The New Colossus By Jane Addams Essay - 1364 Words

Immigration to America is often a decision based solely on the idea that America has some sort of redeeming qualities for a chance at a better life. America’s founding ideals of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† are what compel foreigners to escape the troubles and oppression of their homeland and cross over onto American soil. The tales of America being the â€Å"land of opportunity† have continued to lure and attract people to immigrate. The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century brought millions of immigrant laborers from across the globe to America in a short span of time. This large influx of laborers fashioned a well-defined distinction between â€Å"settlers† and â€Å"immigrants,† causing many observers to be concerned with how these new arrivals would fit in to American society. Emma Lazarus in â€Å"The New Colossus†, Jane Addams in Twenty Years at Hull House, Walt Whitman in â€Å"Crossing the Brooklyn Fe rry†, Theodore Roosevelt in American Ideals, and Thomas Aldrich in â€Å"Unguarded Gates† are just a few names in American Literature who use their work as a medium to voice their opinions on the issue of immigration. Emma Lazarus’s poem, â€Å"The New Colossus†, has become the fundamental expression of America’s self-image as a welcoming and hospitable nation of immigrants. Through her poem, Lazarus transformed the Statue of Liberty—built by the French to commemorate shared American ideals of democracy—into an inspiration of hope for foreigners seeking a better life in theShow MoreRelatedMelting Pot6314 Words   |  26 Pagesin American cultural and political ideology? These are some of the questions considered in the following discussion. The Statue of Liberty is by now a universally recognized symbol of American political mythology. She stands at the entrance of New York harbor, wearing a spiked crown representing the light of liberty shining on the seven seas and the seven continents. The statue was a gift to the United States from the people of France in 1884. It is made of riveted copper sheets, only 3/32 of

Behavioural Approach Free Essays

BEHAVIORISM Fred Luthans, James B. Avey and Brett Luthans Definition Behaviorism is a theoretical foundation with roots in psychology with an intentional focus on observable, measurable behavior as the primary unit of analysis (Luthans, Youssef, Luthans, 2005). Behaviorism systematically analyzes the relationships between an individual’s behavior and environmental contingencies. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioural Approach or any similar topic only for you Order Now The study and practice of behaviorism emphasizes predicting and controlling/managing behavior and thus is especially relevant to organization studies. The behaviorism paradigm is in contrast to the popular cognitive psychology theories in that behaviorism is not focused on internal cognitive or affective processes or indirect measures of beliefs, attitudes or feelings. Whereas cognitive based approaches attempt to understand and explain the multifaceted causes and complexity of human behavior, behaviorism is based on the premise that behavior is a function of its environmental consequences or contingencies (also see Motivation, Contingency Theory). There are four primary historical building blocks of behaviorism. These major foundational contributions are Pavlov’s (1849-1936) classical conditioning experiments, Thorndike’s (1874-1949) law of effect, Watson’s (1878-1958) experiments with human conditioning, and Skinner’s (1904-1990) work and conceptualization of operant conditioning (also see Operant Conditioning). However, applied to organization studies, the most influential application of behaviorism would be Luthans and Kreitner’s (1985) book Organizational Behavior Modification and Beyond. Conceptual Overview Have you ever wondered how children, adults, and even animals learn to respond to and operate in their world? Early in the twentieth century, Thorndike coined the famous law of effect by systematically studying cats in a puzzle box. Thorndike’s law of effect states behaviors followed by positive consequences tend to be strengthened and increase in subsequent frequency, while those followed by negative consequences tend to weaken and decrease in frequency. Even before Thorndike established the law of effect, a Russian scientist named Ivan Pavlov conditioned several dogs to salivate to the sound of a ringing bell. Originally the bell was sounded with the presentation of food (meat powder, positive consequence) and ultimately the dog’s salivation was in accordance with the bell regardless of food presentation (Pavlov highlighted the stimulus-response phenomenon). In a logical progression, Watson applied the behavioral conditioning mechanism to humans when he conditioned the subject â€Å"little Albert† to fear white rats by associating them with a loud, unpleasant noise (negative consequence). In the 1930’s the famous psychologist B. F. Skinner made a significant discovery for modern behaviorism that led to the modern practice of organizational behavior modification. Using rats and pigeons in controlled environments, his studies found that the consequences of behavior were influential in determining, predicting and controlling that behavior. Skinner highlighted the important distinction between respondent conditioning (Pavlovian S-R connection) where the stimuli elicit