Relationship Between American And Cuban Relationships

No more than 9 hours ago Raul Castro and Barack Obama broke headlines today by agreeing upon a ferry service from Florida to Cuba. This â€Å"great step forward†, as some officials title it, is making headlines due to the dynamic history these 2 countries shared. The relationship between these 2 countries is similar to a Hollywood epic; one in which a parent’s child turns against them and takes belonging to they’re known rival. America never truly let their â€Å"child† Cuba fly on to their own therefore, Cuba became tempted and allured by everything America didn’t stand for, and eventually abandoned they’re birth parents and got adopted by their enemy Russia. The relationship between the two nations is much more complex than one sentence. This essay will go into detail about the complex and volatile relationship Cuba and America had shared within the past 2 centuries. American and Cuban relationships began primarily in the 19th century. In 1823, the then American president James Monroe declared that his American neighbors are to not be â€Å"considered as subjects for the future colonization by any European powers†. Although America was beginning to rise as a world leader around this time, it’s Navy was not strong enough to contest the naval powers of Spain or Portugal, therefore it exempted Puerto Rico, which was under Portuguese rule and Cuba, who was under Spanish rule. After the U.S.S Maine mysteriously sunk in the Spanish colony of Cuba, writers such as James Pulitzer began toShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship Between United States And Cuba1504 Words   |  7 Pagesecently the United States and Cuba have been making news due to a possible reconciling between the two nations. In 2016 President Obama visited the leader of Cuba, Raà ºl Castro. This was a big deal because he was the first president to visit the country since Calv in Coolidge. Raul Castro took over office following the death of Fidel Castro. Fidel was a strong supporter of the communist party and many of his ideas regarding running Cuba were very radical and not supported by the United States. HeRead MoreUnited States and Cuba Foreign Policy891 Words   |  4 PagesForeign Policy Cuba and the United States of America have had an interesting relationship since before their independences. This relationship has struggled since before Fidel Castro came into power. Castro being as autocratic as he became, or less antagonistic to the US policies could have made the relationship less adversarial (Jentleson). The relationship between the two countries was not bad prior to the Spanish American War. The outcome of this period was U.S. defeating Spain. Spain gave up allRead MoreThe Bay of Pigs Invasion1313 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered to be one of the unsuccessful covert military invasions of the 20th century. In 1959, the Cuban revolutionist Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista through an armed conflict that lasted nearly five and a half years. Castro and his comrades were Socialists and they believed a Communist social system would better suit their nee. In order to fulfill this agenda, the new Cuban government not only nationalized propert ies belonging to different religious organizations, but alsoRead MoreThe United States And Cuba1534 Words   |  7 Pageshave taken significant steps in recent years to dramatically alter their relationship in the years ahead. Those efforts are controversial to a number of Americans who oppose engaging the Cuban government. Prior to the Spanish American War of 1898, Cuba was a Spanish colony with extensive commercial relations with U.S. businesses, particularly with regard to the production of sugar. Following the U.S. victory in the Spanish American War in 1898, Cuba, which is located just 90 miles off the coast of FloridaRead MoreCuban-Russian Relations1710 Words   |  7 Pagesshift toward socialism and its growing dependence on the Soviet Union divided both the leadership and the country at large. With a relationship dating back to before Fidel Castro’s installment into power, Russia and Cuba have both played major roles in the development and regression of each other’s economies and societies. The first official diplomatic relationship between the Soviet Union and Cuba began developing during World War II, in 1943. With the establishment of the first Soviet embassy byRead MoreThe Island Of Cuba1624 Words   |  7 Pagescomes the demand for labor. The cheapest form of labor needed to operate the plantations and raise livestock was in the form of African slavery. Cuban people today are the descendants of Spanish colonizers and African slaves. While British control of the tiny island lasted only 10 months before Spain regained control, North Americans began purchasing Cuban goods. The new trade alliance with North America contributed to the growth and economic wellbeing of the island population. Immigration and tradeRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis During The United States1219 Words   |  5 Pages14 December 2015 The Cuban Missile Crisis In October of 1962 the U.S. entered a conflict called the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is arguably the closest the U.S. has ever come to nuclear war. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union resulting from the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis was considered the climax of the Cold War, a period lasting from about 1947 to 1991, in which a political rivalry between Eastern and Western AlliesRead MoreThe Importance Of Verbal And Nonverbal Communication1421 Words   |  6 Pagesit, we would not survive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Communication is needed not only to send and receive information and knowledge, but the most important aspect of communication is the ability to connect with other human beings around the world regarding the topics of relationships, families, organizations, cultures and nations (Vertino, 2014). A nurse must provide care that treats the whole person, not just the physical body. This concept is known as h olistic care (Blair, n.d.). No two people are exactly the same, and forRead MoreU.s. Cuba Relations : A Discussion Of Constructivism And Realism1329 Words   |  6 PagesRealism During the Cold War, relations between Cuba and the United States were icy. Cuba was allied with the USSR, America’s enemy, and was well within their sphere of influence. With events like the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis happening on their soil, Cuba was at the center of the Cold War. Between ideological differences and their alliance with Russia, Cuba became an enemy of America as well. It took the efforts of ten American presidents, six Popes, and countless otherRead MoreEssay about The Cuban Missile Crisis756 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis Between 1959 and 1962 relations between USA and Cuba deteriorated. Up until 1959, America had kept General Batista in power over Cuba and had strong links, especially in trade. Castro’s ascent to power in 1959 triggered the short-term events contributing to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The main cause of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the cold relationship between the two great superpowers: America and Russia. This had

Analysis Of Erving s Rip Van Winkle And Mason

In this paper, I will be explaining Washington â€Å"Erving’s Rip Van Winkle† and Mason Locke Weems’s â€Å"Life of Washington† cultural, social, and historical context. In the â€Å"Life of Washington†, Weems shows how George Washington was raised and how he acted as a child. However, in â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†, Irving tells a story of a man who slept through the Revolutionary War and wakes to find a new country. These stories show the problem of how the United States of America was seen in the eyes of foreign countries and how Americans wanted to be seen. In order to solve this problem, Weems decided to show the people how an American should act. Irving’s solution was to show how the nation appeared to an immigrant by writing his book in the eyes of an outsider. These solutions can help bring a sense of pride and recollection to the American people and the world. To begin with, these two pieces of literature hold a lot of information that will need to be broken down. In Washington Irving’s ‘Rip Van Winkle†, the main character, Rip Van Winkle, was a farmer who was a favorite in his little Dutch home town up in the Catskill mountains. One day while hiking up in the mountains, Rip came upon (unknowingly) the ghosts of the Dutch explorer Henry Hudson and his crew who offer him some â€Å"moonshine† that puts him to sleep for twenty years. When Rip Van Winkle wakes, he comes to find that everything is different. When he gets back to his town, he finds that he does not

