buy custom Firm Agility and Business Performance essay

buy custom Firm Agility and Business Performance essay In the contemporary society that is characterized by unstable economy, firms must deal with the multifaceted circumstances, which arise quickly and impact their performance. International competition, new technologies, consolidation, outsourcing and shifting consumer preferences are merely some instances of the factors, which impact business environments, wherein modern companies are operating (Sambamurthy et al., 2003). According to Bharadwaj (2000), it is very essential to initiate abilities, which will allow companies to deal with such fast occurring and uncertain modifications. Contemporarily, business agility has attracted the attention of business leaders and scholars as a key differentiator in presently speedily modifying business environment. According to Sambamurthy et al. (2003), it is the capability of detecting innovation opportunities and seizing those competitive market chances by assembling knowledge, requisite assets, and linkages with surprise and speed. In the liter ature, firm agility has been scrutinized from different viewpoints, including business function, enterprise, system and project (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993). Agility, as a notion, encompasses the capability of detecting, anticipating, evolving conditions, sensing market opportunities amongst other environmental modifications. Apparently, agility relates to both operational and strategic levels within a company. This paper focuses on firm agility and business performance. In particular, the paper will explain what theory is, and illuminate various variables, linked with the project and relate to issues/problems, found in international management. In addition, the paper will offer specific and operational recommendations for the managers and future research direction. Variables, Linked With Firm Agility It is true that an agile firm responds speedily to modifications for its business setting. These modifications can be competitive, regulatory, customer attitude or market driven (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993). For instance, the introduction of a new product by a rival or a novel law in a specific state could represent a big modification in the operation of a business. In the past, firms have addressed this issue by introducing novel technology that may generate a report that indicates that customers are more concerned, regarding such modifications. Apparently, such modification in a business environment necessitates a modification in the manner, in which it does business. Certainly, most firms have admitted that they are not agile enough to be able to compete efficiently. Whilst the vast majority of the managers perceive that firm agility is an essential competitive requirement, real business willingness is nevertheless more mixed. As noted from a report of the Economist Intelligence Unit (2009), some individuals believe that most companies are at a competitive disadvantage due to the fact that they are not sufficiently flexible to forestall important shifts in the marketplace (Johnson et al., 2003). According to the head of innovation management at Fujifilm Europe, Stefan Kohn, the fear of modification is part of this predicament. He puts forth that, in some cases, some firms neglect change, whilst those that are actually flexible embrace change, even though it seems to be risky towards a subsisting product (Hitt et al., 1998). In the contemporary society that is characterized by globalization, and a free-market setting, the capacity of satisfying the expectations of consumers is essential for business performance (James, 2004). It is true that companies that are not agile may not satisfy their customers fully due to the fact that the expectations of consumers are not static. In order to be able to satisfy customers fully, firms must be able to identify their clientele, know their needs and produce products, which are desired by the consumers. This is a difficult action to carry out, but with competent employees and managers and efficient tools, companies may be able to succeed in this (Hitt et al., 1998). Another major problem, facing companies currently, is te increased competition (Bruno and Joey, 2008). Apparently, firms necessitate modification in order to adapt in the highly competitive business environment if they have to remain in the market place. For instance, in case a competitor launches novel merchandise into the market, this represents a large change in the operation of a business, and thus, companies must modify accordingly. To be competitive, firms might find themselves in a Houdini-like twist (Braganza and Korac-Kakabadse, 2000). Such firms may be incapable of responding nimbly and speedily to the modifying business setting without being caught in knots. In this case, firms must come up with ways of making their procedures more flexible (James, 2004). Certainly, the performance of a firm is determined by the degree of agility of such a firm. Companies that are not flexible enough to cope with the increased competition in the contemporary society, usually find themselve s deteriorating in terms of performance (Lee et al., 2009). Therefore, it is essential for firm managers to come up with strategies, which will assist in the same. Besides, agile modifications endeavors are stalled by internal barriers. Apparently, most people in an organization have undertaken various steps of change initiatives with an aim of improving their firms agility (Overby et al., 2006). Nevertheless, a number of them have not delivered the anticipated benefits. According to the research, enhanced business responsiveness is impended by various factors, including conflicting departmental priorities and objectives, slow decision-making, silo-based information and risk-averse cultures (Weill et al., 2001). Technology is evidenced to play a major supporting responsibility in assisting firms to become agile. According to Braganza and Korac-Kakabadse (2000), technology should work as a change agent in employment and adoption of knowledge sharing procedures in order to ensure that the use of essential data in such firms is improved. Information Technology infrastructure that is not flexible or consistent across the firm may be a major challenge in improving the agility of a company, and this is a major hindrance to agility. Firms across the globe are challenged to turn out to be more agile in the face of modification. In addition to this, the market volatility in the contemporary society has highlighted the need for firms to forestall and address pivotal issues that impact their businesses (Lee et al., 2009). Nevertheless, planning for the unforeseeable might seem to be difficult; however, most companies appear to distinguish that, firms capability to respond and be flexible is important for business performance (Menor et al., 2001). Recommendations for Managers Studies have proven that managing in the contemporary society is not an easy task (Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, 2009). According to Kohn, firms necessitate refining their organizational procedures and leveraging outside and institutional knowledge efficiently in order to compete effectively in the market place and emerge successful. Besides, he puts forth that it isnt enough to keep up with the large quantity of information in the workplace. Key information is essential for any improved performance (Menor et al., 2001). The burden will be on arming employees and decision makers with efficient instruments to find the required content. In order to meet the impulses of the market place, companies should restructure, simplify and incorporate the procedures that assist in improving their performance (Lee et al., 2009). As explained above, technology is a major factor that support and improve the agility of a company, and hence, its performance. In this case, managers should adapt processes and technologies that will enhance agility. This is based on the fact that companies with a higher level of procedures and technological standardization have been evidenced to be more agile. It is apparent that, agile firms center on standardizing the procedures that cannot be modified, freeing up their resources with an aim of developing value addeed structures, which responds efficiently to the modifying business environment. In general, managers should make sure that they adapt new technologies and together with the existing ones for their firms to become more agile and assist in improving their business performance (Lee et al., 2009). In order to overcome various internal barriers that hinder firm agility, managers should take various steps in order to curb such impediments (Overby et al., 2006). For instance, such hindrances may be prevented by improving and solidifying the core competencies of various persons in the company. This can be achieved by emphasizing on outsourcing, change management, automation amongst other procedure efficiency enhancements. In addition to this, making efficient employment of information sharing and knowledge management systems is also beneficial (Overby et al., 2006). In addition to this, managers should come up with strategies in order to be able to respond nimbly and speedily to the modifying business setting without being caught in knots. This can be attained by coming up with ways of making their procedures more flexible. It is apparent that the performance of a firm is determined by the degree of agility of such a firm (Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, 2009). Companies that are not flexible enough to cope with the increased competition in the contemporary society, usually find themselves deteriorating in terms of performance. Thus, it is essential for the firm managers to come up with strategies, which will assist in improving the flexibility of their companies that as a result will assist in improving the competitive nature of such firms. Certainly, when a firm is more competitive in the market, its performance both in terms of productivity and financially is good, and this is an indication of good business performance. In order to avoid the problems, which have disrupted most change programs, managers should sharply consider focusing on these enhancements in order to make such changes sustainable (Overby et al., 2006). Apparently, this will not only improve the business performance of a company but will also improve all the determinants of a company overall performance. Future Research Direction It is true that in the modern business environment, agility is essential to the competitive performance and innovation of companies. In fact, firm agility has been considered as one of the most vital resources for allowing better performance of a firm (Dunlop-Hinkler et al., 2011). Companies currently are greatly depending on information technologies, encompassing communication technology and knowledge process with an aim of enhancing their agility. In this case, further research can be carried out, focusing on the introduction of technology agility as a precursor to firm agility, that consequently, affect business procedures and eventually the performance of a company. Technology agility is described as the capability of a company to respond speedily to various technological modifications (Dunlop-Hinkler et al., 2011). It is true that in the contemporary society is characterized by rapid technological changes. In this case, in order to be successful and compete efficiently in the ma rket place, companies must adapt the new technologies and combine them with the existing ones. However, such firms must be agile enough in order to be able to cope with the rapidly changing technologies. Research has proven that companies, which have been able to cope with the rapidly modifying technological environment, have been able to emerge successful in the market place (Dunlop-Hinkler et al., 2011). The conceptual framework, employed in this study, will link the dynamic abilities framework with the procedure-based perception of the firm. It is true that technology agility is an essential precursor to the fundamental firm agilities, and in turn, these agilities affect both market and financial performance via intermediary business procedures. In conclusion, technology agility has a major responsibility in shaping the dynamic abilities of a firm that further improve its performance. Buy custom Firm Agility and Business Performance essay

News paper style article about strange happenings in an Italian village.

