Auto Industry Structure and Resources free essay sample

According to Taylor (2012), profits are going to be derived from a handful of mega-companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. These companies include General Motors (GM), Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Renault/Nissan, Hyundai/Kia, and Fiat/Chrysler. The chart below, taken from Taylor’s article, demonstrates global sales of auto makers in 2011 and what is predicted to be the companies’ global sales in 2020. (Taylor 2012). This chart reflects which auto makers are at the top in terms of sales, so this could also be interpreted as the companies that are the strongest within the industry. An industry is a group of firms that market products which are close substitutes for each other. Some industries are more profitable than others due to the dynamics of competitive structure of an industry. There are basically five forces that determine the long-run profitability of an industry; threat of entry of new competition, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, and degree of competition (Porter, 2008). We will write a custom essay sample on Auto Industry Structure and Resources or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many companies within the United States and world may look to the automotive industry as a possible â€Å"cash cow. This is due to the large inelastic demand followed with a hefty pay off per sale. As a company interested in entering the automotive industry competition, one may find that it is easier said than done. Since 1860, there have been over 1,800 manufacturing companies that have entered into this competitive market within the United States. Of those 1,800 manufacturers, over 760 have gone out of business, leaving a success rate of less than 57% (Georgano, 2000). Entry into this manufacturing arena requires a huge down payment. Procuring machinery, personnel, factories, and raw materials can put a multi-million dollar price tag of investment and overhead before one sale is completed. Before these complicated pieces of machinery start rolling off the production line, sales strategies and logistics need to also be considered sinking more overhead and investment into start up costs. For the manufactures that decide to exit this market, there is a large sum of invested money and jobs that are lost. In many situations, losing such a large degree of sunk costs in a plant closure tends to become the precursor to company bankruptcy or selling off of the company. The excess inventory, machinery, and other assets will need to be sold off to try to maintain survival of the existing company. If the company has debt, income from selling off assets or the bankruptcy will be utilized to pay these debts. Either way, exiting this market can cause great financial drain and costly repercussions of the company’s financial livelihood. In recent years, more manufacturers have taken the financial risk on and been able to enter into the market. The automotive market structure began as an oligopolistic structure due to the limited vendors. In this system, several large sellers have some control over the prices. As time progresses and more domestic and foreign manufacturers enter into the competition, a more perfect competition (many buyers and sellers, none being able to influence prices) is emerging (Business Dictionary. om, 2012) reducing elasticity within the market. Education and training, wages, and technology are three major factors which impact the quantity and/or skill level of the labor supply in the auto industry. In reviewing the labor supply, we will divide the industry by business and front-line workers. These two general groups would require great variance in education and skill; therefore, the potential labor supply for each should be reviewed separately. The front-line workers in manufacturing, production, and sales of the auto industry generally require minimal education and receive on-the-job skill training. These workers may have a high school diploma and great variance in skill level for manufacturing and sales. They will receive the training needed on the job and their wages will not greatly vary; therefore, the effect of changes in training and wages for those workers of the industry would be considered minimal in changes to the supply curve. For this group, advances in technology would have a greater impact. In reviewing the labor supply for the business segment of the automobile industry such as business management, engineering, and marketing, this is the population of the industry which must: understand and keep track of changing consumer demands, understand how to maximize opportunity for growth, how to forecast, how to market, and be innovative in design and features of automobiles as technology continues to advance and the market remains competitive. According to the Consumer Population Survey (CPS), in 2011 the U. S. Labor Force, age 25 and older, with only a high school education made up over three and a half million potential laborers; while in the same year, those unemployed with a college degree equated to around two million (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Therefore, the total labor supply for the industry was nearly six million with varying skill levels. The auto industry was hit hard during the recession and is still coping with large structural changes. Over the past couple of years, the automobile companies have closed plants and discontinued brands and they downsized, restructured and cut budget to bring costs more in line with sales. They also cut jobs, as many as 300,000 or more according to some estimates. Recently, the profits of the auto industry have turned around and they are, again, making profits. There is now a shortage of workers with the right skill-set. The challenge is finding the right workers with the right skills needed by the workers in the industry, especially as more teams work globally. Because of the new technologies and operations, so called â€Å"un-skilled† workers are rarely needed now. The workers also need problem solving skills and decision making skills. Creating a workforce with these abilities requires a different approach by the human resources team. Better workforce planning is essential to creating the right fit. Automakers are turning their attention to building automobiles that either rely less on traditional fuel sources or use cheaper renewable sources of energy. These â€Å"green† solutions will attract consumers. As automakers are turning their attention to new technology, their talent must be able to grow with them. The shift in consumer preferences in the auto market towards hi-tech, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles is a significant challenge to the industry. Auto manufacturers and suppliers will have to adapt quickly to the new technology and invest in research and development. Globalization has also put pressure on the auto industry and its traditional workforce. The future demand will be that auto companies have a flexible workforce that can constantly learn and refresh its skills. The workforce must be able to be flexible and the industry must leverage rapid learners and be able to re-train employees and re-design jobs. This will be costly for the automobile industry but will be needed to be successful and beat the competition. There may not be a need for the unskilled worker in the auto industry, but there will always be a need for workers. Their roles will change to keep up with the technology and changing markets. Steel, plastic, aluminum, rubber, and glass are the top five materials used in the automobile production process (George P. , 2012). While some of these materials are derived from a natural resource which could potentially pose risk on quantity, such as steel from iron ore and rubber from petroleum, there are forms of either synthetic or renewable resources for each as well as the ability to recycle all of these materials for reuse. None of these materials are of precious minerals and there are no real variances found in quality of such materials. For example, recycled steel, aluminum, and glass can be used in automobiles because they can be recycled indefinitely without losing their properties (RubberAsia, 2009, Hincha-Ownby, 2010, and Blue, 2012). Historically, the automotive and construction markets have remained the largest consumers of steel, with more than half of the steel produced. Over the past few years, China has emerged as the major consumer of steel, with the U. S. ext, followed by Japan. In 2008, the steel industry suffered a decline due to the recession. This was seen by consumers buying existing inventories of vehicles rather than buying new stock. The industry turned around in 2009 and continued to grow. Replacement tires are the second highest operating expense for commercial fleets, next to fuel (Automotive Fleet, 2011). In 2010, the cost for tires in the passenger car segment was up 11%. Almo st 60 percent of the world’s rubber is consumed by the global tire industry. China is the world’s largest rubber consumer

