Critically examine what is meant by natural moral law Essay

The doctrine of natural law has its deepest foundations from Greek philosopher Aristotle but upholds the strongest dictation in the writings of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). The underlying ethical basis of Roman Catholicism also stems from his writings based around the premise that God created all things ‘good’. This includes man, the highest aspect of his creation of whom he made in his own image; â€Å"Then God said: â€Å"let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, let them (man and women) rule over the fish in the sea the birds in the air, over livestock, over all earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground†. One of the major aspects of natural law is the concept that everything and everyone is made with a predetermined purpose. And the starting point of all advocates of natural law is to work out this purpose akin to human life. Following ones rationale, Aquinas claims, leads us to a realisation of our ‘purpose’- reason is used to find out Gods intention and the purpose of human existence and this will enable one to arrive at the principles of natural law. Focusing firstly on the word ‘natural’, it is synonymous with reason. Contrary to what one may assume ‘natural’ does not mean our natural predispositions or inclinations but rather mans ability to reason. In fact natural law is founded upon mans ability to reason. Aquinas considered that natural law was the moral code which humans are naturally inclined towards. In his work Aquinas established three ideals that should govern our moral principles it is comprised of precepts of the eternal law that govern the behaviour of beings possessing reason and free will. The first precept of the natural law, according to Aquinas, is the somewhat vacuous imperative to be good and avoid evil. Here it is worth noting that Aquinas holds a natural law theory of morality: what is good and evil, according to Aquinas, is derived from the rational nature of human beings. Good and evil are thus both objective and universal He argued that mans first priority laid down by natural law was self preservation and that on the basis of this first axiom man puts forward the ideal that life is to be preserved. Thus man has an empathic desire to respect and preserve life beyond his own. If man gives in to non-rational desires or ‘apparent goods’ as Aquinas so calls them then one becomes imprisoned. According to Aquinas if we follow our rationale it would lead to a perfect moral state†¦ which lives up, not only to one of the bibles most salient features, but a principle which Christ himself promulgates in his teachings, â€Å"Love your neighbour as yourself†. It upholds what one can identify as natural virtues- prudence, temperance, and justice. Procreation is the second ideal of which Aquinas quotes so strongly as a moral code. This way of thinking corresponds well with the teachings of St Paul. It is not merely sex to make children but the whole ethical side that goes with it. For instance it is not promiscuity that they denote but monogamy. They believe that it is the only successful way of procreation of the species. Otherwise there would be a generations of dysfunctional relationships. It leads to an ordered society. St Paul exhorts the Corinthians, â€Å"†¦Each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way the husband’s body does not only belong to him but to his wife.† (Corinthians ch6 v 2-4) Lastly the significance of faith in God has considerable significance in his writings. Unlike some philosophers that share similar ideas to Aquinas, he did not consider that human nature was totally corrupted. He suggested that the ultimate function of reason leads us to postulate the existence of a creator i.e. God. To find completeness one must listen to ones reason where one will find a spiritual union with God. This will naturally project all things moral. Having identified the three main functions that Aquinas establishes within natural law it would be of importance to go on to identify other key aspects. Firstly I would be inclined to recognize what Aquinas referred to as ‘apparent goods’. Apparent good is a term given to an action, which on the face of it appears to be a ‘good’ action but actually isn’t. Reason enlightens man of the peculiarity between good and evil. Man is subject to temptation because of our ancestral history; Adam and Eve. From this we as a human race can be seduced by ungodly desires (apparent goods). An apparent good can pervert reason. For instance, one may feel good taking drugs and drinking heavily but really it is self destructive and perverted from reason, which tells us that it is not good to take drugs or drink heavily. Reason links in well here; good intentions stem from good will and good will is the product of mans reason. If we listen to our reason it exemplifies that good outcomes cannot be the gilding light to morality†¦if we concentrate on good outcomes it may lead to the perusing of apparent goods. An example could be a bomb that’s about to explode. Does one torture the terrorist captured to save the lives of a whole community or stand by the premise of the rule not to torture? Torturing the terrorist is an example of an apparent good or a secondary ideal (a primary ideal being the three ideals established at the beginning of essay). It promises an immediate benefit, but the act itself is degrading an immoral. Natural law would dictate that torture is irrational and goes against the first ideal to preserve the lives of others. One can start to picture the difficulties with natural law- does one let a whole community die for the exception of the torture of one man? Mans purpose is not follow apparent goods! The ironic concept is, is that natural law claims if one follows one reason and purpose at all times then it will achieve a morally just world! This is because if purpose isn’t reversed then there is no chance of apparent goods. Examples could include abortion, euthanasia or even homosexuality (!) Which all go against one of the three ideals. Previously mentioned was that of the word ‘purpose’. Purpose to Aquinas was the assumption that everyone has a divinely devised purpose in life. According to Aquinas reason can illustrate this but only faith assures man of his choices. God did not make man like robots to merely choose the ‘right’ thing but if he listens to his reason, there will be an unavoidable tendency towards goodness. â€Å"All beings tend towards the actualisation of the potentialities of their natures† Simply, if we follow what reason dictates we will, ‘strive to fulfil are particular gifts’. St Paul in his letters to the Romans stated also that we have particular gifts and that we should follow them. He uses the idea of prophesising; if ones gift if prophesising then let him use it in proportion to ones faith. If ones gift is to teach then teach†¦.and so one. The problem is of course what happens when one thinks their eschatology is that of an ‘ apparent good’? They might consider that their personal goals are that of power or like the suicide bombers think that their eschatology is to end their live ion aid of attacking the enemy. Obviously here we have a perversion of ones eschatology. Natural law claims that reason illustrates to us their limitations. ‘Apparent goods’ are destructive to one and others and disgrace or degrade man. So the question arises that why do so many of us follow an ‘apparent good’? Aquinas would argue that it is in opens weak nature that it is far easier to follow what one desires and gets pleasure out of, and once tempted, one is stuck in the intoxication. 2) analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of natural law as a definitive ethical theory. The premise of natural law states that morality is based on reason alone, but surely if we look around us it is actually based on our emotions? David Hume (1713-1776) was a philosopher that disagreed with the notion that morality is based on reason alone. As we have seen, Aquinas believed that natural law was synonymous with mans reason; Hume powerfully argued that if this is so then why do people have such a diverse perception of what is right and wrong, good and bad? Surely if morality is reason based then we would all have the same ideas of what is good and bad? If, as Aquinas believed, morality is based on reason then why is it that in a moral predicament we actually act on our emotions? For instance if one is in a crash and one has an option to save ones child or a doctor that is about to crack a cure for cancer, which is one likely to choose? I would say that 99% of mothers and fathers would go against what reason dictates and save the life of their child. I would also question the fact that if morality derives from reason then it should comprise of a set of ‘a prori’ rules that should be completely universalised. Why is it then that we invent these ‘rule’ and find excuses to break them or even feel it is moral to break them? For instance, if we have a rule or a secondary ideal as Aquinas would put it, that is ‘do not steal’ should it be applied even when it seems hell of a lot more moral to break it. If there is an axe murderer who is going to use his weapon to kill someone, to break the rule ‘does not steal’ to get his weapon seems totally incoherent. According to natural law however, the rule ‘do not steal’ should be universalised and therefore never broken. Aquinas did come up with an idea of proportionalism. Proportanalism states that when there is a proportionate reason to break a rule i.e. to get the weapon off an axe murderer then it is ok to do so. I feel as though this is a complete cop out. In effect he is coming up with a set of rules that have to be universalised and they are based on reason, and then comes up with a set of excuses or exceptions when it doesn’t work! Natural law assumes that we have a ‘uniform’ human nature, â€Å"god made man in his own image’ Genesis 1:27. Basically, this conjures up the supposition that if we humans were all created in the same way then realistically we should all therefore be able to identify what our purposes are. Our sexual organs are formed for procreation, thus, homosexuality becomes unnatural. The question is who is Aquinas to delegate what is purposeful? One could go as far to say does man as a whole have a purpose? Philosophers such as Neitche or Sartre that would greatly disagree with Aquinas and human nature. Their ideas are governed by existentialism, which entails that there is no fixed human nature that man has no purpose, life has no broader meaning. The only reality is the chooses that we make; indeed, these choices are spontaneous and individual. They do not delve into the concept any of these choices are rules that should be universalised. If one looks at society today it really has been influenced by such proposal, and we are unsympathetic to the idea that we have a fixed human nature and fixed purposes. Because there is this idea of no human nature there can consequently be nothing unnatural, so inevitably homosexuality and such like is not a problem. Aquinas is compelled with the idea that we are made from a purposeful creating benevolent creator. He presupposes that faith in such being will lead to utter moral peace and satisfaction, and will lead to a perfect moral society. The problem is, is that in contemporary society the popular assumption is that there is no god or it is questioning such conceptions. We are broadly agnostic. Many people’s lives run without orientation to god or religion, thus emasculating the natural law theory. Essentially what is being said is do we necessitate god to feel moral or spiritually whole. Can we be moral without religion? According to many, indeed we can. Aquinas postulated that we can exist morally without god but would lack the assertion of his moral choices prone to doubt and temptation. Whether morality requires god is inconclusive from a reason based argument. There is a predicament also with Aquinas’s idea of purpose. For instance he postulates that that the main function of genital organs are for procreation and therefore denounces homosexuality, masturbation or even the enjoyment of sex! However, in observation bodily organs generally have many a function. Mouths are not just for eating but also for kissing, talking†¦they are limitless. So why does he adopt a denunciation to the sex between homosexuals? It seems contradictory and inconsistent. Thus, I would say that he is imposing his desires and claiming that these are the basis of morality or these are what reason dictates to us. His views on purpose are limited and could be completely different to what he considers- all in all why does he hypothesize what our purposes is. When looking at the strengths of the natural law approach one finds that they seem to be born from the limitations of the weaknesses. Firstly there might actually be human nature despite existentialist beliefs to the contrary. For instance, we are all filled with horror at murder or child abuse. Of course there are always exceptions to the general rule such as suicide bombers who kill themselves and others but what one stating is that human nature is an open question. Some humanist’s may believe in human nature like Dawkins or Russell who say we all want to belong to a ‘herd’. It suggests that we have something in common we interact with others. Aquinas said that spiritual completeness is only synonymous in union with god. Although a large percentage of the population are secular, I would say that it is true that most of us still don’t like to think of the end as being nothingness. There is a desire to believe in something beyond bodily death. The existence of so many religions seem to prove this point. It could be looked upon like this; are we, as Sartre says condemned to be free, or does existence really have an underlying purpose and meaning? Like I mentioned earlier, we now live in a secular age. However we cant seem to get away from ‘god’ or ‘gods’. We basically invent gods like science and medicine. Surely this seems to indicate that our existence requires some foundation beyond our own means? In regards to ‘apparent goods’ Aquinas claims that they are self destructive despite the ‘miracle’ cures of modern society. The questions arises that will society ever create an earthly paradise where all pleasures are catered for. Will we ever make the ‘paradise’ that temps us away from reasoning or will we find that it’s not enough. It would be that if paradise can never be created then it reinforces the idea of ‘apparent goods’ In conclusion I would be inclined not to follow natural law. Although it raises many valuable and appraisable points (after all it does strive for what’s moral) I feel as though it is far too orthodox and strict for my liking. It seems to have too much of Aquinas’s desires and seems irrelevant for today’s society. As a definitive ethical theory I suggest that it doesn’t uphold what I would determine or expect a definitive ethical theory to be. I feel it has too many gaps that have un suggestive answers, the fact that it hasn’t made me feel as though I can relate to it as a moral theory says it all.