the behavior and operant conditioning (the organism operates on the environment in order to obtain the desired consequence, or the R-S connection) where the behavior is a function of the consequence. Skinner’s operant conditioning with the focus on environmental consequences as behavioral determinants instead of antecedent stimuli led to the underlying core premise of modern behaviorism. Based on this scientific foundation, the study of behaviorism suggests that we can predict and modify behavior by strategically controlling (i. e. , managing) the consequences. This well-known practice of managing behavioral contingencies has become known as â€Å"behavior modification. † Modern behaviorism and behavior modification has been applied to organization studies and performance management in the workplace by Luthans and Kreitner (1985) as â€Å"organizational behavior modification,† or simply O. B. Mod (Luthans and Kreitner, 1985 for a full review) (also see Classical Management, Organizational Behavior). The O. B. Mod. approach to performance management involves five sequential steps: (1) identify critical performance-related behaviors; (2) measure the frequency of those identified behaviors; (3) analyze the antecedents and consequences associated with the behavior within the existing environment; (4) intervene by applying positive consequences/reinforcers contingent upon exhibiting the desired behavior; and (5) evaluate the results by measuring changes in the behavior and its impact on performance. In over 30 years of multiple research studies and applications of this O. B. Mod. approach, Luthans and colleagues ( Stajkovic Luthans, 1997, 2003), and other behavioral management scholars have been able to reach consistent, conclusive findings. First, three types of positive consequences/reinforcers result in an increase of desired work related behaviors and performance outcomes when administered contingently. These are: money, performance feedback, and social recognition (Luthans Stajkovic, 1999). A major finding for managing organizations is that in many cases feedback and/ or recognition, which typically involve no direct cost, often results in similar (and sometimes higher) performance outcomes than monetary reinforcers that are often outside a manager’s direct control. Luthans and colleagues offer guidelines for use of these reinforcers. For example, effective performance feedback must be positive (emphasizing what is right), immediately following the desired behavior, graphic, and specific. Effective social recognition must include personal one-on-one attention and appreciation from the manager communicating to the employee that the desired behavior has been noticed and admired by the manager versus a standard program where randomly selected employees are recognized regardless of demonstration of desired behaviors (which is what many of the formal recognition programs become over time). Positively reinforcing desired behaviors is significantly more effective in terms of performance impact over time than punishing undesired behaviors. It is important to note that punishment may be necessary when there is a need to immediately cease potentially harmful behavior. For example, in the case of a workplace safety violation (e. g. not wearing a helmet or eye protectors on a construction site), the behavioral management approach would not take time to measure the outcomes and wait for the desired safe behavior to occur in order to administer positive reinforcement. However, in general, the potential long term harm of punishment (e. g. stress, burnout, revenge, turnover, decrease in commitment) may be more than its potential benefits. It is important to point out that behavioral management works across various organizational types, industries, and cultures (Luthans Stajkovic, 1999). For example, the behavioral management technique has been successfully employed in a Russian factory, where it demonstrated stronger performance outcomes than the participative management technique (Welsh, Luthans, Sommer, 1993) and most recently with Korean information service providers. Critical Commentary and Future Directions The contributions of behaviorism in general, and more specifically the O. B. Mod. approach to behavioral management, have been very positive in organizational studies. Behaviorism provides understanding of how we learn, operate, and perform in all types of organizations. Organizations achieve their missions, visions, goals, and competitive advantage through the performance and behavior of people. A meta-analysis shows that the application of the O. B. Mod. model in the workplace across multiple industries, levels, and cultures increased performance on average 17 percent (Stajkovic Luthans, 1997). Despite the overwhelming support of how well behaviorism works in the organization, several limitations to the technique must be highlighted. First, individuals are unique and thus not all people respond the same way to reinforcers. Their desires are not only different, but they may also change over time. However, this is not a major problem when applying O. B. Mod. in the workplace because people in general desire money, feedback and recognition. However, they may vary in the level of intensity in their responses and which reinforcer has a relatively greater impact. Although behaviorism helps us to predict, modify, and change behavior over time, it does not attempt nor intend to understand how or why the