Learning the Basic Steps of MySQL

Learning the Basic Steps of MySQL New website owners often stumble at the mention of database management, not realizing how much a database can enhance a  website experience. A database is just  an organized and structured collection of data.   MySQL is a free open source SQL database management system. When you understand MySQL, you can use it to store content for your website and access that content directly using PHP. You dont even need to know SQL to communicate with MySQL. You just need to know how to operate the software that your web host provides. In most cases that is phpMyAdmin. Before You Begin Experienced programmers might choose to manage data  by using the SQL code directly either through a shell prompt or through some sort of a query window. New users are better off learning how to use phpMyAdmin. It is the most popular MySQL management program, and almost all web hosts have it installed for you to use. Contact your host to find out where and how you can access it. You need to know your MySQL login before you begin.   Create a Database The first thing you need to do is create a database. Once that is done, you can start adding information. To create a database in phpMyAdmin: Log in to your account at your web hosting site.Locate and click the phpMyAdmin icon and log in. It will be in your websites root folder.Look for Create New Database on the screen.Enter the database name in the field provided and  click Create.   If the create database feature is disabled, contact your host to create a new database. You must have permission  to create new databases. After you create the database, you are taken to a screen where you can enter tables. Creating Tables In the database, you can have many tables, and each table is a grid with information held in  cells on the grid. You need to create at least one table to hold data in your database. In the area labeled Create new table on database [your_database_name], enter a name (for example: address_book) and type a number in the Fields cell. Fields are columns that hold information. In the address_book example, these fields hold first name, last name, street address and so on. If you know the number of fields you need, enter it. Otherwise, just enter a default number 4. You can change the number of fields later. Click Go. In the next screen, enter a descriptive name for each field and select a data type for each field. Text and number are the two most popular types. The Data Now that you have created a database, you can enter data directly into the fields using phpMyAdmin. Data in a table can be managed in many ways. A tutorial on ways to  add, edit, delete, and search the information in your database  gets you started.   Get Relational The great thing about MySQL is that it is a relational database. This means the data from one of your tables can be used in conjunction with data on another table as long as they have one field in common. This is called a Join, and you can learn how to do it in this  MySQL Joins tutorial. Working From PHP Once you get the hang of using  SQL to work with your database, you can use SQL from PHP files on your website. This allows your website to store all its content in your database and access it dynamically as needed by each page or each visitors request.

Social Work - The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Essay

Social Work - The Victoria Climbie Inquiry - Essay Example That is the only way in which vulnerable children are let down by the system. Every child matters have two main goals. First, to protect children and second, to ensure that every child can fulfill their potential. Social workers have to develop a better understanding about the positive impact of educational achievement on the well-being of children in care and accept that it is a key part of their responsibilities to promote their learning. They must meet the challenging targets set by central and local government in relation to the stability of care and school placements. Social workers must take all procedures to increase the range of choice of placements of all kinds. As per Victoria Climbie Inquiry, there are five aspects of the reform is essential to improve plight of the children in the society. They are (1) prevention, (2) early intervention, (3) improving specialist service, (4) Every Child matters regognises the need to work altogether and (5) having the right people to do the job. There are still significant gaps in our knowledge of educational outcomes for children in care.

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 39

Response - Essay Example There is clearly scanty investigation leading to insufficient evidence to incarcerate the two friends of Absalom. The case should have been adjourned. If justice was to prevail, the judge should have adjourned the case until adequate investigation is done and plenty of evidence is brought forth to aid in just and informed judgment. The judge’s law lecture was to expose unjust legal system, which works to oppress a section of the society. Though sympathetic with Absalom, the judge is imprisoned by the unjust legal system in his decision making. By â€Å"going into a community," Msimangu meant joining the church and becoming a monk. He is doing this to spread the gospel of love amidst injustices facing black South Africans, which can only be triumphed by selfless love. Kumalos emotional reaction to seeing his brother is show forgiveness. Kumalo call Msimangu "Friend of friends" because of the latter’s decision to join the church, which is a home for Kumalo. It is a welcome expression to Msimangu. In book III, Kumalo is healed form grief caused by land and family. When rains end drought and Kumalo receives Absalom’s letter, happiness creeps in from land and family easing Kumalo’s grief. Arthur’s son unites separate worlds leading to reconciliation between whites and blacks. Msimangu gives up worldly possessions, which is an indication of