Enlightened Philosophers Essay

John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were all enlightenment philosophers. Each of these men had a particular view of government, society, and its citizens and they were all passionate about their works. Locke (1632- 1704) was an English philosopher, his ideas had a great impact on the development of political philosophy and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential enlightenment thinkers. Montesquieu (1689- 1755) believed that all things were made up of laws that never changed. His most famous work, The Spirit of Laws, outlined his ideas on how government would work best. Voltaire (1694- 1778) was a poet, an essayist, playwright, historian, and above all, a critic of society. He was a great crusader for liberty and was twice imprisoned for his writings. Rousseau (1712-1778) generally recycled older enlightenment ideas but is well known for his passionate rhetoric, which enflamed a generation and beyond. John Locke’s view of government was that it was good to have one. The people may put their trust in the government so that in turn, the government may trust the people and protect their rights. â€Å"The reason why men choose and give power to lawmakers is that there may be made, and rules set, as guards and fences†¦ The people are right in trying to put the laws in the hands of the government which will protect their rights. (Excerpt from Locke’s Two Treatises with Government) †. Within the government, there were societies. Lock felt that the people needed/ wanted a government to protect their rights. They don’t, however, want to be victims of power abuse by the government. â€Å"The reason why men enter into society is to preserve their property. (Two Treatises with Government) †. Every society is made up of citizens; he believed that People (lawmakers) will inevitably abuse their power at some point. When this happens, people should have the right to break free from the government. â€Å"When lawmakers abuse absolute power and try to take away and destroy the property of the people†¦ The people are then freed from any further obedience to lawmakers†¦ (Two Treatises with Government) †. If Locke were alive during the Renaissance period, his views may have shifted. Lock may have been less bold about his reasons â€Å"why men enter into a society†. The renaissance was a time of peace and prosperity. Humanism, self awareness, art, and science were a big deal and his view of people and their â€Å"state in nature† may have changed because people were thinking differently during those times. During the Protestant Reformation, times were also different and his opinion may have altered again. Locke may have not cared about the people as much because he was too busy criticizing the government/ churches. The Protestant Reformation was a time where people were very critical of the churches because they abused their power which is one of Locke’s philosophies; people want to be protected by the government, not abused. During the Scientific Revolution, however, people were big on science and the people; not so much the churches/ government so Locke’s view may have changed again. He probably would feel the same way about the government but less harsh about the people. As times change, so do peoples’ opinions. Baron de Montesquieu believed in a government slightly different than Locke’s. Montesquieu still believed in a central government but he thought that laws should be specific to different parts of the world where as different law may have to be enforced in different places. In his most famous work, The Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu says â€Å"Laws†¦should be adapted for the people for whom they are framed†¦they should be relative to the climate of each country, to the quality of its soil†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Montesquieu’s view of society, however, differed very much from Locke’s. Montesquieu felt that people become intoxicated on power when they have enough of it and they couldn’t handle having more than the person next to them. â€Å"Political liberty can only be found in moderate governments when there is no abuse of power. (The Spirit of Laws) † Montesquieu feels the same way about individual citizens as he does about the general society. People always abuse their powers. No matter how small the amount they have, they will push their credibility to the edge. â€Å"Constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it and carry it as far as it will go. (The Spirit of Laws) †. As the renaissance came around, Montesquieu would definitely not have had such a bad opinion of man. As previously mentioned, the renaissance was a time for prosperity and there was a focus on humanism. Montesquieu believed that men will abuse any power that they are given but during the renaissance, people were much different. As for the Protestant Reformation, Montesquieu would probably feel the same way as his original philosophy. Nobody liked each other during the Protestant Reformation but the liked the government/ churches even less. There’s no doubt that people would abuse their power and the government should be split in 3 sections. However, during the Scientific Revolution, Montesquieu would feel the same about the people and probably would view the government the same way. During the Scientific Revolution, people were recovering from the Protestant Reformation but it was the abuse of power that put them there in the first place and they needed a stable government. Jean Jacques Rousseau was similar to Locke in his belief of a government. Rousseau believes that government is necessary for stability but only to an extent. If the king/ government should go against the people, they have a right to demand their freedom. â€Å"No one – not even a king – has the right to go against the community as a whole. If a ruler was tyrannical and went against the will of the people the social contract is broken and the people had a right to demand their freedom (The Social Contract)†. Rousseau’s view of society was also good in that he did not criticize anything; he merely made the observation that in a society, people all have to abide by all the same rules because this keeps them at bay. â€Å"The essence of the social contract can be stated simply: each individual surrenders all his rights to the community (The Social Contract). † Rousseau’s view of citizens basically adds onto his view of how they react in society. He believes that people want to live amongst each other in peace; they want to be protected and live by certain guidelines to ensure prosperity. During the Protestant Reformation, Rousseau’s ideas would have changed drastically. People were definitely not living in peace and the government/churches were what got them into a mess in the first place. During the Protestant Reformation people were basically at war with the church and anyone who disagreed with their opinion. During the Scientific Revolution, people need a stable government because of what happened during the Protestant Reformation. However, people also wanted to live in peace with the government and their neighbors and whoever else. Rousseau would have felt the same about the government and about how people were living their lives during the Scientific Revolution as he would have from his original philosophy. Voltaire does not seem to care much for the government, â€Å"He was a great crusader for liberty and was twice imprisoned for his writings. † His view of society was that people should be accepting and understanding of each other; when people do not accept each other and their ways of thinking, nothing good will come of it. â€Å"Tolerance has never brought about civil war. Intolerance has covered the earth with destruction (A Treatise on Toleration). † When it comes to individuals, Voltaire is lighter with his words; he doesn’t penalize them for his distaste in the government. Voltaire believed that people should have certain unalienable rights that cannot be revoked unless they are causing some sort of a public disturbance. â€Å"Each person must be permitted to believe and to think that which he rightly believes in. Each person should be able to speak freely as long as it does not disturb the public order. Each person must be able to freely practice any religion which he believes in†¦ (A Treatise on Toleration). † Voltaire would have the same feelings about the government and about the people during the Protestant Reformation. It was a time when nobody liked the government/ churches and the people wanted their rights because they were losing faith in religion. During the Scientific Revolution people wanted their rights because they weren’t big on religion anymore, so, Voltaire probably would have felt the same way as his original writings. In conclusion, each philosopher had their own ideas and ways of thinking about the government, different societies, and its citizens. Each man may have also been influenced differently by the Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, or the Scientific Revolution. These enlightenment philosophers have left their mark on history and will always be remembered as influential figures.