phenomenon works. Behaviorism tends not to recognize the complexity of human cognitive processes. Another potential limitation is that in most cases multiple contingencies are salient in the context within which behavioral management attempts take place, resulting in complex interactions. These multiple contingencies can become competing contingencies as to which one the behavior links to and its subsequent effects. Behaviorism is not concerned with nor does it account for the social context within which contingent reinforcement (or punishment) takes place. In fact, modern behaviorism including O. B. Mod. treats antecedent factors as cues for the desired behavior. Still another limitation to the behaviorism approach is the requirement for action on behalf of the manager. In behaviorism, if the contingent reinforcement is removed and no longer exists, the desired behavior that was previously reinforced is likely to decrease in frequency and intensity, eventually fading away. This elimination of the controlling consequence is referred to as â€Å"extinction. This implies that managers who practice a behavioral management approach to increase the performance of their staff need to at minimum maintain an intermittent reinforcement schedule in order to avoid this going to extinction. In an attempt to combine the best of both worlds, and to present a more comprehensive and realistic view of human beh avior in organizations, many previously radical behaviorists have â€Å"mellowed out† (Luthans Kreitner, 1985) to adopt a social cognitive approach to understanding behavior (Bandura, 1986) (also see Social Cognition, Self-Efficacy, Cognitive Approach). The social cognitive approach asserts that behavior is the result of a continuous reciprocal three-way interaction between the person (cognition), the environment (physical context, including organizational structure and design; social context, i. e. , other people), and the individual’s past behavior. As opposed to behaviorism where behavior is a function of its contingent consequences, the social cognitive lens argues that behavior is also influenced by the processes of symbolizing, forethought, observation, self-regulation, and self-reflection (Bandura, 1986). Furthermore, from a social cognitive perspective, the role of contingent reinforcement in enhancing performance can be understood in terms of outcome utility, informative content, and regulatory mechanisms (Stajkovic Luthans, 2001). The future of behaviorism at least as it is applied to organization studies is likely to continue within the comprehensive theoretical framework of social cognition. Both organization scholars and practitioners realize the value of the objectivity and predictive validity behaviorism in general and O. B. Mod. in particular has on measurable performance impact. However, in today’s complex, ever-changing work environment, radical behaviorism is not comprehensive enough to stand alone. With the increasing emphasis on human resources as the primary source of long term competitive advantage, the confluence of behaviorism theory and cognitive theory through social cognitive theory may best accomplish the goals of understanding, prediction, and effective performance management. References Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Luthans, F. , Kreitner, R. 1985). Organizational Behavior Modification and Beyond. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman. Luthans, F. , Stajkovic, A. (1999). Reinforce (not necessarily pay) for performance. Academy of Management Executive, 13, 49-57. Luthans, F. , Youssef, C. , Luthans, B. (2005). Behaviorism. In Nicholson, N. , Audia, P. , Pillutla, M. (Eds. ). The Blackwell encyclopedia dictionary of organizational behavior. London: Blackwell. Stajkovic, A. , Luthans, F. (1997). A meta-analysis of the effects of organizational behavior modification on task performance, 1975-1995. Academy of Management Journal, 40, 1122-1149. Stajkovic, A. , Luthans, F. (2001). Differential effects of incentive motivators on work performance. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 580-590. Stajkovic, A. , Luthans, F. (2003). Behavioral management and task performance in organizations: Conceptual background, meta-analysis, and test of alternative models. Personnel Psychology, 56, 155-194. Welsh, D. H. B. , Luthans, F. , Sommer, S. M. (1993). Managing Russian factory workers: The impact of U. S. -based behavioral and participative techniques. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 58-79. How to cite Behavioural Approach, Essay examples

Rocky Mountains Or Rockies Essays (619 words) -

Rocky Mountains Or Rockies Rocky Mountains or Rockies, great chain of rugged mountain ranges in western North America, extending from central New Mexico to northeastern British Columbia, a distance of about 3220 km (about 2000 mi). The Rockies are bordered on the east by the Great Plains and on the west by the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountain Trench, a valley running from northwestern Montana to northern British Columbia. The Rocky Mountains form part of the Great, or Continental, Divide, which separates rivers draining into the Atlantic or Arctic oceans from those flowing toward the Pacific Ocean. The Arkansas, Colorado, Columbia, Missouri, R?o Grande, Saskatchewan, and Snake rivers rise in the Rockies. The Rockies may be divided into four principal sections?Southern, Central, Northern, and Canadian. The