News paper style article about strange happenings in an Italian village. The gate at the entrance to Canneto Di Caronia, Italy has come off its hinges and swings in the wind as cats wander into homes abandoned after a series of mystery fires.Canneto di Caronia has been taken over by an endless flow of scientists, engineers, police and even a few "ghostbusters" searching for clues to the recent spontaneous combustion of everything from microwave ovens to a car. The fires started in mid-January and have claimed home appliances and fuse boxes in about half of the 20 odd houses. After a brief respite last month, the flames have flared up again almost daily even though electricity to the village was cut off long ago."We're working in the dark. We don't have a single lead so far," said Pedro Spinnato, mayor of the trio of Caronia towns. "Every time some new scientist comes to town they arrive thinking the whole thing has been invented or that they're going to solve the mystery in two minutes.Panorama di CaroniaThey've all been wrong."The 39 inhabitants of the t own halfway between Palermo and Messina were evacuated after the regional government declared a state of emergency in Canneto, which occupies a single street nestled between a railway line and the sea. "I've seen an air conditioner burst into flames and burn down in 30 seconds. These are not normal events, but I think we're going to have to start looking for a different kind of help," said Antonio Pezzino, whose house was first hit.From the start, Gabriele Amorth, one of the Catholic Church's top exorcists suspected the devil was at work. "I've seen things like this before," he told Il Messaggero daily. "Demons occupy a house and appear in electrical goods," he said urging the parish priest to take action. The local priest, Don...

601.2.1.07 stages of reflection human development Essay

601.2.1.07 stages of reflection human development - Essay Example The next level is analysis, exploration and reason, which requires us to make a detailed analysis of our surroundings. The use of pedagogical terms is needed to describe the teaching situation along with clear examples to create a through understanding. The next level, connections to other effective teaching practices, basically consists of relating the used strategies of teaching to other teaching strategies that we are or might be studying. The point is to link the two sides and identify similarities and compare. The fourth level, evaluation, requires us to make detailed judgments about the teaching situation in terms of attitudes, behaviors, response and outcomes. To support these judgments, clear examples are needed. Recommendation is the next level, in which the requirement is to provide an alternative strategy which would be suitable for the situation and would result in improvement. The final level is personal meaning and professional growth. At this level, we need to describe how the teaching situation affected us and how it inspired us in our own ways. Later on, as we progress, these teaching situations would lead us to come up with our own ‘teaching philosophy’, suitable for us. Reflection helps us learn from our experiences. In our lives, everyday, we experience numerous events, both pleasant and unpleasant. But do we really learn from them? Deep thinking and pondering over these would enable us to analyze such events; why did they happen? How did they happen? If they were bad, how can we avoid them? How were people affected by our actions? How can I make it better? These are just some of the questions that we might be able to answer if we reflect. It will not just help us in our own self-contained world of personal improvement, but provide a bigger picture on how can improve the world around us. How our actions impact our surroundings, how we can make it a better place and,

Schizophrenia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Schizophrenia - Essay Example with schizophrenia is the reduction of the quality of life that they enjoy with lower rates of employment, disrupted marriages and the reduced ability to live independently (Frankenberg, 2007). Schizophrenia ranks among the top ten diseases that are responsible for causing disability among the population of the world. It affects all kinds of people irrespective of colour, caste, creed and culture, though there is a trend of higher prevalence in the developed world and among migrants (Saha et al, 2005). Estimates on the worldwide prevalence of schizophrenia put the prevalence rate at 1.1% making for about 51 million people suffering from the disorder around the world. The prevalence rate of schizophrenia in Australia is almost similar to the worldwide prevalence rate, which gives an estimated 285,000 people afflicted with the disorder in Australia (Schizophrenia Facts and Statistics). The aetiology of schizophrenia still remains an enigma, as there is limited clarity in it. Genetics and perinatal nutritional stress have remained the main postulated aetiologies of schizophrenia. The postulation of a genetic basis in the aetiology of schizophrenia stems from the studies conducted into schizophrenia in dizygotic and monozygotic twins, wherein it was found that the concordance for schizophrenia is nearly ten percent, whereas it was close to fifty percent in the case of monozygotic twins (Frankenberg, 2007). Nutritional deficiencies occur frequently during pregnancies. There is evidence to suggest that in utero exposure deficiencies in nutrition increase vulnerability to schizophrenia, as a result of disruption of neurodevelopment. This is the basis of the perinatal nutritional stress aetiology in schizophrenia. Evidence in support of this postulation has come from the studies into the association of the perinatal stress during the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-1945 and the severe famine in China. The nutrients whose deficiency is suggested to be associated with the