Is It Too Early To Be Making My College List?

We’re definitely in favor of getting started early on the process of preparing for college application season. Applying to competitive colleges is a time-consuming process that deserves your full attention, so it’s important that you give yourself enough time to do your applications justice. One task that will be part of your college planning process is choosing which colleges belong on your personal college list . As we recently mentioned in our post 10 Considerations For Making Your College List , there are over 7,000 institutions in the United States that offer post-secondary degrees, so you’ll obviously have to narrow it down quite a bit. If you’re still in ninth or tenth grade and in the early stages of preparing for college, you may be wondering when to get started with this process of narrowing down your college choices. The short answer is that you can start working on your college list early in high school, but you need to think of it as an evolving document that’s responsive to changes in your college goals. Read on for more information about why you should start working on your college list early and how to stay flexible when planning where to apply to college. When we talk about your â€Å" college list ,† we generally mean the list of colleges to which you’re interested in applying. Eventually, your college list will become a fixed set of schools — between around six and  a dozen, for most students — to which you’ll actually submit applications during your senior year. Your college list will be divided into three categories — target schools, reach schools, and safety schools — based on your likelihood of admission to each school. It’s important to have an appropriate range of schools on your list. (Take a look at our post The College List, Decoded: Safety, Target, and Reach Schools for more information on these categories.)    Which schools end up on your college list is a function of many different variables, potentially including academic requirements, selectivity, cost, location, size, financial aid availability, the unique opportunities each school offers, and many others. Colleges might land on your list for practical reasons, or due to less tangible features like the school’s campus atmosphere. Overall, though, all the colleges on your list should be schools that genuinely interest you, that you feel positively about, and that are good matches to your applicant profile and college needs. Each of the schools on your list should be somewhere that you can actually see yourself attending.    By the time you submit your applications, you’ll need to have a finalized and concrete college list. However, when you’re starting out, your list definitely doesn’t have to be so rigid. Early on, it can also function as a way to keep track of which colleges interest you, what factors are important to you in choosing a college, and what your application process might eventually look like. It’s a great idea to get started planning for college and the demands of the college application process well before your application deadlines. As we’ve talked about previously in our post Is Freshman Year Too Early to Start College Planning? , there are significant benefits that come with starting your college research and preparation early on.   There are limits on what you can do when you’re planning for college early in high school. For instance, you can’t actually start filling out your college application forms until the fall of your senior year of high school. Also, it’s usually not a good idea to take your standardized tests before your junior year — if you wait until later in high school, your scores will likely be higher.    However, there’s a lot of work that can be done early on. Below, we’ll go over a few ways that you can work on your college list in your first two years of high school.   You can research the requirements of college applications, get an idea of what your favorite colleges will ask of you, and make sure that you’re on track to fulfill their requirements. Knowing as much as possible about the colleges in which you’re interested will help you to make informed decisions later on. Having particular schools in mind when you’re preparing for college applications can also be a significant motivator for you. If you know that your dream schools have high expectations for their applicants, this can inspire you to work hard and challenge yourself in high school in order to make yourself a better applicant for those schools. Setting goals early in high school gives you something specific for which to aim. No matter which colleges you eventually apply to, it’s still beneficial for you to set these high goals — your accomplishments will be an asset to you in applying to any college. Starting early on making your college list gives you plenty of time to collect information, make thoughtful decisions, and, if necessary, change your mind. If the information you gather leads to a change of heart about a college you initially thought was a good match for you, it’s best to learn this well before you invest your time and effort in that school’s application. Starting early gives you time to make new plans without having to scramble at the last minute, both in terms of ruling out certain colleges and in terms of finding previously unknown-to-you colleges that appeal to you. Putting together a competitive college application takes time, so adding a college to your list at the eleventh hour won’t give you a good opportunity to make that application the best it can be. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. As you can see, there’s nothing wrong with starting to formulate your college list early on; in fact, doing so is a good idea. However, in order for this plan to be effective in helping you to manage your college applications, it’s essential that you be open to making changes to your college list in its earliest incarnations. Overall, flexibility is an important quality to have during the college admissions process. You may not be accepted to the colleges at the top of your list, so adjusting your plans is something you need to be able to do in order to meet the challenges with which you’ll be faced. Your teenage years are a time for growing and learning, and many people find that their plans and goals change over the course of high school, sometimes dramatically. As you discover new academic and career options, gain life experience, and get to know yourself better, your college plans will evolve as well. Your unfolding high school career will also determine which colleges belong on your list, and in which categories. For instance, your cumulative GPA and the details of your academic performance will help to decide which colleges are appropriate target schools for you. As we’ve discussed, a major benefit of starting early is that it gives you time to change your mind, and this is an opportunity that you should embrace. You need to make sure that you don’t lock yourself into one particular plan too soon; even if you feel pretty sure about your college and career ambitions, you still have a great deal to learn and experience, and you might find a different field or plan that you end up liking even more. When you’re in ninth or tenth grade, you shouldn’t try to make any concrete determinations about where you’re going to apply to college. It’s simply too early for you to make a fully informed decision about what you intend to do with your next few years, much less the rest of your life. What you need to do is keep a running college list and adapt that list as your situation changes. Use it as a way to keep track of colleges that interest you, compare different colleges, and consider what characteristics are important to you when choosing a college. Having this information available to you in an organized and accessible format can only help you as you endeavor to set appropriate goals for the rest of your high school experience and beyond. It’s not too early to start making your college list, as long as you keep in mind that the key word is start, and that it’s not yet time to make any definite decisions . A flexible college list with room for changes makes the best guide for college planning early in high school. At , we’re committed to providing information and assistance not only for students who are actively involved in the college application process, but also for motivated students who want to start their college planning process well in advance.

Direct and Indirect Instruction Model Coursework

Direct and Indirect Instruction Model - Coursework Example Direct instruction model has been applicable in teaching for an unspecified duration. In this model, instructor imparts knowledge to learners using direct material that can easily be understood. Mostly, application of direct instruction model leave most of the work to the teacher, and it requires the strict following of lesson plan. In this light, students do not have the opportunity to brainstorm. Additionally, use of learning procedures such as lab session, workshop, internship, and discussion are exempted. The positive sides of this model include the inclusion of both quick and slow learners, reduction of time wastage in learning, and reduction of learning cost to the learner. On the contrary, direct instruction model has been blamed for making learners lazy, reducing teacher-student interaction, and reducing diversification in knowledge acquisition (Borich, 2007). In my application of direct instruction model, I find it appropriate in teaching different types of linguistics such as official and non-official language in a job interview. Indirect learning is applicable in the teaching process where concepts are involved, and solutions are sought for problems. The idea behind indirect instruction model is to make learners active in the learning process by giving them an opportunity to contribute. It is proven over time that practical learning processes enhance mastery and indirect instruction model embrace that ideology. Therefore, the term indirect is used in this context because the process gives learners crude information, which they transform in their understanding fit for their mastery. From this perspective, teachers do not give information in open context manner forcing the learners to do their parts and ingest the information delivered (Borich, 2007).  

Incidents Which Led to the Enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act Research Paper

Incidents Which Led to the Enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act - Research Paper Example This paper declares that corporation was involved in an elaborate scam and financial machinations, such as exaggerating the positive financial statements, performing transactions through the shady dealings, omissions and misrepresentations; and insider trading. In spite of the possible prevention of complete collapse, the Enron’s officers continued to hide the financial problems of the company. The Act is comprised of key provisions that describe the specific requirements, mandatory for preparing financial reports. This report makes a conclusion that the Enron’s scandal is considered to be a crucial moment in the history of the American economics and business, which has led to the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002. Relying on the â€Å"advanced experience of financial frauds†, American government developed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act addressing to the main pitfalls discovered during the whole â€Å"pleiads† of financial frauds and bankruptcies. Even though the SOX is recognized to be a major improvement to corporate governance, it still has significant constraints. Experts tend to criticize this Act, concluding that new provisions are not flexible and hardly achievable in real situations. Obviously, just enacting regulations and legal restrictions are not enough to prevent and deter financial reporting frauds. Probably such acts do not provide expected results, because human nature still lacks ethical educational and strong moral principles.

