderly parents. They are lucky in a sense that they have continued family support and we care for them on an on-going basis. This kind of family support alleviates isolation but unfortunately such support can be the exception rather than the rule. In a recent study of elderly people living in Ireland the majority do not feel isolated or cut off but a significant minority approx. 50,000 have hardly any contact with others and are very isolated as a result. A report from the National Council on Ageing and Older People (NCAOP) shows that as people get older they can have help from their families, neighbours and even friends. These people find themselves in some form of isolation for various reasons. Isolation in the elderly is usually involuntary but at the same time be self-imposed. People in this group are likely to be single or widowed women especially over the age of 80 and in poor health. They also tend to be less well educated usually to primary school level only. They could find themselves in a very low social situation. Such factors contribute to making our elderly exposed to illness, personal crisis example death of spouse or loved one. On reading and researching the report it also shows and notes that other older people who are more likely to experience isolation are those who live in rented accommodation or those who live with relatives in rural areas. According to the findings, accessibility to transport is a vital factor in facilitating good social contacts with family, friends and the community in general. As a result, people who have no access to transport report significantly higher levels of loneliness. Meanwhile those least likely to report high levels of loneliness include married people, those living in urban areas with access to public or private transport and those on higher levels of income. For the majority of older people (80%), their nearest relative lives within a five-mile radius. The member of their family that tends to provide the most support is an adult child, usually a daughter. Elderly people when asked will comment that getting out as being a very important factor in facilitating social int eraction. Those who were unable to get or be out independently said that this caused feelings of loneliness and isolation. Older women meanwhile were more likely than older men to report social and emotional loneliness because of isolation. Our elderly folks have many needs as they get to the end of their lives. Having a good amount of awareness about various needs and requirements of the elders, is extremely important for those people who have the responsibility of taking care of their aged family members like, their parents or relatives. Our elderly folks have serious needs be it Social, Finance, Housing, Transportation, Health, Nursing and in todays environment Cultural. Reasons for isolation: There are many reasons for isolation in the elderly! Circumstances like no family contact or family rows. Nobody calls anymore and a fear of crime. Reasons of cannot function or be mobile anymore. People get negative and withdraw from social activities or human contact. Our older generation get frail and health declines as a result. Their usual contacts become absent or do not get involved anymore. They can suffer economically too even in todays environment can lead to being alone and unable to cope. Being unmarried or childlessness can be a cause for social isolation. Whether their child is deceased or they did not have children at all, the loneliness that comes from not having a child can cause social isolation.Retirement, which takes away a daily routine abruptly, and loss contact of fellow employees plus a death of close friends contribute to isolation of some kind. Bad financial circumstances can also add to isolation. No savings or having bad pensions to support their futures. The sudden death of a loved one also adds to social isolation. For example, if an individual loses a spouse, they lose their social support. They now must find some other kind of support to help them through this fragile time. Studies have showed that widows that keep in contact with friends or relatives have better psychological health even if they find themselves in isolation. As part of my investigation into this subject, I interviewed my father, 81 years, and his neighbour; 75 years (Bachelor) after my parents hosted the traditional House Stations Mass. I asked the question on reasons for isolation in the elderly and in addition to the usual ones mentioned earlier both men referred to the Country Mobile Shop, which no longer exists, and the decision of An Post to place post boxes at top of rural roads and driveways. Both of these examples can lead to isolation situations in our Elderly people who love conversations, gossip, and above all social contact. In my youth, I was a member of the Legion of Mary and one of our important roles was Visitation of the Elderly in the Parish. These people loved the visits which could last for hours. They thrived in contact and conversations which was at that time weekly. We did not realise it then but we found ourselves in a Carer role with our elderly neighbours. They would have confidence in their younger visitors and would unwind with cups of tea, advice, stories, songs, poetry and even teach us to card play. Effects of isolation: One of the greatest effects of isolation in the elderly is loneliness and a lot of our older people are suffering from loneliness these days. Loneliness is a major problem that affects older people. Folks in their seventies and beyond have issues of loneliness more so than their younger counterparts do. Types of loneliness-connected problems are far worse today than they were back in the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Loneliness is not a new issue. Older folks of ages and nationalities today are worse off. It affects all people but more affected are the elderly. People of all ages and nationalities face it from time to time. While loneliness can affect all people, the older people are the worst affected. Part of this problem can be attributed to the rise of nuclear families. By such reference I mean Families or elementary families consisting of a pair of adults and their children. Families in Ireland and all over the world are becoming smaller and smaller. While youngsters who spend a considerable part of their away from home have plenty of opportunities to socialize, their older parents and grandparents have few outing options which severely limit their chances of interacting with other people. To overcome loneliness older people must keep themselves engaged in meaningful activities. They can go for a walk in the morning or in the evening. It will give them physical exercise. It will also give them an opportunity to meet and interact with other people. They can join clubs or they can pursue other interests. By keeping active they constantly engaged in something or other they can overcome loneliness and isolation. Also where possible when they are physically fit they will feel better about themselves and that will add a whole new layer of meaning to their lives. Another serious effect of isolation is depression and despair. These people as a result of depression and despair acquire ill health and have a bad quality of live due to their illness Depression and despair are serious effects of isolation and can lead to ill health amongst our elderly. Conclusion / Recommendations The HSE despite financial constraints and government cut backs is a huge and vital organisation in caring for our elderly. Healthy elderly people who find themselves in isolation must have access to services and supports. Day care centres for example are important for the isolated elderly as it provides them with access to facilities such as contact with people, activities of dining, bingo, card playing, and adult learning. Home Help provision is another aspect of reducing isolation in the elderly. This involves helping with good housekeeping. There are a number of aspects that are involved in taking care of elderly or aged people. Having a good amount of awareness about various needs and requirements of the elders, is extremely important for those people who have the responsibility of taking care of their aged family members like, their parents or relatives. This type of assistance and help that elderly people commonly require, in addition to a few elderly special needs is very cruc ial in lower or alleviating isolation. The HSE try to encourage and provide age-friendly initiatives for all seniors, regardless of their location. Specifically, they seek to improve transportation, housing, social inclusion, community support and health services. In addition, paying attention to the person who is socially isolated can make a difference. Taking a day to spend time with someone can change his or her perspective on life. Care Support organisations like Comfort Keepers that I have started to work for are also vital components in helping to reduce isolation of elderly people. A recent client of mine resides in the last house of a Parish and also the last house of his specific village road so our Health Care Support roles and visits are such a great asset towards reducing isolation. As a HCA my involvement whether its as an employee or a family support member is a crucial role for the future. References / Bibliography: www.irishhealth.com www.hse.ie www.ageaction.ie http://www.irishhealth.com/site_map.html Interview Work Case Study Client. Cacioppo, J (2008), Loneliness, Human Nature and the need for Social Connection. New York: W.W.Norton