Germany, 1918-1945 †Treaty of Versailles Free Essays

string(32) " that Germany was loosing hope\." The Treaty of Versailles was the first peace keeping treaty after the First World War. Its aims were to demilitarise, claim compensation and to keep peace with Germany. The signing of the treaty was humiliating and a great embarrassment for Germany and therefore Germany wasn’t represented. We will write a custom essay sample on Germany, 1918-1945 – Treaty of Versailles or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was only the victors who attended. In the end, Germany resulted in a great loss of land. Germany also had to pay for the damage it had caused. These were called Respiration Payments, which were instalments of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6600 million. They couldn’t pay it because their land had been taken away and had loses to amend, too. Because of this, Germany had to print more money to pay the instalments. Money then lost its value, which led to hyperinflation. Germany’s armed forces were cut to 100,000 people; the navy was allowed 6 battleships and no U-boats. They weren’t allowed to have an airforce at all. Of course, this upset Germany’s armed forces as the majority of them were laid off. This all Helped Hitler’s rise to power because the armed forces were out of jobs and Hitler promised reforms of change to put it straight which encouraged the armed forces to vote for him. Not only was it the armed forces who were angry and frustrated but so too was the general public who felt humiliated and vulnerable for reduction of armed forces and all the other terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Therefore, Hitler was able to build on that. When writing ‘Mein Kampf’ (My Struggle) Hitler used the depression and economic difficulties on communists and Jews as a scapegoat. This fed into that the Treaty of Versailles gave something for him to use his oratory skills towards. Question 2. Long-term is something that has been going on over a long period of time. Short term is a trigger effect. It’s something that sparks it of. A short-term effect that contributed to Hitler’s rise to power is that the Enabling Law was passed in 1933. This allowed Hitler to do basically anything including the more important element of outlawing opposition. Therefore the Nazi would be the only political party in Germany. This had a dramatic effect in a short period of time as Hitler then came to power in 1934-one year after being promoted to Chancellor. This proved himself to be a dominant and powerful character for the job-just what Germany needed. This is good as Germany felt humiliated after the First World War and then the Treaty of Versailles and needed someone, like Hitler, to regain Germany’s strength and self-control. This obviously would tie in with the long-term effects. The Reichstag Fire was also a short-term effect. After studying previous work on the Reichstag Fire, I have come to the conclusion that Hitler started the fire on purpose in order to gain the public vote. This benefited Hitler and contributed to his rise to power as he denied lighting the fire and instead, insisted it was a communist plot as a scapegoat. It got the public thinking that if communists are the cause of the Reichstag Fire then they could quite possibly be the blame of Germany’s other problems, like Hitler was saying. This begun to get the German public to agree with Hitler’s views and therefore voted for him. On 8th November 1923, Hitler, with the SA, broke into a meeting held by three leaders of the Bavarian government. He forced the leaders to tell their audience that they would give the Nazis their full support by putting a gun to one of their heads. Hitler gained recognition not only for the Putsch but also for the trial that took place later. His 24-day trial reached the front page on a daily basis. He twisted the trial so even though he still went to prison, he drummed up much support. He made the November Criminals the traitors and made himself look like the â€Å"saviour† of the German people. He was such an orator that the way he spoke influenced the judges on their decisions. That is why Hitler was only given 5 years with the chance of parole after just six months. Perhaps the sentence he was given can be seen as a major benefactor in him taking power. Another short-term effect that helped Hitler’s rise to power was on the 30th June 1934 when Hitler radioed a signal to Berlin for the SS (bodyguard) to smash the SA (Storm troopers) in the events known as the ‘Night of the Long Knives’. Members of the SA were rounded up by the SS and taken to prison and were later butchered. Although this seems like an unusual way to go about getting the public approval, it was taken with gratitude by the public. This is because the SA was too violent. Their actions were scaring some of Hitler’s supporters such as big businesses, the ruling elites, and the general public. They were a large, intimidating group of up to three million. So Hitler was seen as a saviour and the public began to agree with his policies even more. Long-term effects such as the Treaty of Versailles contributed to his rise to power. The public felt humiliated and vulnerable to the defeat of World War One and then the Treaty of Versailles. The public of Germany obviously was very angry and wanted something done about it. So, with the aid of Hitler’s oratory skills, his personality and leadership, Hitler detested the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in his speeches and like the public, wanted something done about it. Therefore, he promised to make changes in order to regain Germany’s humiliating losses. This helped as the public shared the same views as Hitler and so supported him. Then there was the economic depression of 1923 and then 1929. The facts that Germany couldn’t afford the Respiration Payments, there was masses of unemployment, higher taxes and hyperinflation meant that Germany was loosing hope. You read "Germany, 1918-1945 – Treaty of Versailles" in category "Papers" They already were receiving loans from USA to help pay of Respiration Payments. Then when Hitler uses his oratory skills and protests he will lower the taxes, lower the unemployment status, set a new currency to stop inflation, Germany believed they had nothing to loose. So, this too, helps Hitler’s rise to power. One other element of Hitler’s rise to power is his oratory skills. Since he began his rise to power, he had always been a powerful and meaningful speaker. Hitler, although being a quiet man, was an excellent public speaker. Often, he was able work a crowded room into frenzy, yelling and cheering in support. He used his speaking ability persuade people to support his ideas and party. He dressed in uniform to put emphasis on his overwhelming sense of control and power, he used his hands to also express himself and he raised his voice in order to give a great impact for his audience. All in all, I believe the short term and long term combine together. It is possible to say that the long-term effects wouldn’t have been much use without the short-term effects and visa-versa. Therefore, short-term effects are just as important and play a vital role in Hitler’s rise to power, just as much as long-term. Question 3 I believe the Treaty of Versailles was a major element in Hitler’s rise to power. If it weren’t for the Treaty of Versailles then Hitler’s rise to power would be very much different in relation to what it was. The fact that he was able to use his oral skills to put across the shared views of public about the Treaty of Versailles and then build on that links the two together. I feel that the Treaty of Versailles sparked much unwanted controversy within the German Republic. Germany was so unhappy and humiliated both with the defeat of World War One and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. So to have a powerful speaker in uniform, standing up and protesting that the Treaty of Versailles was wrong and in conjunction, agreeing with the German public, was a great relief for Germany. Coinciding with this, the Munich Putsch happened at a time of hyperinflation, economic depression just after the Treaty of Versailles. Which obviously reinforces my argument that it was v ery much the Treaty of Versailles, which brought all the other financial and economic difficulties in Germany. I also think that the Economic Depression has influential reasons why Hitler rose to power, too. It was the long period of time when Germany, economically, socially and politically collapsed and money became worthless from hyperinflation etc. this was the Economic Depression. It was a time of deep despair; Germany was in the grip of this great depression with a population suddenly finding themselves in a state of poverty, misery and uncertainty, whilst in the middle of a rapidly growing political instability. However, there were other significant elements that combined with Hitler’s rise to power. So much so that if you were to rule out one then it would affect another (they’re linked). All of the other reasons include; The Munich Putsch, the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler’s oratory, personality and leadership, the decision by Von Papen and Hildenburg to appoint him as Chancellor in 1933, and the Enabling Law. The Enabling Law was a short-term effect but a vital one as it allowed him to outlaw opposition, which meant, what he said, was law. Without this and Hildenburg’s decision linked, Hitler would most certainly not have made it to be leader. Hildenburg thought that appointing Hitler as Chancellor, they could keep control of him-how wrong they were! And indeed there are other factors that aren’t mentioned. One being is the Reichstag Fire of which Hitler blamed on the Communists as a scapegoat. Without this, the Nazi’s would probably had been virtually unknown and still holding meetings in the Reichstag hall-not ideal for a political party. The employment status was so negative that for Hitler, his long awaited opportunity to reach out to the German people had arrived. At this point in the German nation the citizens, downtrodden and tired of their economic situation, were more than willing too listen to someone with ideas or visions of a brighter and certainly more stable Germany. The main reason why the Treaty of Versailles overthrows the Economic Depression, narrowly, and is the most influential above all of the others is because it was the beginning of an ongoing unhappiness, which ties in with the Economic Depression. I am probably liable to say that without the Treaty of Versailles, Germany wouldn’t have had the Economic Depression because money would of still had its value, currency, taxes wouldn’t have gone up and there wouldn’t have been any Respiration Payments. It was the symbolic element of which the Nazis were able to build their political views upon. The reason why Hitler became so popular over the Treaty of Versailles was because the terms of the Treaty were tough to compromise with that it led to most other effects. These propelled the Nazi party to new heights of daring, which was highly linked with the speeches Hitler gave and the promotional stunts that the Nazi party held. The party’s tactics were very good and effective in their rise to power. However the success was really thanks to Hitler and the character that in the beginning I believe he was portraying but later became. I believe that if the Treaty was not brought forward, the country wouldn’t have stumbled into a state of depression and Hitler would never have successfully raised the amount of strong morale that he did, mainly due to pure human conscience. Not many people believe in the majority of the Nazi party’s actions and politics. However, there were usually one or two points mostly of unemployment or the stabilising of money, of which the Treaty of Versailles was the cause of; that no one else had offered the German sufferers until then. Their time was that moment; to be the biggest and the best organised and supported party that Germany had had since the war. The people did not know that Hitler’s rise to power could cause another. How to cite Germany, 1918-1945 – Treaty of Versailles, Papers