Discuss how an organisation's competitive advantage can be enhanced Essay - 1

Discuss how an organisation's competitive advantage can be enhanced with the introduction of new technology - Essay Example Many companies nowadays are trying to manage their businesses with the comfort and efficiency brought by the use of new technology in their operation. However, it is not only those online companies that are directly under the influence of new technology. All organisations especially those that have very complex activities rely heavily on the use of new technology. The car manufacturing industry for instance is relying greatly on the cutting-edge technology in order to meet the requirements of their customers and the prevailing market trend. In addition, the mobile communication industry and other related industries are trying to elaborate the importance of technology in order to go along well with the recent trend and development of business activities and operations in their specific areas. It is therefore a common understanding that the implementation of new technology in an organisation brings forward specific advantages and one of them is the efficiency which the bottom line is j ust to enhance the operation in order to achieve organisational goals. In line with this, new technology is strongly associated with competitive advantage. Every organisation seems to be using advanced technology, but the question remains how exactly it brings them certain competitive advantage. ... None about new technology is mentioned as part of these strategies for competitive advantage. However, it is clear that nowadays, using either one of these generic strategies would mean integrating the idea of new and existing technology. In the case of Wal-Mart as renowned retailing company in the United States, its generic strategy is low-cost for its product offerings. However, part of the institution of this strategy in the organisation is its highly computerised value-chain management system especially for its multinational and highly globalised operation. This is to ensure that whatever it has started so far can be substantially enhanced to the fullest with the integration of new technology. Wal-Mart viewed new technology as essential part of its complex operation especially that it operates at a global setting and in order for it to become sustainable when it comes to its low-cost-product strategy. Toyota is known for its focus differentiation strategy. However, in the process of creating it, the use of new technology is integrated in its entire operation. Its high level of standard quality product does not only enhance its cost advantage over its competitors but it specifically tries to say something about the image of its brand. Its brand image is associated with high level of cutting-edge technology and this means a lot to its marketing effort, strategy and eventually competitive advantage. In the age of globalisation, competition has become fierce allowing every organisation to enhance communication of their product offerings (Wetherly and Otter, 2011). Thus, individuals are bombarded with different information. The best information prevails and it is

Compare and Contrast Two Museum Web sites Essay

Compare and Contrast Two Museum Web sites - Essay Example The study tells that both websites have content that keeps viewers engaged in the website for a longer time. The background color of the website highlights certain contents in bold or various colors. National Gallery Art has a single template while the Frist Center for the Visual Arts website has two templates. The template of the National Gallery Art has individual objects, which are provided with resolution images that have a zooming effect. This is different from the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, whereby the two templates of the have two layouts. The First layout of the website is a masonry layout. This layout is flexible from a larger screen monitor to a mobile device. This layout is used for website calendar, multimedia section, and the home page. The second layout for the website is the general interior. This layout is used for basic substance like the general information, exhibition detail pages, and new items. The images are large, and most part of the website utilizes a white space to make the website feel like walking in the museum. However, the National Gallery Art website has perfect exhibition presentations from the collection and has other treasures consisting of excellent features on categories such as â€Å"conservation objects†. Although the National Gallery Art has a single template, the zooming effects and exhibit presentations make this website more exciting and interesting. The website of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts contains large images, which have no zooming effect; rather a white space with large images. (Rynd, Scala, & Knowles, 28). The National Gallery of Art website contains a storage area of digital photos including the National Gallery of Art. The open access images of the Frist Center of the Visual Art website comprises of slide shows of zooming images articulated with their descriptions and uploaded dates. The top section of the National Gallery of Art web site has options for downloading images, browse, share and search. The website has a standard-based reproduction benchmark and assists section to offer advisory services for the experts and beginners. This website has more than twenty thousand open access digital photos up to three thousand pixels. Each pixel is available for free to use and download. The images are designed to facilitate exploration, enrichment, enjoyment, and learning. To begin with image searching, the user enters a search term in the box labeled Quick Search Box that is located on the upper right hand section of the web site. Most of the National Visual Art websites open access images are digitized for easy access. I have an interest in visiting the National Gallery Art more than the Frist Center for the Visual Arts due to the interesting images. The National Gallery of Art has more collections of photographs which makes it more attractive to me. This is clear on the fact that I enjoy photography. Some of the featured image collections of the National Visual Art web sites include Samuel H. Kress Collection, Frequently requested, and what’s new. The top section of the website comprises of the following guide menu: Collection, exhibitions, education, conservation, research, calendar, visit, support, and shop. Some of the listed images of the Frist Center of the Visual Art include online features, Ellsworth, Exhibitions, and the collections. The website has three parts; top, middle, and bottom section. The top section contains the menu the second section contains the image collection, and the bottom section also contains menu guide. The menu guide includes: About, Opportunities, Press, NGA images, Newsletter, Notices, Contact US, and Audio/Video. The featured image collections of the Frist Center of the Visual Art are more educative art-wise as compared to the National Visu

Planning and Enabling Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning and Enabling Learning - Essay Example The 9th and the 12th academic year are the two most significant life paths that a student can pass through. Generally those two years guide the students to their chosen careers. To a greater degree though what will bring success in his/her life depends on the choice of subjects during these stages. Both parents and teachers play an immense role in directing children towards what education route to choose that would lead them to successfully university and career development. BTEC was established in 1984 and stands for the Business Education Council (BEC) and the Technician Education Council (TEC). BTEC course is based on continuous assessment rather than on annual exams. The BTEC course incorporates opportunities for work experience and gaining real life skills through case studies. BTEC course is designed to enhance the demands of employers in modern society and to allow students to quickly progress to their university degree. BTEC has proved its operational success and effectivenes s in the last 25 years and is gaining popularity as students are mo focused on day to day abilities and the course's flexible nature. Statistically, more than 1 million students enrolled on BTEC course for the academic year 2006/2007 (Edexcel BTEC Course, 2009).Institutions and students all around the world value the BTEC brand because it delivers excellent vocational qualifications that signify global recognition to the chosen area of studies. Practically it does not matter whether the programme is taught in London, Beijing or Dubai, since the quality assurance procedures assure that the candidates are awarded with standardized and internationally recognized qualifications. BTEC diplomas are organized to provide specialist work-related abilities in a wide range of sectors. BTEC courses equip students with valuable and lifelong skills and knowledge required for their career progress, and/or for the continuation of their vocational studies at higher academic level. During the BTEC course learners meet with professionals from the preferred industry in order to receive adequate consultation and the specialists to supervise the programme and progressive activities of the students. All BTEC seminars cover core and expert units, thus they have standard format and clear guidance about the requirements of the qualifications assessed. There is assessment criteria applied. The learners get Pass, Merit, or Distinction for each module of the programme. This means that the learners have to collect a number of points to obtain the overall Pass Grade for the programme. No external examinations apply in BTEC programmes (Edexcel BTEC course, 2009). When designing the cou rses providers work closely with employers from different sectors to create an inspiring atmosphere where students gain the skills they need to either start employment immediately after graduation or continue to a higher education. The subject areas that BTEC cover are: Applied Sciences Children's Care, Learning and Development Engineering Hospitality Languages Public Services and Security Art and Design Construction Hairdressing, Beauty and Related Therapies IT and Computing Media Sport, Leisure and Recreation Business, Management and Services Education and Training Health, Care and Counselling Land and the Environment Performing Arts and Music Travel, Tourism and Transport Services - Decide on the envisaged group and identify the barriers The envisaged focused group is 12 graders. The barriers that learners at BTEC course can face while planning and organizing his ideas are several. First of all, when one is attempting to clarify and comprehend the functions or operations of the studied course, students can rarely imagine properly the object itself. For example, it will be difficult to communicate how to use a computer for the first time if this is not visually demonstrated. In order for learners to study the subject, they have to get the object related to it. In this way they will experience it in various directions and will build

11 Topics Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

11 Topics Journal - Essay Example The article raises grave concerns and some of these I have been forced to acknowledge before I even read this article. I believe that Voice Box and Flute do not really complicate McKibben’s argument but rather it allows the readers and viewers to put the argument in perspective. McKibben argues that technology has taken away the charm of the old life. It has made everything too automated and engineered that real objects lose their original identity (McKibben). The Voice Box and Flute further proof this point. Sarah Green, by using the technology, lost her identity as she became part machine. The concerns of McKibben are very convincing. I believe this so because I am a strong believer in fate and God’s will. If God programmed a person to be blind, it was meant to be so. It was because God had intentioned this person to discover the Braille language. Similarly, Sarah Green developed the voice box because her voice was failing and she was desperate not to lose it. If such conditions do not occur, humans would not be tested to discover their true potential and human race may be robbed off important discoveries. If our parents began doing the function of God, we may lose out on important discoveries and insights. It would ultimately lead to children with similar intellects and similar physical beauty. The diversity, we so look forward to, would be lost somewhere in between. Journal Topic 2: They Say, I Say The social networking site Facebook tends to be synonymous with materialism and narcissism in some people’s mind. They see such websites as a community of users promoting their own selves by publically posting photos, emotions, thoughts and major life decisions. However, certain users of the website have also brought forward more productive use of the website such as promoting small businesses, opening forums of discussion and asking people to raise their voice against certain issues. On the contrary, there are only a small percentage of peop le involved in such activities. For the truth is that Facebook does promote a culture of self- obsession. In this paragraph, then, after considering both sides of the argument it is held true that Facebook promotes a culture of materialism and narcissism. (Graff and Birkenstein, 14) Topic 3: Response to a Valedictorian’s Speech In the speech of high school valedictorian, one controversial issue has been the fact that high school does not provide adequate ground for the future challenges posed by higher education. On the other hand, some of my colleagues argue that high school is for having fun and once we enter college life, we would be bound to take life seriously. On the other hand, Harrigan and Davies contend that seventeen years of education is a must for every student. They even maintain that students have to relearn everything at college that they learnt at high school (Harrigan and Davies). My own view is high school does prepare us for challenges of college life but w e as students are not serious and capable enough to grasp the implications of what is being taught to us (Graff and Birkenstein, 26-27). When it comes to the topic of education, most of us readily agree that practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge have different uses and often schools focus too much on theoretical knowledge that they fail to equip their students with the confidence in approaching higher education. Where this argument usually ends, however, is the question of whether practical knowledge at the level of high school is right for the students. Whereas some are convinced that practical knowledge is a must others maintain that giving practical knowledge should be held off till the students have a strong theoretical base (Graff and Birken

