Change and Culture Essay

To adjust to greater competition and pressures of obtaining increased organizational efficiency and cost containment, many organizations have begun to examine strategies related to restructuring and downsizing to maintain organizational viability. These processes have included mergers and acquisitions, and redefining occupational roles of workers within the organization. Consequently, successful management of the structural change process can be daunting and overwhelming if not handled in an organized and thoughtful process. Those who are responsible for the process must recognize the barrier that may be hindrances to conception and implementation of the change process These barriers include: (a) lack of concise and coordinated planning/goals, (b) resistance to change within the organizational workforce, (c) failure to consistently evaluate the progress of the proposed change within context of the entire system, and adjust methodology as necessary. Thus, in order to achieve a balance between achieving organizational goals and addressing the uncertainty that may occur in the workforce, organizational leaders are tasked with the responsibilities of finding creative means to facilitate the mandated objectives while at the same time finding vehicles to maintain adequate levels of employee satisfaction and productivity in order to facilitate the ability to service their respective consumer base. It is the purpose of this paper to re-examine the fictional organization created in the week number four Culture Case Study I, and determine the means to facilitate a redesign in workforce brought on by a mandated reduction in work force. This paper will examine the concept of the universal worker as part of the proposed redesign, with further evaluation of the communications and organizational process that will have to be implemented in order to facilitate successful achievement of administrative goals and employee adoption of their new roles. Case Study In an attempt to achieve increased cost containment, six months after the merger of Charles Drew and Florence Nightingale Hospitals, the managerial hierarchy has proposed a significant reduction in workforce. Subsequently, a decision was made that the best way to facilitate continued safe patient care was to redesign the patient care delivery workforce. As recommended by the administration, the initial proposal for redesign was that of the universal worker. As understood, the paradigm of the universal worker would allow remaining employees to be cross trained in different job duties; thus, allowing more flexibility in staffing and personnel assignments (web. Answers. com, 2011). Through examination and implementation of the concepts of the universal worker, along with consideration of other strategies, the thought is that assigning additional duties to remaining personnel would allow continued adequate delivery of many support services. Past experiences in attempt to implement this type of change has proven to be met with resistance by personnel, and difficult to implement when introduced at other organizations; nevertheless, the administration has charged the mid-level management team with successful achievement of the proposed redesign in order to meet organizational objectives. The Change Process When beginning the process of job redesign within this organization, it will be important for those who are responsible for implementation of the change to understand the overall mission and goals of the organization and the global ramification of the change within the institution. It will be important to understand that a change in one area can have either a positive or negative impact on other areas within the organization (Leadership and Motivational Training, 2012). Thus, in viewing the potential upheaval that a reduction in workforce can create, and the subsequent potential for feelings of job insecurity that may be experienced by the remaining workforce, it will be important to allay these fears and allow enhanced empowerment of employees being affected by this process. This can be facilitated through inclusion of employees in the redesign process (i. e. implementation of work teams) and establishment of clear channels of communication within the system. Managing this process of job redesign and change can be successfully implemented through the initiation of a defined process to guide the change and an assigned change leadership team (Resnick, 2012). Through this process not only will the affected employees be allowed to have input to the process that will affect the their individual stake in the organization, they will also have the opportunity to implement substantial and lasting change for the overall system and the culture of then organization. As described by Peter Senge in his postulates regarding organizational culture, this inclusion, empowerment and open communication among those in leadership and front-line employees will work to facilitate what he described as the learning organization and systems thinking (Smith, 2001). Inclusion of work teams into the change process, and the subsequent implementation of the cross training of employees into various departmental roles, the concept of the universal worker among the care provision staff will allow the reshaping of the organization into one that has the flexibility to adapt to the rapid change that may be incurred, and foster an atmosphere of collegiality – where people are continually learning to see the whole together (Smith, 2001). Measuring Processes and Expectations Post Redesign  Once the redesign process has been completed it will be very important to implement measures to review the process of performance and if the predetermined goals of the change are being met. Since