In Cold Blood Essay Example for Free

In Cold Blood Essay Few authors have the skill to express their view of a setting without straightforwardly telling the audience. In this small passage from In Cold Blood, Truman Capote very eloquently does just that, describing the look and feel of Holcomb, Kansas through words. With Capote’s use of many elements like figurative language, imagery, and detain, he reveals his original but mysterious views on the scenery of Holcomb. All while describing this content town, Capote builds up for a drastic change to end the excerpt. Starting strong from the first line of the excerpt, Capote puts in uninteresting details about Holcomb, and saying that other Kansans call Holcomb â€Å"out there†. This brings attention to how isolated and far away from exciting city life this small town really is. Not only does Capote bring in the details of within the town, he describes the location of Holcomb, to give the readers a larger picture. Capote points out that the town is closed in on all side with fields of wheat, a river, and prairies. The inner town is shown as remote, boring, and with a sense of calmness. Images such as â€Å"unnamed, unshaded, unpaved† and â€Å"peeling sulphur-colored paint† show how Capote views Holcomb. He describes a remote and boring place to be. It is clear that Capote see the town as average and lacking in liveliness and excitement. Alongside the details of the landscape, Capote uses a great deal of imagery to describe the town’s small impurities and quirks, as well as they lifestyle and personalities of the people that live there. Concentrating on much of Holcomb’s looks, he describes â€Å"peeling sulphur-colored paint† and ramshackle mansion†, as well as â€Å"flaking gold on a dirty window†. This strong imagery portrays the town’s deteriorating liveliness. The author then shows the residents of the town with â€Å"The local accent is barbed with a prairie twang† and a â€Å"ranch-hand nasalness†. Capote shows his thoughts of the bland town through visual imagery. Through all Capote’s imagery and description, he portrays his true feelings  of how average and dull the town of Holcomb, Kansas is. However, all this simplicity is just used to strongly contrast the ending paragraph, which ends in a mysterious turnaround of having Holcomb become noticed for a certain significant event.

The Minimum Wage Must be Raised :: Increase Minimum Wage Essays

"Raising the minimum wage will benefit about 28 million workers across the country. And it will help businesses, too - raising the wage will put more money in people's pockets, which they will pump back into the economy by spending it on goods and services in their communities." -- President Obama The minimum wage must be raised because the cost of living has gone up considerably. Education is essential if one wishes to work, and the cost of education has increased drastically in the past twenty years. Companies should be requied to pay workers what they deserve, and that is more than minimum wage is now. With our new technology and the technology in the future work is harder and more complicated. A minimum wage increase would raise the wages of many workers and increase benefits to those disadvantaged workers. Because the cost of living has sky rocketed, it has become almost impossible to raise a family on a minimum wage job. A person living on his or her own cannot survive on minimum wage job either. Their living expense would just be too much. The earnings of minimum wage workers are crucial to their families well being. Evidence from 2013 and 2014 minimum wage increase shows that an average minimum wage worker brings home more than half of his or her family's weekly earnings. In 2013 one million single mothers with children under 18 would have benefited from a minimum wage increase to $10.