Theoretical Model Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theoretical Model Analysis - Assignment Example Lydia Eloise Hall was born in New York City on September 21, 1906 (Currentnursing.com, 2012); she received her basic nursing education in 1927, her Bachelors in Public Health Nursing in 1937, and her Masters in teaching Natural Sciences in 1942 (Banda, Amadasun, Angoma & Howe, 2009). Lydia Hall established and directed the Loeb Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx from 1963 to 1969 (ANA, 2013). It was at the Loeb Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in the late 1960’s that Hall developed her theory, known as Care, Core, and Cure. â€Å"She postulated that individuals could be conceptualized in three separate domains: the body (care), the illness (cure), and the person (core)† (Nurses.info, 2010). These separate domains, or aspects of the person as a patient were envisioned as overlapping circles, and that each circle influenced the others. Hall stated that â€Å"Everyone in the health professions either neglects or takes into consi deration any or all of these, but each profession, to be a profession, must have an exclusive area of expertness with which it practices, creates new practices, new theories, and introduces newcomers to its practice† (Parker, p. 117). ... s exclusive to nursing, and while nurses played a part in the other two circles, they shared those circles with other professions and the patient themselves. The core aspect of the theory focuses on the patient themselves, and the relationship that the professionals who are working with the patient have with the patient themselves. Nurses share this circle with all of the helping professions that have a relationship with the patient; it emphasizes â€Å"the social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of the patient in relation to family, institution, community, and the world† (Nursing Theories, 2013). Essentially, the core aspect helps the patient learn what their role is in the healing process, and works to provide the patient with enough information to be able to make an informed decision in regards to their situation. The care aspect of the theory focuses on the hands on bodily care of the patient, and is considered by Hall to be exclusive to the nursing practice. It is comprised of the teaching and learning activities, and the patient may explore and share their feelings with the nurse; the nurse’s goal is to comfort the patient. It is considered to† include the â€Å"motherly† aspects of care, which comprises of helping the patient meet their needs, where help is needed.† â€Å"Hands on care for patients produces an environment of comfort and trust and promotes open communication between nurses and patients† (Nursing Theories, 2013). The third and final aspect of the theory is the cure aspect. It consists of the application of medical knowledge. It is based on the pathological and therapeutic sciences. The nurse is the patient’s advocate with the other disciplines that may be included in this circle. The nurse assists the patient in their

The Anatomy of Decisions Essay Example for Free

The Anatomy of Decisions Essay †¢ In the real world managers are paid to make decisions on a daily basis, on how your firm’s resources are controlled to meet goals that have been set by higher managers or by yourself. †¢ There are some essential characteristics that manager’s share when making a decision; they are usually made with someone else’s money and need to be justified, they build on one another, the outcome is important to other people, and they are also forgettable. †¢ Decisions with other people’s money: As a manager and not being a self-financed entrepreneur, your job is to make decisions with the money of others, therefore a justification has to be provided to the financers. I believe this puts a pressure on the managers to make sure they make the right decision, since they are not using their own money. That is the reason why managers tend to make their decisions based on instinctive judgment. Previous experiences can save managers from telling their shareholders that they lost money based on the rational and analytically defendable decision. †¢ Decisions that build on each other: Previous experience can be very influential at the time of making the right decision. Managers are asked to â€Å"do their homework† before making an important decision, therefore they look back into previous decisions that have led them to the actual one and analyze what would benefit the firm the most according to previous decisions. Each decision is taken as more information becomes available. †¢ Decisions that matter: Every decision made weather is a good one or a bad one is valid and it matters. Bad decisions are the ones that push managers and the world to become better and keep working to make the right decision on future opportunities, in other words bad decisions are ways to keep progressing. †¢ Decisions that will be forgotten: The way memory works is very beneficial to managers when a good decision has been made. â€Å"Hindsight bias is a tendency to believe that we predicted what actually occurred, when in fact we forecasted the opposite†. After a decision was made and the outcome is positive, managers tend to forget what would have happened if the wrong decision were made. When a bad decision is made and a project fails, partners and other managers who supported the failure decision will claim that they always knew the plan was going to fail. They will believe that they were right all along the way, but never actually tried to convince the other manager to over look at different options before making a decision. In conclusion to this chapter managers are told by different texts and books diverse ways to be great decision-making managers. However, the best decisions yet made, have been made not taking in consideration the characteristics taught to managers through texts. â€Å"The challenge as a manager is not to denying our instincts and following rational theories that cannot work in the real world, but by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of how we do make decisions and by learning to handle uncertainty†. Great managers focus on success and forget failures.

