The Introduction To Applying Game Theory Politics Essay

The Introduction To Applying Game Theory Politics Essay Game theory is the formal study of conflict and cooperation. Game theoretic concepts apply whenever the actions of several agents are interdependent. These agents may be individuals, groups, firms, or any combination of these. The concepts of game theory provide a language to formulate, structure, analyze, and understand strategic scenarios (Turocy, 2001). This paper will conclude a short concept of the Game theory, introducing 2 fundamental types of the theory, an introduction to the current issue over Irans nuclear program and applying the game theory by examining the case of a possible war over Irans nuclear program using key information sources from academic publications, news articles, and government/non-governmental reports, which the main players are Iran and Israel, and having the United States as a secondary player. * note that the results from the game theory is by the writers research on the related case study and the writers self-thoughts, thus does not exactly predict the outcomes of the case study. Introduction to the Game theory In real life it frequently happens that you would be faced to make a decision or to choose the best choice from several options. For instance, you might need to decide whether to invest your money for a masters degree or keep on working with your current education. Another instance could be that you wanted chocolate ice cream but the seller has only strawberry ice cream and you have to either choose it or not. In both of the examples, the results depend on your own decision based on self-minded. In the first case, it depends on your ultimate goal at the time. In the second case, it depends on whether you really want ice cream or not, not just considering the flavor. We can model situations like these using Game theory. The Game theory is one of the models that represent the various options and payoffs in a matrix and can then calculate the best single possible strategy or combination of strategies which simplifies real-world phenomena into a more theoretically form, so that we could easily interpret the sense of it. The mathematician Emile Borel suggested a formal theory of games in 1921, which was furthered by the mathematician John von Neumann in 1928 in a theory of parlor games. Game theory was established as a field in its own right after the 1944 publication of the Theory of Games and Economic Behavior by von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern. This book provided much of the basic terminology and problem setup that is still in use today (Turocy, 2001). This central concept of non-cooperative game theory turned to be the focal point of analysis. Since the 1960s, game theory was broadened theoretically and applied to problems of international relations, including war, terrorism, crisis bargaining, deterrence, and economic sanctions. Incorporated with game models, the application of game theory is to international relations give rise to a large number of important empirical questions. Game models, such as the Prisoners Dilemma, described later in the paper, can help illuminate important substantive issues of international affairs, including how and why actors evolve their policies, based on goals and anticipated benefits in the negotiation processes (Dougherty, 1996). Fundamentals of the Game theory In short, game theory deals with any problem in which each players strategy depends on what the other players do. Game theory simply extends this concept to interdependent decisions, in which the options being evaluated are functions of the players choices (Field, 2009). First of all, we will have to learn about the definition of the words used in the game approach and some simple rules of the game: Because game theory arose from the analysis of competitive scenarios, the problems are called games and the participants are called players. -To begin with, despite the rubric game, the object is not to win. Even for strictly competitive games, the goal is simply to identify ones optimal strategy. -In gaming, players actions are referred to as moves. The role of analysis is to identify the sequence of moves that you should use. A sequence of moves is called a strategy, so an optimal strategy is a sequence of moves that results in your best outcome. There are a lot of theoretical approaches to the game theory, in this paper will present the use of two particular fundamentals of the theory. The first one is the sequential-move game, the players must alternate moves; in the second one is the simultaneous game, which the players can act at the same time. These types are distinguished because they require different analytical approaches. We will come back to apply both games to our study case: a potential war over Irans nuclear program, in which before getting to analyze on the sequential and simultaneous games, it is very important that we get to know the background of our case study first as presented in the next section. Irans Nuclear Program 1. Background Iran has pursued a nuclear program for over four decades. Throughout the history of Irans nuclear program, there has been criticism among their neighboring countries and the Western countries, assuming that Irans nuclear program that they claim to be a civilian nuclear power program has always been a covert military application to build nuclear weapons. Irans first steps toward nuclear capability date back to the time of the Shah. These efforts have continued under the post-revolution Islamic Republic. In 1995, with the signing of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has a right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful, civilian purposes, excluding developing a nuclear weapon. Irans leadership continues to insist it adheres to these conditions. However, the general temptations nuclear weapons offer in terms of perceived prestige and security, together with Irans pattern of deception and concealment of important elements of its program, have raised doubts about its true intentions.For example, Iran failed to disclose the existence of a large uranium enrichment facility at Natanz or a plutonium separation plant at Arak to the International Atomic Energy Agency until after a disclosure from an exile group in 2002 (Carpenter, 2006). If Irans real intention is to obtain and develop a nuclear weapon, we must understand of why the government is pursuing such an approach that could lead to disastrous implications among the country. Deterrence, both regional and extra-regional, is one of the most important considerations. Iran is located in a volatile region, surrounded by hostile neighbors. Russia, Israel, Pakistan, and India all have nuclear weapons already, so regional deterrence issues probably loom large for Iran (Albright, 2012). Such arms could be used to intimidate their neighbors to accept Iranian primacy or listen to their demands over those of the United States or Israel. In addition to President George W. Bushs statement during his presidency axis of evil speech, linking Iran to Iraq and North Korea came as a prelude to an invasion and occupation of Iraq, which comes to the assuming that Iran could be the next hit target on the United States list (Quillen, 2002). 