Canon in D Major

Canon in D Major I’m listening to Canon in D major by Johann Pachelbel; played by the London Symphony Orchestra who are from London, England. They’re all professional adult musicians; they're very good, in tune and together. The piece is unique and very famous. It’s Johann Pachelbel’s most famous piece, most often played at weddings. The piece is in 4/4 time and in D major. It has a slow tempo, smooth rhythm, and long, full bowing. They’re bowing sounds like it’s always together in each section; like they’re all going in the same direction.Dynamics stay about the same throughout the piece; in piano/mezzo piano. It starts in piano. Sometimes it’s in mezzoforte but it doesn’t sound like it gets louder than that, except for the nice, loud, and strong ending. As far as the intonation of the piece, it gets softer as the notes are longer/slower (whole and half notes) and then slowly crescendos as the notes are shorter/faster (q uarter and eighth/sixteenth notes). The melody is always louder than the other parts.The articulation and the intonation are very consistent and similar with the melody being louder than the other parts and the crescendos into faster parts and then the decrescendos into slower, even smoother parts. I like this piece a lot, it’s very pretty and I want to learn how to play it. I really like how sometimes it’s all in unison and sometimes every section has a different part. I also really like how it’s smooth and slow at some parts and then faster but still smooth at other parts. I really love how all of the parts harmonize together perfectly. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=s3RRQypEf4I=related