Sexual Child Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sexual Child Abuse - Essay Example Recent researches have shown that many times the abuser himself had been a subject to child abuse in his or her past or has been a subject to physical violence. Abusers are usually self-centered lack ability to coping skills and have no understanding of child behavior pattern and treat them devastatingly without feeling for them.Another cause contributing to sexual child abuse is the mental state of abuser. History of abuser often reveals coping up with financial stress and depression in past, psychological illness. Abuser often belongs to a broken family or he has been neglected during his growth period which had affected his behavior and thinking adversely.Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder often co related with neurological disorder in which abuser develops sexual interest for prepubescent child so it is also one of the causes of child sexual abuse. Pedophilia if not treated or repressed leads to severe consequences.it does not have any cure but it do have therapies that help th e abuser to cope up with his state. Pedophilic patients often stop sexual abuse when a child starts to develop secondary characteristics of adulthood. Sexual child abuse might be a single event or it may continue for several years.History of abusers have reveled consumption of excessive alcohol and drug intake, family troubles and poverty which is one of the main causes contributing to prevalence of sexual child abuse. Abuser might continue his harassment for over years which devastatingly damage. the personality and behavior of child. Children born to heavy alcoholic parents are at a greater risk of to suffer from sexual abuse in near future due to lack of interest of parents in the house which provides an opportunity to abuser to take advantage of the situation as such parents cannot provide much protection to their children due to their habit of alcohol. (Hornor, G., 2010) Sometimes abuser involves in sexual harassment of child just for the sake of fun and pleasure without caring for the child. These are some of the factors and causes that lead to sexual child abuse and harassment. Many researches indicated that abusers were a subject to amnesia. Another reason for sexual child abuse is that sometimes abuser does not feel sexual feelings for people belonging to their own age

