The Impact of Motivation and Affect on Judgement Essays

The Impact of Motivation and Affect on Judgement Essays The Impact of Motivation and Affect on Judgement Essay The Impact of Motivation and Affect on Judgement Essay The first is judgment, according to the Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary (n. D. ) this is defined as the ability of an individual to make a decision or come to a conclusion after careful thought. The second term is motivation and that is an inner state that energies, directs and sustains behavior (Ellis-Nimrod, 2012). The final term, affect, is defined as any feelings, emotions and moods that a learner brings to bear on a task (Ellis-Nimrod, 2012). Motivation and affect can be said to be intertwined in forming Hot Cognition. Hot cognition focuses on the mental processes that are driven by an individuals desires (goals) and feelings (affect) (Sundae, 1999). The two (motivation and affect) are important because of how they may influence our thought processes that are used to arrive at judgments and influence which concepts or beliefs are applied to judgment. In addition to his hot cognition influences our judgments in terms of how we process information. Take for example a scenario of two women, Sally and Jane. Jane has just moved into Sally apartment building and no one knows anything about her except that she is always seen going out at nights and coming in early mornings. If Sally uses the little information available to her and comes to the conclusion that Jane is a stripped though using inferential shortcuts. However if Sally and Canes sons attend the e same school and Sally goes to visit her mother at a nursing home and sees Jane then she will come to a judgment about Jane through elaborate systematic reasoning. Motivation can be seen as a very important factor in our lives. It is the most basic drive for all our actions and can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Our basic behaviors and feelings are affected by our inner drive to succeed over lifes challenges while we set goals for ourselves. Even our ability to carry out our everyday functions such as eating or working is affected by motivation. The Cognitive perspective of motivation focuses on how it is that our mental processes affect motivation (Ellis-Nimrod, Cakewalks, Achaean, Andrews, Shore, 2010). Simply put this is saying that an individuals motivation is based mainly on how it is that the person tries to understand all that is happening around them. If one has no understanding of the world around them then it is highly unlikely that they will be motivated to get involved in anything and will feel as an outcast among others. Ellis-Nimrod et al. (2010) further stated that the Social Cognitive Perspective placed an emphasis on how a persons motivation is very dependent on their future expectations. The Goal Orientation Theory of Motivation outlines how it is that our cognitive presentations determine the type of goal we pursue. It brings out two main tenets that an individual is motivated by either performance goals or mastery goals. Performance goals are those which arise from a persons desire to outdo someone while mastery goals are those emerging from having strong interests in a task to the point where it is important that you do extremely well at it or aim to do better than before (Australian Institute of Professional Counselors, 2010). Three girls are a part of a football team, girl A, girl B and girl C. Girls A and C have been best friends for most of their lives and so they eave a genuine love for the sport. This then allows them to be on top of their game and is ranked as the top scorers for the team. For each match they aim to score more goals than the last match, this would be seen as a mastery goal. Girl B on the other hand holds the view that she is a better player than Girls A and C and so if they score two goals per match she tries to outdo them by scoring three (performance goal). In the book, Social Cognition, Sundae (1999) outlined how directional goals and accuracy goals impact ones judgment. A directional goal is that which motivates the individual to draw a reticular judgment. On the other hand accuracy goals actually motivate the individual to end up with the best possible solution. In a final year Social Cognition class are two friends Shank and Oral who have an upcoming mid- semester exam. Previously their GAP was getting low and so this final examination would determine if they are going to meet graduation requirements. Shank is a potential A student but does not take enough interest in his school work, however since his last disappointing test results he has decided that he is going to put in the extra studying to get his grades up. Shames motivation would be an example of an accuracy goal because he is going to invest greater efforts into the task at hand so this can actually improve their judgment through better strategies for reasoning. Accuracy goals can improve judgment under some circumstances but can make it worse under others. Oral is the opposite of Shank, he does not go to class nor is interested in studying for the test because he believes that he is going to fail navys so it makes no sense to study for the test (directional goal) . This is the problem with directional goals they impact our judgment by creating biases in our beliefs. So it could be that Oral could have mastered the examination as well but his judgment has been biased and so he just accepts his failure. Our outcome dependency is one way in which motivation bias judgment. Outcome dependency is where in order to achieve a goal we create a bias of our judgments about the people around us in order to make that goal seem more convincing. For example five random persons are placed on a quiz team, none had any prior interaction but they will hold each other high in esteem that they are competent enough to carry out the task. This is similar to evidence found by Birched et al. As cited in Sundae, 1999, p. 21 5) where participants part of a dating to study rated their potential partners in a positive light as opposed to others. When new information has been given which ends up conflicting what it is that is already known then there is some feeling of discomfort (Ellis-Nimrod, 2012). This is known as cognitive dissonance. Arousal is a big factor to contributor to our judgments. When referring to arousal it is more to the constraints of brain stimulation rather than the basic pleasure of satisfying our sexual needs. With reference to cognitive dissonance it was put forward that studies have showed that errors are more likely to conform in order to reduce tension in situations (Sundae, 1999). If one is asked to write against something that they do not agree to they will not object due to motivation. However this view was somewhat challenged by Daryl BEMA saying that if a person chooses to do something that they are not in favor of then this is actually their self, perception and as such they are motivated to change their attitudes. Damascus (as cited in Sundae, 1 999, p. 21 8) stated that those who suffered from brain damage were more likely to engage in danger even when they are aware of such danger. It can be said that due to brain damage these persons have less feelings of or no arousal at all and so they are susceptible to making bad decisions. Our moods when acting as a source of information can actually affect our judgment. The mood congruent of judgment is that one will give a positive answer when in a good mood and respond negatively when we are experiencing bad moods (Sundae 1999). Bower (as cited in Sundae 1999) found that: Network model our brains tend to keep our memories in nodes, which it then connects with associated other memories. Nodes can be semantic (with straightforward meaning) or affective (with emotional meaning). Thus we may have a node for happiness, with which are associated all our happy memories. Nodes can also inhibit one another (a form or negative association). Thus when we are happy it is difficult to think of sad things, and vice versa. Similarly it was found by Johnson and Trotsky (1983) that mood congruence effects shows that those who are in positive affective states have a higher expectation of successful goal attainment when compared to those of negative affective states who may have a higher likelihood judgment that they will not be able to attain their goals. Schwartz ND Color (1983) suggested that a person will rely more on how they are feeling at the moment to form a judgment. People experiencing positive core affect are likely to make progress judgments less frequently and more favorably, which will lead to greater persistence in following the current course of action. In contrast, people in negative affective states will be less persistent in maintaining the intended course of action by making progress judgments more frequently, thoroughly, and less favorably. Mood will affect our judgment but this is not something that is consistent. The Affect Infusion Model (AIM) is one that ensures that the effect of the affect on judgment depends on the reasoning strategy that the individual uses such as the heuristic process or the substantive process (Forges, 1994). With the heuristic process this is where one uses quick and easy shortcuts that require very little or no effort at all and our mood creates a bias unnoticeable. When using the substantive process our reasoning is more systematic and analytical so our mood does not have that much of an effect to create a bias on our judgment (Forges, 1995). Motivation and affect actually intertwine in influencing our judgments. Motivation is an important factor in everyday life. Our basic challenges while we set goals for ourselves. Our motivation also promotes our feelings of competence and self-worth as we achieve our goals.