Breaking Up (Online or Not) :: essays research papers

How to Break-Up (Online or Otherwise) In the last year, I have watched the fallout from a number of relationships and break-ups take over the bulletin boards. These problems have caused hurt feelings, have ended friendships, and have come to involve dozens of people (through bulletin boards, email, and other electronica) who have no personal stake in the outcome. The emotional devastation these poorly handled situations bring is totally unnecessary, and prompted the following. The following is not scientific fact: it is based on my own observations, the experiences of my friends (male and female; straight, gay, and bi) and family, and a lot of tired, commercial popular psychology. That doesn't, however, mean that it's bad advice. [sanctimony] 1. Do it in person. If this is an online relationship, it may not be possible. That doesn't give you an excuse to send a Dear John/Jane e-mail. Get as close to in-person as you can, given the limitations of space and time. Call on the phone if you must, go over if you can. But NEVER break up with an answering machine, an e-mail account, or a public forum. You and your ex both deserve better: if this relationship ever meant anything to you, it needs closure. If it didn't, you have no right to take that out on them by treating them callously; it's not your ex's fault that you don't love them anymore. You are not "off the hook," you still have to treat them like a real person, with actual feelings. 2. Be honest, and do it before you're so upset that you can't be reasonable. If you're having problems, that doesn't necessarily mean that your partner knows about them or understands what they can do to help. Take the time to let them know what's bothering you. If your partner really cares about you, chances are some compromise can be reached, or they will at least try to address the behaviors that make you crazy. If it's unsalvagable, at least show them enough respect to end things finally, and with dignity. Don't say you want to be "friends" if what you really mean is "drop dead, you jerk." There's a big difference between letting someone down easy and leaving them hanging, emotionally manipulating them to serve your own ego needs. Be clear, concise, and as reasonable and respectful as possible. This isn't easy for anyone, and your ex deserves, at minimum, as much truth as you can give without being brutal and/or hurtful.