Safety Climate and Occupational Stress †Free Samples to Students

Questiuon: Discuss about the Safety Climate and Occupational Stress. Answer: Introduction: Canberra construction company is a construction management company specifically dealing with residential projects designed by architects. This company is also dealing with commercial buildings. This incident happened at an under-construction site. This incident happened because there were electricity wires obscured by flora and foliage. Hence, people could not see clearly these electricity wires. As a result, tip of the truck hit overhead power lines which were having 11,000 volts electricity. In addition to this, these flora and foliage could have conducted electricity due to presence of water content in it. This incident happened when Mr. Booth was unloading gravel form his truck into a compound at a Turner worksite. This type of site is usually unsafe for working. Hence, there should be display of warning signs at such sites. However, at the time of incidence, there were no danger signs or tags at this site. Moreover, there were strong winds on the day of incidence. Heavy winds we re additional unsafe environment because due to winds there was movement of the electricity wires and it could touch to the human beings and other articles. Adequate distance should be maintained between electrical wires and persons and articles to avoid shock. Persons and articles should not come near or under the overhead power lines (Inman, 2015). This workplace was not properly maintained. It was evident form the presence of electric wires above the compound. Management of company and builder should take special precautions to make building plan which would be safe work place. This building plan should be well documented and it should be distributed to all the contractors involved in the construction of the building. It would be helpful in alerting another company about potential risks at the workplace. All project participants like client, architects, designers and subcontractors should contribute to the safety of the building (Taylor, 2015). Management and employer should manage contractor in an effective manner. Management should educate contractor about all the safety standards of the company. In this case also, it was evident that at the time accident, this site was taken over by another company. Documents related to the building plan were not available with the new company. In this case, lack of knowledge about the building plan and workplace could be the potential reason for occurrence of incident. Safety signs at the workplace could have been used as the safety measures for the prevention of injuries for the employees. Main purpose of these safety signs is to warn and instruct the employees about the potential risk and hence employees can take necessary precautions against these risks Safety signs can be in the form of sign board, safety color and an acoustic signal. In addition to this, employers have legal duty to provide proper training to the employees and other workers about the meaning of the safety signs. Ot herwise, there would be misunderstanding and confusion among the employees about the safety sign and adjustment in the safety precautions (Hughes and Ferrett, 2015). It is the duty of employers to display these signs at the workplace. In case, if these safety signs not displayed at the places of potential risks, it is considered as the breach of safety standards by the employer. Prior to display of these safety signs, employers need to perform adequate assessment of risks at the workplace. After assessment of the risks at the workplace, there is possibility of existence of few risks, these cant be avoided. Employer should display, safety signs for such unavoidable risks. Assessment of the risks should be accurately documented at the workplace. This documentation would be beneficial as the future reference for implementation of the safety standards (Kline, 2013). However, at this workplace, very little documentation of the risks assessment was available. Employer should welcome sugge stions form the external agencies for the implementation of the safe workplace environment. Employer of this company refused to take advice from Dr Long, who was safety expert. Suggestions from the safety experts would have improved safety standards of this workplace and could have prevented such incidence. Interest and willingness of the management and employer is most crucial factor for the implementation of safety standards at the workplace. Employer can significantly improve engagement of employees in improving safety standards and preventing accidents (Wachter and Yorio, 2014). Safety culture and climate in the company proved to be important factor for the implementation of safety standards in the organisation. It reflects managements willingness in the safety of workers. It has been established that improvement in the culture is directly proportional to the safe working environment for the workers. Safety climate is based on the managers perceptions and beliefs in the safe working environment for the workers. Safe climate is considered as the product of the safe culture (Kim et al., 2017). Managements commitment and involvement in safety can improve employees satisfaction in the workplace. It would be helpful in improving safe working environment for workers. Management and employ er should make authoritative decisions to exercise control over safety standards implementation and to allocate adequate expenditure for implementation of safety standards. Effective security personal should be appointed and lock system should be implemented at the compound gate of the company. It would be helpful in keeping proper check on the entry of outside persons. It is evident that, in this company there was no lock system (Stephen, 2015; Masso, 2015). Induction programme should be arranged for the employees and non-employee workers at the workplace. These induction programme proved beneficial in improving awareness to the employees about the workplace. However, according to company resources, no induction programme was arranged at the construction site. There should be development of generic safety guidelines and its implementation in the workplace. These guidelines should be developed from the qualified persons. In case of Canberra construction company, generic safety guidelines were developed however these were not developed by qualified persons. It is mandatory for every company to appoint safety officer. This appointment would be helpful in taking overall control on safety of the company. However, in this company there was no safety officer. Dimitri Brandis, one of the persons of the Kenoss agreed this fact. Workplace audit for the identification hazards and risks is beneficial for the timely rectifying these risks. There was no record of safety audits in this company (Abreu et al., 2014). It was evident from the existence of unsafe electricity wires at the construction site. For any company, implementation of safety plan and its follow-up is very important. Mere signing off safety plan is not enough for the effective implementation of safety. In this construction, safety plan was signed off in 2011, however it was not implemented in proper way. This resulted in the Mr. Booths accident at this construction site. In this case, it is clear that, Canberra construction company and Kenoss contractor didnt give attention to the safety signs. It is the duty of employer to provide safe environment for the both employees and non-employees (Nenonen and Vasara, 2013). In this case, Mr. Booth was not the employee of the construction company. He was working with Kenoss contactor. Company mentioned that employees of the company were briefed about the potential danger at the workplace and it was instructed that only small vehicles could enter the workplace. However, Mr. Booth was not regular employee of this construction company and he was not aware of these instructions. Hence, this construction should extend safety instruction to non-employee workers also along with regular employees. Both construction company and kenoss blamed Mr. Booth for the accident. In their argument, they mentioned that Mr. Booth didnt followed instructions given by foreman. However, it should be the responsibility of the company to make compulsion to all the workers to follow all the instructions. It reflects good governance in the company. Effective governance in the company can be helpful in the implementation of safety standards. Hence, construction company should take responsibility of this accident and should improve governance of the company (Guldenmund, 2010). Electricity can be dangerous but its hazards can be prevented by taking proper precautions. It is the duty of the employer to implement all the safety standards related to electricity and provide safe environment at the workplace. This incidence could have been prevented by putting insulators on the electrical wires. Plastic and rubber coated insulators could have been useful in the prevention of conductors encountering the people and articles. These electrical wires should be grounded properly and these should be at 0 volt. Potential risks due to electrical wires can be prevented by turning of power supply to these electrical wires. However, in this company it was evident that there was no arrangement for switching off these electrical wires. Safe Work Australia (SWA) could have played significant role in prevention of this incidence. SWA is a government body and this body developed national policy related to the work health and safety (WHS) and workers compensation. Procedures in SWAs policy include both corporate plan and operational plan. National policy development includes integrated contribution of government, employers and employee. Hence, there is complete control and monitoring of each stakeholders activities in the implementation of safety policy in the company. This policy can develop effective legislative framework. WHS legislation can take strict action against the companies breaching safety standards. SWA can carry out research and publish research. This published research can be used as evidence for the improvement in the safety plan of companies. Collection of data from the different companies and its analysis can be helpful in improving safety policy. Collected data from the different companies can be use d as learning resources for other companies. It is evident that laws can accommodate changes in the activities at the workplace. Other companies should learn from this incidence and should take precautions to implement Safe Work environment for the workers. Hence, it is very important to make public such incidences, so that it can work as the learning for other companies. There should be with-held of work licences for companies breaching safety standards. There should be arrangement of workplace consultation for the safely plan for the company because it is not always possible for each company to implement their safety policy on their own. Entry at work place should be restricted to the people without valid entry permit holders. This strategy proved beneficial in the preventing safety breach. In this case also, entry restriction to the people without valid entry permit could have prevented this incidence. Providing misleading information is the easiest way to avoid legal actions of safety breach. WSA can play instrumental role in avoiding such misuse of false information (Hughes and Ferrett, 2015). Improvement in the practices in any company can be useful in implementation of effective policy. Safety breaches can be avoided by identifying best practices and common practices. Relevant published work should be followed because evidence can be helpful in identifying potential safety risks and prevention of such risks. Broad consultation with the different stakeholders can be helpful in upgradation of the safety policy. Very simple methods and procedures could have avoided this incidence. Implementation of well-designed safety standards could have saved life of Mr. Booth. In such cases, implementation of safety plan doesnt require high end technology. Few of the precautions include 1) display of safety signs, 2) turning off electrical wire and 3) instructions to the employees and non-employees about the potential risks. Change in the workers behaviour is also one of important measure to implement safety policy in the company. Workers should have safe behaviour. Unsafe behaviour of Mr. Booth is also one of the factor responsible for this accident. Mr. Booth didnt listen to foreman instruction and entered in the unsafe area (Reimana and Rollenhagen, 2014; Xia et al., 2014). It is evident form the literature that there is significant relationship between existence of safety systems practices and accident rates. References: Abreu, T., Saurinb, P., Wachsa, A., Weber, R., and der, H. (2014). The design of scenario-based training from the resilience engineering perspective: A study with grid electricians. Accident Analysis Prevention, 68, 30-41. Guldenmund, F.W. (2010). (Mis)understanding safety culture and its relationship to safety management. Risk Analysis, 30(10), 1466-1480. Hughes, P., and Ferrett, E. (2015). Introduction to Health and Safety at Work: For the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. Routledge. Inman, M. (2015). Kenoss Contractors fined $1.1 million for workplace death. Accessed on 28th sep. 2017 from https://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/kenoss-contractors-fined-11-million-for-workplace-death-20150819-gj2fra.html. Kim, K.W., Park, S.J., Lim, H.S., and Cho, H.H. (2017). Safety Climate and Occupational Stress According to Occupational Accidents Experience and Employment Type in Shipbuilding Industry of Korea. Safety and Health at Work, 8(3), 290-295. Kline, R. (2013). Mind the workplace hazards. Nursing Standard, 27(28), 23. Masso, M. (2015). The determinants of employee participation in occupational health and safety management. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 21(1), 62-70. Nenonen, S., and Vasara, J. (2013). Safety management in multiemployer worksites in the manufacturing industry: opinions on co-operation and problems encountered. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 19(2), 167-83. Reimana, T., and Rollenhagen, C. (2014). Does the concept of safety culture help or hinder systems thinking in safety? Accident Analysis Prevention, 68, 5-15 . Stephen. (2015). Canberra construction company fined over workplace death. Accessed on 28th sep. 2017 from https://content.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php/08/canberra-construction-company-fined-workplace-death/#.Wc4LoGiCzIU. Taylor, G. (2015). Canberra construction company fined $1.1 million over death of truck driver. Accessed on 28th sep. 2017 from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-19/construction-company-fined-1-million-over-workplace-death/6708032. ` Wachter, J. K., and Yorio, P. L. (2014). A system of safety management practices and worker engagement for reducing and preventing accidents: An empirical and theoretical investigation. Accident Analysis Prevention, 68, 117-130. Xia, N., Wang, X., Griffin, M.A., Wu, C., and Liu, B. (2017). Do we see how they perceive risk? An integrated analysis of risk perception and its effect on workplace safety behavior. Accident Analysis Prevention, 106, 234-242.