Master the German Language Exams - Level A1

Master the German Language Exams - Level A1 I would like to introduce to you the different levels that you can achieve in an official German exam. There are two language certificates that are renowned all over Germany and possibly all over the world: The TELC, the Ãâ€"SD (Austrian standard) and the Goethe-Certificates. There are plenty of other certificates around and while they might be of the same quality as the ones above, for certain purposes they might not suffice. There are also quite a few other standards worldwide which you can find in a neatly organized table here.  According to the European reference frame, there are six language mastery levels which I will present to you over the coming months. Please be patient with me. Quick Overview The six language levels that you can achieve are:   A1, A2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  BeginnerB1, B2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IntermediateC1, C2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advanced The division of A1-C2 into beginner, intermediate and advanced is not very exact but should rather give you an idea of what level of proficiency those levels are aiming at. It is, of course, impossible to measure your language skill precisely and with every grading system, there can be huge gaps between a bad B1 level and an excellent one. But those labels were created to make language skills of university or job applicants comparable all over Europe. They have defined them as precisely as they could in the so-called Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Absolute beginner A1 according to the CEFR would mean that you, I quote the  above source:   Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has.Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. To see a sample of how that would sound, I recommend that you take a look at ​some of these videos here. What is an A1 certificate good for? Next, to marking a significant first stage in your German learning, it often is a requirement for some nationalities to get a visa for Germany. For the reunion of Turkish family members, the European Court of Justice has declared such requirements as void. In case of doubt, I suggest that you simply call your local German embassy and ask.   How long does it take to reach A1 You are probably aware of the difficulty to answer this question to anyone’s satisfaction. In case of a standard intensive German course here in Berlin, you would need two months, five days a week with 3 hours of daily tuition plus 1.5 hours of homework. That sums up to 200 hours of learning to finish A1 (4.5 hours x 5 days x 4 weeks x 2 months). That is if you are studying in a group. With individual tuition, you might be able to achieve this level in half the time or even quicker. Do I need to attend a German course to reach A1? While there are many things one can accomplish on ones own, with languages I would always advise you to seek some guidance. It doesn’t have to be an expensive or intensive language course. Seeing a good German tutor for 2-3 times 45mins per week might do the job. But she would have to provide you with sufficient homework and direction to make sure you are and stay on the right track. Learning on your own might simply take longer as you might first have to figure out what material to use and how to establish a learning routine. Also, you will not have any error correction which might lead to the establishment of fluent but broken German which is very hard to fix. Those who say they don’t need a teacher, most likely don’t. If you are challenged financially, use the internet to find affordable tutors. Try three to five tutors and go for the one that makes the most competent impression.An alternative is group courses at local language schools. I’m not a big fa n of those but I also understand that sometimes the situation doesn’t allow for anything else.    How much does it cost to reach A1 Well, the costs, of course, depend on the institution that you are taking the course with. Those range from 80â‚ ¬ / month at Volkshochschule (VHS) to 1.200â‚ ¬ / month at the Goethe Institut (during summer here in Berlin, their prices vary worldwide). There are also ways to get your German learning subsidized by the government. I will talk about these in detail in the coming weeks but in case you would like to do some research on your own, look for German integration courses (Integrationskurse), the ESF program or check out the requirements for a Bildungsgutschein (education voucher) issued from the Agentur fà ¼r Arbeit. Although the latter might rather be granted for learners at a higher level of German. How do I prepare the most efficient way for such an exam? When I still went to school to pass an exam it was always really helpful to take a look at older exams. Like this one gets an impression on what kind of questions or tasks are requested and will, therefore, feel already accustomed to the material. Nothing is worse than sitting in an exam and realizing that one doesn’t know what to do.  You can find model exams for A1 (and the higher levels) on these pages: TELCÃâ€"SD (check the right sidebar for the sample exam)Goethe Those institutions also offer additional material for purchase in case you feel the need to prepare a bit more. Get a free evaluation of your written skill They all come with answer keys so that you can evaluate your skill yourself. To get an evaluation of your writing skills I suggest that you send your work to the lang-8 community. It is free, though they have a premium subscription offer that pays off in case you need your texts to be corrected a bit faster. You need to correct other learners’ texts though to gain credits that you then can use to „payâ€Å" for the correction of your work. Mental preparation An exam is always an emotional experience. If you are not the least bit nervous in such a situation, you are a „Kalter Hundâ€Å" or a very good actor. I think I have never really failed an exam (only once in fourth-grade elementary school in Religion) but I can clearly feel my stress levels rising when being tested.To prepare a bit for this experience, you might want to use mental training which has proven to be effective for sportspeople. If you can visit the examination center beforehand to get an impression of the room and to check out how to get there smoothly in time on your examination day. Try to remember some details of that place or simply try to find images of it on the institution’s homepage.   With these images in your mind and maybe after having watched those videos of oral exams above, close your eyes and imagine sitting in your exam and answering questions. In case of the oral exam, imagine how you’d sound like and how everyone smiles (some German examiners have a physiological disorder which doesn’t allow them to smile - see above videos) and how you get out of this exam satisfied with yourself.   This might take just a minute or two. So repeat it in the morning when waking up and just before your go to sleep as early as a month before the exam takes place. You will find that it makes a significant difference. That’s it for the A1 exam. Should you still have any question regarding this exam just contact me and I will get back to you asap.