2. Perspectives toward the program Israel Most of Israels political and security apparatus view Irans nuclear program from a unified perspective, it is one of the top priority issues for the government. There remains four points that serve as a consensus toward Iran: first, is that Iran is committed to maintain a nuclear program with the objective of developing nuclear weapons; second is that Iran seeks to become the regions hegemon and that they see Israel as the obstacle to achieve this goal; third, Irans insistence on its NPT agreement of pursuing a peaceful nuclear program (if that were their main purpose); the last, as a nuclear power, Iran would exercise greater sway with its weaker Arab neighbor-states in which currently support Israels position to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. If Iran could develop this capability, many Arab states could be forced to ally themselves with Iran due to strategic necessity and national security (Ben-Meir, 2010). Toward to this respect, Israel has concluded that, it is deemed necessary to prevent Iran from developing and acquiring nuclear weapons, thus leading the governments decision to enhance their special ties with the United States which is pursuing the same policy of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. United States Two sets of concerns toward Irans nuclear program are emphasized along with U.S. national security policies in the Middle East region. First, as Irans history of being a tribune to Islamic revolutions and sponsoring terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, U.S. government fears that such tide would enhance the possibility of the transfer of nuclear weapons to those groups, with or without official approval from Irans leadership. Also, the very possession of nuclear weapons by Iran which opposes to U.S. presence in the region, allies, interests, and values would alter the balance of power in the Middle East in ways that could constrain U.S. options in future regional crises (Rhodes, 2005). Second, this concern has less to do with Iran per se than the impact of an additional nuclear-capable state on the global non-proliferation regime. Cases such as the break-out by India and Pakistan in the late 1990s, and the rise of North Korea with its development of nuclear weapons, an o bvious failure of the NPT system could produce a domino effect among countries that want to acquire such technology. This would also increase the opportunities for unauthorized or accidental use of nuclear weapons and even leading to the worst case scenario of terrorist groups or organized crime networks possessing those weapons. 3. Current newspaper articles on Irans nuclear program We will take a look on the current issue from several related newspaper articles. Iran has developed a nuclear program that it stated is for peaceful purposes and power generation in the nation. However, it is also known that any country with a well-developed peaceful nuclear program has also attained the capability to quickly build a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that medium-level uranium enrichment has begun at the Fordo plant near the Holy city of Qom, north of Tehran (Kanchanalak, 2012). The state of diplomacy between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. demonstrates on the West and Israels attempts to use the IAEA, the United Nations, and international sanctions against Iran have failed to encourage cooperation.  Apparent diplomatic road rage has set in between at least Iran and Israel, which will likely prove deleterious for peace (Riazi, 2012). Looking upon Israel, it is a country that lives in perpetual existential fear for its security. Israel is known for its track record of pre-emptive strikes against nuclear targets in the region. In 1981, it bombed the Osirak reactor in Iraq, and recently in 2007, it attacked a facility in Syria that it believed was intended to be a nuclear reactor. However, Iran, unlike those two countries, presents a much more challenging military and economic question (Kanchanalak, 2012). For Iran, it would likely not back down off the nuclear program and would definitely use self-defense tactics against any attacks from Israel and countries abroad. Evidently if Israel decides to attack, it would leverage non-state assets, such as its relationships with Hezbollah, the Hamas, and other Palestinian actors, to pummel Israel, and its populace would unite behind it. It would also likely use IRGC-Quds Force hit squads to target Israeli interests abroad.  The US would face a complex dilemma if Iran uses the Quds Force in such a manner, as well as  if Iran counter-attacked by striking Israel overtly (Riazi, 2012). Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, countered on a televised program stated that Iran will respond in kind when appropriate, and that sanctions will not alter Irans nuclear ambitions. Khamenei furthered that sanctions, in fact, have encouraged Irans military to become more self-reliant. The Iranian navy could also lay mines to close off the Strait of Hormuz a vital oil artery and send the oil price to over US$200 a barrel (Cordesman, 2006). As proud people Iranians would face humiliation if they responded weakly. However, there is one thing that they really do not want, that is domestic interference and military assaults from the United States. Applying Game Theory By reading and examining the key information sources on the background, perspectives, and news articles above, we now apply the Game theory to the current issues over Irans nuclear program, which in this paper will focus on two game approaches, the sequential-move game, and the simultaneous game. 1. The Sequential-move game To analyze a sequential-move game, first construct a game tree mapping out all of the possibilities. Then follow the basic rule: look ahead and reason back (Field, 2009): 1. Look ahead to the very last decision, and assume that if it comes to that point, the deciding player will choose his/her optimal outcome (the highest payoff, or otherwise most desirable result). 2. Back up to the second-to-last decision, and assume the next player would choose his/her best outcome, treating the following decision as fixed (because we have already decided what that player will pick if it should come to that). 