American Revolution Vs. French Revolution

A revolution is defined as an overthrow or repudiation through replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed. While there have been numerous revolutions throughout the course of history, the two most arguably prominent revolutions remain to be the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Thus, this discourse will show an analysis of the two revolutions by comparing and contrasting them with one another. In order to be able to do this, it is important to first understand the motives behind each revolution.Then, the main differences and similarities between these two revolutions will be explained. Lastly, I will be concluding this discourse by stating the relevance of its implications to this very day. American Revolution and the French Revolution For centuries humanity has been both a witness and a player in the countless wars and battles that have encapsulated this world. The reason and justifications for these conflicts are countless in nu mbers. There are revolutions waged for power. There are also wars fought for wealth.There are battles engaged for territory. There are even struggles and encounters over love. Amidst all of these rationales or excuses most people have in order to fight, the most admirable and morally justified are those revolutions fought for freedom. Sometimes, when looking at the world from a certain perspective, people realize that each society and each person fight a constant never-ending struggle. Each one may fight to live, to survive, to be successful, to be accepted, to be loved, to be trusted and most important of all, to be freed.Freedom, no matter how brief or insignificant it may seem, can thoroughly change a person and a country forever. A lot of people know and accept this by heart because of their beliefs and because of history. Therefore, it is the essence of this discussion to set the spotlight on the American and French revolutions which paved the way in rewriting and redefining th e very notions of freedom and oppression in the world. The American Revolution The American Revolution was movement that effectively ended British Control and signalled the birth of a new nation, the United States of America.While the precise beginnings of the American Revolution remain highly debated, there are many reasons behind the revolution. One of the primary factors that prompted the American Revolution was the growing support for the political ideology of â€Å"republicanism†, which basically became the goal for most colonists during that time (Palmer, 1959). The taxes that the British Crown levied upon America also added to the growing resentment against the crown and strengthened the â€Å"republican† ideals of overthrowing corruption and the unjust government.Another major reason why the American Revolution started was because of the fact that the British were not including the Americans in the decisions that were being taken for the taxation proceeds from the citizens or the Americans who felt that they were not being asked to participate in important decisions (Blanco 757). The seeds for revolt were planted by the resentment at the non-inclusion at the decision making process given the fact that the Americans felt that they made significant contributions to the coffers of the British.At this point in time, the American colonies lacked any form of representation in the governing British Parliament (Greene 831). As such, many of the colonists felt that these new series of tax laws were illegitimate and therefore refused to honor them. America, at this point, was willing to wage war in order to be properly represented and to be allowed to take part in the decision making process (Blanco 757). It had now become a common sentiment among the Americans that there were so many things that they felt had to be done but were left unresolved due to their exclusion.America went to war not to prove that they were stronger but rather they went to war in order to set things right. America wanted to help the people in living an unsuppressed life and this was why they fought for independence. As history clearly reveals, the American Revolution was a successful one as it was a manifestation of the right of people to overthrow unjust and oppressive rulers and governments (Wood, 1993). The success of the American Revolution became an example of the first successful revolution against a European empire. It gave other colonies a model breaking away and become self-governing nations (Palmer, 1959).The French Revolution The French Revolution was a major turning point in European History as it signalled the end of aristocracy and marked the age of western Democracy. The citizens of a nation were no longer to be regarded as servants but as a dominant political force in determining policies of a nation (Doyle, 2002). There are many interrelated causes for the French Revolution. Perhaps among the most obvious cause was the rising ambition of bourgeoisie class who were allied with the lower class folk in their attempt to overthrow what was then perceived as an oppressive monarchy in France during that period (McPhee, 2002).With the hardships that the peasant class experienced during those times, the bourgeoisie was easily able to manipulate them and gain their support. The fiscal crises that ensued due to the insolvency of the French monarchy led to massive poverty and hunger in France and further attempts to remedy the situation by imposing higher taxes finally caused the lower classes to overthrow the rulers of France (Doyle, 2002). This was based on the economic issues that were attributed to the monarchy and its governance in society.Louis XV was engaged in numerous wars with other countries. These wars sucked the wealth of the country in providing for the costs of war. This therefore led to the bankruptcy of France. In effect, the taxes were raised higher to the discontent of the people. Moreover, there are also those who attribute part of the economic problems to Marie Antoinette who wasted the money of France in indulging herself needlessly while the country was suffering from famine and poverty. It was quite evident in that the country was in trouble.There was a high rate of unemployment while diseases and famine were lurking around the sidelines. This constantly increased at an alarming