Southern Rockies, which include the system's broadest and highest regions, extend from central New Mexico, through Colorado, to the Great Divide, or Wyoming, Basin, in southern Wyoming. This section, which encompasses Rocky Mountain National Park, is composed chiefly of two northern-southern belts of mountain ranges with several basins, or parks, between the belts. The component parts include the Sangre de Cristo and Laramie mountains and the Front Range, in the east, and the San Juan Mountains and the Sawatch and Park ranges, in the west. The Southern Rockies include the chain's loftiest point, Mount Elbert (4399 m/14,433 ft high), in central Colorado. More than 50 other peaks of the Rockies rising above 4267 m (14,000 ft) are in Colorado; these include Longs Peak (4345 m/14,255 ft high) and Pikes Peak (4301 m/14,110 ft high). The Central Rockies are in northeastern Utah, western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and southern Montana. They encompass the Bighorn, Beartooth, and Uinta mountains and the Absaroka, Wind River, Salt River, Teton, Snake River, and Wasatch ranges. The Uinta Mountains are the only major portion of the Rockies that extends east-west rather than north-south. Among the peaks of the Central Rockies, which include Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, are Gannett Peak (4207 m/13,804 ft high), Grand Teton (4197 m/13,771 ft high), and Fremont Peak (4185 m/13,730 ft high). The Northern Rockies are in northern Idaho, western Montana, and northeastern Washington. They include the Sawtooth, Cabinet, Salmon River, and Clearwater mountains and the Bitterroot Range. The loftiest points in the section, which includes Glacier National Park, are Granite Peak (3901 m/12,799 ft high) and Borah Peak (3859 m/12,662 ft high). The Canadian Rockies, located in southwestern Alberta and eastern British Columbia, are composed of a relatively narrow belt of mountain ranges that terminates at the Liard River lowland in northeastern British Columbia. The peaks of the section, which takes in Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes, and Yoho National Parks, include Mount Robson (3954 m/12,972 ft high), Mount Columbia (3747 m/12,294 ft high), and The Twins (3734 m/12,251 ft high). Slopes generally are very steep, and there are numerous glaciers. The Rocky Mountains are a geologically complex system with jagged peaks as well as almost flat-topped elevations. The Rockies were formed mainly by crustal uplifts in comparatively recent times, during the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary periods, and later were reshaped by glaciation during the Pleistocene Epoch. Today the Rockies receive moderate amounts of precipitation, most of which occurs in the winter. Lower levels are covered chiefly by grassland, which gives way to extensive forests, principally of conifers. Above the woodland is a zone of grasses and scattered shrubs. Most peaks have little vegetation around the summit, and some have a year-round cap of snow and ice. The Rockies are sparsely populated for the most part and contain few cities. The principal economic

Time Warner Essay

Time Warner Essay Time Warner Essay Time Warner EssayIn actuality, Time Warner is one of the leading media companies in the US holding a strong position in the publishing and cable television. However, at the moment, the company undergoes considerable changes and restructuring in terms of the development of new effective marketing strategies which can help Time Warner to enhance its competitive position and provide the company with an opportunity to accelerate its business development. At this point, one of the main issues that the company faces at the moment is the merger of Time Warner Cable with Comcast, which opens wider opportunities for the further business development of the company. At the same time, the company attempts to separate its publishing business, which has become unprofitable for the company in recent years and now is one of the major causes of the slowdown of its business development. Therefore, Time Warner undergoes consistent changes aiming at the improvement of its marketing performance through r eorganisation, structural changes, separation and the merger that the company expects to lead Time Warner to the new stage in its business development and help the company to break through in the highly competitive business environment.Recently, Time Warner has announced the merger of its Time Warner Cable with Comcast, the leader of the cable television (Quain, 2). In fact, the deal will involve the sale of Time Warner Cable to Comcast. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that, at the moment Time Warner still consist of two major units, the publishing business and cable television unit. Time Warner Cable represents the cable television unit of the company and this unit plans to merge with Comcast. This is an important decision in the business development of the company because it opens new opportunities for the business development of the company after the merger. The merger will involve Comcast, the largest cable television company of the US, and Time Warner Cable, the second largest cable television company in the US (Quain 2). Therefore, their merger will put them in the advantageous position in the US market, while their rivals will hardly be able to reach such a market share as the merged company uniting two behemoths of the industry.In fact, consequences of