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin Research Paper

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin - Research Paper Example Currently the largest problem facing Florida is cocaine followed by marijuana. The use of heroin remains low except for Boca Raton and Miami-Dade. The greatest numbers of people turning to drug rehabilitation centers do so due to marijuana addiction. In 2007 alone more than 13,000 people entered treatment facilities in Florida to deal with marijuana addiction. Around 47% of these people were aged between 12 and 17 years of age. Similarly the number of cocaine addicts seeking help was some 10,000 in 2007. It has also been estimated that some 380,000 people in Florida are addicted to illicit drugs but did not seek any help (Narconon, 2011). When the Florida drug scene is considered, it is noticeable that the abuse of legal drugs is much higher in Florida than the abuse of illegal drugs. In 2006 alone some 1,400 people in Florida died from overdoses of benzodiazepines such as Xanax or from overdoses of a narcotic such as OxyContin. On the other hand some 633 people died in Florida in 2006 from cocaine overdose. Moreover most of the marijuana that is found in Florida is grown locally rather than imported. Between 2006 and 2008 the number of indoor marijuana plants eradicated shot up from 36,000 to 78,000. (Narconon, 2011) All in all the Florida legal and illegal drugs scenario presents a grim picture that needs further support from the government in order to deal with this menace at large. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin have been legalized in certain parts of the world such as the Netherlands but the impact of these policies is often underplayed or overplayed in order to make an argument. In order to realize the true impacts of such policies, it is pertinent to consider the peculiar socio-economic circumstances that surround the legalization of drugs in these nations. Portugal decriminalized the possession of drugs for personal use in 2001. By law anyone caught with such drugs was subject to therapy and

Writing and Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing and Environment - Essay Example Jared Diamond’s article titled The Last Americans: Environmental Collapse and the End of Civilization issues a warning to those living in advanced economies (including the United States) that great civilizations of the past inevitably decline and perish after hitting their peak. He suggests that being complacent currently can lead to irreparable ecological catastrophes in the near future. The article Am I Blue by Alice Walker touches upon an allied concern, namely the issue of animal rights. She suggests that human have for too long exploited animals for their own selfish ends and that this is a symbol of human conflict too. So in order for humans to flourish, they have to start treating animals ethically. All three authors discussed above raise several valid points and their observations validate each other’s arguments. Rachel Carson’s article titled The Obligation to Endure is gives an in-depth analysis of the state of chemical pollution in our environment. Carson asserts that the rate at which new synthetic pollutants are let out into our environment is too fast for life-forms to adopt to and evolve accordingly. As a result our planet is now at a cusp of a fatal disaster. Given the gravity of the issue, Carson does not employ humor or sarcasm. Instead, her prose is of a serious tone, infused with dark irony and earnest imploration. Her appeal to the reader is quite powerful, for it comes at the back of a detailed and factual analytical presentation. One chemical problem that Rachel Carson focuses on is that of the insecticide. This seemingly beneficial device to keep insect pests has caused unforeseen consequences of vast proportions. Insecticides such as DDT, while providing immediate improvement in agricultural productivity, have caused severe collateral damage. For this reason, Carson asserts that