rate, the number of people living in starvation. This was further aggravated and multiplied because of the failure of Louis XVI to deal with these problems when his reign had come. Socially, there are also numerous factors that influenced the French Revolution. There was the vast resentment of royal absolutism. This further led to having negative sentiments against the professional and mercantile classes with regard to the bias noble and certain classes had.In addition to this, the privileged church became richer and richer while the poor and impoverished had less and less. The church exploited their po wer and influence in society at the expense of the citizens. Comparison between the French and American Revolutions The most striking difference between the French Revolution and the American Revolution is the impact that the revolution made on the course of history. The French revolution was basically an overthrow of an already existing regime (Doyle, 2002).The French were not subjugated or conquered people unlike the American colonists who were considered as such. The American Colonists had already retained an independent identity apart from being part of the British Crown (Wood, 1993). The French revolutionists, on the other hand, were part of France, citizens who wished to implement change in the ruling system in their attempt to alleviate their plight. The other distinct characteristic between these two revolutions is the motivation or reason behind the revolution and the goals that each revolution sought to accomplish.The American Colonists sought independence from the British Crown and to remove all oppression and corruption that they faced (Wood, 1993). The French revolutionists sought to implement change in the system and to overthrow the ruling class in France. The French revolution was not a fight for independence but rather a movement against oppression (Doyle, 2002). In terms of the manner in which the revolutions were made, the two countries differ oppositely. The French â€Å"rebelled† according to the exact nature and essence of the word itself.The French stormed the castle and established their own rule. On the other hand, the American dealt with the British government differently. First, they tried to negotiate with England. However, outcome of this negotiation with England came no productive conclusion. England simply ignored this which actually paved the way for the declaration of independence by America. But England did not respect this declaration and kept on meddling in the lives of the Americans. Thus, the war of the American Rev olution began.From a theological point of view, the two revolutions also are in contrast with one another. As mentioned earlier, the French violently rebelled immediately while the Americans first tried to negotiate peacefully. First of all, the Americans pursuit and struggle for independence was done through the guidance of moral values and influence of God. They sought to foster a way to achieve their independence without having to shed blood. While on the other hand, the French way was radically different. Their method was fuelled by an invigorating hate and resentment towards their oppressors.They executed anyone who had any affiliation with the aristocracy establishing a revolution of godlessness. In the context of revolution as an overthrow or repudiation and through replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed, it must be said that while the goals they sought to accomplish were different, both the American Revolution and the French Revol ution were truly revolutions. The American Revolution sought the overthrow of the British system and independence from the so called â€Å"colonizers†.Under the context of revolution as it is understood in class, this is a real revolution. The French Revolution is also a real revolution because it was mainly an uprising against the oppressive ruling class in France at that time. It must be pointed out however that had the French Revolution been carried out on a smaller scale and as against specific pillars of authority and power within the French political system, then it could have been properly considered as a rebellion instead.The French Revolutionists sought to change the established political system to improve their situation. Conclusion In conclusion, a revolution, in the real sense of the word, is any act or series of acts in an attempt to overthrow or repudiate an established government or political system by the people governed through replacement of the ruling class . Both the American Revolution and the French revolution possessed the same goals, the overthrow and repudiation of existing governments or political systems.A difference that may be made without deterring from the context of the word revolution as used is to classify the American Revolution as a revolution on a larger scale and as against a foreign government and the French Revolution as a revolution that seeks to overthrow the unjust and oppressive government. The societies in the world are greatly influenced by these two significant events. They remain as the lessons or guidelines that shape the way countries and governments deal and administrate those under their rule.Moreover, these events have been a model even to those individuals who have crazy, greedy and insatiable ambitions of acquiring power and wealth at the expense of other people. References: Blanco, Richard. The American Revolution: An Encyclopedia 2 vol (1993), 1850 pages Carnes, M. C. , & Garraty, J. A. (2006). The American nation: A History of the United States. Central Texas College Edition. Boston: Pearson. Doyle, W. (2002) Oxford history of the French Revolution, 2nd ed. , Oxford: Oxford University Press Greene, Jack P. and J. R. Pole, eds.The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution (1994), 845pp; emphasis on political ideas; revised edition (2004) titled A Companion to the American Revolution. McPhee, P. (2002) The French Revolution, 1789-1799, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Palmer, R. (1959) The Age of the Democratic Revolution: A Political History of Europe and America, 1760-1800. vol 1. Wood, G. (1993) The Radicalism of the American Revolution: How a Revolution Transformed a Monarchical Society into a Democratic One Unlike Any That Had Ever Existed. Alfred A. Knopf.