Human Suffering Essays - Mental Processes, Emotions, Suffering

Human Suffering Human suffering happens every day, everywhere, in many types and ways all around us. We do not always see it, but that does not mean it does not exist. When we do see it exist we commonly ask ourselves, "Does human suffering have meaning?" I can answer this question easily. Yes, it does have meaning. I can answer this because of the four readings we read. However, as I examine this question deeper I see that the four readings have different ideas on "meaning" or the reason for suffering. Looking at the definition of the verb (to) suffer, "feel or undergo pain; sustain damage or loss," we see that suffering is something that can happen because of more than one action. Each of the readings explained a different way of suffering. In their basics, some described mental suffering and others described physical suffering. But, more deeply than that each reading contains a certain kind of suffering. The Epic of Gilgamesh describes that suffering is caused by death. The Book of Job describes how suffering is caused by sickness, loss of possessions, or loved ones. Buddhist explains suffering caused by our mental anguish. Night describes suffering caused by others. These readings give us meaning to suffering so that in the future we can avoid suffering, and if we can not avoid it we can at least explain it. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells us that suffering happens because of love. Gilgamesh suffered only because he loved Enkidu. After Enkidu was killed by the serpent Gilgamesh suffered tremendously. This was an example mental suffering. Gilgamesh did not bring on Enkidu's death. It was his desire for Enkidu to die. It just happened fighting the serpent. He deeply mourned his brother's death. This drove him to find that special root to make him immortal. Although this was just a story, in its day it was thought to be a book of teachings. Suffering was a direct result of death and love, but it was suffering that drove Gilgamesh on. It ended up making him stronger. Suffering is not a good thing, but you do get past it and you can learn from it. We see this in The Book of Job too. To Job, suffering happens as a result of God testing us. A Satan questioned the followings of God's people. This led to God testing his best subject, Job. God made Job suffer in the worst way any human being could. This would be physical suffering and mental suffering. When God took away Job's family and possessions, he suffered mentally. All of his possessions and loved ones were gone without a reason known to him. It was physical suffering when he was struck with sores about his body. This also gives reason to suffering that happens when you can't explain it. Even a person who thinks that they are perfect can suffer. You could be just like Job, almost a perfect worshiper. That would be even more the reason for you to be tested. The Book of Job is one of the teachings of the Bible, a spiritual and religious guide. A person reading this would believe that suffering is a test. It is a test of your faith, your faith in God. Therefore, if we were suffering, as long as we keep faith, the suffering will end. As long as we keep faith the suffering will stop, and better things will happen and develop. The Buddhists have other reasons for why we suffer mentally. They believe that the cause of suffering is desire and craving. Buddhists say, "Ignorance is manifested in greed that fills the human mind." Greed, being something that causes desire and craving, is a cause of human suffering. It is our want for something that we can not obtain that makes us suffer. When we were children we whined, threw fits, cried, got angry, and more just because we could not have something. Most of the time it was something that we did not need. In turn, we suffered. Even as we are older, although they may be a little more involved, such things still happen. These grown-up versions of the childish games are our desires and cravings. However, according to the Buddhists, we can overcome them. To overcome them we must follow the "Noble Eightfold Path." It consists of Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Behavior, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. "The way of life which is free from all worldly passion and suffering can only be

Boxing Essays - Combat Sports, Protective Gear, Boxing, Hand Wrap

Boxing Essays - Combat Sports, Protective Gear, Boxing, Hand Wrap Boxing Boxing Introduction You all have heard of Tae boe from Billy Blanks, The Abe Roller, the so called ultimate machine, the Solo flex, and even Chuck Norriss and Christy Brinkleys all in one package that fits under your bed. Well I have a system thats a hobby of mine thats better than all of these put together. Im going to talk about the greatest work out ever. The western style of boxing. Body Well Boxing could be easy for some people and hard for others. With Boxing you need four primary limbs to function at the right time. These are your arms and legs. Before you start your traning you need to wrap your hands with hand wraps: After your finished wraping your hand wraps you would proceed to use the jump rope: After your done using the jump rope U could either hit the heavy bag or you might be nominated to sparr that day which is to box another person but of friendly terms. This is wear the handy Head Gear comes into play.: After your Head Gear is fitted Properly you then need your mouth piece: Hand Wraps These are my Hand wraps there are used to keep my hand safe in the Boxing gloves. When wrapping the hand wrap you have to be sure to wrap your knuckles and wrap your wrest, because the less friction between your skin a hand wrap the better off you are. Jump Rope The Jump rope is used to warm up before actually sparring or hitting the bag. You usually jump rope for three to five rounds. Rounds last three minutes with a one minute rest. There are different types of Jump Rope, this one was my first it is made out of cloth so you dont hurt yourself when you mess up. When you get better you will be able to use the leather jump rope for more speed and also when you mess up you know it because it stings when it hits you. Head Gear Head Gear is used to protect my pretty face, cause this is the only thing I got going for me right now. I would put in on but it is extremely dirty. Its got blood, sweat, and spit all over it. U can get pretty hard in this but there is a limit. If U get hit and U start seeing white flashes U need to get out of the way of those punches cause you can only take so much. Mouth Piece Well this is a mouthpiece; it used to protect my precious teeth. It is also used to stop U from biting the your opponent. They say the most important thing is to wash your mouthpiece every time you use it, but sometimes I forget. Conclusion Well now that U know something about boxing maybe you can conceder it as a work. There are always pros and cons to a work, just to let U know here are a few from boxing. Pro if you feel you need a nose job and cant afford cosmetic surgery, con if you dont need one. Pro you need some teeth taken out, con you dont get to choose. Pro

Poverty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Poverty - Research Paper Example My research will point out the importance of certain functions in the Elizabethan history of poverty and its relevance to present world. Presence of poor people is evidently manifested around the globe. Changes in political and economic organizations result to re-distribution of wealth and in effect, the number of poor people increases, rate of poverty heightens, and in domino effect, crimes are manifested. Way back in the middle Ages in England, society has been defined into three categories, monarchy, nobility, and peasantry. These three elements of the society are considered to be interdependent between each other and in spite of the existing differences between the three when it comes to status and wealth, buffer have to be put on the side of the peasantry. Continuous trends of the monarchical policies led to the rise of unemployed people and subsequently heighten poverty and crime. With regard to resolving this issue, during the Elizabethan times, acts and laws were struggled and serve as the buffer between the monarchical and the peasant (Talbot, R. 2002). The population grows and as it grows, the pressure of sustenance to peoples needs is evidently manifested not only on the part of the government but as well as on the part of the general public. Acts have been promulgated and stretched that the poor people was belong to the community’s responsibility and every individual has a role to play in the society. Poverty is a state of material and social deprivation. People who experience poverty feel the deprivation of well-being, having not enough income to support the needs of the family when it comes to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. Child malnutrition is considered the closest manifestation of poverty among the poor families in a certain society. In Elizabethan society, the definition of poverty is also the same with regard to the universal definition, however, Elizabethan treatment to poor

Labor laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Labor laws - Essay Example The best means of establishing a regulatory system that could protect employees against exploitation was through via the legal system that has already been established and holds valid authority on such matters. The legal system established a set of labor laws that were meant for this purpose and designed to fight for the â€Å"Average Joe† so to speak. Labor laws can be described as a set of rules that govern the relationship between an employee and their employer and have been designed to act as a baseline of what is expected from both parties (Ewing, McColgan & Collins, 2005). It can be said that these laws exist because frictionless economic efficiency can often operate to the disadvantage of the employed, even to the point of the violation of the basic civil rights of the employed. However, the role and structure of labor laws will have to be examined to determine whether the above statement contains any truth. By taking an in-depth look at the labor laws and role they pla y for both parties (that is, the employer and the employed) one is able to establish the essentiality of the existence of labor laws. Why Labor Laws Exist In order to properly understand the topic of discussion it is important for one to understand why labor laws were introduced into the legal system and the reason for their creation (Selwyn, 2008). There are a number of reasons that one can find for the existence of labor laws and by observing the main ones, one is able to visualize the need for these kind of regulation to be set in place. There can be said to be three main reasons why labor laws exist, these three reasons cover all the parties involved and the main angles that the subject can studied from. They include: 1. Employee Protection Labor laws exist to ensure that individuals working for organizations are not exploited as a result of their inability to stand up for themselves due to the size of the opposition. Labor laws are put in place to ensure that every employee is able to enjoy their basic needs and rights despite their various positions and circumstances and provides a tool that can be wielded against companies that may attempt to mistreat their employees. This can in fact be said to be the main reason behind the emergence of labor laws (Befort & Budd, 2009). The existence of these laws ensures that employees are treated fairly in their place of work and are not bullied by the large organizations in any context or form. The resources and clout that some large organizations hold in the society and business world would have meant that few individuals would have been successful fighting for their rights unless they had an equally influential backing supporting their cause. This backing has been offered by the labor laws that exist in the country (Ewing, McColgan & Collins, 2005). A good example of such protection is seen in excerpts of the existing labor laws such as the issue of Minimum Wage which entails the least amount of money that an indi vidual can be paid for their work (Keshawn & Arn, 2005). This ensures that a company does not exploit individuals in financial trouble by offering them unfair remuneration for the work that they have put in knowing that in some situations some may not have a