Study Of The Leadership Of Adolf Hitler

Study Of The Leadership Of Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April 1889, in the small Austrian town of Braunau. When the World War I began in 1914, Hitler volunteered to join the German army. He was given a medal for bravery but he never had the chance to climb any rank. In 1920, Hitler joined the National Socialist German Workers Party, which was known as the Nazis. Hitler became leader of the Nazi party by using his great speaking ability. In the 1930s depression Germany had to pay an even greater debt, which was coming for the World War I. Hitler did not agreed to pay the debt and stated that the Jews and Communists were the cause for Germanys defeat in World War I. He ensured that his party was going to get rid of Jews and Communists and that he was going to reunite the German speaking part of Europe. In 1932, the Nazis party got about 40% in the elections and became the strongest party in Germany, so in 1933 Hitler was appointed as the Chancellor of Germany. Under Hitlers government, called the Third Reich, H itler used widespread propaganda to brainwash and manipulate the nation into accepting his theory about creating the perfect Aryan race. In 1939 when the World War II began, Hitler invaded into Poland in order to unify as he promised all German-speaking peoples. By this time extermination camps were being established throughout Germany, Poland, and Russia. When Hitlers plan did not worked out, he committed suicide on April 30,1945 [1]. 2. Leadership Traits 2.1 Charisma-Passion-Vision Hitlers charisma was the key to the whole success of National-Socialism, which he was supporting and wanted to pass through the people of Germany. Hitler obtained this charismatic altitude partially because of his political skills and appeal. The enabling factor, which was helping Hitler accomplishing almost every task he had, was his surprising clarity of vision. He had great ideas for Germany, to be bigger, better and purer than ever but also he was driven by his ego to take over the world, which was not as pure as he wanted Germany to be. Hitler was revealing his passion through his speeches. He knew that by arriving late at the meeting point would develop tension among the audience and make them expecting him. When he was arriving at the stage he was standing attention and was waiting for every one to stop talking so as to have total silence and then to start. His moves and gestures were so forceful. He was walking from side to side at the stage and he was gesturing with his hands and the tone of his voice was loud and passionate. He was sweating; his face was getting white, his eyes were bulged and his voice was full of emotion. He was shouting about the unfairnesss and prejudices done to Germany and he was making his audience to be full of hate and jealousy. So by the end of his speech the crowd was in a condition near to madness and was willing to do everything Hitler was implying. 2.2 Determination Hitlers determination and tremendous tenacity of purpose were two characteristics, which described him through his governance. He was a man who was striving for power and command. In order to have the power to be the commander of Germany and conquer the whole world, he managed to climb all the way up from being a simple soldier in the front line to become the chancellor of Germany and the commander of a enormous army. This fact indicates his great will and capability to meet his objectives and to achieve whatever he sought. 2.3 Integrity Despite the fact that Hitler was a great leader he had no sense of logical thinking. Hitlers lack of ethical reasoning and social intelligence goes back to his low self-awareness, empathy and interest in others. He was unethical in thoughts and actions, taking advantage of situations, which his followers were in, in the most vicious approach to reach his goals. By manipulating his army to put Jews into extermination camps, is the biggest example not only of his immoral and wicked character but also his twisted mind. 2.4 Confidence Hitler was greatly self-assured of his own abilities. His rise in the hierarchy scale, his influential speeches, the fact that he managed to get Germany back from the edge of economic disaster, the battles which he was making in crucial places or in critical time periods are facts which are showing the huge levels of confidence that Hitler had. 2.5 Sociability In terms of Hitlers management towards his secretaries and the people who worked with him closely, Hitler was, surprisingly enough, the more thoughtful boss. In fact, the fuehrer was adored by those who worked closest with him. His secretaries never became maddened by any kind of rudeness or lack of indulgence towards them. Hitler knew their names and birthdays, he was visiting them when they were ill, and they repaid him with lifetime loyalty, even after his crimes became generally known. 2.6 Intelligence Hitlers intelligence is indisputable. He managed to get Germany back from the edge of economic disaster and made them flourishing again, from a beaten country to a world power in just a few years. The fact that Hitler came from a front-line soldier to the fuehrer shows not only, as it was aforementioned, his great will and capability to meet his objectives but also his great mind sharpness since he was able to manipulate, even brainwashed a whole nation in order to do that. 3. Leadership Style 3.1 Task oriented Hitler was a high task oriented leader. He had clear vision and knowledge of the path for execute his strategy so he is the one who directed his people in an attempt to execute his vision. He wanted to monitor everything and retain control of every task, which was about to be executed. He never blamed himself for his failure but the other which in his case was Germany as a whole. 3.2 Relationship oriented In terms of Hitlers relationship orientation we can mention that he had really good interpersonal relations with those who worked closest with him. He knew personal details for them, fact which shows that he was interested in them and in their personal psychological health. He was visiting them when they were ill fact, which shows that he was interested about their physical health. So we can say that Hitler had good leader-member relations, his task orientation was high, and finally, his position power is strong, since he had all the authorities of the country. Consequently, Adolf Hitler appears to be a Task-Oriented Leader. 3.3 Transformational Transformational leadership is a type of leadership style that leads to positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well[2]. Transformational leaders engage in intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation. As far as intellectual stimulation is concerned, Hitler was visionary wanted for Germany to be the first power and for him to conquer the world. As far as inspirational motivation is concerned, Hitler strived to be different in order to become the great world leader and had the proper for him plans and tactics on how to achieve his goals. In order to have their country standing again to their feet Hitler appealed to the values and ethics of the German people. Despite the fact that the need for resurrection in Germanys economy was obvious we can say that Hitler instead of fulfilling his followers higher mental needs and aspirations he was fulfilling his own needs. He was a dominant, magnetic leader that would possibly fit the characterization of a pseudo-transformational leader, because a leader satisfys the needs of his followers and their well being but Hitler did not do that. 4. Strategy Adolf Hitler was a very good strategist. The main point of Hitlers strategy was the accumulation of Lebensraum (Living space) for the Germanic race [3]. Citing the Treaty of Versailles suffocating indemnities and exploiting the public nervousness of the 1930s economic lack of money, he declared that the German borders were too restricted to secure their suitable position in the geo-political world relations, and that he wanted regions similar to the (British and French) colonies to secure enough economic resources to assure Germanys position as a major power [4]. The planned strategy to realize these goals was a series of quite short wars, to defeat one opponent at a time, and thus securing more land step by step. These wars were to be intertwined with periods of peace when the German army could re-supply and amass force for the next war. As the time was passing by his strategy was based on paranoia and cruel logic. Despite that, his inland territory remained very strong and indisputable. Afterwards, he ordered a constant bombing in Britain despite the strategic costs and failures. In the final stages of the war, his actions and orders were getting more and more mad rather than any attempt to have a rational strategy. 5. Authentic Leadership In my opinion Adolf Hitler was not an authentic leader. That is because, firstly, he promised he would help revive Germany; however, he did not say that he would take over most of Europe doing so. Secondly, in order to be authentic one must has self-awareness, to know not only his strengthens but also his weaknesses, an ability that he lacked. And thirdly, the most of the times, his feeling for conquering Europe, be the winner and the Fuehrer was overshadowing his rational thinking, which at the end brought the fall of his empire. 6. Leadership Level: Kouzes and Pousner believe that effective leaders engage in five practices; model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart (1995). These practices and other leadership concepts provide a means of shaping a model leader. Understanding that effective leaders will also hold individual leadership traits, defining the term in a general sense is a challenge. For the purpose of our chapter, we will define effective leadership as the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations (Kouzes Posner, 1995, p. 30)[5]. In my opinion, Hitler, is considered to be a level four, Effective leader, as he was able to maintain a helicopter view just before the end of the war. He was setting the directions and he was effectiveness and inspiration oriented. He was developing a high performance culture so as his army to be able to have the desired results. Although Hitler did had the professional will, a person who wants to conquer is not even close to personal humility, so he could never be at level five, Executive. 7. Action Logic Adolf Hitler follows the strategist action logic. In their analysis of action logics, Rooke and Torbert (2005) identify two characteristics of the strategist action logic. Firstly, strategists generate organizational and personal transformations and secondly, they exercise the power of mutual inquiry, alertness and vulnerability for both the short and long term. Additionally, a strategist is considered to be very effective as a transformational leader that is a pseudo-transformational leader in this case. Accordingly, Hitler focuses on building a long-term strategy that is first to revive Germany from its economic ruins and then to have the proper battle in order to have under his command all the Europe. Moreover, a large percentage of his attention lies on giving inspiring speeches to his people in order to keep them in tense and under his mental control. Another strength of Hitlers is his ability to climbing through the scales of hierarchy in his personal life, which in turn he transferred it to its leadership and managed to have Germany a major power in few years. 8. Evaluation Closing, in my opinion, we conclude that there is no alignment between Hitlers leadership style and the strategic needs of Germany. He exclusively focused on his own selfish goals for taking whole Europe under his control, instead of the needs of his people. He took things too personally overshadowing his rational thinking so he had intense rivalry with the rest of the world. Winning was so important for him that he would do anything to achieve it. These aspects of his character led him into madness and paranoia and at the end was the factor that took him down to the distraction.