Criminal Evidence essays

Criminal Evidence essays Evidence is information offered in court to prove or disprove a fact and to show that a crime was committed. It is shown in court as an item of proof, to impeach or rehabilitate a witness, and to determine a sentence. Evidence can come in the form of weapons, documents, pictures, tape recordings, or exhibits. There are four different types of physical evidence that are considered in court. The first are the fruits of the crime, which is what the suspect gets out of the crime. The instrumentalities of the crime are the means by which the defendant actually committed the crime, such as by a gun, knife, or crowbar. The third type of physical evidence is contraband, which is a crime by possession. Mere Evidence is any other type of physical evidence. Two other types of evidence are direct and circumstantial. Direct evidence proves a fact directly, and often comes from eyewitnesses. Circumstantial evidence requires the court to make an inference or assumption about the case. Evi dence offered in court must be competent. It is considered incompetent if offered by an incompetent witness, obtained in violation of constitutional provisions, or if it is not properly prepared and safeguarded through the chain of custody. According to the book Hard Evidence by David Fisher, the chain of custody is a legal standard which prescribes the handling and documentation necessary for specimens and testing to be admissible as evidence in a court of law. Admissibility of laboratory testing results as court evidence will be compromised if Chain-of-Custody protocol is not strictly followed by all who handle, store, test, and report on such specimens. The chain of custody begins when the evidence is collected at the crime scene and continues until the evidence is officially disposed of. Each person who has custody of the evidence is responsible for its preservation and safekeeping. Each piece of the chain of evidence must include sp...

Hoist With His Own Petard

Hoist With His Own Petard Hoist With His Own Petard Hoist With His Own Petard By Maeve Maddox I think Keith Olbermann may have had something to do with popularizing this Shakespearean expression. In July 2005 Olbermann, writing about the London bus bombing, wrote: July 21st may turn out to be the day the terrorists began to blow themselves up - hoist themselves, as the Middle English phrase goes, â€Å"on their own petard.† I cant guess why he called it a Middle English phrase. The expression, meaning blown up by his own bomb, comes from Shakespeares time (1605). By then, Middle English had morphed into Modern English. As recently as Election Eve 2008, Olbermann was still using the phrase: Im trying to give Gov. Palin out there, a couple more seconds to figure out how she managed to get herself, as Shakespeare wrote of people destroyed by their own evil plans, hoist with her own petard.† Keith Olbermann October 31, 2008 Here is how the expression is used in Hamlet (III, iv, 206-208): For tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his own petar, ant shall go hard But I will delve one yard below their mines, And blow them at the moon. Hamlet is talking about his old college chums Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Theyve been spying on him for the king, and Hamlet suspects they are laying a trap for him. Hes planning his own preà «mptive strike. A petar was an explosive device. It got its name from the French verb pà ªter, which means to break wind. The Old French noun pet means fart. Shakespeare was making one of his earthy puns here. Note that in the original expression, hoist is a verb in the past tense. Writers who want to use the expression correctly need to keep that fact in mind. The hoist of current English usage retains the same meaning, to raise, to lift up, but in modern usage, the past tense form has been regularized to hoisted. Ex. The crane hoisted the girder into place. Commentators who dont know their Shakespeare get it wrong: The amusing context for this interview, was watching Keith Olbermann hoisted on his own petard. Donklephant, March 15, 2008. I mean who are the REAL victims here? CBS News has been hoisted on its own petard Cecelia, commenting on Dan Rather scandal, January 24, 2005. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadAbstract Nouns from Adjectives25 Idioms with Clean