employees will potentially be relied on to increase performance and acquire additional employment duties, it will be important to examine how the implementation of change will impact employee satisfaction. It can be said that if an organization can meet the need for a satisfying work environment, then the employee will have a greater propensity to be more motivated and productive. As a consequence the satisfaction will have a greater correlation to improved outcomes and patient satisfaction. Examination of outcomes can be achieved through the â€Å"utilization of the creation of a balanced scoreboard-or dashboard- of the key internal and external measures that provide a comprehensive view of the organizations performance, with as much insight as possible regarding the implication of the change for the future† (Resnick, 2012). Examples of these tools could include utilization of employee satisfaction surveys, provision of strategically placed employee eedback boxes to solicit employee input to parameters for ongoing improvement, and implementation of employee councils to examine how to best meet the needs for improving overall workplace satisfaction and employee morale. With completion of the tools for review of performance, the organization will have a balanced understanding as to how the implementation of the job redesign has impacted organizational goals and desired outcomes -i. e. decreased attrition rates of employees, decreased sick leave utilized, increased patient safety and patient satisfaction scores – (Ugboro, 2006) . Creation of a Learning Organization As the paradigm begins to change in the organization, and implementation of change becomes manifest within the organization, it will be important to foster structures that will provide for a cohesive and well-rounded workforce. As a result, it will be important that all employees have a thorough understanding of what is meant by a learning organization, and how this concept will be imperative e to the ongoing success of current and future change. As described by Peter Senge, the learning organization can be viewed as a structural environment in which the employee is empowered to create the outcomes that they truly desire. In this type of environment, the employee is allowed the room of creativity to redefine not only themselves within their organizational role, but also the organization itself. This paradigm shift differs from the previous downstream constricted organizational structures in that it moves the process for acquiring new organizational traits and skills from learning a means of survival to one that embraces learning that enhances the capacity to create and innovate (Smith, 2001). As such, this paradigm allows progress of the employee to have a greater role in obtaining self-actualization through growth of objectively understanding how change and the end-results of proposed change will affect the organization and the system as a whole. Additionally, it changes the view of management from one of overseer, to one of fostering learning opportunities and helping employees develop systemic understanding (Smith, 2001). In relation to the mandated job restructuring that will take place within this merged organization this change will be facilitated through the creation of interdisciplinary teams of care providers that will comprise the teams that will be responsible for the redesign of the care delivery model. In context of the proposed reduction of staff, it can be assumed that the employees affected by the ensuing change will be instrumental in facilitating this change if allowed to be part of the redesign of priorities and duties. Consequently, with each group bringing their individual and collective spheres of knowledge, there will facilitation of the exchange of ideas, expansion of personal mastery, enhancement of mental models, and a building of a shared vision. All of which are characteristic of the described learning organization. In this case, enactment of the concept to the universal worker will require cross training of employees into potentially new areas of responsibility, or areas in which personal mastery has not been achieved. As such, training can be perceived by employees as a measure of the organizations commitment to them. Subsequently, training is one of the most powerful vehicles for an organization to create change. As stated by Resnick (2012), â€Å"First, it builds alignment to the desired change. Second, it provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to implement the change. Third, it creates the opportunity for cross-functional communication in the implementation of company-wide initiatives†. As this process evolves, management can ensure that continual educational opportunities exist for employees to grow technically and professionally in their respective duties. As these opportunities are allowed, evaluation of individual mastery should be evaluated and opportunities for individual employees to become mentors or resources for fellow employees should be encouraged. By facilitation of this process of collaborative self-management, satisfaction within the process will be enhanced and peer-to-peer sharing can take place. This will allow greater cohesiveness among the teams and a greater sense of inclusion among all team members. As stated by Smith (2001), â€Å"when teams learn together, not only can there be good results for the organization, members will grow more rapidly than could have occurred otherwise†. Measurement of Individual Satisfaction Measurement of individual employee satisfaction can be facilitated through many means. Standard traditional measurement tools could include employee surveys, employee feedback solicitation, and input gained during annual performance reviews. Although these