Philips Sense And Simplicity

Philips Sense And Simplicity The case describes the challenge faced by the CEO and newly hired Chief Marketing Officer to reposition the Philips brand and drive the organizational changes to support the new vision. Central to the version was the Sense and Simplicity marketing campaign, which came to embody a whole new way of doing business at Philips. The primary target of the Sense and Simplicity campaign was customers aged 35-55. Philips was not thought of as a cool and attractive brand by Generation Y consumers. Philips must rewire the Sense and Simplicity campaign for the Generation Y market. Answer the following questions- a). The results revealed that consumers across various countries seek simple technology, i.e., technology without hassles. In this background, how did Philips utilize its technological strength to connect with the customer? Philips has a brand promise of sense and simplicity and they differentiate themselves through their innovation process, the way in which they develop customer relationships and the focus from their own staff on providing a superior experience related to customer. But with the impact of Social Media becoming the most important activity on the web, they have identified that there are many areas into which they must expand their horizon to keep the customer promise fresh and focused. About more than 200 million users joined facebook in a single year and 34% of bloggers blog about products and brands. In this environment its not enough to know that this is happening you need to know what people are saying and you need to find the best way to react. With only 14% of consumers trusting advertising, companies need to be reaching and reaching positively the 78% of consumers who give and rely on peer-to-peer recommendations. First thing is to take note, and then the service teams can ENGAGE with and supply SUPPORT to the clients. Mainly where there is negative response, the plan is to change this into positive advertising. Likewise to other companies such as Apple and Dell, Philips is also driving channels for peer-to-peer support. More than 50% of question from customers are answered by other customers. All of a sudden its not just a conversation; its a community of support and commitment. Effectiveness on the whole is measured using very simple KPIs (upholding the brand statement) and the main focus is on the delivery of true support. Today Philips provide products and services in three main areas: Healthcare Philips is the leader in top-of-the-range medical diagnostic equipment, helping surgeons in the battle against heart disease and cancer. Progressively more consumer health and well-being have also become a focus. Philips Healthcare is using Net Promoter and Social Media strategy to revolve health-care into human-care through the approach of active listening. They unite social media streams to NPS strategies to distribute a holistic experience for their customers. Supervision comes from a global level but delivery, execution and empowerment is based at the local level. Even as Marketing makes the promise to the customer, the Service association is then liable for keeping the promise. And the Social Media approach is part of delivering on the promise. Lifestyle Philips innovates in their lifestyle segment with their Ambilight TV and DVD recorders. The company has recognized a leadership position in lighting and has introduced electrifying new products such as the Senseo coffee concept. Technology Philips semiconductor and lighting products are embedded in the cars we drive, in the offices where people work and in sports stadiums. Philips proves its presence at world level; it illuminates monuments such as the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower and events like the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Philips Electronics has unveiled its newest brand movement, which focuses on bringing the impression of simplicity more rapidly to customers around the world. Building on the companys sense and simplicity brand positioning, the drive focuses on prominence the benefits offered by simplicity, as well as allowing consumers to openly experience simplicity first hand. The new drive spans TV, print, online and outdoor media in 10 markets across the globe China, France, Germany, U.K., U.S.A., Brazil, Russia, The Netherlands, Italy and India. The drive will also see Philips spread out on the creativity and uniqueness that has already been applauded for new ideas that advance the consumer experience, such as the sole sponsorship of CBSs 60 Minutes, a agreement to bring the contents pages of Time, Fortune, People and Business 2.0 to the first four pages of the magazines, and allowing visitors to access premium content on the Wall Street Journal and ESPN websites for free. To widen the envelope further outside traditional advertising means, Philips most recent campaign will also comprise experiential marketing activities for the first time in each of the countries to help allow customers to fully understanding simplicity in action. Some of these activities will comprise Simplify New York which will provide New Yorkers with free access to the premium online service from The New York Times, free copies of the magazine, The Week and a set of online tools to make their daily lives easier; the launch of SimpliCity.com, a website (www.philips.com.br/simplescidade) which will supply people in Sà £o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with the first central online resource to access and share valuable information and tips that simplify life in these cosmopolitan cities; and a Simplicity Squad in Canada providing customers with free vouchers for products and services to simplify their lives, as well as activities in other markets. To promote the discussion and debate about simplicity, Philips is also sponsoring an online forum to let people from all over the globe to voice their opinions and share their experiences of simplicity. The www.livesimplicity.net discussion forum allows people to contribute to online discussions and also begin thought of their own about simplicity in areas as varied as travel, business, communication, health and wellness, and technology. The site gives everybody a opportunity to have their say, interact with others and discuss problems. It is hoped that this interactive dialogue will contribute to helping find the solutions to meet future needs. b). New products, new services, new solutions, business creation, strategy, research, brand architecture, contact with customers everything must be driven by the brand positioning. What internal changes did Philips initiate, to link its processes with the theme of Sense and Simplicity? Sense and simplicity characterize the whole thing that Philips does and reflects that it is market oriented i.e. everything is intended to meet consumers needs and is based on customer insights. For more than a century, the company has been interacting with people in their daily lives. More than a million Philips products are purchased each day. It is trusted as one of the worlds top brands, with an incomparable understanding of how people interact with technology. Philips was established in 1891 and made lightbulbs an easy product. Right through the years the company enlarged its portfolio into technology products that became too complex for most users. When Philips realized this, it determined to make life easier and so launched a brand repositioning all about simplicity. The term positioning refers to where products and brands are located in a market. What is more crucial is where consumers see such products/brands being located in the market. For example, customers might see products as giving good value or poor value for money. They may associate a brand with high quality or low quality. It is key to carry out market study to spot suitable positions to take in the market. A suitable position is one that suits customers necessities. The term repositioning refers to a cognizant strategy to alter the site of products/brands in the market. The new best position should be based on market research. How Philips repositioned itself sense and simplicity is the brand guarantee that Philips has recognized through its research as the best one to take. Since the launch Philips has made immense improvement. This has been recorded by achieving milestones down the route. Excellent examples are the creation of a Simplicity Advisory Board (SAB) and the launch of a range of thriving products such as Senseo ®, a coffee machine that is stylish and simple to make use of. Creating a repositioning strategy A responsible strategy The stages involved in moving a product are: carrying out research to find out the weaknesses of the preliminary position researching a right track to take Creation plans and taking actions to improve the position. A difficulty that faced Philips in 2003 was that its media investment was somewhat unfocused and was spread thinly among too many different product segments. The table shows just four product areas and the target audiences for each, which were being addressed. In addition Philips products were marketed beneath lots of names, using a range of dissimilar advertising approaches. It was no wonder that there was great uncertainty in customers minds. The challenge in front of Philips, therefore, was to generate a clear vision that would help the company to reposition itself and all of its linked brands. A brand promise was then set out that is clear and easy to follow. The brand promise is sense and simplicity. In the recent high-tech age, consumers are faced with a lot of hard product choices. What most of us want are clear-cut communications about the settlement that these products will provide for us. This is as true of medical professionals ordering brain scanning equipment for a hospital as it is when you or I want to buy a light bulb, electric toothbrush or cordless kettle. Three main elements This is why the brand promise sense and simplicity is so significant to Philips. Creating consistency and direction In order to move ahead it was crucial to recognize the key issues. The difficulty facing the company was lack of loyalty and direction. Resources were being spread too thinly across too many products, with developments in numerous countries. Decision making within the wider Philips organization had develop into patchy. This was plain to see there were in addition many products, too many markets and a lack of consistency in advertising. For the customer it was tough to tell what was and what not a Philips product was. Meeting customer needs The first challenge was to modify the Philips image. This was built about sense and simplicity. The message that Philips is getting across at present is that the whole thing it does is focused on meeting customer needs. The entire thing that Philips does now is based on this concept. The message is spread through the organisation, making sure that all business processes are founded on sense and simplicity. Everybody who comes into contact with Philips, whether they are employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers or other stakeholders, should observe this brand promise. For example, it is publicized in the company logo and all the company operations from top to bottom. Sense and simplicity is shown in all the new products that Philips develops, as well as in existing ones. When the company designs a latest electric kettle, its concern is to offer a state-of-the-art, easy-to-use product. The same principle applies to medical equipment, flat screen TVs, and food mixers and so on. New Philips products are: advanced based on market leading technologies designed around you based on the result of careful customer research Easy to experience easy to use. Philips is also looking at all of its existing products to make sure they fit the wants of sense and simplicity. The third key element of sense and simplicity is communications. All Philips exchanges should be easy to understand. The message given is directed at the target audience and is simple to follow. One of the key ease milestones has been the launch of the Simplicity Advisory Board (SAB). This is a think tank of independent experts from the fields of information technology, healthcare, fashion, design and architecture. It has been able to give an outside-in view of what simplicity means and how this can be legal across the organisation. The members of the board were selected for their wide ranging knowledge and expertise. Illustrating the strategy products Philips image We can demonstrate the new repositioning strategy by taking the example of several of the high-tech products that Philips has just worked on. A good example of this is Senseo ®. Senseo ® Coffee System has been developed through a joint venture between Philips and Sara Lee, a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) supplier. The key aspects of Senseo ® are: cool design easy-to-use technology Amazing coffee. Between 2001 and 2005 more than 10 million of these coffee machines were sold in eight countries an impressive total. The product embodies what Philips is trying to achieve in everything it does. This is to join an exciting state-of-the-art product with simplicity. The coffee makers are combined with Douwe Egberts Senseo ® coffee pods to give customers the taste they want. Recently Philips launched its own Simplicity Event. This provided Philips with a prospect to share, with stakeholders, how far it has come in its assurance to sense and simplicity. Products that already deliver this promise were exhibited, together with living prototype demonstrations of how Philips envisions simplicity in the future. Senseo ® is one example of sense and simplicity in action. Communicating sense and simplicity At the heart of business achievement is good communication. This means sending messages from individuals or organisations to others (receivers). Good contact involves: communicating a brand promise, in this case sense and simplicity in a clear and easy to understand way to the right target audience Using the right media. There are a number of ways that Philips does this: As it is a worldwide company, it is essential to direct contact from the centre. This ensures that the Philips message is conveyed consistently. Philips believes that there should be a single insight for each product (not mixed messages). All innovative work carried out by advertising agencies must be based on the sense and simplicity promise. Television and print (for example, magazine) adverts are offered in a standard way at least three Philips adverts in a single magazine in a campaign that might last for eight publications of the magazine.