3. Continue reasoning back in this way until all decisions have been fixed. Now lets apply the game approach to our study case. Iran has decided whether to continue on or stop their current nuclear program. By attaining the information from the previous section (Irans nuclear program) we should be able to conclude the game as follow: à  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚  Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ²Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã… ¾Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ´Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡1 Now we can look ahead and reason back. Looking ahead, if Iran continues on with the nuclear program and follows until the last path, it will be that either Iran has to downplay the situation and surrender or choose to use self-defense tactics, thus worsening the scenario. More than likely, if Iran continues on with their nuclear program, a regional conflict will spark up. Reasoning back, we now know that if Iran chooses to stop the program at first or face downplay and losses at the last choice, the issue would likely not turn to be regional but at least controllable around the area. We end this section with a few observations before moving on to simultaneous games. First, notice that looking ahead and reasoning back determines not just one players optimal strategy, but those for all players. It is called the solution to the game. Once it has been determined, it is irrelevant whether or not the game is actually played, as no one can possibly do better than the solution dictates (Field, 2009). That is why the concept of winning does not really apply. Sequential games are determined, so ultimately, there are only two choices: either the player with the last decision gets his/her best outcome, or the game is not played. 2. The Simultaneous game For this game approach we will take a look at the simplest but most famous example set called the Prisoners dilemma. For this paper the writer will assume that readers have a small knowledge about this game set already, thus this section will begin analyzing and adapting the game to the study case without going through the intro of the dilemma. Same as the sequential-move game, we attain the same information for analyzing. For an easier way of interpreting the information to create the dilemma, you first need to breakdown the facts from the information: Iran Priority is to continue with the nuclear program without interference from abroad (esp. Israel) Israel Priority is to get Iran to stop the nuclear program without military action. Now as the case has been simplified, we can demonstrate the game set. Iran shall have two basic choices: (1) to stop the program, or (2) continue on the program. Israel will also have two choices: (1) to attack, or (2) not attack. à  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚  Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ²Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã… ¾Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ´Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2 The choices are illustrated in the diagram above. The numbers in the boxes refer to the consequences of the decisions. Irans gains and losses are represented by numbers in the lower left corners of the boxes, and Israels gains and losses are represented by numbers in the upper right corners. Look at the box labeled B. The scenario portrayed in box B is that Iran stops the nuclear program and Israel does not attack. If this happens, Iran would not achieve its main objective but Israel, as the result of Iran stopping the program, thus not attacking, does achieve their primary objective. For this scenario Iran loses, receiving -1 and Israel gains, receiving 1. Meanwhile taking another look at box C, Iran would continue on the program and Israel decides to attack. If this happens, Iran will achieve an objective, which is to continue on the program, but only at the cost of having Israel to interfere by attacking. Irans gains and loses cancel each other out, and this results is represented by a 0. Israel, in box C scenario, decides to attack since Iran continued on the program, thus does not accomplish the objective of having Iran stop the program and not attack Iran. In this case Israel loses both its objective so receives a -1 in the box. Looking at all the boxes one at a time, the whole pattern of possible choices and consequences becomes clear. We could also expand the game, instead of having only 2 variables, lets try using 5 variables. The game theory matrix would now have twenty-five boxes (55) instead of four (22). à  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚  Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ²Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã… ¾Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ´Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡3 For this game we also attain more information for analyzing: Iran Priority is to continue with the nuclear program without interference from abroad (esp. Israel) Will comply with IAEA if given permission to continue with the nuclear program Would use self-defense tactics if Israel or countries abroad attacks Would close out the Strait of Hormuz if being attacked and the international sanctions are lifted up. Israel Priority is to get Iran to stop the nuclear program without military action. A diplomatic resolution is desired if Iran stops the nuclear program U.S. government/military has no intentions of getting involved if Iran stops the nuclear program International sanctions will be lifted up if Iran continues on with the nuclear program. Many more consequences are now possible as shown in the diagram above. We now see that game theory helps political scientists analyze and think thoroughly all the possibilities of combination as of decisions and the possible costs and consequences of those decisions. Conclusion International relations and politics in general are complex. The events we observe at the macro-level (e.g., wars, trade, and terrorism) are driven by many events and decisions that occur at the micro-level (e.g., in war: elite decision-making, domestic politics, culture). The tool that political scientists use to make sense of this complexity is modeling. One of the populist models is the game theory. Game theory can be used to design credible commitments, threats, or promises, or to assess propositions and statements offered by others. In using the game theory on predicting possible consequences for our study case, we can see clearly the possible outcomes on which the players (Iran and Israel) decide to choose. This paper has attempted, through using two game theory models, to look into the current conflict between the two countries over Irans nuclear program. As per examining the provided key information sources, it is clearly seen that the main problem is the absence of mutual trust between the two countries, high prestige and different views of national security, which had forced both of them to opt for a decision in their nuclear game with the highest cost for the other side. Definitely that a nuclear-armed Iran would spur proliferation in the Middle East region, increase regional instability, and increase the chance of nuclear war. If Iran chooses to continue on with the nuclear program, it will have to face consequences in which both Iran and Israel tend on avoiding. And if Iran continues on with the program, it could also trigger the possible conflict to a wider arena which would be disastrous to all players. While at every step of the game it may be favorable for either party to insist on its claims, the long-term resolution may be somewhat different. In anyway, this is only a tool for analytical and to interpret information to a theoretical approach which leads to a more simplified way of studying the possible outcomes and the consequences of the study case.