means may allow the management team to gain greater insight to employee satisfaction with change, they are primarily founded in anecdotal response, and may be difficult of quantify. Thus, alternative measurements of satisfaction can be employed. These include monitoring of employee retention rates, review of utilization unscheduled employee leave, and patient provided satisfaction surveys. As indicated by Plowman (2009), â€Å"many studies suggest that the cost of turnover is on-and-a-half times an employee’s salary, when considering recruitment, selection, and training costs. Therefore, to monetarily measure the impacts of reduced turnover, one can calculate the expected cost of replacing employees who chose not to leave as a result of increased employee satisfaction†. Furthermore, enhanced patient satisfaction and outcomes may have a direct correlation to enhanced satisfaction in that increased individual productivity may be a sign of an employee who has taken ownership of his or her role in relation to change. Conclusion In today’s environment of organizational change, and redefining of traditional job functions and roles, it is imperative to create new paradigms within the organizational structure. Along with the changing responsibilities for employees, management must provide the means to promote atmospheres of renewed learning and assist the empowerment of employees in actualizing the larger systemic needs of the organization, and their role in the facilitation of making lasting change. Successful implementation of these concepts, along with meeting the needs for maintaining employee fulfillment and satisfaction will be essential for the economic longevity of all business organizations that provide essential services to the public. Change and Culture Essay When two companies merge, upper management has many decisions to make about the organization, from what the mission statement will be, to what type of goals they have in mind to how many employees will be necessary to accomplish the goals. In the beginning, it is important to blend the two cultures and create the new organization. Six months after the merger of Cypress Creek Hospital and Clovis Community hospital, it was important to determine if the goals are met or if changes need to be made. In the instance of the organization from the first case study, it was decided that further change had to be made. To make the desired changes, administration has decided to reduce the current workforce significantly and to change how patients are tended to. Because the change is so detailed, the administration has recommended that a new position of a universal worker be created. The term â€Å"universal worker† generally refers to a person who is trained in multiple positions in the workplace and therefore has a little more assignments flexibility. Universal workers are often used in call centers and hospitals to alleviate staff shortages and provide better service without the difficulties of processing so many referrals or dealing with call transfers (webAnswers. com2013). It is imperative that in the role of universal worker, ways are found to redesign the current set up of the organization and make the necessary changes within the organization to meet the needs of the administration. Historically, organizations were set up where each person had a set task. When an organization incorporates universal workers in the workplace, it creates an environment in which few do a variety of tasks. In health care, this means that patients deal with fewer faces, and get used to their caregivers. For the organization, it means that a staff that can perform different roles and are even more valuable than they would be in traditional roles. Process of Redesigning Because the organization has decided that patients care delivery needs to be redesigned, it must be determined how to begin that process. The first thing that must be taken into account is that change in an organization often disrupts operation. In the instance were significant changes will be made in the size of the staff, adding more change typically will not be received well in the beginning. It is very important to plan accordingly so that productivity is not affected for a long time. One way to accomplish this is to make changes with staff involvement. If staff is allowed to give ideas and be part of the changes, it will fill their needs for learning, change, and variety. One way to do this is create different committees so that staff could be part of an even smaller team and be able to express their ideas and contribute to the change. Encouraging staff participation in planning how change is to take place, and the timing of that change appeals to the need for control that people innately have. â€Å"Organizations that regularly assess the person-job fit of their employees may in turn, experience important benefits from these healthy, thriving and motivated employees who individually redesign their own jobs if necessary† (Tims, 2010). Redesigning in this way, by allowing staff to assist in it, allows the organization to go from being a series of smaller fragmented parts to being a group of fewer parts that function well together. In creating universal workers, the new management needs to go among the staff and see what each employee excels in and in what areas need further training if necessary. Management needs to get an idea of what the pulse is within the organization, have an idea of who is good at what, what jobs are not as necessary, what can be consolidated, what new positions need to be added and feel confident in his or her decisions so that the job redesign can be put into place. Work Processes and Performance Expectations When redesigning is done, the organization can expect to have their employees