Evaluate The Corporate Strategy Being Pursued At Lvmh Business Essay

Evaluate The Corporate Strategy Being Pursued At Lvmh Business Essay LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton, a famous luxury corporation found by Bernard Arnault in 1984. At present, a host of famous brand name peoples are associated with LVMH such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Celine, Guerlain, Tag Heuer, Moet et Chandon, Pommery etc. In the following statement, it is aim at evaluate the corporate strategy being pursued at LVMH. In order to have an in-depth analysis, it will have a brief identification of corporate strategy in LVMH and an explanation of the rationale for the strategy in the beginning. Based on those parts, it will have an evaluation of corporate strategy at LVMH. Summary statements of strategy In the following, it is going to identify the nature of the corporate strategy being implemented at LVMH. The first part is going to explore the composition of LVMH. The composition of LVMH According to the case, LVMH group had covered a large spectrum of business by commencing an active external growth strategy towards luxury product companies with high development potential. It also used an acquisition strategy to narrowly focus on luxury brands for increasing the existing portfolio of the brands. LVMH group consists of a smattering of individual brands in five different products and services Wines and Spirits, Fashion and Leather Goods, Perfumes and Cosmetics, Watches and Jewelry, and Selective Retailing. In between, these brands are grouped into different clusters. It also comprised two Paris department stores La Samaritaine and Le Bon Marche; the DFS duty-free chain and Sephora perfumery chain. These had showed that LVMH is a really big company operated in the luxury business. Besides, LVMH had pursued a corporate sponsorship strategy, which supporting a wide array of public interest initiatives and aimed at the revitalization and promotion of Frances artistic heritage. It had also sponsored a host of exhibition and retrospectives in order to spreading its central mission Western Art de Vivre. The meaning of that is a sense of style, a vivid connection with the past and its tradition, transferred into the present. It is the cult of beauty and creativity at every level, combining ancestral know-how and craftsmanship with modern and a passion for quality, referred to case. This philosophy perpetuated the tradition of the most ancient and refined craftsmanship. LVMH provided a financial aid, LVMH Young Artist Award to art students for fostering the cultural instinct of young generations into talents, especially in fine arts and music. To strive promote young talent, LVMH supported young virtuosos by lending them Stradivariuses from its collection and organizing concerts. It sponsored a complete MBA program in luxury goods management at the top French business schools, ESSEC in order to create the future recruitment. The corporate centre manages the strategic business units Here comes to the second part to discuss about the corporate centre manages the strategic business units (SBUs). SBU is a division of the organization that has a unique business mission, product line, competitors, and markets relative to other SBUs in the same corporation (Johnson et al 2008). According to Mintzberg et al, the corporate strategy is the pattern of discussions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes or goals, produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue, the kind of economic and human organization it is or intends to be, and the nature of the economic and noneconomic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities. (Mintzberg et al 2002) From the above summary of LVMH cover a large spectrum of business, the group seems to adopt the portfolio approaches. LVMH has to acquire new companies continuously with new profitable business and invested into a medium or long-term view, aim to strengthen the cash flow and develop its diversity and a balanced portfolio in terms of risks. A number showed that LVMHs profit had grown by 500% in eleven years and had multiplied 15-fold under the Arnaults way of running this approach. Now, it is going to review on LVMH major policy in central functions. referring the case, being as a group, commencing of synergies had created strengths within different branches, attract and retain the best talent worldwide. The Group allowed the branches to share the variety of departments provided by Headquarter. The synergies policy made every company benefited from Group resources and synergies in different categories, such as financial resources, administration (shared service centers), purchasing, RD, advertising negotiation, production, retail networks etc. Companies can be done at Group level to get specific support instead of go to the Headquarters. Explain the rationale for the strategy Approaches to corporate level strategy There are three different approaches when choosing corporate level strategy: Portfolio approach is based only on financial synergy; Linkages approach is based on operational approach and Core competencies approach is based on sharing organization-wide core competencies (Mintzberg et al 2002). According to the case, LVMH is adopted the portfolio approach which is based only on financial synergy. The Corporate centre acts as a financial investor in a set of autonomous businesses. It also adds value by keeping strict financial control and attempts to achieve a balance of businesses across the life cycle and with complementary financial needs (Mintzberg et al 2002). Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix There is one way to evaluate the corporate-level strategy to compare and evaluate each individual investment in the portfolio to determine whether or not the investment is currently performing to expectations and what the future prospects are for the investment. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is a relatively simple technique for assessing the performance of various segments of the business (Johnson et al 2008 and Advameg Inc 2010). It classifies business-unit performance on the basis of the units relative market share and the rate of market growth as shown in Appendix Figure 1. The five different LVMH business spectrums are put into the four quadrants. The perfumes and cosmetics spectrum is as a question mark, which had the lowest market growth within other spectrums, compared with Figure 2. The strategy for these products have to continually gain market share through strong communication and innovation in this spectrum such as new product launching, new product line or strengthen existing products. A high market share becoming a BCG matrix star and it is belongs to Fashion and leather goods, which means this spectrum has a high-growth market. Stars can generate large cash flow for the business, as same as the largest account for the revenue from LVMH in Figure 2. Stars are the targets of large expenditures for advertising and research and development to improve the product and to enable it to establish a dominant position in the industry. For instance, Louis Vuitton entered into new markets, Lebanon and Dominican Republic; accelerate global expansion of Marc Jacobs; and to maintain policy of targeted investments and rigorous cost management for other brands. The spectrum of Watches and Jewelry is located at the middle of star and question mark, which has the high potential in market growth but account for a little market share. The strategy is to continue gain the market share, pursue up-market positioning through strong innovation and selective expansion of mono-brand store network. Cash cows are Wine Spirits and Selective Retailing spectrums that have high market share in a low-growth market. They are usually well-established products with wide consumer acceptance, so sales revenues are usually high. LVMH has to continually maintain rigorous management of costs and inventories and increase marketing programs like e-commerce in order to retain the market growth. Dogs are the businesses with low market share in low-growth markets. In LVMH, no one is belonging to this quadrant. Diversification Diversification is a strategy to increases the corporation scope radically from existing markets and products (Johnson et al 2008). It is the most radical strategic direction and more value creating than others. According to Porter, there are also three tests for diversification. Attractiveness test is the business which must be structurally attractive or capable of being made attractive. Cost of Entry test is the cost of entry must not capitalise all the future profits. Better-off test is either the new unit must gain competitive advantage from its link with the corporation or vice versa (Porter 1987). LVMH has the below reasons for diversification with potential value-creating. Efficiency gains: LVMH keep its companies at human size and group them in a separate Business Groups or Branches, allow the brands in each business to coordinate strategies and develop synergies with common interests such as research, purchasing, logistics and international distribution. Companies can take the benefits from synergies to share the existing Group resources once acquired new companies. It allows sharing variety departments and resources such as financial, administration, RD etc. Sharing resources can help LVMH to experience the economies of scale to reach efficiency and effective into a new activity (Johnson et al 2008). Stretching corporate parenting capabilities: LVMH had a wide range of business covering fashion, wine, perfumes to financial media that share very few operational resources or competences but creates value by adding parenting skills. The philosophy of creativity and the nurturing of creative talents are relevant to each business spectrum. Increasing market power: LVMH is obviously gaining market power with a diverse range of business by acquired new companies, invested with a medium or long-term view. The investments had permitted LVMH to finance in new development and strengthen cash flow that developed a balanced and diversified corporate portfolio. In order to increase the market power, the group expansion and the development of new subsidiaries had supported around the world. Value-adding to LVMH In this part, it is going to identify the activities by LVMH can add value. Envisioning: LVMH provide a clear vision that guide and motivate the business to maximize corporate-wide performance. The vision in LVMH is product quality, creativity, image, entrepreneurial spirit and the willingness of its people to always question their achievements and the striving to be the best, which is indissolubly linked to the entrepreneurial spirit. Each company was free to adopt the marketing and retailing strategies best suited to its needs, capitalize on distinctive positioning. Coaching and facilitating: can help to develop strategic capabilities by improving skills and confidence. It can also facilitate cooperation and sharing across the business. In order to provide high-caliber training to the employees, the group institutes a comprehensive training program in several regions such as Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo to focus on development of personnel management and integration of LVMH. In addition, it launched a Global Leadership Program in order to step up the professional development of the most promising future executives through discussions on risk-taking and innovation moderated by business group leaders and the CEOs of Group companies. These kinds of programs are provided opportunities to learn management skills and build relationships for the group. Providing central service and resources: LVMH offer opportunities to management-level employees with internal mobility within the company, transferred to new position within the group by developed with special assignments to facilitate broadening of experience and perspective. It allows the employees to work for a defined period in a company and enable them to have varied and changing work environment and tasks. Intervening: Once the new graduates come into the company on management level are immediately given real jobs but not send to have training program first. It helps to find out if someone is not suitable for the work quickly at LVMH or find the initial responsibility too overwhelming leave soon. The way is helping them to find the people are interested by being part of something, have a dream to be achievable so that it becomes challenge to work at LVMH in order to monitor the performance and encourage performing better. Evaluate the corporate strategy being pursued at LVMH According to Rumelt, there are four criteria for strategy evaluation: Consistency: The strategy must not present mutually inconsistent goals and policies. The atmosphere of LVMH vision is scattering in each company. Its autonomy disciplines and the philosophy of creativity also bring employees loyalty toward working at LVMH. People in the group tended to have a strong feeling of ownership of their brands and cherished that they contribute to the development of the company without a lot of bureaucratic procedures and constraints. (Rumelt, 1980) Consonance: The strategy must represent an adaptive response to the external environment and to the critical changes occurring within it. LVMH had a foresight that hired new designers to run conservative traditional business become as profitable. Marc Jacobs had created new lines of product which were much more modern and identifying the brand with the desirable fashion world. He took the 146 year old LV logo and put it everywhere, starting off the trend of logomania. Thus, LVMH had given a new generation of designers the chance of their lifetime on creative design freely. It also dedicated people who are passionate about doing something of outstanding quality. (Rumelt, 1980) Advantage: The strategy must provide for the creation and / or maintenance of a competitive advantage in the selected area of activity. This is usually the result of superiority in resources, skills, or position. Customers who came to buy the products are not acquiring for functionality, they bought an image and a lifestyle, an intangible value. The employees who worked at LVMH professed to love the products they worked with and wanted to make sure that others loved their products. They were proud they were be the part of the Christian Dior family of the Louis Vuitton family and felt prestige involved in LVMH companies. (Rumelt, 1980) Feasibility: The strategy must neither overtax available resources nor create unsolvable sub-problems. The strategy should be reasonable in the light of the organizations resources: money and capital; management, professional and technical resources and time span. Companies did not go to Headquarters for specific support, they can be done the tasks by group level, tax planning, and recruitment of senior management level positions. The shared and synergies group resources enable companies increase their problem-solving capabilities and empowerment. (Rumelt, 1980) Conclusion Porters concluded that Portfolio approach is not a valid corporate level strategy in advanced economies. The first key element is to associate with corporate level strategy, to ensure that a corporate entity can achieve more profitability than the collection of different businesses under their control. There are four concepts for corporate level strategy to achieve (Porter 1987). Portfolio Management: is based on diversification through acquisition with no direct involvement of the management and strategy of subsidiary businesses by headquarters. Value adding is from maintaining strict financial controls and financial economies of scale, which the external capital markets are very efficient in capturing information about companies; and external investors can take swift action when necessary. As the size of the company grows, portfolio managers need to find more and more deals to maintain growth. Porter also concludes that it is no longer appropriate in advanced economies as it is no way to conduct corporate strategy. Restructuring: It allows for the acquisition of failing organizations and short-term measures to turn round the organization and it can only be a short term strategy as it is difficult to maintain a long term corporate strategy based only on restructuring. Linkage: A sustainable corporate level strategy can only be achieved by creating operational synergies through transferring skills and sharing activities exploit the interrelationships between businesses. Core Competence: It is based on sharing organization-wide core competencies Core competencies allow a corporate to gain access to a range of new markets and to gain competitive advantage over its competitors (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). To conclude based on the above findings, it evidence that LVMH had pursued those four corporate strategies. When LVMH choosing an effective corporate strategy, it identifies the interrelationships among the existing business spectrums and select the spectrum of fashion and leather goods as core business to become the foundation of the corporate strategy. The LVMH group structure also facilitates interrelationships among the core businesses and lays the groundwork for future related diversification. Its shared resources provide diversification opportunities and allow transferring superior skills. Restructuring is seldom used at LVMH since it had an excellence management level people with high-caliber. The remuneration for them was based on a fixed base salary, a bonus, and stock options which are merit based. Finally, the diversified and balanced portfolio enables LVMH to share organization-wide core competencies successfully. Appendix Figure 1: BCG Matrix of LVMH Source: http://www.slideshare.net/sumit_thawrani/the-deal-presentation Figure 2: LVMH H1 2010 revenue by business group Source: LVMH First Half 2010 results