Leadership styles you think would be most appropriate to use with each Essay

Leadership styles you think would be most appropriate to use with each of your management team members - Essay Example She is sensible enough to see others for what they are and to extend even-handed treatment to them. That is how she succeeds in relationship building - by doing unto others as she would like others do unto her. These qualities make her a trust-worthy and reliable organ of the organization. She is, therefore, most suited to the ‘entrusting’ strategy, because only those who can be trusted can be entrusted. Empowerment and entrusting have to go hand in hand; that is what is called delegation. Either of them doesn’t make sense without the other. People like Emma Knight can be taken into confidence and be given a stake in the process of decision-making. That she is a qualified Project Management Professional makes her all the more eligible for entrusting. That Alistair had earlier been a contract programmer and was later hired full-time is very much a testimony of his competence and of being quite knowledgeable. Nevertheless, the fact remains that he is only a technical specialist but not a management expert. Then it is to be noted that he had himself explicitly expressed his lack of confidence in his own managerial abilities. It is rather obvious that his lack of enthusiasm and even occasional reluctance stem from his self-doubt. But he is interested in the benefits and promotion which is a proof that he does have a motivation inside him. This element of motivation considered alongside his technical strength is reason enough to believe that he can be of value to the organization. That value can be realized only after acknowledging that he is a manager but not a leader. The two are a lot different. It must also be taken into account that he is after all on his first full-time responsibility of this kind. It is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately and carefully on the one hand because he can be of use and on the other because his ineffectiveness has a bearing on team performance. He