Gun Control Essay Example for Free

Gun Control Essay Ultius is the trusted provider of academic content solutions for college students around the world. Our online platform connects qualified freelance writers with customers who are looking for rich, custom-written content. We provide essays, research papers, term papers, dissertations and other writing assignments. HomeSearch Research Paper on Gun Control Posted byUltius onSaturday, 16 March 2013 in Sample WorkBuying a Research Paper on Gun Control from UltiusRecently, President Obama and other Democratic members of Congress have strongly pushed for a critical discussion on gun control. Around the country, many teachers and professors are pushing their students to think about this subject and write at length about ways to limit gun violence. By no means are these papers easy to write; due to the emotional ramifications of this issue, writing a paper on gun control must be done in a very professional manner. So buy a research paper on gun control with Ultius and feel at ease knowing your work will be completed by a professional. Before doing that, though, feel free to check out this sample research paper on gun control. It was written in support of President Obama’s policy suggestions, and may be helpful to those of you interested in learning more about this increasingly important subject. Ultius writers are familiar with a wide variety of writing styles and have written argumentative papers for years, so keep in mind that we offer custom written research papers on both sides of every ideological spectrum. Don’t hesitate to contact our sales department to buy a research paper on gun control today! The Second Amendment: A Threat to Civilized People? Gun control has recently created a massive uproar throughout the United States because of the recent, and sincerely unfortunate, Sandy Hook school shooting that occurred last December. In response to this tragedy, Democratic leaders have been attempting to capitalize on the incident and push forward their respective agenda of limiting gun rights. As one can imagine, there are a surfeit of opinions on the subject, but despite this fact, I have come to affirm that I am strong believer in strengthening gun control. Although the right to bear arms should continue to be guaranteed by the Second Amendment, our nation’s need for heightened security in school classrooms and other public places is something that should no longer be ignored. The Gun Problem: Why an Unlimited Right to Bear Arms is Bad Since becoming a staple of American society, guns have been instrumental in altering contemporary warfare. The dangers of these weapons are not a secret; it is simply their mere nature. Some argue that guns were created to protect, while others suggest that they were built to destroy and cause the death of one’s intended target. Frank Zimring, a University of Chicago Law scholar, stated in his piece The University of Chicago Law Review, â€Å"The rate of knife deaths per 100 reported knife attacks was less than 1/5 the rate of gun deaths per 100 reported gun attacks† (Zimring 722). This statistic expresses the sincere lethality of guns compared to other forms of weaponry. One of the main reasons for this data stems from the misuse of guns, which unlike other weapons, can cause death to the user and those around him or her even on accident. If this unfortunate probability can be decreased, how can we stand around as the leader of the free world and let nothing be done? In the American political system, gun control has been a debate for many years; however, recent shootings have forced it into a large spotlight. The problem that splits gun control proponents from their opposition is the language of the second amendment of the constitution. The founding fathers of this nation believed that, â€Å"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed† (U. S. Constitution). This multifaceted sentence from the Bill of Rights brings many quarrels to life with its simple diction. It is very open to interpretation, which is what causes both sides of the debate to have â€Å"legal stances† on the matter. The National Rifle Association (NRA), which is the nation’s largest gun advocacy organization, is led by the philosophy that it, â€Å"[hosts] a wide range of firearms-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. † What gun advocates in the NRA often fail to understand, however, is the conscionable limits to the Second Amendment. As 27-year serving Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia stated in the majority opinion of the District of Columbia V.  Heller decision, â€Å"like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited† (Scalia). This lead Scalia to also state that, â€Å"it is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. † These sanctions are legal proof that the second amendment allows for the government to regulate the distribution , ownership, and use of weapons. On top of that, Scalia, regarded as the most conservative justice, clearly highlights that gun control is useful and at times necessary.