more satisfied in their work. People are more satisfied internally with their new responsibilities and are more satisfied in general. However, it sometimes makes people more dissatisfied with their current pay and benefits because they believe that they are doing more and that their pay and benefits should reflect those changes. Also the negative is that because people are given so much say in what they are doing when redesigning the workplace, they often become dissatisfied with their direct supervisors and management if something is not done to continue the autonomy that employees achieved with assisting in the redesigning. Job productivity goes up and goods produced tend to be better quality the pride that staff has in what they do. To ensure a more satisfied staff after redesign is complete, it is important not only to change the jobs of subordinates but even those in middle management so that everyone feels more satisfied and angry feelings do not develop among staff. If change happen were people are more satisfied, the organization will better for it. Further, change cannot happen and just come to a halt. Change is never constant; it has to continue to keep a learning organization on track. Steps and Structure to Change a Learning Organization Peter Senge, (1990), a learning organization is organization â€Å"where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expensive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspirations is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together† (Senge,P. , 1990). According to Senge (1990), a learning organization excels in five different disciplines. A learning organization looks at long-term solutions, not necessarily the first solution that comes to their head. This is important because often organizations think of short-term benefits, and do not consider what changes will do to the organization long term. Because of this, a universal worker would do best to keep from making hasty decisions, and rather would create groups where people gather and look at things more on a long-term direction and see how the organization could be affected. Another thing that can assist in change would be encourage workers to continue learning, whether it be a seminar held for staff or encouraging people to continue with their education on their own time. In workplace today teamwork is encouraged in the workplace. People are no longer given tasks, and expected to do them on their own. Rather, working together, sharing ideas and being a team help an organization to grow. Another step that needs to occur is that leadership roles need to be looked at differently. Instead of leaders being seen in the traditional role of being â€Å"better than† their subordinates or thinking for the staff, upper management roles need to changed to suit the changes in staff. Management needs to encourage learning, share the vision that leaders of the organization have. Management also needs to â€Å"create and manage creative tension especially around the gap between vision and reality. Mastery or such tension allows for a fundamental shift. It enables the leader to see the truth in changing situations† (Smith, 2001). To create change, the entire organization needs to change, not just the subordinates. Change takes time but the benefits long-term are well worth the efforts. Satisfaction for Universal Worker The universal worker approach seems to enhance job satisfaction. Feedback from the staff indicates that they enjoy being responsible for the patients as whole rather than one aspect of care. It is a feeling that undoubtedly enhances the caregiver’s sense of job importance (Widdes, 1996). Training staff to assume responsibilities across departments and even more challenging, reshaping their attitudes and approach to care is an undertaking that requires a commitment to training, retaining and diligent follow up. To keep a universal worker happy would require giving such staff opportunities to continue growing. In healthcare, allowing staff to be responsible for different aspects of patient care, rather than doing just one simple, respective role brings satisfaction. People get bored doing the same thing day in day out. Allowing staff to do different things, creates an excitement for the job that they are doing and creates a feeling of responsibility, and pride in their job. However, because a universal worker does so many different tasks, the staff should be given incentives be it through raise or benefits or other methods, it is imperative that management be very much in tune with this philosophy. Otherwise, staff will begin to feel overworked, and underappreciated. Conclusion In conclusion, merging of two organizations into one organization can be a very difficult undertaking. If not done correctly, it can fail completely. Even if a merger is successful, it does not mean that changes will not have to be made to operations to bring further success down the line. Sometimes, staff needs to be cut, and new positions be created. This can create some turmoil within the organization if not handled right. It is important to communicate with everyone throughout, and allow staff to assist in building ideas, and making the changes, allowing them to share in some of the responsibilities that the organization will undertake. Creating autonomy, particularly when creating universal workers, is important to keep staff satisfied. Along with bonus, raise, benefits, or other incentives would be wise. If staff is satisfied, the organization runs smoother and is more profitable. Satisfaction from employees radiates onto the customers and creates the type of environment that one would prefer to do business with. Change can work correctly if the needs of staff throughout the change are kept in mind.