Free College Essays - Anse as a Vulture in As I Lay Dying :: As I Lay Dying Essays

Anse as a Vulture in As I Lay Dying Human beings are commonly accepted as social creatures. They are considered evolved due to the fact that they were the first animals to develop a written language to help with communication. In the book, As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner compares the characters to less evolved species. The resemblance between the characters and their inanimate counterparts in nature is used in the book to show how inhuman they are in personality. Many birds are carnivorous, that is, they prey upon other animals for food. In this book, Faulkner uses the character of Anse Bundren to personify a vulture. Anse is compared to predatory birds in order to expose the similarities of the nature and behavior, of the human and the animal species. Anse resembles a vulture when Addie first sees him. She describes him as a tall bird hunched in the cold weather (170). Anse is often depicted as having a humped, motionless, and cold silhouette (51-52). While he gazes at Addie lying in bed, he partakes an "owl-like quality of awry-feathered, disgruntled outrage within (49)." Anse is often unshaven, dirty, seeming dark and dreary. He is selfish and continually on the prowl, like a culture, for more money and extravagance. The Latin meaning for the word "vulture" is the basic nature of these birds: breeze scavengers. Rarely flapping their large wings, vultures cruise by on air currents, searching for dead animals to eat. Anse grabs Addie's attention by driving past the school house watching Addie. He drives by, trying to catch a glimpse, almost stalking her, as a vulture would stalk its prey before attacking. Anse is not gentle and loving. He stands, stiff as a scarecrow, silent, and grotesque. His position evokes fear in others and makes them do what he desires. When Addie excepts Anse's proposal to marriage, he takes her from her home and place of birth, and brings her to his farm. Addie's life, from that point on, is harsh and ungratifying. It is when Addie is with Anse, that she realizes that her father's beliefs are true -- the purpose of life is to get ready to be dead. Anse, like a vulture, is cool and calculating. As Addie is lying in bed, Anse sits on the front doorstep of the house waiting for her to die.

Knots in My Yo-yo String Essay

Knots in my Yo-yo string is an autobiography written by Jerry Spinelli. Jerry Spinelli describes his childhood in first person which allows the reader to feel like he or she is there. To describe the book, the author has written this book to be about his childhood. The community in which the author lived in had impacted his life from being an ordinary Pennsylvania boy to a Newbery Medalist Author. Even the people in his life have helped him reach his career as a writer. I think that the community that the author lived in had some changes on his life. Some of the people that helped affect some changes in the authors life was the authors friends. The authors friends helped him a lot by hoping for him to win the election for president in his school. I also think that his parents had a lot to do with affecting some of the things in the authors life. For example, the author probably would not have his bike that he got for Christmas if his parents did not sacrifice going to the movies or going bowling, so that they could make sure their kids had most of the things they wanted. This is how the authors community had an affect on the authors life. The fact that he was naturally talented gave him an advantage when becoming a writer. Some other reasons why he is such a good writer was because he was not the average kid, he was the kind of kid that paid attention in class, when all the other kids were fooling around. He was very dedicated to his school work. Further more he had a great imagination, and an even better writing ability to have the reader in suspense. Some similarities when writing a book and playing sports is that you always have to be focused.