Analysis Of Zipcar Strategy

Analysis Of Zipcar Strategy Executive Summary An assessment of the strategic value of expanding Zipcar business was performed by identifying its resources and core competencies. Through its resources and core competencies, a S.W.O.T. analysis and external environmental analysis were performed to identify its strategic advantage and business model where it should strongly focus on its product differentiation and product cost (efficiency). Based on its strategic advantage and business model, strategic value and expansion into smaller US cities, other segments of the market and other countries were analysed and identified with clear implementation direction and recommendation. Introduction Zipcar was founded in 2000 by two Cambridge (Massachusetts) residents. Today, it is the worlds leader in car-sharing. It provides cars by the hour or by the day to more than 325,000 members and 6500 vehicles in 50 cities in the U.S., Vancouver, Toronto and London [1]. It has redefined the way the present generation perceives alternate transportation and strong focus on the need for environment conversation. Since 2004, it has doubled its membership base with current 10,000 new members joining Zipcar each month. This means that members on an average save about US$7200 per year by using Zipcar services instead of owning a car. Furthermore, it can be a suitable platform for electric vehicles due to the demographic and driving habits of its user base where the average trip in a Zipcar is less than 25 miles and lasts about four hours thus making as much as 95% of all Zipcar trips short enough for 1st generation electric vehicles with limited range. This could further enforce its goal on green initiatives. The company focused on three main customers: Individuals Personal usage by young professional who did not own a car but needed one occasionally for errands and short trips, and families who sometimes needed a second car Companies There are more than 10,000 organisations using its facilities and services for business programmes. Universities There are more than 140 colleges using its campus car-sharing services in U.S. It rents cars by the hour and day to members in Boston, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Chicago and several smaller markets. It aimed to become a billion dollar company. Resources and Core Competencies Its fleet was predominately made up of Volkswagen Golf and Beetle but has expanded to make it more attractive to drivers who first concern was style and not gas mileage. For example, mini-coopers, scion vans, and SUVs such as the Toyota Highlander and Ford Escape were introduced [2]. Since majority of its fleet were idle or unused in the day, it was able to create a sales force to market them to corporation. As such about 25% of its revenue comes from â€Å"Z2B† offering. In other words, it was able to utilise its resources to generate sustainable revenue. Service innovation As mentioned, Zipcar is a young company that has created an alternative to automobile ownership for urban dwellers in several cities across the U.S. Its mission is to offer members affordable 24/7 accesses to private vehicles for short-term round trips. It has been able to build such distinct competitive advantage and succeed in a crowded and established market like the rental car business through wireless technology and the Internet that major competitors like Avis, Hertz, and National have chosen to ignore. It was one the very first few organisations to utilise wireless technology to its advantage. The distinctive competence it developed around this technology meant the company had to create several new technological processes. By investing in RFID, it was able to streamline car rental process and tracks the location of the cars in real-time that helped to improve fleet yield management and mitigate the risk of double-booking and phantom vehicles. The online web portal was fundamental and critical aspects of its business model. For business to function effectively, the hourly rental reservation and payment portal had to be user-friendly and trivial (highly effective human-computer interface) for members to transact online. At the same time, it should virtually be costing zero or very minimal cost to the company for each transaction. This in contract to a typical human agent would have cost the car rental company about 4% to 10% for each transaction. By eliminating complex user interface from within the car, it effectively deploys a simple and effective proximity keycard that is held to the windshield of each car that allows car users to locate and gain access to the cars. With further enhancement, it has been able to effective adapt and used mobile phone like iPhone or Blackberry to locate and gain access to those cars. In other words, it contemplates car sharing through Zipcar to be as easy as drawing cash from any ATM. Zipcar attempts to satisfy driving needs of its customer at a fraction of the cost of car ownership by contemplating to replace twenty private cars for each Zipcar service. Traditional rental companies like Avis, Hertz or Enterprise have adopted a similar business approach but the rental processes is time consuming and entail its representatives handling over car keys at specify rental locations. Thus, the appeal of Zipcar is its flexibility and efficiency where one can pick up a car at any time from any available unmanned location with the car keys waiting in the car for the driver to zoom off on a journey. As mentioned, the company knows that its buyer like â€Å"cool cars†. Thus the fleet includes mini coopers and Volkswagen beetles. However, unlike traditional rental cars, each has a Zipcar logon and web address making the actual car a communication tool that help curious observers learn more about the company. Many of the cars are painted in the signature Zipcar light green that also signals environmental friendly or green initiative aspect of the product experience. By partnership with city governments, landlords, colleges, and business owners, it has formed a dedicated team of customers who evangelise the company to potential renters that produce resonance with drivers or customers. Additionally, it has a strong, focus and effective management team that was capable of stirring the organisation into one of the largest car sharing leader in the industry by exploiting and maintaining core competencies and developing human capital to effectively execute it goals and strategic direction [9][10]. S.W.O.T. Analysis Strength: Ease of use (utilise proximity keycard, Blackberry or iPhone) in term of identifying car make/model, location and rates as well as ease of driving off. Style of its service (cool car) Technological sophistication (Wireless RFID technology) Clean and user-friendly interface within the web portal makes navigation very easy like car browsing, check and compare prices and view membership plans. Effective branding through its website and fleets by using signature Zipcar light green that symbolises environmental friendly. No usual hassles attributed to traditional car rental like reservation after joining as a member. For example, lost time for tedious paperwork, prohibitive car prices and petrol prices, limited certainty about vehicles make and model etc. Avoidance of double-booking or phantom vehicles through effective real-time fleet yield management. Strong partnership or collaboration with governments, landlords, colleges, and business owners. Weakness: High dependency on technology for its seamless operation like online reservation, payment and fleet management. Any failure of its integrated system can be catastrophe. Thus, business contingency plan is critical and needs to be in placed. There is certain weakness in its marketing tactics as it is largely unknown to urban masses. This can result in lost sales if potential customers are looking to rent a car in Chicago may look for traditional rental agencies as opposed to car-sharing. Furthermore its website failed to be search engine optimised. Opportunities By been environmental friendly and adopting the use of electric cars, it is in a very strong position to entice customers who have strong view about environmental and social concern. This is critical to Zipcar in building up its brand and equity apart from attracting more customers. Such trigger in term of economics and social interruption help to create more awareness about car-sharing that can only benefit Zipcar. Increase weekday car usage. Its fleet are only utilised at night and weekend while majority are idling during the day. Besides attracting more private business organisation to use it fleets on employees as opposed to using employee own cars, it can also look into convincing municipal agencies or government workers like social workers or nurse to utilise its services. Furthermore, as pressures mount for reduced fuel consumption and car-usage, its concept can provide a unique and viable long term solution. By establishing its presence on college, it has created a strong awareness and foothold of fans in term of the ease of car sharing as well as marking its environmental and social concern among the new generation. The students are part of the new generation of self-service economy that fits nicely to Zipcar self-service model. By experiencing with Zipcar concept and car sharing service, there is a high chance that those students would continue to use car-sharing as an alternative to car ownerships instead of buying one. Transit connection can provide growth opportunity for Zipcar where it fleet can be strategically parked near train or subway stations to provide members easy access to cars so they can continue their journeys to areas where public transport is not available. By parking at subway station, it can further create awareness of its brand and services Threats With its merger with Flexcar, it is competing in 50 cities in the U.S market including Canada. In another words, it is competing directly with larger operator like PhillyCarShare [5] and I-Go [6] that bring unique set of competitive forces in relation to their tide niche at the city and communities. Furthermore, their grassroots operation, low rental rates and non-profit status may inadvertently make them the preferred choice for business seeking car sharing services. Big car rental companies like Hertz, Enterprise or Avis [8] may make entries into car sharing market. Hertz has 40,000 cars in New York alone while Zipcar has about 6500 vehicles in total. In other words, big car rental companies have better economies of scale to take advantage of existing facilities, expertise and financial support if they chose to enter car sharing market. Rising petrol can be an economic burden to Zipcar since its rate is inclusive of petrol. It may have to increase its rate to cover such increased expense. This may lead to lower car usage by members and more may use cheaper public transport or share their rides. This could hinder membership growth. External Environmental Analysis Economies of scale Zipcar and Flexcar are the two largest and nationwide car sharing companies in the state. With their merger, there is a greater economy of scale as the new company will operate under the Zipcar brand and use its technology. Moreover, the move could help expand the practice of car sharing. By