Israeli-Hezbollah Conflicts: The Insensibilities of War Essay

The world has witnessed again the hostilities of war this year. The terrorist group Hezbollah initiated the spate of violence in the Middle East by sending raiders into Israel from Lebanon. This attack killed eight Israeli soldiers and two others kidnapped, while they launched missiles into northern Israel. Not taking this action sitting down, Israel retaliated by bombing Beirut’s airports, roads and Hezbollah hangouts, killing innocent civilians in the process. It was in June this year that the Hezbollah gained 80 percent of the votes in the Lebanese parliamentary elections in southern Lebanon. This will mean that the group will cover 35 seats in the 128-member national assembly. Despite their popularity in Lebanon, Hezbollah had been involved in the 1982 Israeli invasion and the subsequent U. S. military intervention, engaging in a series of kidnappings and assassinations of Americans as well as the deadly truck bombings of the U. S. embassy and a Marine barracks (Zunes 21). As an organization, Hezbollah essentially means â€Å"Party of God†. Their history emanated to help the Islamic Revolutionary Guards fight active opponents who demonstrated in the streets. The name was used as early as 1973 by Ayatollah Mahmood Ghaffary in Iran. It was resurrected in 1978 in one of the revolution’s slogans: â€Å"Our Party Is the Party of Allah and Our Leader Is Ruh Allah. † The so-called party consisted of a thousand young thugs who infested Tehran’s poor neighborhoods. For a modest monthly allowance, they waged street battles against members of more sophisticated political groups. In contrast to its beginning, the â€Å"party† today boasts a membership of more than one million adherents in Iran alone. Its offshoots in Muslim countries, Europe, and America act as operatives and as a vanguard for the Islamic Republic of Iran. In Lebanon, the party also has a powerful military wing that has bombed Israel and given assistance to militant groups like Hamas in the Gaza Strip (Hoveyda 94). Acclaimed for their notoriety, Zune indicated that: For more than a decade, however, the Hezbollah militia had restricted its armed activities to fighting Israeli occupation forces, initially in southern Lebanon and then — following Israel’s withdrawal in 2000—in a disputed border region with Syria still under Israeli control. Attacks against foreign occupation forces have traditionally been recognized as legitimate acts of self-defense and not as acts of terrorism, a term usually restricted to deliberate attacks against civilian targets (21). Hezbollah’s leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah declared war on Israel because had no option. They could disarm and participate more fully in Lebanon’s government, but that would have meant giving up â€Å"the resistance,† the ideology so central to Hezbollah that it functions as a national founding myth. Their resistance is, first and foremost, an ongoing guerrilla war against Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon until its withdrawal in 2000. Hezbollah had weapons to defend their land—rockets, Iranian-made missiles, and drones. It is the source of fierce pride for Hezbollah, the only Arab force to succeed in ousting Israel from its land. But, before anything else, the resistance was a political movement, born decades ago, of empowerment for Lebanon’s eternally despised Shia. In Hezbollah’s collective mind, the Shia have finally emerged on top after being put down for so long, and now they want to prove that they can do what no other Arab country has done: defeat Israel. â€Å"You do not know today who you are fighting,† declared Nasrallah on July 14. â€Å"You are fighting a people who possess strength of faith that no one else has on the face of this Earth† (Ciedlo 14). Due to their own misgiving, Israel is now dealing with crises on two fronts. First, it was carrying out an operation in the Gaza Strip to rescue Corporal Galid Shalit, who had been captured by Palestinian militants. This triggered an ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants taking place in Gaza. After that, a second operation into Lebanon was launched to rescue Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev — the two soldiers captured by Lebanon-based Hezbollah. Nevertheless, despite the overwhelming task of fighting on two fronts, Prime Minister Olmert ruled out any negotiations with Hezbollah, just as it had foreclosed the discussions with Hamas. Additionally, his government filed a complaint with the United Nations, calling on the Security Council to enforce an existing resolution that required the Lebanese government to disarm militias (Coleman, 29 July 2006). In fairness to the Lebanese government, it denied that they had no previous knowledge of Hezbollah’s activities and would not take responsibility for the abduction of the two Israeli soldiers. To this end, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said, â€Å"The government was not aware of and does not take responsibility for, nor endorses what happened on the international border† (Al Jazeera, 7 July 2006). Experts on the ground in Lebanon also pointed to the fact that despite the existence of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, the country