Guidance of Young Children Essay -- Teaching Young Children

1. Developmentally appropriate practice as defined by NAEYC is a â€Å"framework of principles and guidelines for best practice in the care and education of young children, birth through age 8. Children cannot perform tasks that they are not yet developmentally capable of doing and teachers have to be aware of this. One would not expect a one year old child to be able to write their name, not only because they are not cognitively able to understand this task, but also because their fine motor skills have not developed enough to hold a writing instrument. Therefore, most adults would realize this task is not developmentally appropriate. A kindergarten teacher, for example, can able to expect his or her students to know why it is necessary as well as how to clean up their tables after coloring. This task would be developmentally appropriate for most 5 year olds. Making sure that developmentally appropriate tasks are utilized is important because children can easily get discouraged an d may feel inadequate if they cannot perform a task this is simply not within their developmental capabilities. 2. The majorities of teachers that I have interacted have tended to display the authoritative parenting style. They appeared to have respect for their students and allowed them to have a voice in classroom decisions. The teachers also exuded warmth and had genuine care and concern for their students. When students required discipline, the teachers did explain the reason to the child in most circumstances. However, one teacher that I worked with encompassed all three of the parenting styles. With certain students, she presented herself with an authoritative style. These students tended to follow directions, were well behaved and did well on ... ... the entire classroom the new skill or information and then have the children make an attempt. The teacher can focus the attention on the children who appear to be struggling. A wonderful form of learning that can utilize Vygotsky’s ideas of scaffolding and the zone of proximal development is cooperative learning. When children are grouped together with their various ZPD’s, together they can help each other learn and the teacher can assist each group as needed. Not only does this help the children who are struggling, but the students who have a firm grasp of the skills further them by teaching their fellow classmates. Bibliography Gartrell, D. (2004). The power of guidance, teaching social-emotional skills in early childhood classrooms. Belmont, CA: Delmar Marion, M. (2012). Guidance of young children. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Short Selling

Short selling Short selling is a practice of selling a borrowed security that the seller does not necessarily own. Short sellers are generally betting that the price of security will go down, and  assume that they will be able to lock-in a certain profit by buying the security at a lower price than the price at which they originally sold short. Example of short selling Short seller borrows the security for a given fee and sells it short on the market for Rs 40000.If tomorrow the price of security drops to Rs 38000, short seller could buy it back in order to return the security and lock a profit of 2000 (the price difference between 40000 and 38000), less the borrowing fee. Islamic Point of View Short selling is prohibited (Haram) from the Shariah perspective. Shariah scholars found several reasons behind which, short selling is considered haram, and the reasons are as follows:- 1- selling something you doesn’t own:-In Islamic transactions; to sell something you must first ha ve the ownership of what is being sold or the subject of the sale.Therefore in order to sell a security, the security must be owned by the seller and not borrowed – which is the case in short selling. 2- Riba:-Short selling is associated with the conventional borrowing and lending system of securities which includes a series of interest-based charges for services, and interested payments on borrowed securities. And as we all know, charging interest on services and borrowed securities is considered as Riba. 3- Speculation: – Since short sellers are watching out for fluctuations in the markets, to sell the share at a higher price and buy it back at a lower price and pocket the difference.Speculation has been perceived negatively due to its resemblance with gambling. 4- Gharar/ Ghobun :- there is uncertainty in the contract and the buyer is also deceived. 5- unjust deeds Hamish Jiddiya Token money, down payment  by a party  intending to purchase certain goods who wish es to confirm the intention to do so by paying an amount to the seller as token money or down payment to secure the goods. Hamish Jiddiya is a collateral given for a promise to purchase.If the buyer is not proceeding to purchase, the seller can demand compensation for the actual damage, if the collateral is higher, the buyer receives an amount back, if the actual damage is higher, the the seller can demand additional compensation above the collateral. Arba’un The term Arba’un means an amount of money that the customer as purchase orderer pays to the Bank after concluding the Murabahah sale, with the provision that if the sale is completed during a prescribed period, the amount will be counted as part of the price.If the customer fails to execute the Murabahah sale, then the Bank may retain the whole amount. Waqf A Wakf is an unconditional and permanent dedication of property with implied detention in the ownership of God in such a manner, that the property of the owner may be extinguished and its profits may revert to or be applied for the benefit of mankind except for purposes prohibited by Islam. Examples of Waqf Land & Buildings: one or more persons provide Cash as waqf to purchase land and buildings, e. g. a small shopping complex.Once the complex is purchased, the property may be classified as a waqf property and waqf rules apply. The property may not be sold (except to replace), be gifted, or inherited. The property remains intact and may not be spent. The rental income that is produced by the complex may be used for any shari'ah compliant purpose. Valid contract The remedy of specific performance presupposes the existence of a valid