Conflict within Nursing Work Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conflict within Nursing Work Environment - Essay Example Nurses are assuming a significant position in this system and its complex transitions. Therefore, as expected, nurses regularly experience conflicts during the course of their work, whether it is during their day-to-day practice or due to larger organizational conflicts. Interpersonal conflicts occur between individuals in the work environment. If two stakeholders are on an equivalent power level, interpersonal disagreements may simply cause irritation and annoyance. However, if one of the stakeholders has some actual or perceived authority over the other, this situation can potentially lead to what is called as conflict (Caplan G., 1964). This work is a critical reflection of a conflict event in work place that I had experienced. Before going into analysis of that particular event, the process of a conflict and its results needed to be known, since the idea of this reflective article is to explore how a conflict can be managed in practice and why. The incidence that I am going to state involves workplace interpersonal conflict, and this took place in our ward. A female senior nurse found an elderly female patient very upset, complaining about a male physician who had treated the patient in a rude manner. The patient asked for more medicine for her pain, but did not get it, and was told to accept the pain and stop nagging. The patient started to cry, but the physician let the room ignoring that she was hurt with his comments and her pain was real. The nurse confronted the physician about his conduct, and the physician began by trivializing the incident and continued by indicating his disagreement with the underlying o rganizational policy, and ended with a personal attack on the behaviour of the nurse to a physician. The stake holders in this scenario are the nurse, the physician, and the patient. It is obvious from the above scenario that there has been incompatible preference ordering between the nurse, the physician, and the patient. This is a situation where the patient has perceived that the physician has frustrated her concern. This is a destructive conflict, since this issue has been amplified, broadly defined with the addition of tangential items, and emotionally charged. When it comes to the nurse and she tries to manage the conflict, it becomes constructive when she confronts the physician to solve the issue between the patient and the physician. Here the same issue is focused and kept at a manageable size. Only peripheral issues that relate to the main point are discussed, and the process of choice is action, rather than a reaction. In contrast to destructive conflict, here when the nurse plans to resolve it, there is no competition and demonstration of power that is constructive. Her discussion with the physician about this issue is characterized by solutions that respond to the needs of all stakeholders in this conflict in an attempt to finding an acceptable solution that may be a compromise or a new one

USA HIstory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

USA HIstory - Research Paper Example This was particularly due to the rules on escaped sleeves which demanded that those helping escaped slaves be punished, this pitted south against north since many abolitionists would aid than in their escape when they went ran north to freedom (Kelly). The election of Abraham Lincoln a republican firm on abolishing slavery caused seven states to secede and form a confederacy, when the war begun in earnest, four more states joined them in the quest to fight for the right to practice slavery. The civil war was greatly divisive as it pitted neighbors and sometimes even brothers against each other, as a result, many family and social bonds were severed never to be the same again even after the war was over The war commenced after the confederates took the Fort Sumter, which was a crucial fort for the union side, in South Carolina, in response Lincoln rallied his armies to retake the four Border States that had moved to the confederacy. The union then went ahead to assume control of the coastline and set up a naval blockade a key fort held by Union troops in South Carolina. The confederate states had assumed that Europeans countries which were heavily dependent on them for cotton and other products would back them up against the union and this emboldened them (â€Å"American Civil War†). However, this proved to have been misconstrued and no European nation ever even acknowledged the confederacy let alone supported them. What followed were four years of bloody conflict which were characterized by massive loss of life as well as destruction of property; it is worth noting that this was the first industrialized war and modern weapons and infrastructure such as railroads were extens ively used. The war was marked by several battles such as, the battles of Antietam, Vicksburg, and Manassas among others (â€Å"American Civil War†). In 1862 Lincoln made the proclamation of