The 5 Best AP World History Books for Practice and Review

The 5 Best AP World History Books for Practice and Review SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It's hard to know where to begin when studying for AP World History. Though the exam mainly covers broad themes and trends, there's so much information to sift through that it can be easy to get lost in the weeds. Review books can help guide your study plan, ensure that you revisit the most important concepts, and provide critical test-taking strategies. In this article, I'll go through the best books to use for studying AP World History and how you can choose one that will give you the tools you need to ace this test. What’s in This Guide? This is a list of the most helpful review books that you can use to study for the AP World History exam and other assessments in class throughout the year.These books are meant to be used in conjunction with a high-quality textbook, so most of them are not stand-alone resources for self-studying.However, some are more thorough than others. For world history, review books can make the choice to either focus exclusively on the content you need to know for the AP exam (which is what most of them do), or go more in-depth and market themselves as in-class study aids as well.I’ll list the books that are the most reliable resources for long-term and short-term studying as well as a few that you might consider buying as supplemental resources.I’ll also give you specific pros and cons for each book so you can make a more informed decision about which one fits your needs best. Best Overall Review Book Cracking the AP World History Exam (Princeton Review) Price: about $15 Pros Focuses on larger trends and themes rather than small superfluous details; it only tells you about the essential stuff you need to know for the test Easy to follow and written in a conversational style Two full-length AP practice tests with analytical multiple-choice questions that closely model College Board materials Timeline of events at the end of every section to help you organize the information you’ve learned chronologically Good tips for designing your study plan and for taking the actual test Cons Could improve on essay-writing advice/practice, and doesn’t contain sample essays Not quite detailed enough to use for self-studying Summary I’d consider this book to be the best overall resource because you can make it work for you no matter what your study timeline or score goals happen to be.It doesn’t go overboard in the information it provides, but it also isn’t so sparse that it’s only useful for a quick review before the test.The practice tests are good quality with questions that accurately reflect the difficulty level of the AP exam.Its engaging writing style combined with a focus on key themes and overall chronology of events make this a great resource for almost any student. Best Book for Short-Term Review AP World History Crash Course Price: about $13 Pros Really good for a quick content review in the weeks before the test Great test-taking tips Contains only the information you need to know for the exam Chapters are written in easy-to-digest outline form Cons No practice exams Can’t be used to review for in-class tests and assignments or self-study without supplementing with a textbook Summary This book is called â€Å"Crash Course† for a reason; it’s made for those of you who’ve waited until the last minute to start studying.This book covers everything you need to know for the test and doesn’t mess around with any extra unnecessary details.Students find this book to be a helpful refresher that can be useful even as late as a week before the AP test.Just be warned that you’ll need to get your practice tests elsewhere if you want to estimate your AP score! Best Book for Long-Term Review Barron’s AP World History, 7th Edition Price: about $15 Pros Good tips for free-response questions (and sample essays!) Very thorough in its coverage of information Connects all the themes of the course to the events in each historical era Two full-length exams with answer explanations Cons Too much material to use for short-term AP review; it's more textbook than review book Overall dry, academic writing style that might make it hard to engage with the material No shorter practice tests at the end of each section for review Practice questions may be more challenging than exam questions Summary As is the norm with Barron’s books, this is a dense, highly detailed look at the course material that goes a bit overboard in its capacity as a â€Å"review book.†If you get it a couple of weeks before the AP test in hopes of quickly going over everything you need to know, you’re going to be overwhelmed.You should only buy this book if you plan to use it for a couple of months to prepare for the AP test or as a self-study resource that will accompany you throughout the course. I’d say this book is also for intense students who are genuinely very interested in the subject and would like to review content in more depth.If you have trouble paying attention to textbooks because of their dull writing style and are looking for something more student-friendly to keep you awake, you should probably get one of the first two books on this list instead. Best Supplemental Books 5 Steps to a 5 AP World History Price: about $18 Pros Comes with access to McGraw-Hill Education’s interactive AP Planner app, which gives you a customizable study schedule on your mobile device Four complete practice exams A few different sample study plans to choose from to guide your studying accompanied by a calendar so you can see everything laid out Helpful charts and short quizzes for each unit Short and more digestible than other review books Cons Not detailed enough to use to study for assignments throughout the year Two practice tests are on the computer, which isn't how you'll take the real AP exam Summary This book falls between the Princeton Review and Crash Course regarding its level of detail.It’s easy to grasp, and it has a decent amount of practice materials.If you need more sample questions and want a book that gives you a straightforward, step-by-step study process, this is a nice resource to have. AP World History Study Guide Price: about $11 Pros High-quality 50-question practice quiz with answer explanations Strong section on test-taking strategies In-depth summaries for key concepts Short and sweet - doesn’t give you more information than you need Cons Format could use some work - there’s a lot of text and not a lot of graphics No DBQ prompt Not good for long-term studying because it’s tailored to cover only the material on the AP exam Summary This book is sparse on practice questions and graphics, so if you zone out easily, it could be tough getting through the walls of text.Still, it’s very short, and it is good at going through only what you need to know.This is a book that you could buy if you’re a week or two away from the test and want a way to review all the information quickly and learn good test-taking strategies. Which AP World HistoryBook Should You Get? All of these books are helpful in their own ways. I'd recommend starting with one of the first three, ideally whichever one aligns best with your time limits and style of learning. The Princeton Review book should be a good fit for a wide variety of students. If you have a month or two to study and are looking for a one-size-fits-all accessible guide to the test, you should go with that one. The Crash Course book is better if you're short on time and just need a way to review all the concepts quickly and efficiently. This is the best option if you only have a week or two until the exam or are looking for a book that just outlines the most essential concepts. Barron's is best for self-study throughout the year or review over the course of a few months. If you're an intense student and want a book that you can use throughout the year to study for both in-class assessments and the AP test, Barron's isa good option for you. If you get one of the first three books and run out of practice materials or aren't a fan of the way the information is presented, you can go ahead and try one of the supplementary resources! Five Steps to a 5 is more suited to long-term study, and the AP World History Study Guide is better for a quick review. What's Next? Need more practice materials? Check out this article with links to every AP World History practice test available onlineand this article with links to the best DBQ examples. You don't necessarily need to buy a review book to get some great study tips. Read our list of six key strategies for doing well on the AP World History exam. When do you actually have to get yourself in gear and start studying?Find out when you should begin studying for your AP exams based on your goals. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Organizational Behavior Motivation Essay Example