The Struggle in George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) :: Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 Essays

The Struggle in Nineteen Eighty-four (1984) In a world controlled by a higher power, constantly living in fear of doing or saying something wrong, thoughts can be incriminating. Even worse, any unpure thoughts may make you disappear. Constantly being watched, and observed without knowing. A telescreen watching every facial expression and recording any abnormal body language and movement everywhere you go. Even in your home there is no escape. You are unable to get away or turn off the power of the Telescreen and "Big Brother". This novel is of a man's struggle against a totalitarian government that controls the ideas and thoughts of its citizens. In the novel 1984 by George Orwell the government used advanced mind reading techniques to discover the thoughts of the people and punish those who show signs of rebellion against the government. The novel is supposed to be a prophetic story, however, it was somewhat wrong in predicting the date when this government would rein. Although some themes described in the book are now realities, some are not going to happen for some time to come and this is why this novel continues to be overwhelming to us today. Perhaps Orwell's purpose for writing 1984 was to express his feelings of how the governments would come to control everything and anything they wished to do. It is also possible that he wanted to tell of how mind control and torture techniques could be used to make an individual or an entire nation do what the government wanted. This story shows the danger of a world in which the government has too much control. The novel shows how the government controls its people, eliminating their individuality and the essence of everything that makes a human a human. "And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed-if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'" (Page 37) Though this society is efficient, it means little since the people cannot enjoy freedom and therefore have no rights. This quote emphasizes how if you don't recall anything about the past you will be easily controlled by the government and you will no longer have any concrete evidence. In this novel, Orwell used the image of a man who stood in a shadow that covered his face.

New Global Strategies for Competitive Advantage

1. High intensity domestic competition breeds international success. 2. In the diamond-shaped chart, there are key elements of it success is to be sustained: Company strategy (structure and rivalry), factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries. 3. The home base shapes a company’s capacity to innovate rapidly in technology and methods and to do so in the proper directions. 4. A global strategy supplements and solidifies the competitive advantage created at home base. 5. The most important sources of national advantage must be actively sought and exploited. 6. Caught up in a never-ending process of seeking out new advantages and struggling with rivals to protect them. 7. Stability is valued in most companies, not change. Protecting old ideas and techniques becomes the preoccupation, not creating new ones. The long-term challenge for any firm is to put itself in a position where it is most likely to perceive, and best able to address the imperatives of competitive advantage. Expose a company to new market and technological opportunities that may be hard to perceive.Preparing for change by upgrading and expanding the skills of employees and improving the firm’s scientific and knowledge base. Overcoming complacency and inertia to act on the new opportunities and circumstances. Much attention has rightly been places on the importance of visionary leaders in achieving unusual organizational success. Great leaders are influenced by the environment in which they work. Innovation takes place because the home environment stimulates it. Innovation succeeds because the home environment supports and even forces it.The right environment not only shapes a leader’s own perceptions and priorities but provides the catalyst that allows the leader to overcome inertia and produce organizational change. Great leaders emerge in different industries in different nations, in part because national circumstances attract and encourage them In many industries, the national environment provides one or two nations with a distinct advantage over their foreign competitors. Leadership often determines which particular firm or firms exploit this advantage.The ability of any firm to innovate has much to do with the environment to which it is exposed. Seeking safe havens and comfortable customer relationship only reinforces past behavior. Innovation grows out of pressure and challenge. It also comes from finding the right challenges to meet. The main role of the firm’s leader is to create the environment that meets these conditions.8. The new rules for innovation, a company should actively seek out pressure and challenge not try to avoid t hem. Part of the task is to take advantage of the home nation in order to create the impetus for innovation.Some of the ways of doing so are: seel to the most sophisticated and demanding buyers and channels seek out the buyers with the most difficult needs, establish norms of exceeding the toughest regulatory hurdles of product standards, treat employees as permanent, and establish outstanding competitors as motivators.9. The true costs of stability. Such a search for a quiet life, and understandable instinct, has led many companies to buy direct competitors or from alliances with them, in a closed, static world, monopoly would indeed be the most comfortable and profitable solution.In reality competition is dynamic. Good managers always run a little scared, they respect and study competitors. Seeking out and meeting challenges is part of their organizational norm. A firm need not exclusively serve demanding buyers nor should it compete head on with any rival. The aim in seeking pres sure and challenge is to create the conditions in which competitive advantage can be preserved. In global competition, the pressures of demanding local buyers, capable suppliers, and aggressive domestic rivalry are even more valuable and necessary for long-term profitability.These drive the firm to a faster rate of progress and upgrading than international rivals, and lead to sustained competitive advantage and superior long-term profitability. A tough domestic industry structure creates advantage in the international industry. A comfortable, easy