Sociology and Globalisation Essay -- Sociology Essays

Many historians and sociologists have identified a transformation in the economic processes of the world and society in recent times. There has been an extensive increase in developments in technology and the economy as a whole in the twentieth century. Globalization has been recognized as a new age in which the world has developed into what Giddens identifies to be a â€Å"single social system† (Anthony Giddens: 1993 ‘Sociology’ pg 528), due to the rise of interdependence of various countries on one another, therefore affecting practically everyone within society. In this essay I will give a detailed explanation of what sociologists mean by the term ‘globalisation’ and how they have tried to explain it. Globalisation can be construed in many ways. Many sociologists describe it as an era in which national sovereignty is disappearing as a result of a technological revolution, causing space and time to be virtually irrelevant. It is an economic revolution, which Roland Robertson refers to in his book ‘Globalisation’ 1992 pg 8, as â€Å"the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole†. It is argued that globalisation allows the world to become increasingly more united, with people more conscious of ethnic, societal, civilizational and individual aspects of their lives. When exploring the topic of globalisation, sociologists have categorised the term into three components, economic, political and cultural globalisation. They have done this in order explain what it means. I have aimed within this essay to explain all three types of globalisation in order to answer the essay question. I intend to concentrate mainly on the economic an... ...e† them (Marsh, ‘Making Sense of Society’, 2000 pg 487). What we can understand on the whole, is what sociologists mean by the term globalisation is that it is a profound, dynamic process which is affecting the world immensely. It seems from what I have examined so far about globalisation that there may come a time eventually, when a world government comes into existence, where international inequalities will always remain and where social conflict will always be active. This is because the policies that drive the globalisation process are largely focussed on the needs of business. Globalisation is a continuing process which needs to be managed wisely. It is a crucial development which has and always will cause significant social changes within society and the world as a whole.

Ryanair’s Management and Creativity

1. In the book â€Å"Management and Creativity† (Bilton, 2007), Wilson and Cummings define strategy as two distinctive approaches; strategy as position and strategy as process. The former, also referred to as strategy as orientation, takes a more top-down approach and is concentrated around a single leader. It attempts to establish a strategic position that will serve as a basis for differentiation, which is commonly seen as original and innovative. However, a successful implementation of the strategy often requires high monitoring and a hierarchal structure. Thus, the process itself is quite uncreative and there is little room for changes and innovation after the strategy has been established. The leader plays an important role in this strategic approach by setting vision and directing employees, and he or she is often strongly associated with the organization. Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary is a great example of a leader within an orientation strategy organization. The other approach outlined by Wilson and Cummings is strategy as animation. This adhocracy style is commonly adapted by creative organizations and the strategy is more of an evolving process than a fixed strategic position. It is built upon small, continuous changes that emerge incrementally within the organization. In difference from orientation, adhocracy takes a bottom-up approach and the strategy is developed through a collective activity. The leaders role is not to govern and direct, but to set frames, and recognize and build upon meaningful patterns. Shared goals and values hold the company together and serve as the glue in the organization. The animation film studio Pixar serves as a great example of the adhocracy approach. Their process-oriented strategy and bottom-up approach has helped to nurture creativity and build a culture where everyone’s ideas matters and all employees are urged to speak their minds. Thus, creativity is seen as something that evolves through systems and networks, and not something that is isolated to a single leader. Posthocracy is a type of non-strategy. The style is often adapted by organizations that are subject to a lot of uncertainty and changes in their environment. The unpredictability of the future makes it difficult for the organizations to establish a strategy beforehand and decisions are often rationalized after they have been made. This approach is based on ego, emotions and personality. 1. 1 It can be argued that Michael O’Leary follows a strategy as orientation approach. The low-cost strategy has come to define Ryanair and is deeply enrooted in the company. The attempt to reduce prices at all costs set the strategic direction. As in most orientation strategies, the company takes a top-down approach and the creativity is concentrated to the leader; the CEO Michael O’Leary. His controversial ideas are often seen as both new and revolutionary and he continuously finds the most radical ways to reduce prices. Still, the organization itself is highly monitored and controlled as to successfully keep costs down in every part of the value chain. Furthermore, as commonly seen in these types of strategy tendencies, Michael O’Leary is strongly associated with the company. As described in the article, â€Å"O’Leary chose to embody the role of a cheap, no-nonsense, slightly unpleasant Everyman, which he would exploit to sell a cheap, slightly unpleasant flying experience to the Everyman. Arguably, M. O’Leary is Ryanair. 2. According to current popular theories creativity is concerned with novelty and individualism. For an idea to be considered novel, it should provide something new or a new combination of elements. The individualism concerns the originator of the idea who is seen as a â€Å"brain† who needs space and loose control to be able to flourish. The psychological theory modifies this idea by taking away the component of individualism and adding the idea of value and meaning. For an idea to be creative, the innovation also needs to be valuable and give meaning. Merely innovation is not enough. Both the concept of innovation and the one of value is context dependent; to whom is the idea novel and to whom will it give meaning and value? According to Margaret Boden, novelty can be defined as new to the individual, H-creativity, or new to the world, P-creativity. A novel idea should be able to fit into one of these two. For an idea to give value and meaning it has to be â€Å"fit for purpose† and there will be different criterions for different situations. In a business context, a creative idea could be valuable if it improves the return on investment or if it fits with the times. In another context, a panel of experts might decide if the innovation is valuable or not. An idea might also be defined as valuable if it has a specific intention. 2. 1 Ryanair has a low-cost strategy with the vision to be â€Å"quick, efficient, affordable and safe†. Michael O'Leary is a visionary leader with â€Å"nutty† ideas that are considered radical by the rest of the airline industry. O'Leary says that in the airline business, organizations need to have a radical point of view otherwise everything will stay the same. However, new ideas should be in line with the low cost strategy of the company. Could the Ryanair idea of removing the pockets on the back of the seats be considered creative? It decreased Ryanair’s cleaning time and thereby also the turn-around time at the airport and increased the punctuality. The idea was a new combination of elements and was new to the airline industry. It could therefore be argued to be novel. The idea was valuable for customers as it fulfilled the criterion of fitness to times: customers are more time-sensitive today and therefore values on-time flights. O'Leary argued that it is also valuable for the customers as they are price-sensitive, they do not want to have a pleasant experience; they just want to be transported from A to B. For Ryanair, the idea is valuable as it decreases costs and improves the company's return on investment. At Ryanair, the organizational style of change is incremental: the company is continuously improving and developing itself. One distinguishing feature of this style is that change is happening even though the company is not in a maturity state or crisis of their life cycle. This is apparent as the company has presented net profits in 9 out of 10 recent years. The changes at Ryanair might look as radical to the rest of the airline industry, but it is in line with today's price-sensitive society. O'Leary is boundary tweaking; he is not thinking entirely outside the box but merely â€Å"modifying the edges of the core business†. It can be questioned if Ryanair sometimes make change just for change's sake. There is an impression that O'Leary might implement changes (or propose them) just to provoke the industry. And is cheaper always more valuable? Do customer's still value cheap tickets if they have to stand up or pay for the toilet?