contract between the parties to the controversy. The terms of the contract must be definite and certain.This is significant because equity cannot be expected to enforce either an invalid contract or one that is so vague in its terms that equity cannot determine exactly what it must order each party to perform. It would be unjust for a court to compel the performance of a contract according to ambiguous terms interpreted by the court, since the court might erroneously order what the parties never intended or contemplated. Example A homeowner (who is over the age of 18 and of sound mind) signed a contract with the appliance store to buy a refrigerator.The homeowner pays for the refrigerator and the appliance store presents the refrigerator for the homeowner to take home. Void contract A void contract is not a contract and has no effect in a court of law and cannot be enforced in a court of law. Most commonly, a void contract will be missing one or all of the essential elements needed for a valid contract. Neither party needs to take action to terminate it, since it was never a contract to begin with. Example A contract that was between an illegal drug dealer and an illegal drug supplier to purchase a specified amount of drugs for a specified amount.Either one of the parties could void the c ontract since there is no lawful objective and hence missing one of the elements of a valid contract. Voidable Contracts A voidable contract is a contract, which may appear to be valid, and has all of the necessary elements to be enforceable, but has some type of flaw, which could cause one or both of the parties to void the contract. The contract is legally binding, but could become void. If there is an injured party involved, the injured party or the defrauded must take action, otherwise the contract is considered valid. ExampleA contract entered into with a minor could be voidable. Bai Tawliyah Bai Tawliyah Is a sale and buy-back agreement, is a type of Islamic finance that is a banking activity that is congruent with Shariah, which are the principles of Islamic law. Bai Tawliyah is a part of Islamic finance, such as a Muslim mortgage, where there is transaction of buying and selling between the customer and the financial institution. The financial institution, or the financier, will purchase an asset from a customer and the price that they pay for the asset will be disbursed by the terms that the financial institution lays out.Because of this the asset that is purchased is one that the payments are deferred and the price paid will be done so in installments. The second sale in this type of Islamic finance is done so in order to make the customer obliged to the financial institution. Commutative contracts Commutative contracts are those in which what is done, given, or promised by one party is considered same as the other or in consideration of what is done, given or promised by the other. A contract of sale is an example of a commutative contract.Put in a simple form, commutative contracts are contracts where the contracting parties give and receive something similar or an equivalent. An Example is a sale at less than two thirds of the value. Non-Commutative contract A non-compensatory contract in which a property is donated by one party to another against no consideration. The donor transfers ownership of the property to the done free of any commitment or obligation. Refrences http://www. ukessays. com/essays/economics/short-selling. php http://jazaa. rg/knowledge-center/islamic-finance-terminology/h/hamish-jiddiyah/ http://www. almustafatrust. org/content/Donate/Islamic/types/waqf. htm http://legal-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/Valid+Contract http://www. trainagents. com/DesktopModules/EngageCampus/CourseContent. aspx? ModuleType=StudentMyCourses;CrsPageType=Topic;CourseRecordID=107;LessonRecordID=1372;TopicRecordID=24861;Demo=True http://definitions. uslegal. com/c/commutative-contracts/ http://majdbakir. com/islamic-finance/n/noncommutative-contract. html

Characteristics Of Kate Chopin Contributions To Regionalism

Abigail Brueggman English Composition II Dr. Vanderlaan Essay 2 DUE: 10/ 31/2017 Kate Chopin’s Contribution to Regionalism Between 1865 and 1896 regionalism/local color fiction became popular. Regional literature can be defined as fiction or poetry that focuses on the characters, dialect, customs, topography, and other features to a specific region. Regionalism incorporates the broader concept of sectional differences yet lacks nostalgia or sentimentality. Many critics have argued that regional fiction contributed to the reunification of the country after the civil war. It was also said to rebuild our nation identity toward the end of the 19th century. During Kate Chopin lifetime she had remained invisible in the†¦show more content†¦There is no mention of interracial concubinage in the story however scholars have assumed that La Blanche, who appears white is legal named as black, may be Armand’s mistress. This would add cruelty to Armand’s sarcastic retort â€Å"As white as La Blanche†. The air of mystery among the blacks’ cause Desiree’s child to be an outcas te. Desiree’s death wish, written to her foster mother, infers her lack of acceptance is hard on her and her child. In fact, two lovable characters elicit a strong empathetic response by the readers yet begin to reject their bleak fate that appears inevitable. â€Å"Among the many hypotheses that have been put forward about this short story, one of the most striking is the one propounded by Margaret D. Baier, who argued that Armand Aubigny had been aware of his own black heritage all his life and that his marriage to Desiree was part of a plan to have legitimate children that would pass for white, as he himself was passing† (Gibert 3). Chopin’s text would have reinforced the prevalent negative feelings towards racial differences. Desiree’s baby being presented as a stereotypical character of â€Å"a victim of a divided inheritance†. Chopin short story â€Å"The Storm†, gives obvious examples of regionalism. â€Å"The Storm,† takes place after the Seneca Falls convention in 1848. Which was sought to fight for women rights. â€Å"The Storm† is

Wal Mart The Face Of Twenty First Century Capitalism