home base, in contrast, leaves a firm vulnerable to rivals who enjoy greater dynamism at home. If a firm lacks the pressures for improvement and innovation, it must create them10. Perceiving industry change. One of the most important advantages an industry can have is early insight into important needs, environmental forces and trends that others have not noticed.Firms gain competitive position before rivals perceive an opportunity and are able to respond. Identify and serve buyers with the most anticipatory needs. Some buyers will confront new problems or have new needs before others, because of their demographics, location, industry, or strategy. Buyer with anticipatory needs should be identified, designated as priorities and cultivated. Discover and highlight trends in factor costs. Increases in the costs of particular factor or other inputs may signal future opportunities to leapfrog competitors by innovating to deploy inputs more effectively or to avoid the need for them altogether.Maintain ongoing relationship with centers of research and sources of the most talented people. Identify the places in the nation where the best new knowledge is being created that is now or might become relevant to its industry. Identify school, companies, institutions where the best specialized human resources needed in the industry are being trained. Invest time and money. Study all competitors, especially the new and unconventiona l ones. A firm should designate the most forward-looking or unconventional competitors for particular study, including foreign competitors who may enjoy the benefits of a very different home base.Learn from competitors as to develop strategies to counter them. Bring some outsiders into the management team. Managers from other companies or industries or from the company’s foreign subsidiaries. Benefit the innovation process.11. International within the national cluster. Firm gains competitive advantage from the presence in its home nation of world-class buyers, suppliers and related industries. Have a strong cluster at home unblocks the flows of information and allows deeper and more open contract than in possible when dealing with foreign firms. Buyers, channels and suppliers.Recognizing that home-based buyers and suppliers are allies in international competition, a firm must persuade: regular senior management contact, formal and ongoing interchange between research organiza tions, reciprocity in serving as test sites for new products or services and cooperation in penetrating and serving international markets. Related industries. Industries those are related or potentially related in terms of technology, channels, buyers, or the way buyers obtain or use products, are potentially important to creating and staining competitive advantage.Locating within the nation. A firm should locate activities and its headquarters at those locations in the nation where there are concentrations of sophisticated buyers, important suppliers, groups of competitors, or especially significant factor-creating mechanisms for its industry. Geographic proximity makes the relationship within a cluster closer and more fluid.12. Serving home base buyers who are international and multinational. Identify and serve buyers at home that it can also serve abroad.13. Improving the national competitive environment.14. Diversification.Part of company strategy in virtually every nation. Acqu isitions were involved in international success stories, the acquisitions were often modest or focused ones that served as an initial entry point or reinforced an internal entry. Theory for diversification strategy are as follow:New industries for diversification should be selected where a favorable national â€Å"diamond† is present or can be created. Diversification proposals should be screened for the attractiveness of the home base.Diversification is most likely to succeed when it follows or extends clusters in which the firm already competes.Internal development of new businesses, supplemented by small acquisitions, is more likely to create and sustain competitive advantage than the acquisition of large, established companies.Diversification into businesses, lacking common buyers, channels, suppliers or close technological connections is not only likely to fail but will also undermine the prospects for sustaining advantage in the core businesses.15. To sustain competitiv e advantage in global industries, a firm must sell to all significant country markets. Identifying such buyers in other nations will help a firm understand the most stimulate rapid progress in products and services.16. A firm must be willing to source products or equipment from foreign firms if they are superior. Also work to upgrade local suppliers. Loyalty to domestic suppliers, for its own sake, is ultimately self-defeating. The best form for this is to confront them in no uncertain terms with the need to match their foreign competitors in quality and productivity in order to retain the business.A firm aspiring to competitive advantage must be aware of, and ideally have some access to, all the important scientific work going on in the world that is related to its industry.17. A firm must be the best rivals in the marketplace in order to sustain and upgrade its advantage. Must find a way to gain advantage over the best rivals in order to assure its market position. Meet rivals in all the important markets is to deny them profits in safe markets that can be used to cross-subsidize low profits in contested markets.18. Choose a location that will expose the firm to significant needs and pressures lacking at home. The purpose is to learn as well as raise the odds that information passes credibly back to the home base.19. Foreign acquisitions can serve for: gain access to a foreign market or to selective skills and to gain a highly favorable national diamond.20. Alliances or coalitions are final mechanism by which firm can seek to tap national advantages in other nations. Alliances take form as joint ventures, licenses, sales agreements and supply agreements. Alliances are a tempting solution to the dilemma of a firm seeking the home-base advantages of another nation without giving up its own (are rarely a solution).21. Real leaders believe in change. Energize their organizations to meet competitive challenges. Find ways of overcoming the filters that limit infor mation and prevent innovation. Have a broad view of competition in which their national environment is integral to competitive success. Work hard to improve that environment and to encourage appropriate government policies.