Citizenship in America Essay

U.S. citizens are lucky. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and many more rights. Citizenship can mean different things to different people. Who a country defines as its citizens may differ in different times and different places. In general, we know that citizenship belongs to a person who lives in a certain country and has certain rights. Yet, I believe that the true essence of citizenship lies in the duty to help solve problems.   In the United States, the idea of citizenship has evolved over time. For instance, in 1776, most blacks, Indians and white women had no right to vote. They had to struggle to become full citizens. The right and responsibility to vote came after a long and hard fight. Studying history is a key part of effective citizenship because from people in the past, we learn examples of good citizenship. One very good example of good citizenship was that shown by Jane Addams. Even at age six in 1866, she was an initiator and she wanted to change her world. During that time, she got this remark from Theodore Roosevelt, president from 1901 to 1909, that Addams became â€Å"the most useful citizen.† When she was 29 years old, Addams bought a large, old house called the Hull House in a poor immigrant area of Chicago. They soon learned that Addams wanted to help poor people solve the problems they faced. At Hull House, immigrants could learn English. Working parents could even leave their babies there during the day and the children were encouraged to take art classes. She also made the house available for family gatherings, weddings and other events. Addams raised money herself to pay for these programs. She also tried to change the government and often she worked in campaigns for people running for office whom she believed had honest intentions. She also wrote letters to members of Congress. She went to meetings to support giving women the right to vote. She lead marches to support laws ending the use of child labor in factories. She also tried to influence the government. In fact, people today can still petition, or try to influence the policies of government. Petitioning is one of the basic rights of all citizens protected by the United States Constitution. When garbage filled up the alleys near Hull House, she was worried that the piles of trash may cause disease and death among the children in the neighborhood. So, she did something none of us would ever think of—she applied a job as a garbage inspector. Thus, she was able to follow those garbage wagons all the way to the dumping site just to be sure that garbage is properly disposed. Addams was good citizenship personified. In my own way, I want to do the same thing as Addams did. Starting from my own home, I can begin helping my parents in cleaning our surroundings. I can also do some volunteer work in our community during weekends when there are no exams in school. Volunteer work can be fun especially when I mobilize my other friends to join in. I am sure they will be open to make themselves useful, in our own small way, in making a difference to the world out there. In my own small way, I can learn from people of the past how it is to exercise good citizenship. Making the community look good is a part of good citizenship. In fact, the community is a setting that provides much potential for helping and learning at the same time. Libraries, museums, and many places are rich sources of exercising good citizenship. For afterall, citizenship requires initiative, courage and sacrifice. As Jane Addams said, â€Å"Progress is not automatic; the world grows better because people wish that it should and take the right steps to make it better.† REFERENCES Jane Addams 1860-1935. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006 at: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/janeadams.html#childhood Wikipedia. Jane Addams. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Addams Women Working. Jane   Addams. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2006 at: http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/people_addams.html