the merger are apparently very attractive for both Comcast and Time Warner Cable because the new company will have about 70 million subscribers nationwide that is about 30% of the total market share in the US (Quain, 3). The consistent market expansion opens wider opportunities for Time Warner Cable after the merger because the new company will control almost a third of the US cable television market. Therefore, the company can set the pace in the industry, while its further growth and expansion will enhance the position of the new company in the market even more.In such a situation, rivals of the company turn out to be in the absolutely disadvantageous position because not a single rival of the merged company, such as Charter Communications for instance, can even challenge the position of the merged company, while outpacing it is virtually impossible, at least in a short-run perspective. The dominant position of the new company opens wider opportunities for the faster market expansion and taking even a larger share of the market. As a result, Time Warner Cable can make a breakthrough in its business development in the cable television market, in case the merger with Comcast completes successfully. This is why both companies are so interested in the merger because, instead of the fierce rivalry, they can unite their efforts to take not just the lead in the industry but to become the company dominating over the cable television industry.Furthermore, the merger apparently secures the position of the company in the market because rivals will be unable to outpace the company, unless they introduce innovations that will revolutionize the industry. At the moment, there are no such rivals of the company and Time Warner Cable can take the lead after the merger with Comcast. The company can also raise barriers to entry that will decrease the risk of the emergence of new rivals that can potentially threaten to the position in the company and tighten the competition in the industry.On the other hand, the merger may raise the problem of the possible monopolization of the cable television market by the merged company since the company will take the consistently higher share of the market compared to rivals. Moreover, in a long-run perspective the company can increase its market share even more and take dominant or monopolistic position in the market. The monopolization can occur faster, if the company continues the strategy of mergers. However, the monopolization of the market or taking the absolutely dominant position raises the risk of the violation of the anti-trust law and investigation of policies conducted by the company. Therefore, in case of unfair on unreasonable policies of the company, when it takes the dominant position in the market, the company can face the risk of the investigation of its policies under the anti-trust legislation. The company may also face the risk of lawsuits, if its policies will breach existing anti-trust regulations and legal norms. If the company sets unreasonably high price or forces customers to buy extra-products which they do not want to buy, the company is likely to face considerable problems because of the violation of the anti-trust law, as was the case of Microsoft, for instance.However, Time Warner attempts to optimize its performance not only through the merger with Comcast but also through restructuring. For instance, Time Warner Cable spinoff has actually nothing to do with Time Warner since Time Warner Cable has focused on its own development, while Time Warner is a different company now (Flint, 1). Nevertheless, neither company plan to change their name so far, unless the merger agree ment of Time Warner Cable and Comcast may require such a change (Flint, 3). At the same time, the merger is a part of the large scale plan of Time Warner to undergo consistent restructuring. The merger is one of the key elements of the restructuring which allows the company to accelerate its business development through focusing on the cable television market mainly and taking the lead in the market through the merger. This strategy is efficient because Time Warner prioritizes the most profitable part of its business and, more important, enhances its position in the market through the merger.Moreover, Time Warner is also considering the separation of its publishing business, although at the moment, the company is the largest magazine publisher in the US. Nevertheless, the company decided to separate Time Inc. last year (Team, 2). This decision complements the decision of the company to merge Time Warner Cable with Comcast. To put it more precisely, the company refuses from its publi shing business which future may be uncertain for the company and focuses on cable television market entirely. Such a shift maximizes profits and benefits of the company.At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the move to separate Time Inc. was, in all probability determined by the steady decline of the publishing business of the company. In such a way, the decision to separate Time Inc. from Time Warner was driven by the attempt of the company to preserve only the most prospective elements of its business and become a pure media company. In fact, this means the separation of Time Inc. from Time Warner is a strategically important step, especially in the light of the upcoming merger with Comcast. When the company has just started the procedure of separation, experts (Team 