merging, Zipcar effectively operates in 50 cities in U.S., in Vancouver, Toronto and London that brings more members and more benefits in term of access to more fleets in more location and neighbourhoods. With more fleets in more location, it can consider lowering its membership fee to entice more membership enrolments to enjoy greater economies of scale. Barriers to market entry This can be unattractive for Zipcar as large rental companies may enter this market after they have a better understanding of such business model. In addition, there is no government regulation or restriction to prevent anyone from going into car sharing business. In addition, the cost can be low as anyone can start the business with a few vehicles. Diversification Apart from providing car sharing to individual, companies and colleges, it can expand into taxi business, emergency business or ambulances services or health caring services that required vehicles on ad-hoc or certain regular basis. Furthermore, it can also provide vehicles to courier services or mover services. Alternatively, it can provide fleet management services to those organisations as well. In this case, it is restricted to related-constraint diversification for better performance of the company. Product differentiation Zipcar provides unique experience by utilising wireless technology to ease car sharing. By eliminating complex user interface from within the car and deploying a simple proximity keycard that is held to the windshield of each car, it has allowed drivers to locate and gain access to the cars with ease. By integrating iPhone or Blackberry device, it has further improved such experience. Furthermore, it provides a fleet of â€Å"cool cars† that cater to each individual lifestyle and needs. Degree of concentration of firm in the industry There are several car sharing operators within U.S. [7] that operates as a non-profit organisation. However, in term of coverage, they are no as comprehensive as Zipcar that operates in 50 cities and outside of U.S. Thus, it can value add its service like more access to many cities and locations for its members which is inline with Zipcar objective of providing wheels when you want them. Positioning and Business Model Zipcar operates in a model of car sharing business that makes it difficult for competitors to imitate. For example, it utilised wireless technology like 3G, GPRS, GPS and RFID to manage and streamline its operation to maintain lean and low overhead. Traditional car rental companies or non-profit car-sharing would find it difficult to model after it due to their existing infrastructure and model. This is similar to Wal-Mart efficient supply chain management practices that competitors find it difficult to intimate. No doubt, customers can utilise other rental companies or car sharing operators but they would lose the convenience and ease of use offered by Zipcar model of hourly rental agreements and convenient access to 50 cities and locations. Moreover, it has a strong focus on customer needs and lifestyle by providing fleet of hip vehicles like mini cooper, Volkswagen Beetle, BMW Bottella, Mazda and environmental friendly vehicles like Toyota Prius [2] and using cool gadget like iPho ne or Blackberry to locate and gain access to the cars. Zipcar does not need to concern about car manufacturers or other suppliers since it does not use proprietary goods. Been a IT savvy organisation, Zipcar should ride on its existing memberships by using social networking tool so members can exchange and shares ideas and more importantly provide feedback to Zipcar who can them improve on its services and offering. In other word, it should keep listening to customers and continuing to innovate through IT. Based on strategic directive and advantage, Zipcar should continue to focus on product differentiation and product cost (efficiency) through greater economies of scale and product differentiation by offering unique fleet of vehicles coupled with excellence service and ease of usage. Expanding its presence in smaller US cities Zipcar has great appeal to a number of buyer personas like city dwellers that occasionally need to use a car for a few hours where cars ownership are expensive coupled with high parking fee in cities. According to U.S. census back in 1990, there were about one-third of U.S. residents living in cities. Those clustered suburban neighbourhoods would be suitable for car sharing, particularly if they have good transit service, pedestrian-friendly streets and local commercial centres. Assuming that 30% of American drivers live in higher-density, multi-modal neighbourhoods and 20% of these have low annual mileage vehicles; this could mean that about 6% of current privately owned vehicles could shift to car sharing. Of course, potential demand for car sharing will be much higher in urban areas and lower in rural areas. Zipcar can look into merging or buying over smaller operators that operate or have presence in those smaller US cities if viable. Alternatively, it can consider deploying its fleet in those cities since it uses wireless technology to streamline most of its operation and the cost of expanding in those cities would be relatively low. Nevertheless, there should be sufficient number of users within convenient walking or cycling distance where vehicles are parked with good travel alternatives. For example, to have 3 car share vehicles stationed in a neighbourhood with 10 members per vehicle would requires at least 30 member households within one square mile. Therefore, as long as there is high density urban neighbourhoods with good walking or cycling distance and good public transit services as mentioned, it should continue to expand its presence in those area to enjoy greater scale of economies with minimum risks. Expanding to other segments As highlighted, Zipcar should expand into taxi business, courier business, mover business, emergency business, ambulances services or health caring services by not just offering vehicles but also its fleet yield management services to help those companies to better managed and streamline their operations. This can be done in a form of strategic alliance or partnership. In addition, its services could be bundled with public transit passes, taxis service and ride share matching to give customers an integrated package of mobility options. It can also extend those services by collaborating with state mayors, city councillors, or police force who deals with parking constraints in major cities. Expanding to other countries and cities (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo) Countries like Hong Kong, Singapore or major cities like Taipei or Tokyo are suitable target for Zipcar services as they are typically high density metropolitan areas where walking, cycling and public transit are viable transportation option. Moreover high cost of car ownership coupled with high parking pressure in term of cost and space made these cities suitable market for Zipcar to expand its overseas business similar to those in London. Residents in those cities usually do not require cars to go to work or go about their daily activities. Thus, low vehicle ownership rates are one of the best predictors of the economic viability of car sharing programs. It can consider co-operative strategies by forming a joint local partner to operate fleet of vehicles that utilise it fleet management systems for car sharing. Alliance formation would avoid high cost of investment since resources are shared including risk. By forming synergistic alliance, it can create joint economies of scope between partner firms. For example, by exploring ways to work with car manufacturers like Toyota, its members can test electric cars to designing vehicles specifically for the sharing market. Similarly by working with closely with various authorities and companies, it can bundled public transit passes, taxis service and ride share matching to provide customers a fully integrated package of mobility options just like in its home country. Recommendation Zipcar should continue to focus on product differentiation and product cost (efficiency) through greater economies of scale and product differentiation through its unique fleet of vehicles that comes with excellence service and ease of usage. It should consider lowering it membership fees to attract more memberships to further utilise its fleet. It should continue to collaborate with various authorities and companies to use its fleet management system to enjoy greater economies of scale. It should look out for opportunities to perform consolidation through mergers and acquisition at the same time form strategic alliances with overseas local partners, car manufacturers and IT vendor to further develop its competitive edge. It should continue to adapt to customer needs by using an effective customer relationship management (CRM) system to obtain and to enhance its relationships with customers, retain customers and provide better customer service that leads to competitive advantage for the business. It should institute a more vocal marketing campaign to educate the target demographic about the benefits of car sharing. This could include aggressive print advertising on all urban and public transportation vehicles in addition to its own fleet of vehicles. It should further invest in improving the search engine optimisation of its web portal to attract traditional car renters. This would improve zipcar.com ranking on organic searches and increase the conversion rate. Through integrated marketing strategy this would increase awareness about Zipcar and its car sharing benefits that further reinforcing the firms hip and green identity. Reference: [1] Team: home office. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://w.zipcar.com/ [2] Four Leaders You Need To Know. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://stage.fastcompany.com/magazine/91/4-leaders.html [3] Zipcar is shifting into higher gear as market widens. Accessed on, 17-01-2010, http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2008/01/13/zipcar_is_shifting_into_higher_gear_as_market_widens/ [4] Zipcar The best new idea in business. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/26/news/companies/zipcar_car_rentals.fortune [5] Philly Car share. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://www.phillycarshare.org/ [6] IGo Car share. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://www.igocars.org/ [7] List of carsharing operators. Accessed on 17-01-2010, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_carsharing_operators [8] Avis: For more on the history of Avis, see www.avis.com/AvisWeb/JSP/global/en/aboutavis/corp_info/historical_chronology.jsp. [9] Zipcar: We interviewed Robin Chase in November 2007. Other useful information came from ‘‘Part-Time Wheels: City Dwellers Share Cars through New Service by Heidi B. Perlman, Associated Press, http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/072000/new_0720000010.shtml; and from ‘‘Scott Griffith: Zipping Ahead by Lisa van der Pool, Boston Business Journal, August 24, 2007; [10] Zipcar is shifting into high gear as market widens by Yoon S. Byun, The Boston Globe, January 13, 2008. http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2008/01/13/zipcar_is_shifting_into_higher_gear_as_market_widens/.