Introduction In the Module 5 SLP, this paper will demonstrate the understanding of a peer-reviewed journal article as it relates to business ethics. My selection was a scholarly peer reviewed article named â€Å"Wal-Mart: The Face of Twenty-First Century Capitalism†. Wal-Mart s historical roots can be carefully mapped out. The company did not become the world s largest corporation overnight. That process took decades, as several chapters from the book demonstrate (Lichtentstein, 2006). Nelson Lichtenstein s introductory chapter convincingly implies that Wal-Mart, like the Pennsylvania railroad in the late nineteenth century, U.S. Steel in the 1910s, and General Motors in the 1950s, is today s template business setting standards for a new stage in the history of world capitalism On October 11th, 2003 fifty-nine thousand grocery workers went on strike for nearly nine months fighting with together with their Unions against the major supermarket chains that were cutting wages, healthcare benefits and reduced labor costs. By March 2004, cashiers, baggers, and stockers all went back to work defeated. Wal-Mart was the largest company in the world and was rapidly moving in to the full-sized grocery business co-located with its general merchandise called â€Å"Supercenters† (Lichtentstein, 2006). Every organization has its own separate values and principles that set it apart from other organizations. 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Computer Literacy And Technology Education Essay - 1415 Words

COMPUTER LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION Prepared for Jill Jaber Instructor Fox Valley Technical College Prepared by Andrew G Student Fox Valley Technical College December 9, 2013 December 9, 2013 Mrs. Jill Jaber Written Communication Instructor Fox Valley Technical College 1825 N. Bluemound Drive Appleton, WI 54912-2277 Dear Mrs. Jaber: The attached research paper, requested by Jill Jaber as required by the Written Communication curriculum at Fox Valley Technical College, describes the need for computer literacy and adjustments to technology to help combat computer illiteracy. This study was produced to examine computer literacy in the following areas: †¢ The necessity of computer literacy in the work environment †¢ The pervasiveness of computer illiteracy †¢ The effect of current technology education †¢ Adjustments to technology education to combat computer illiteracy Primary research consisted of results from surveys conducted Criterion Corporation and Northeastern University. 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Leadership And Governance Southwest Airlines

Question: Describe about the Leadership and Governance for Southwest Airlines. Answer: Southwest Airlines is an established company that has able to attain a leadership position in the highly competitive market. High level planning is difficult and dangerous for major corporate entities. The sheer size of the organization and numbers of variables to be evaluated makes planning demanding and punishes poor groundwork. The danger of becoming overconfident during periods of prosperity and growth can inhibit contingency planning. Also, the best strategic plans need tactics to implement them before they can be successful (Daft, 2013). Heskett Sasser give an example of strategic planning over time with their case study of Southwest Airlines (2013). From the beginning as a small company to their dominance of the US domestic airline market 30 years later the authors track how they maintained their vision and transformed their strategy to remain distinctive while they experienced year-over-year growth. Based on the case study the major challenges of strategic planning, especial ly for large, complex organizations like Southwest airlines include increasing competition from other organizations, this led to the sale of a plane to cover costs in the first year (Heskett Sasser, 2013). There were also challenges with security as a result of 9/11, cost reduction, the status quo and technology (Heskett Sasser, 2013). At any point of time, there would be number of projects running for Southwest Airlines. It is important that the leaders and the managers of Southwest Airlines should have a deep understanding of different projects in the organization. The leaders would have a key role to take the organization forward and it can happen only when the company has effective governance structure in place (Baillien, 2009). The key elements of leadership and governance for Southwest Airlines can be shown as: Current project governance and leadership approaches The leaders of Southwest Airlines have a project governance structure to support strategic planning in the organization. Strategic planning is crucial to organizational development and long-term success. It refers to the ability to see the bigger picture and strategize a plan that takes into consideration external factors, environmental factors and focuses on the organizations ability to achieve their goals. When strategizing, the focus is largely on the value that can be offered to the customer (Daft, 2013). There are three levels of strategic planning that when broken down will assist individuals focus where they are and where their time and efforts are most effective: Corporate level- What business are we in? Business level How do we compete? Functional level- How can we support the business level strategic plan? New governance and Leadership approaches The new governance and leadership approaches for Southwest Airlines can be discussed as below: Board Level Zilberg (2013) suggest Boards serve a dual function; setting policy and providing leadership with flexibility for the operations of an organization. Moreover, Zilberg (2013) suggest Boards have the final and ultimate authority in respect to decision-making for all aspects of the organization. Kiel and Nicholson (2005) use the of four broad governance categories to illustrate why Enron and Hollinger International failed; strategic failure; control failure; ethical failure; interpersonal relationship failures. Moreover, Kiel and Nicholson (2005) suggest Board evaluations provide a process to identify concerns prior to reaching a crisis point for the purpose of promoting discussions and possible resolutions where having the proper framework will be imperative within complex environments. Downe, Cowell, and