6) believed the separation was driven by pragmatic concerns of Time Warner and its attempts to save costs and attract investors due the better financial performance of the company free of the publishing business burden. What is meant here is the fact that initially, experts (Team, 6) stood on the ground that Team Warner is just trying to save costs and make its financial performance healthier. The step was quite reasonable in light of the declining publishing business which slowed down the business development of Time Warner.On the other hand, cable television was and still is profitable business for the company. More important, cable television is more attractive market for the company and the business of Time Warner in this market keeps growing (Flint, 5). This is why the refusal from the publishing business of the company allows Time Warner to focus entirely on the cable television market. At the moment, the separation of Time Inc. is not completed so far but the company has already started negotiations on the merger with Comcast and this step reveals the intention of the company to accelerate its business development through the enhancement of its position in the most profitabl e industry. Moreover, unlike publishing business, cable television is likely to keep growing in the future. This is why the company can maximize benefits from the merger and shifting its business to the cable television industry mainly.In such a context, the recent merger of Time Warner Cable is a reasonable step since after the completion of the separation of Time Inc. which is likely to be completed this year, the company will merge its more perspective unit, Time Warner Cable, with Comcast becoming one of the leaders in the industry and enhancing its position in the market. This step is strategically important for the company because it elevates the company to the new level in its business development and helps the company to take the lead in the industry and keep growing in the future since the cable television industry is growing.However the merger with Comcast is driven not only by business concerns but also by the lobbying power of Comcast which can accelerate the further bus iness development of Time Warner Cable after the merger (Shields, 3).At the moment Comcast invests abundantly into lobbying and the company has increased the number of lobbyists in the 2000s consistently. The merger with such a company opens new opportunities for Timer Warner Cable to enhance its marketing position, enter new markets and increase its market share.In such a context, there is no surprise that Charter Communications, another behemoth of the media industry, has failed to negotiate the merger with Time Warner Cable and has lost the deal to Comcast (Fung, 4). Charter Communications does not have such a strong lobby as Comcast and, therefore, cannot offer Time Warner Cable such good prospects for the further business development as Comcast does.On the other hand, the merger of Time Warner Cable and Comcast can raise substantial difficulties in face of both companies because the merger will inevitably involve the restructuring of the new company. Comcast and Time Warner Cab le have their own organizational structure and culture, while the merger will raise the problem of their mutual integration. In such a situation, the risk of conflicts within the new, merged company arises because employees working in the company may be resistant to changes or oppose to changes. As a result, the risk of the failure of the merger arises because if employees of the company resist to the change, the company may face substantial difficulties with the overall successful implementation of the change.Furthermore, the restructuring of the company may raise the problem of job cuts and loss of well-qualified professionals, who, in face of the uncertainty in their future after the merger, may just transfer to another company, where they can be absolutely certain in their future. The loss of well-qualified professionals may also create substantial difficulties which the new company will have to overcome. Therefore, the merger is not always the right choice and, in spite of the obvious certainty of Comcast and Time Warner Cable in the overall success of the merger, there are still some risks and threats which may lead to the failure of the merger. At this point, it is possible to refer to other cases when mergers have failed, such as the case of Daimler-Chrysler which was considered to be one of the most prospective and strong alliances in the automotive industry but eventually ended up into the split of the two companies.Thus, at the moment, Time Warner undergoes substantial changes. The company has initiated the separation of Time Inc. which comprises the publishing business of the company. At the same time, the company is about to merge with Comcast that means the shift of Time Warner from diverse business to the relatively narrow focus of the company on cable television business mainly. In such a situation, the refusal from the publishing business is reasonable to enhance the financial performance of the company. Moreover, the merger with Comcast will allow Time Warner Cable to take the leading position in the cable television industry that keeps growing. Therefore, the company will not only optimize its performance but also become the leader of the fast growing industry that will shift the business development of Time Warner to the new, upper level.