Social Class in the Classroom Essay -- Sociology, Lower, Middle and Up

Social class has a large effect on the lifestyles of all Americans. But what does it really mean to be a part of the lower, middle or upper class? These divisions of social class are defined by aspects such as family income and lifestyle; however, education plays a large role in determining ones social class. That does not mean that it will determine success in ones life but to interpret, many people with a further education usually have a higher income as well. Those of the upper class have higher standards for education and career aspirations in contrast to those of the lower and middle class. Besides the differentiation of aspirations of the individuals of each social class, it is also used to determine who will go to college, depending on who can afford it or have no other priorities that can get in the way. There are approximately â€Å"20 percent of Americans in the lower class† (Long, Social Class Stratification, 18). In contrast with these 20% of Americans a long with the other 80% are a lot of differences when it comes to learning in the classroom. According to Lee Warren of Harvard University, â€Å"In many parts of the country, class differences are sharply defined by accent: people talk like the neighborhood they came from†(Class in the Classroom, 2) where as someone from a more â€Å"run-down† neighborhood might have a less sophisticated vocabulary, just because they do not speak that way on a daily basis. However, that is all stereotypical. People â€Å"wrongly anticipate the knowledge or potential of specific classes of children† and as a result â€Å"children from high-class families are sometimes viewed as being more intelligent than those from lower social classes† (Social Class-Effects 1), which is not right at all. The amount of mo... ...tudents in high-poverty schools. Indeed, low-income students given a chance to attend more-affluent schools performed more than half a year better, on average, than middle income students who attend high-poverty schools† (Kahlenberg, Middle Class Schools for All 2). From this data, it is clear to see that the type of school is what matters most, not income. Ones social income class should not be used to determine their intelligence, but to only advertise their yearly salary. Social class is a determinant used to define where a family stands in terms of salary and socioeconomic status. However, it is used to determine what will be offered to the family, for example, the type of school that each child will attend. But what it does not determine is the success of that student’s education attainment. Money can buy a college education yet, it will not buy literacy.