Morgan, (2016) observed when evaluating failure, the mechanisms for evaluating discipline disappeared when organizations had a large number of independent councilors further noting the failure to act on issues can become problematic thus forcing organizations to promote the presence of sub-climates and weakening the ethical climate overall within the organization. Portfolio management According to Aileron (2016), portfolio management is the process of looking at all of the things an organization could do and narrowing it down to what could be done successfully assisting in the determination of where to allocate resources, time, capital. The articles describes five key areas to focus on when strategically planning in any organization: Determine where you are- to gain an accurate picture of where your organization is actually at it is helpful to bring in an outside consultant that will provide an honest view point of where the organization is compared to where you thought it was or would want it to be (Kuvaas, 2010). Identify what is really important- utilizing the mission and the vision of the organization determine where you are going and if you are truly focused on the areas that were once identified as crucial and meaningful. Define what you must achieve- clearly identify objects and focus on them in the priority determined. Determine who is accountable- the mission, vision, objectives and plans are in place and now it is time to allocate resources, set clear expectations, and ensure individuals are held to their expectations. Review, review, review- hold regular meetings to ensure the plan stays the course and the objectives are still being met as determined previously. The review period is never over (Aileron, 2016). Program Management It can be said that Program management is key to success. The worst thing that you can do is to make spur of the moment decisions. Careful plan keeps you from avoiding costly mistakes. SWA (Southwest Airlines) had a vision, which paid off. At a time when airlines were going out of business, they took a chance by investing in an idea that was unique to the airline industry. In my opinion, SWA (Southwest Airlines) stands above other airlines because of their willingness to cut their prices, and remain simple. In value proposition element many factors can be seen in this case: the airline emphasized on recruiting agents and staff with positive personalities. Also, it focused on a culture Committee, took into consideration all of the employees ideas, and engaged in teamwork commitments (Heskett Sasser, 2013). One of the Value proposition elements is Sold 737 Boeing Jets at remarkably below asking price, as a way to start a bold business relationships between Boeing and SWA (Heskett Sas ser, 2013). One of the Destination point element is The 10 minute turnaround time from gate arrival at the gate to push back was barely one-fifth the average of competitors minimizing the turnaround time (Heskett Sasser, 2013). Linking of corporate and project strategies Many factors challenged the implementation of the strategic planning process, such as increase competition from other airline due to the change in market, providing lower fare prices, rise in the cost, and many changes in the customers requests and accommodations. The company wasnt able to maintain the 10 mn turnaround, due to the increase in seat and suitcases. Multiple outside factors that challenged portfolio and program management such as selling one of the organizations in one site in order to continue to stay in business, and a four-year lawsuit brought by competitors in order to prevent the company from operating in Texas. Another factor that most likely affected the rest of the airlines was cost reduction after 9/11 (Heskett Sasser, 2013). Governance of individual projects According to Taugher (2009) and Olsen (2009), businesses should devise five to six objectives and create business strategies to reach these goals. They should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely) and the goals should be targeted toward the level of involvement. More specifically, the actions or behaviors to be implemented or changed should be implemented at the level of the organization, the department, or even the individual accordingly. Larger organizations have a bigger challenge because there are usually multiple locations, departments, and en enormous amount of staff. Creating sub groups or committees can help to better define the current strengths and weaknesses as well as areas for opportunity or threats. In these cases, leaders are defined to help assess issues and then carry information down the line to the end user individuals. The beginning of any good company is the vision of what is possible and to see opportunities that are there and have the skills and equipment to take advantage of the situation in a timely fashion (Thomas, 2012). At the time Southwest Airlines started their vision was clear. One of the excellent points is that leaders may sometimes fail to support their own strategies. The leaders and managers of Southwest Airlines have been using LEAN rollouts where senior leaders have proclaimed that they are going to become a LEAN organization. Strategy and relationship with different stakeholders A strategic plan must contain several key elements. The plan must include clear communication of the strategy. A strategic planning task force consisting of members of the organizations leaders and key business areas and departments to ensure high level input and buy in. The strategic plan must include a vision to the future. The organizations mission statement of who they are and what they are in the market. The plan should include a statement of the organizations values as a guideline of the behavior that is acceptable for staff. Goals and objectives that are clear and measurable (Carrillo, 2005). Be sure to assign specific tasks to the organized groups. These tasks should be clear, specific, and measurable and time sensitive for completion. Once the plan has been constructed and outlined, an implementing strategy needs to be formulated. The implementing strategy pulls all of the pieces of the plan together. An finally, a system of monitoring all of the ongoing tasks and deadlines of the plan. The monitoring and analysis of the plans