Sitting Presidents During Major American Wars

Sitting Presidents During Major American Wars Who was the president during each of the major U.S. wars? Heres a list of the most significant wars the U.S. has been involved in, and the wartime presidents who held office during those times.   The American Revolution   The Revolutionary War, also called the American War for Independence,  was fought from 1775 through 1783.  George Washington  was president. Spurred on by the Boston Tea Party in 1773, 13 North American colonies fought Great Britain in an effort to escape from British rule and to become a country unto themselves. The War of 1812 James Madison  was president when the U.S. next challenged Great Britain in 1812. The British did not graciously accept American independence after the Revolutionary War. Britain began seizing American sailors and doing its best to interrupt American trade. The War of 1812 has been called the Second War of Independence. It lasted until 1815.   The Mexican-American War The U.S. clashed with Mexico in 1846 when Mexico resisted  James K. Polks vision of a manifest destiny for America. War was declared as part of Americas effort to forge westward. The first battle took place on the Rio Grande. By 1848, America had taken possession of a huge swath of land, including the modern-day states of Utah, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Arizona.   The Civil War The War Between the States lasted from 1861 until 1865.  Abraham Lincoln  was president. Lincolns opposition to slavery was well known and seven southern states promptly seceded from the union when he was elected, leaving him with a real mess on his hands. They formed the Confederate States of America and the Civil War broke out as Lincoln took steps to bring them back into the fold - and to emancipate their slaves in the process. Four more states seceded before the dust from the first Civil War battle had settled.   The Spanish American War This was a brief one, technically lasting less than a year in 1898. Tensions first began escalating between the U.S. and Spain in 1895 as Cuba fought back against Spains dominance and the U.S. supported its efforts. William McKinley  was president. Spain declared war against America on April 24, 1898. McKinley responded by declaring war as well on April 25. Not one to be upstaged, he made his declaration retroactive to April 21. The whole thing was over by December, with Spain relinquishing Cuba and ceding the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico to the U.S. Who Was President During WW1? The First World War broke out in 1914. It pitted the Central Powers (Germany, Bulgaria, Austria, Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire) against the formidable Allied Powers of the U.S., Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Romania, France, and Russia. By the time the war ended in 1918, more than 16 million people were dead, including civilians.  Woodrow Wilson  was president at the time. Presidents During WW2 Raging from 1939 until 1945, World War II actually monopolized the time and attention of two presidents:  Franklin Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. It began when Hitler invaded Poland and France. Great Britain declared war on Germany two days later. Soon, more than 30 countries were involved, with Japan  (among several other countries) joining forces with Germany. By V-J Day in August 1845, this had become the most devastating war in history, claiming between 50 and 100 million lives. The exact total has never been calculated.   The Korean War Dwight Eisenhower  was president when the Korean War broke out just five years later in 1950. Credited with being the opening salvo of the Cold War, the Korean War began when North Korean soldiers invaded other Soviet-backed Korean territories in June. The U.S. got involved to support South Korea in August. There was some concern that the fighting would mushroom into World War III, but it resolved in 1953, at least to some extent. The Korean peninsula continues to be a hotbed of political tension.   The Vietnam War Its been called the most unpopular war in American history, and four presidents (Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon) inherited this nightmare. It lasted 15 years, from 1960 through 1975. At issue was a division not unlike that which prompted the Korean War, with Communist North Vietnam and Russia opposing U.S.-backed South Vietnam. The ultimate death toll included almost 30,000 Vietnamese civilians and roughly an equal number of American soldiers. With chants of Not our war! resounding across the U.S., President Nixon finally pulled the plug in 1973. It was two more years before U.S. forces were officially withdrawn from the region in 1975 and Communist forces took control of Saigon.   The Persian Gulf War This one landed in President  George H. W. Bushs lap in 1990 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August. He thumbed his nose at the Union Nations Security Council when it instructed him to withdraw his forces. Saudi Arabia and Egypt requested the assistance of the U.S. to help prevent Iraqs invasion of neighboring territories. America, along with several allies, complied. Operation Desert Storm raged for 42 days until President Bush declared a ceasefire in February 1991.   The Iraq War Peace or something like it settled over the Persian Gulf until 2003 when Iraq again prompted hostilities in the region.  George W. Bush  was at the helm at the time. The U.S., aided by Great Britain, successfully invaded Iraq, then insurgents took exception to this state of affairs and hostilities broke out again. The conflict didnt resolve until Barack Obamas presidency when American forces withdrew from the region by December 2011.