Organizational Behavior Motivation Essay Example Organizational Behavior Motivation Essay Organizational Behavior Motivation Essay MGMT 2008 Organisational Behaviour Motivation Theory Throughout the Caribbean, managers are continually challenged to motivate a workforce to do two things: work towards helping the organization achieve its goals, and to work towards achieving their own personal goals. In order to successfully do this, they must first properly understand the concept of motivation. The Websters New Collegiate Dictionary defines a motive as something (a need or desire) that causes a person to act. Motivation, in turn, is defined as the act or process of providing a motive that causes a person to take some action. In most cases motivation comes from some need that leads to behavior that results in some type of reward when the need is fulfilled. Thus, managers have the responsibility of making employees willing to exert high levels of effort, sufficient to achieve their personal needs as well as the organisations goals. Psychologists have studied human motivation extensively and have derived a variety o f theories about what motivates people. These include theories that focus on motivation being a function of 1) employee needs of various types, 2) extrinsic factors, and 3) intrinsic factors. One major needs-based theory was that of Abraham Maslow which focused on satisfying the needs of employees to keep them motivated. Maslow (1954) proposed a hierarchy of needs that progresses from the lowest, subsistence-level needs to the highest level of self- actualization. Once each level has been met, the theory is that an individual will be motivated by and strive to progress to satisfy the next higher level of need. Basically this hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs. This hierarchy is most often isplayed as a pyramid with the most basic needs at the lowest levels of the pyramid, while the more complex needs are located at the top. Those needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep, and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, people can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security. As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship, and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the eed for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority. Maslow emphasized the importance of self-actualization, which is a process of growing and developing as a person in order to achieve individual potential, located at the tip of the pyramid. Maslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behavior. Physiological, security, social, and esteem needs are referred to as deficiency needs (also known as D-needs), meaning that these needs arise due to deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences. The highest-level of the pyramid was termed as growth needs (also known as being-needs or a-needs). Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person. Frederick Herzberg (2003) and his Two Factor Theory further modified MasloWs needs theory and consolidated down to two areas of needs that motivated that deal with Job context and lead to Job dissatisfaction (company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal relationships, working conditions, salary, status, and security); while motivators are those factors that deal with Job content nd lead to Job satisfaction (achievement, recognition for achievement, the work itself, responsibility and growth or advancement). Herzbergs findings revealed that certain characteristics of a Job are consistently related to Job satisfaction, while different factors are associated with Job dissatisfaction. The conclusion he drew is that Job satisfaction and Job dissatisfaction are not opposites. The opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction and the opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction. Remedying the causes of dissatisfaction will not create satisfaction. Nor will adding the factors of Job satisfaction eliminate Job dissatisfaction. In order to adequately motivate employees, managers must first removed the sources of Job dissatisfaction and subsequently and those of satisfaction. The search for needs- based motivation theories also leads to McClellands Acquired Needs Theory, which surrounds the idea that needs are acquired throughout life. That is, needs are not genetic, but are learned or developed as a result of ones life experiences (McClelland, 1985). This theory stipulates that there are three major types of needs, hich are the need for achievement (which emphasizes the desires for success, for mastering tasks, and for attaining goals); the need for affiliation (which focuses on the desire for relationships and associations with others); and, the need for power (which relates to the desires for responsibility for, control of, and authority over others). All of these theories approach needs from a somewhat different perspective and are helpful in understanding employee motivation on the basis of needs. However, other theories of motivation also have been posited and require consideration by managers in compiling motivational strategies. Another approach to understanding motivation focuses on external factors and their role in understanding employee motivation. Best known for this is B. F. Skinners (1953) Reinforcement Theory which studied human behavior and proposed that individuals are motivated when their behaviors are reinforced. His theory is comprised of four types of reinforcement. The first two are associated with achieving desirable behaviors, while the last two address undesirable behaviors. Positive reinforcement relates to taking action that rewards positive behaviors; avoidance learning occurs hen actions are taken to reward behaviors that avoid undesirable or negative behaviors. This is sometimes referred to as negative reinforcement. Punishment includes actions designed to reduce undesirable behaviors by creating negative consequences for the individual; and, extincti on represents the removal of positive rewards for undesirable behaviors. Theories that are based on intrinsic factors focus on internal thought processes and perceptions about motivation. Examples of these kinds of theories include Adams Equity Theory which proposes that individuals are otivated when they perceive that they are treated equitably in comparison to others within the organization (Adams, 1963); Vrooms Expectancy Theory which addresses the expectations of individuals and hypothesizes that they are motivated by performance and the expected outcomes of their own behaviors (Vroom, 1964); and, Lockes Goal Setting Theory which hypothesizes that by establishing goals individuals each of these theories deals with a particular aspect of motivation, studies have found it unrealistic to address them in isolation, since these factors often do come nto play in and are important to employee motivation at one time or another. Other approaches to motivation are driven by aspects of management, such as productivity, human resources, and other considerations. The most famous theory in this regard is McGregors Theory X and Theory. Created by Douglas McGregor, this approach again draws upon the work of Herzberg and develops a human resources management approach to motivation. This theory first classifies managers into one of two groups. Theory X managers adopt an authoritarian style and generally believe that the verage person dislikes work and will avoid it he/she can; therefore most people must be forced with the threat of punishment to work towards organisational objectives; and the average person prefers to be directed, to avoid responsibility, is relatively unambitious, and wants security above all else. Theory Y managers, on the other hand, take a participative management approach and believe that effort in work is as natural as work and play; people will apply self-control and self-direction in the pursuit of organisational objectives, without external control or the threat of unishment; commitment to objectives is a function of rewards associated with their achievement; and people usually accept and often seek responsibility. Altogether, whilst all of the aforementioned theories are helpful in understanding management and motivation from a conceptual perspective, it is important to recognize that most managers draw upon a combination of needs, extrinsic factors, and intrinsic factors in an effort to help motivate employees, to help employees meet their own personal needs and goals, and ultimately to achieve effectiveness and balance within the rganization. Managers should take into account most of the aspects upon which these theories focus, namely expectancy, goal setting, performance, feedback, equity, satisfaction, and commitment for example, when they are developing a motivational strategy for their employees. The literature which surrounds motivation theory suggest a wide range of strategies for managers to implement in seeking to help motivate employees. First off, managers should expect the best from their employees as persons tend to live up to the expectations they and others have of them. (Manton, 2005, p. 292). They should also seek to reward desired behaviours and ensure that rewards are not given for undesirable behaviors and be sure to use many different types of rewards to achieve the desired outcomes (Manton, 2005, p. 295). Allowing subordinates to take responsibility for their own motivation is another strategy. This can be achieved by managers taking steps to deal with problem employees, to understand employees needs, to determine what motivates their employees, to engage employees in the problem-solving process, and to really work hard at resolving, rather than ignoring, difficult employee problems (Nicholson, 2003). Additionally managers show seek to play to the employees strengths, promote high performance, and focus on how they learn. This requires them to know what their employees strengths and weaknesses are, to find out what will be required to get specific employees to perform, and to understand how to capitalize on the ways those employees learn as an alternative method of encouraging and motivating them (Buckingham, 2005). Motivating an employee is a delicate task. Caribbean managers effectively put them in practice. Should these managers place more focus on roviding their employees with sufficient extrinsic rewards for desired performances, there is an increased likelihood that said employees will become motivated. However, creating an environment which facilitates employees satisfaction of intrinsic needs, is equally as important in motivating employees and keeping them motivated. References The Websters New Collegiate Dictionary Herzberg, F. (2003, January). One more time: how do you motivate employees? Harvard Business Review. Locke, E. A. , Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Maslow, A. H. 1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper Row. McClelland, D. C. (1985). Human motivation. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman. Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: Macmillan. Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley. Adams, J. S. (1963, November). Towards an understanding of inequity. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. Manton, J. (2005). From management to leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Nicholson, N. (2003, January). How to motivate your problem people. Harvard Business Review. Buckingham, M. (2005, March). What great managers do. Harvard Business Review.