is key to the success. Changes and adjustments may be needed or problem solving for potential or realized problems can be completed. Leadership Lack of leadership can be a reason for organizations to collapse. The leaders of Southwest Airlines have realized that when there is lack of leadership support, any strategic plan will fail. Leaders have to show up at the right time and engage with the right people and most importantly continue to convey the vision, mission and values of the organization. The leaders have to ensure that they are not too ambitious. It would be correct to say that having too many goals will make it hard to focus on main objectives (Dierendonck, 2015). Failure to integrate the plan into the culture, operations, and budget- if the company objectives are somehow separated from the daily life, it makes it hard to sell the mission, vision and values. Lack of momentum in the short term- planning process should create momentum by having shorter time frames during which assessments and reassessments needs and corrections made. Failure to do so will lead to loss of enthusiasm. One major challenge to a major corporation is choosing the best strategic plan. There are many plans to consider. Each plan takes into consideration many aspects of the new vision, the leadership involved, the cost, focus and environment (Daft, 2013). Choosing the wrong strategy can be disastrous for the corporation that attempts to apply it to their business plan. The loss of time and money can have such a negative effect that the corporation may never recover. The corporations leaders must have an accurate account of the vision, the financial stability, the market in which they are involved, trends and changes, innovations. Choosing the best strategic plan to implement can be a pivotal decision for any corporation or leader. The solvency of the entire corporation may depend on the outcome (Phelps, 2007). Self Reflection and Analysis In the case study the top company executives had a vision of what they wanted to achieve, they had a mission where they wanted the company to be who they wanted to serve and they planned what kind of services they wanted to offer. They then created a corporate culture that served the company very well and continues to serve it (Smith, 2008). Hiring of the people with great positive personalities, modeled that culture of a servant heart with fun LUVing attitude. Communication is utilized very well from creating the corporate culture, to marketing to even the corporate events and every step of the planning. In the case study we see the executives plan, assess and evaluate the process like when they have to change existing policy and come up with new policy such as bags fly free and expanding flights into other key cities. I believe the largest issue in large or small organizations is communication. They seem to treat information like the CIA or FBI, a need to know bases but everyone should really know what is going with the organization and how it will affect their job. If communication were open and announced employees would feel they are of value and their ideas and thoughts matter. I can say that the leaders should also develop the art of conflict management within the organization. I have learned that the organizations should not try to avoid the conflicts. In fact, organizations and leaders should confront the conflict to get the best in the difficult situations. It is also important for people to use the negotiation skills to resolve the conflict. The focus of the organizations should be the achievement of end objectives (Nissen, 2007). The leaders should also have the ability to understand the viewpoints of different stakeholders. The project governance and corporate governance should be establ ished so that all the stakeholders could work in a collaborative manner. References Aileron, (2015, October 25).5 steps to a strategic plan. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/aileron/2011/10/25/five-steps-to-a-strategic-plan/#107137d161af Baillien, E., De Witte, H. (2009). Why is organizational change related to workplace bullying? Role conflict and job insecurity as mediators.Economic and Industrial Democracy,30(3), 348-371. Ellis, S. E. (2010). Introduction to strategic planning in student affairs: A model for process and elements of a plan. New Directions for Student Services, 2010(132), 5-16. Easterby-Smith, M., Lyles, M.A. and Tsang, E.W.K., (2008) Inter-Organizational Knowledge Transfer: Current Themes and Future Prospects, Journal of Management Studies, 45(4), pp677-690 Giolito, V., Van Dierendonck, D. (2015, January). Servant leadership: influence on financial business-unit performance and employee's well-being. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2015, No. 1, p. 18378). Academy of Management. Kiel, G. C., Nicholson, G. J. (2005). Evaluating boards and directors. Corporate Governance-an international review 13(5) 613-631. Kuvaas, B. Dysvik, A. (2010) 'Does best practice HRM only work for intrinsically motivated employees?',International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 21 (13), pp. 2339-2357 Nissen, M.E.(2007), Knowledge management and global cultures: elucidation through an institutional knowledge-flow perspective, Knowledge and Process Management, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 211-25 Phelps, R., Adams, R., Bessant, J. (2007). Life cycles of growing organizations: A review with implications for knowledge and learning. International Journal Of Management Reviews, 9(1), 1-30. Heskett, J. L., Sasser, W. E., Jr. (2013).Southwest Airlines: In a different world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. Robison, H.S., Carrillo, P.M, Anumba C.J., Al-Ghassani A.M,, (2005) "Knowledge management practices in large construction organisations", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 12 Iss: 5, pp.431 445 Thomas, K. W. (2012). Conflict and conflict management: Reflections and update.Journal of organizational behavior,13(3), 265-274. Taugher Change Catalyst Consulting. (2009). Strategic and operational planning. Retrieved from https://www.taugher.com/strategic-planning.htm Zilberg, T. (2013). Understanding the role of boards in contemporary organizations.Managerial Challenges of the Contemporary Society,(6), 174-179.