Organizational Learning, Predictive Analysis and Emerging Technologies Research Paper

Organizational Learning, Predictive Analysis and Emerging Technologies - Research Paper Example 186). Secondly, this has awakened the organizations to the significance of organizational learning when managed in correlation to the objective of benefitting from the new technologies (Gilley & Maycunich, 2000, p. 186). Organizational learning has both social and technical dimensions, when delved on in the light of the recent technological innovations and developments. As per a technical approach towards organizational learning, learning is primarily about a seamless and applied storage, analysis, interpretation and response to the information and data existing within and outside the organizations (Gilley & Maycunich, 2000). These data and information may be both quantitative and qualitative. On the contrary a social approach towards organizational learning delves on the varied human aspects of predictive analysis like the personnel mindset and the technology related literacy at the disposal of employees (Gilley & Maycunich, 2000). In that context, technological literacy and a more adaptive approach towards facilitating a technology driven predictive analysis is something that can either be acquired through the regular social interactions within organizations like a joint effort aimed at making sense of some data and information, attempts to observe and emulate employees and colleagues who are technically skilled, situated practices, etc. Yet, everything could not be left to informal modes of gaining the right attitude and skills, and organizations are also required to pursue a more proactive approach. When it comes to implementing new technologies to facilitate a more accurate predictive analysis in organizations, Argyris (1977) holds that though inculcating a technological mindset is... The researcher states that the dawn of the 21st century represents a marked shift in the way organizations work and operate in the sense that many mundane aspects of the organizational working could conveniently be automated in the light of the varied emerging technologies. These emerging technologies not only pose new challenges within the domain of organizational learning, but also facilitate a more accurate predictive analysis, thereby adding to organizational productivity and profitability. In the current context, with new technologies coming to fore, the organizations simply cannot afford to ignore pursuing a theoretical approach towards organizational learning, when they promise a more factual and pragmatic possibilities in the area of predictive analysis. A lackluster attitude towards the very nature of learning in an organizational context portends degradation and loss, at least in a relative context. With the emergence of varied IT based technologies, which facilitate a mor e realistic and accurate conduct of predictive analysis, learning could be considered to be both a process as well as a product. In the domain or organizational learning, the researcher suggests that two big challenges before organizations are to align the employee mindset in consonance with the emerging technologies and to impart the required technical literacy. In conclusion, the benefits accrued from this will result in multiple gains facilitated by more accurate, prompt and reliable predictive analysis.

Fresa y chocolate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fresa y chocolate - Essay Example These issues are increasingly important in this age of human relationship varieties and politics influence on these relationships. The purpose of this paper is to show Cuban society and its contradictions according to the film, as well as the politics and its reflection in people's characters and actions. The paper will also pay particular attention to the director's aim of the film and the importance of the film from the point of view of the historical period concerned. 2. The film presents colourful description of Cuban society under Fidel Castro's rule, and the plot of the film Fresa y chocolate is tightly connected with life conditions and cultural contradictions of Cuban society. The film tells the story of two young men each of whom had different cultural outlook, although they both supported political regime. Diego was a gay artist, but homosexual life was forbidden in Cuba. Otherwise, David studied sociology in Havana and was a true communist. The film shows social life in Cuba and its ethical and cultural features which influenced the flow of the film and main characters' actions. The both protagonists of the film present two different sides of social ethics: the way of life of communist ideology supporters, and that of people who don't put down in ethical limits of socialist state. As was mentioned above, Daniel studied sociology, and he was a true communist supporter and a member of communist youth brigades. Diego followed another style o f life: he was an artist who saw his mission in Cuban culture promotion. So, any link between these two young men seems to be rather strange, but in spite of this fact they became real friends: "Diego is gay, religious and a nationalist, while David is straight, an atheist and a communist. Their relationship is flawed, in addition, by jealousies, both mutual and contextual (Santi, 2001)". The name of the film, Fresa y chocolate, is rather symbolic in this context: David and Diego met in a caf, David took chocolate while Diego did strawberry ice cream that was surprising to David, but Diego underlined that some people prefer chocolate while others prefer strawberry. This scene symbolically shows the protagonists' membership to different and contradictory sides of political, cultural and ethical sides of Cuban society. The film doesn't deny socialist ideology in Cuba, but there is a clear notion of variety of ethical and sexual life in post revolution Cuban society. It needs to take i nto account that Castro's regime didn't support such social and ethical phenomenon as homosexuality, and in 1965 he told that "we would never come to believe that a homosexual could embody the conditions and requirements of conduct that would enable us to consider him a true Revolutionary, a true Communist militant. A deviation of that nature clashes with the concept we have of what a militant Communist must be (West, 1995)". Diego feels real affectation to David, but his feeling cannot be accepted by his friend in that time in Cuba that is reflected in the film: it was just unrealizable desire which contradicted the system of the state. David who was heterosexual is shown as an opposite protagonist: he had relationship with women and wanted to be a