Chapter Account Manager :: essays research papers

Ankit Fadia, 19 years old, is an independent computer security and digital intelligence consultant with definitive experience in the field of Internet security. He has authored seven internationally best-selling books on numerous topics related to Computer Security that have been widely appreciated by both professionals and industry leaders the world over. His books have sold a record 120,000 copies across the globe, have been translated into Korean, Portuguese and Polish and are also being used as reference textbooks in some of the most prestigious academic institutions in Asia and North America. Fadia is also a widely recognized computer security guru and Cyber terrorism expert. Fadia is however, more well known for his significant work in the field of digital intelligence, security consultancy and training. In November 2001, Fadia was consulted by a classified intelligence agency for breaking an encrypted message sent by one of Osama Bin Laden’s men. Since then Fadia has been involved in numerous classified projects pertaining to International Security and Computer Networks. He handles the Asia Operations of the classified intelligence agency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Widely traveled, Fadia provides customized cyber security training and consulting solutions to clients all across Asia, Australia, North America and the Middle East. He has also conducted more than a 120 different training sessions on various topics related to cyber security to an audience comprising of CEOs, CIOs, top level management, entrepreneurs, technical specialists, defense personnel and students. With a strong belief in the integration of security and education, Fadia closely works with the School of Information Systems at Singapore Management University and the Management Institute of Malaysia and advises them on the design and structure of the course material of their computer security courses. Widely celebrated in international media publications, Fadia is also regularly invited by BBC Radio World News, London to share the latest updates on virus outbreaks, loopholes and cyber crime trends. For his outstanding contributions in the field of computer security globally, Fadia has been honoured with numerous awards namely: Person of The Year 2002, Limca Book of Records, Hall of Fame Award, Outstanding Young Achiever’s Award, Silicon India Person of the Week, Embassy State Award, Best Speaker Award (4 occasions), Student of the Year 2002-03 and many more. Many industry leaders like Mr. Ganesh Ayyar (Vice President, Hewlett Packard SE Asia, Singapore), Mr. Kiran Karnik (President, NASSCOM), Mr. Azim Premji (Chairman, Wipro Corporation), Mr. Phiroze Vandrewala (Chairman, Tata Consultancy Services) and research pioneers like Dr.

Satire and Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice :: Jane Austen

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen mocks 19th century â€Å"clergymen† through satire with Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins does not seem right for the job as a clergyman. He seems to be a shy character and not dedicated to help his church congregation. He is a materialistic person and things of the world by far outweigh his spiritual life (which a clergyman should make his first priority). Jane Austen scorns Mr. Collins’ kind intention of marrying a poor girl and twists it into a comedy. She does this because she is portraying clergymen in the 19th century as a stereotypical Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins, as said before, has got his priorities all wrong. Where he should be devoted to his spiritual life and his congregation, he finds money (Lady Catherine) the most important. Wherever he goes, he promotes Lady Catherine and sucks up to her. We see that when Mr. Collins dines at Mr and Mrs Bennet’s house, he is very enthusiastic about expressing his thoughts on her. Jane Austen says â€Å"The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mr. Collins thinks of Lady Catherine as he should (as a clergyman) think of God. He thinks of her superiority as immense compared to his own, â€Å"he had never witnessed in his life such behaviour in a person of rank,†, â€Å"and that the most elevated rank†, â€Å"and she often condescends to drive by my humble abode in her little phaeton and ponies† (he makes known the difference in rank between him and her). As I said, he should be acting this way to â€Å"spiritual† God, not human â€Å"materialistic† Lady Catherine. Mr.Collins also seems to think that whatever she says goes. For instance, â€Å"Lady Catherine herself says that in point of true beauty, Miss de Bourgh is far superior to the handsomest of her sex.† This is clear evidence that Lady Catherine is not what Mr. Collins says she is: â€Å"She is a most charming and young lady.†. This statements contradicts what Mr. Collins next says: â€Å"She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution, which has prevented her making that progress in many accomplishments, which she could not otherwise have failed of.† However, we can see that she is â€Å"of a sickly constitution† obviously not because she is young like Mr. Collins said before, but old. We know this because she has a daughter, and also because Lady Catherine is a widow.

Mans search for meaning Essay -- essays research papers fc

REACTION TO VICTOR FRANKL’S MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING Frankl attains as high a level of humanism in his writing as one would think possible of any scientist. His psychology is based on empiricism. His experiences as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp, stripped of everything but his bare existence, led him to explore the ultimate sense of meaning in human life. In own privileged western world we don’t have to struggle for life and its essentials, like food. Furthermore, there is plenty to keep us busy, whether it be work or other forms of entertainment. In such an environment it is easy to forget or procrastinate in the search for life’s meaning. In Frankl’s account, the search for meaning had life-and-death implications, like the need for food and water. Having formed a theory so based on experience, Frankl is much less schematic or cerebral than even the most humanistic of psychologists. Some of his conclusions are not unlike those of Abraham Maslow and Erich Fromm. This is clear in the importance all three give to transcendence. He asserts that â€Å"the more one forgets himself†¦the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself† (133). This assertion reminds one of Maslow’s definitions of â€Å"peak experiences† as those of transcendence. Maslow claims that it is possible to learn from such experiences in order to become more conscious of being. This idea firmly correlates with Frankl’s. The main concern for mankind is fulfilling a meaning. It is in this point that Frank...

Ethical Issues with Stealing

Case- Study Method 1. Identify the ethical issues * she is being paid double * she has not reported it after 2 and a half months * the money is not hers * she can get in a lot of trouble * she looks bad in front of other colleagues if they were to ever find out. 2. Identify two possible plausible courses of action * tell Human Resources they made a mistake and give back the money * keep the money and hope no one notices. 3. Identify and quickly define some ethical theories Rawls: the greatest amount of good for the worst off people * He would have thought that regardless of intentions the ends is more important than the means. * Difference principle applies because it justifies that creating (or increasing) inequality is ethical only if doing so also benefits the worst off members of society. * Utilitarianism: * The greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people * Wouldn’t support this because it is a selfish act * The intentions don’t matter it depends on th e means of the situation. Francine would benefit from the situation but the department would be losing money so the greatest amount of people would not be benefit. * Veil of Ignorance * Original Position : assume the â€Å"state of nature† hwere there’s no cooperation * Everyone is perfectly rational and completely self0interested * No knowledge of : race, sex, age, socioeconomic position, marital status, local, abilities/ skill, intelligence, etc. this means that Francine would not have the knowledge that she was being overpaid and continue on being ignorant about it. . Analyze the courses of action using the ethical theories : use theories above. 5. Weigh the considerations and come to a single recommendation for action : * Francine should report that she is being paid double because it is not ethical to be receiving money for no reason. * Could be considered stealing * Looks bad upon her * Makes her seem untrustworthy * Can lose her job * No one will have respect fo r her * Only benefits herself (her debit) 6. Justify your recommendations with reasons: look above.