Breaking Away from Stereotype

The United States of America has been called the â€Å"melting pot† of the world. It is a country that is open to diversity and welcomes culture, race and ethnicity of all sorts, for as long as it complies with its laws. United States become a nation rich in immigrants who found new home in a foreign land. Most of the big and key cities in the United States are culturally and racially diversified. This diversity is taught to be an asset of the society. If not understood well, this diversity may also lead to internal and external conflicts such as discrimination and stereotyping. Stereotyping can be as harmless as thinking that Chinese cooks the best orange chicken or Indians have the best chicken curry, but it can also be as destructive as stereotyping Muslims as potential terrorists or Mexicans as potential illegal aliens. Stereotypes come in different forms and it is also apparent in the news, media, television, songs and even literatures. Latino or Hispanic race, for example, has been a hot topic of racial stereotyping. A Latino man behind a cash register may often hear a customer asking â€Å"habla Ingles†. Failure to assimilate to American culture, including language, is one stereotype Latinos are facing. In the story â€Å"Rain of Gold†, written by Victor Villasenor, most of the characters spoke little or no English until they entered the United States. Another literary work, a poetry, written by Pat Mora entitled â€Å"Immigrants† contained lines that read â€Å"before the baby can even walk, speak to them in thick English, hallo, babe, hallo†. There may be some humor to the poem, but it stereotypes the Latino immigrants as having â€Å"thick English† accents. â€Å"Rain of Gold†, written by Victor Villasenor was about the three generations of two Mexican families whose hardship and adventures date back in the Mexican Revolution of 1910. The book chronicled the characters’ escape from Mexico and entry into the United States. It was entitled â€Å"Rain of Gold† because it is the English translation of the characters’ home town of â€Å"La Lluvia de Oro†. In the book, the characters spoke little or no English, which may still be apparent today in our society. However, from the book, we cannot generalize that Mexicans cannot assimilate the way of living or system of other culture. In the book, it was also written that the characters learned to use the survival techniques of Native Americans in order to survive the difficulties they were facing in their environment. The poem â€Å"Immigrants† by Pat Mora also wrote examples on how Mexican try to adapt the American culture by eating hot dogs and apple pie, by naming their children Bill and Daisy, or by buying their children football or blonde dolls with blue eyes. In the modern America, most stereotypes related to the Latino race are exaggerated in the movies or in the media. The movies would often depict Latinos as blue collared workers with little education, family with more than four children, or young Latino with literacy problem. Another stereotype that is attached to the Latino culture is the use of spiritual healing or magic. There are three literary works that took note of the Spiritual healing practice of the Latino culture. â€Å"Rain of Gold† by Victor Villasenor noted that during trying times, the character held on the belief of spirits and asked for their guidance and healing. â€Å"The Curing Woman† by Alejandro Morales was about the power of the traditional healers who use spiritual connection to heal physical ailments. It is about a Spanish woman named Marcelina who learned how to use â€Å"white magic† from her Spanish mother, Dona Marcelina Trujillo. â€Å"White magic† uses herbs, plants, minerals, chants and astrological formulas to cure diseases of the human body. â€Å"Curandera†, a poem written by Pat Mora describes the dependency of a Latino woman to the nature as means of survival and healing of the people. In the poem, the curandera (a woman who practices folk medicine), uses the elements found in the desert, plants, sunlight, and wind to heal other people to survive. Living in a modernized society and the availability of technology used as tools in medicine will create plenty of skepticism and mockery to spiritual healing as a form of cure. The use of spiritual healing will be rejected by most of American populations who grew up with vaccines, radiography, and antibiotics. It will be a challenge for any Latinos practicing this part of their culture to make someone else outside of their race to understand. Another Latino stereotype that affects most Latino men, is the machismo schema attached to Latino men. It is viewed that in Latino culture, men are the dominant gender, and women are submissive to their male counterparts. However, in â€Å"Rain of Gold† written by Victor Villasenor, the character of Dona Margarita, a wife and a mother, possessed strength that was even able to boldly reprimand the character of her husband. Dona Margarita’s strength and support was valued in the book as one of the reason of fulfilling the family’s dreams. She was able to express her anger and frustration on her husband, Don Victor, when he gambled and got drunk. Her family felt hope when she did not give-up her hope that her daughter, Sophia, was still alive. Although she wanted to give the leadership role to her husband Don Victor, the book made it apparent that she is the strength of her family. However, the story also depicted Dona Margarita as a housewife whose primary role is to raise her children and manage the household. Most Latino written works also depicted the common stereotype that Latinos mostly worked blue collar jobs. For example, in the â€Å"Rain of Gold† by Victor Villasenor, most men worked as miners, while some worked as soldiers. In the movies, most Latino females play characters such as nanny, cashier, waitress, or housekeeper. In conclusion, I believe that the Latino race does not only suffer from being stereotyped by people from another culture, but also from the literary works of Latino authors. Pat Mora, for example, used the â€Å"thick English† accent of Latinos to provide some humor to her poetry. In more than two literatures the â€Å"spiritual or magical healing† was also noted, providing a stronger connection between this practice and the Latino race. Personally, I believe that I am a victim of the movies and television programs who effectively instill cultural stereotypes in me. Fortunately, I was able to know numerous Latinos that proved that the stereotypes should not be used as a general depiction of their race. A research study survey noted that the stereotypical images of the Latinos in the media are not accurate and that most Latinos who participated in the survey were able to assimilate well into the US culture (Latino Professional Survey, 2006). The survey noted that 98% of the survey respondents were fluent in English and 80% were college graduate (Latino Professional Survey, 2006). This defies the common stereotyping that Latinos cannot speak English very well and mostly occupy blue collared jobs.