Nakheel Communication Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nakheel Communication Strategy - Case Study Example Nakheel has so far undertaken its entire developmental works in Dubai only. After having consolidating its position in the real estate sector, the company has established Nakheel Hotels & Resorts, a new hotel and resort investment company since February 2006. With the kind of professionalism that Nakheel has displayed in the real estate business, it is sure to percolate down to this new venture as well. 'Communication' as such is defined as an art of developing an understanding between people, communities, societies, civilizations etc. Communication therefore forms a crucial part of managerial activities. Marketing communication in turn helps a company in building a brand, creating brand loyalties, increase in sales, cutting costs, etc. Dubai, a very attractive destination for anyone around the world, has been shaped by the beautiful developmental projects that Nakheel built on the reclaimed lands. Dubai market is a very diverse market in general which caters to customers/ consumers from different walks of life, different cultures, ethnic groups and age groups. There are very high profile customers that have expressed faith in the abilities of Nakheel. Having a satisfied customer base, in general, helps in spreading good words about the company. This forms part of the communication strategy of any organisation. In today's market driven economy concept, the art of communication to e xisting consumers as well as prospective consumers takes a great deal out of the managerial brain storming sessions. Some of the projects of Nakheel, like The Palm and The World have attracted people from different countries with varying degrees of interest. Buyers on The Palm Jumeirah include many high personalities like David Beckham, Michael Owen, and Shah Rukh Khan. These people, in a way become brand ambassadors for the company, which pays rich dividends in the long run. Now a days Corporations are supposed to remain in continuous touch with their customers, suppliers, bankers, government and the general public. This requires appropriate communication techniques with different groups or segments. Some of the communication happens to be casual, some is made to be informative while some other is designed to be persuasive (Kotler, 1974). If a company can master the art of communication, it can very well take on its competitors. Some of the videos that the company has put up on its website appear to be shot at interesting angles and are very appealing and attractive for anybody desirous of having a look at the company. Though it requires a good amount of money to produce such videos, which are rich in content and quality, but once produced, these types of corporate communication strategies prove to be worth the efforts. In order to remain in touch with its internal and external partners, Nakheel has developed a BrandHub, an easy-to-use project communicat ion tool. In order to leverage the economies of scale and operations, the company has strategic tie-ups with companies like The Trump Organization, IFA Hotels & Resorts, Kerzner International, Island Global Yachting, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Taj Luxury Hotels, The Fairmont, Mvenpick, Kempinski, Jumeirah Hotel Operators etc. This way the company can forge a mutually beneficial

Integrated emergency management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Integrated emergency management - Essay Example What is the aim of Disaster risk reduction? It has an intention to reduce economic and social hazards vulnerabilities to emergency disasters. In empirical terms when managing a disaster its always right to apply professionalism, embrace the use of technology, good planning and proper management to avert a risk that can kill or rather injure large number of people and animal .The effects of disasters goes beyond loss of lives but also property worth of millions is destroyed and the community life disrupted(Kassim 890) The emergency managers should indentify and prepare adequately to mitigate the catastrophe when they occur. Businesses are starting to realize the need for disaster management because when the hazards occur the business community losses major stakes in investments (Howari 1090).Emergency management in the recent past event management has been a collaborative effort by all stakeholders both the government and the nongovernmental organisations. There have been major factors that have led to increase of awareness for establishment of disaster management in the U.A.E .There have been a principle of autonomous imm unity at all state levels in the 25 years. Furthermore legal provision such as the tort of liability for state and local government has led to more emphasis o disaster risk management. The government or individual person can be sued if convicted with tort of negligence .There are some situations some disasters can be avoided such as leakages in chemical plant. The chemical fumes may adversely affect the surrounding population and the person who is assigned the duty of being the custodian is liable for negligence. Another school of thought suggest that it’s the professionalization of the emergency managers have developed the urge to have integrated system to manage disasters(Roger Bird 48) The need to manage emergency was developed because of the adverse effects realize when these