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits Due to its unreliable tracking system, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) may be delivering your mail even more slowly than it has claimed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Background After increasing its own long-time 2-day delivery standard for First-Class mail to 3-days in January, 2015, the cash-starved USPS proceeded to close or consolidate 82 mail processing plants nationwide over the objections of all 50 U.S. Senators. [ See: Why for Mail Delivery ‘Slow’ is the New ‘Normal’ ] The effects of those actions revealed themselves in August 2015, when a federal inspector general notified the USPS that the number of First-Class letters being delivered at least a day late had increased by 48% in the first 6 months of 2015 alone. Mail May be Even Slower, GAO Finds But lowered standards or not, the GAO’s investigators reported that the Postal Service’s system for tracking and reporting delivery time is too incomplete and unreliable to determine how late the mail really is being delivered. According to GAO auditors, the reports created by the USPS’s mail delivery tracking system â€Å"do not include sufficient analysis to hold USPS accountable for meeting its statutory mission to provide service in all areas of the nation.† In fact, the GAO found that the USPS’ system tracks the delivery times of only 55% of First-Class mail, Standard-Class mail, periodicals, and packages. Delivery times of mail without tracking barcodes are not reported. â€Å"Incomplete measurement poses the risk that measures of on-time performance are not representative, since performance may differ for mail included in the measurement, from mail that is not,† stated the GAO. â€Å"Complete performance information enables effective management, oversight, and accountability.† In other words, the USPS doesn’t know exactly how slow its mail delivery service has become. Spreading the Blame The GAO also placed some blame on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the presidentially appointed body responsible for overseeing Postal Service operations. Specifically the GAO criticized the PRC for failing to determine why the USPS’s delivery time tracking data are not complete and dependable. â€Å"While PRCs annual reports have provided data on the amount of mail included in measurement, they have not fully assessed why this measurement was incomplete or whether USPS actions will make it so,† GAO investigators wrote. While the PRC has the power to direct the USPS to improve its delivery time tracking system, it has so far failed to do so, noted the GAO. Meanwhile, in Rural America The GAO also pointed out that the USPS is not required to – and so does not – track or report delivery time data for mail sent to rural addresses. While several members of Congress have pressured the USPS to study and report on its rural delivery performance, postal officials have stated that doing so would be too costly. However, as the GAO pointed out, the USPS has never provided Congress with cost estimates to prove it. â€Å"Such cost information would be useful for Congress to assess whether developing this information would be appropriate,† wrote the GAO. In 2011, the PRC criticized the USPS for failing to adequately consider the impact of its still on-hold plan to end Saturday mail delivery on rural America. â€Å"As my colleagues and I have heard †¦ [mail] service across the country, particularly in rural communities, is suffering,† said U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the USPS in a statement on the GAO report. â€Å"To fix these service problems, we need to figure out their root causes,† Carper continued. â€Å"Unfortunately, the [GAO] found the delivery performance results that the Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission provide do not give Congress or postal customers an accurate assessment of service.† What the GAO Recommended The GAO suggested that Congress â€Å"direct† the USPS to provide reliable estimates of its costs to report on mail delivery performance in rural areas. The GAO also called on the USPS and PRC to improve the â€Å"completeness, analysis, and transparency† of its mail delivery performance reports. While the USPS generally agreed with the GAO’s recommendations, it also noted that it â€Å"strongly disagrees with the conclusion that our current service performance measurement is not accurate.† So, like your mail, don’t expect the results to be delivered anytime soon.

Intrinsic Property Definition (Chemistry)

Intrinsic Property Definition (Chemistry) In chemistry, an intrinsic property is a property of a substance that is independent of the amount of the substance present. Such properties are inherent qualities of the type and form of matter, mainly dependent on chemical composition and structure. Key Takeaways: Intrinsic Property of Matter An intrinsic property is independent of the size of a sample or the amount of matter that is present.Examples of intrinsic properties include density and specific gravity. Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Properties In contrast to intrinsic properties, extrinsic properties are not essential qualities of a material. Extrinsic properties are affected by external factors. Intrinsic and extrinsic properties are closely related to intensive and extensive properties of matter. Examples of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Properties Density is an intrinsic property, while weight is an extrinsic property. The density of a material is the same, regardless of the conditions. Weight depends on gravity, so it is not a property of matter, but depends on the gravitational field. The crystal structure of a sample of ice is an intrinsic property, while the color of the ice is an extrinsic property. A small sample of ice may appear clear, while a large sample would be blue. Source Lewis, David (1983). Extrinsic Properties. Philosophical Studies. Springer Netherlands. 44: 197–200. doi:10.1007/bf00354100

Risk Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Report - Assignment Example In assessing a risk, probability and impact are used. Probability is the possibility of that risk occurring, and if it is below 1, then it means that it cannot happen. However, if the probability is 1, then it becomes a concern that has to be addressed. Impact analyzes the possible result that the risk might have in case it happens. These elements of risk management therefore define it as the process of identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and controlling risks to monitor the impacts or probabilities of risks, thus realize achievement of a project’s goals. This essay will create a risk management process within a large-scale information technology project. The E-Commerce project is creating an online shopping site for an existing enterprise, which will demonstrate the application of risk management. A large-scale project is one that is complex in execution, thus requires a vast range of experts to oversee key areas. Within a project, three main areas portray risks; project environment, organization’s arrangement, and the external environment (Baydoun, 2011). The categories employed in evaluating the risk management process adhere to the Project Management Institute’s subdivision of the process that consists of risk management planning, risk identification, qualitative risk management, quan titative risk management, risk response development, and risk monitoring and control. It is obvious that any project will have risks, and the best way to deal with them is not to avoid but understand and control them. The goals of this E-commerce project is to reach out to the fast-growing online market owing to the viral use of the internet today, which is estimated to have at least two-hundred million users. This is a rather potential trade opportunity, thus the need to develop an online (web) shopping site. The project, once completed, is bound