simply was not in the position — politically or militarily — to disarm Hezbollah on its own. With the ongoing scuffles, Lebanese government represented by Social Affairs Minister, Naila Mouawad, called for the two Israeli soldiers to be returned home. She also reiterated Lebanon’s previously-noted position that her government was neither aware of Hezbollah’s plan, nor supported it. With that statement, Mouawad criticized Israel’s response for being too heavy-handed, particularly with regard to the lives of Lebanese civilians. She warned that Lebanon was experiencing a catastrophe and explained that her government could not disarm Hezbollah by force (Coleman, 29 July 2006). Naturally, the reaction around the globe was intense woes that these conflicts might sprout in something bigger, many countries already had requested for restraint from all parties involved. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan condemned both the abduction of the Israeli soldiers as well as the resulting offensive by Israeli forces into Lebanon. Russian, France and the European Union expressed the view that Israel’s response to the capture of two soldiers was disproportionate. But Israeli spokesman, Mark Regev, said that Israel was simply responding to an â€Å"unprovoked act of aggression. † Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, voiced out that Israel should ensure its own security, it should do so in a way that avoided civilian deaths. The Vatican later added its condemnation of the situation – calling for the release of the soldiers by Hezbollah and decrying Israel’s strikes against the sovereignty of Lebanon. On the U. S. government’s part, President George W. Bush characterized Hezbollah as terrorists and supported Israel’s right to defend itself. However, he also warned that whatever action Israel took, it should be mindful of the stability of the Lebanese government. With all these bombings here and there, the head of the emergency relief agency for the United Nations, Jan Egeland, characterized the damage caused by Israeli strikes on Beirut as â€Å"horrific. † He lambasted the demolition job caused by Israel’s retaliatory action against Hezbollah, calling it excessive. He also condemned Hezbollah for â€Å"cloaking itself among the civilian population†, which is causing the rise in civilian casualties. With damages continuing to heighten, Egeland called on both sides to cease their attacks and noted that humanitarian aid would begin arriving shortly in Lebanon. In that latter regard, he appealed for safe access of all civilian evacuees caught between the warring parties. He also said that the United Nations would be launching an appeal for humanitarian aid amounting to $150 million dollars (USD). Egeland arrived in Beirut on the heels of an Israeli strike against the Hezbollah-dominated portion of Lebanon’s capital city. In Beirut, there were four injuries when one strike hit a mosque. While Hezbollah said the facility was used only for prayer, Israel contended that it was one of several legitimate targets used not only for conventional purposes, but also by Hezbollah for its activities (Coleman, 29 July 2006). Israel’s aerial bombing of southern and eastern Lebanon continued. The Israeli strikes had already caused Lebanese engineers, who had been attempting to repair impassable roads, to retreat for safety reasons. The southern town of Sidon several people seeking safety were hit by Israeli strikes. Not spared, the historic city of Tyre was the site of action from both sides. It was one of several places from which some Hezbollah militants were firing missiles and, as such, Israel made it a target of retaliatory strikes. There were eight deaths reported across Lebanon. They included a young boy, a photographer, three people fleeing in a minibus, as well as three Hezbollah fighters. On the other side of the border, two Israelis died in Haifa and over twenty people were injured as a result of repeated Hezbollah rocket attacks. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in July 24, 2006 for talks regarding the crisis in between Lebanon and Israel. Before arriving in the Middle East, Rice mentioned to reporters that the United States still had an embassy in Syria. Her statement was interpreted by some as a reminder that the United States and Syria still shared diplomatic relations that could be leveraged, if necessary. Her first stop was Lebanon where she met with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. In that meeting, she expressed concern for the Lebanese people, while also making clear that Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel from within Lebanese territory could not be permitted to continue. In the backdrop of these developments, the White House announced that it had authorized humanitarian aid to be sent to Lebanon. Secretary Rice, and later President Bush, both conveyed the view that the only possible solution to the conflict was a sustainable ceasefire and enduring peace. The United States’ stance has been that a ceasefire might result in only Israeli compliance, thus subjecting Israel to future attacks. Clearly, this view has not been shared by many world leaders and foreign policy chiefs who have called for an immediate ceasefire, arguing that continued hostilities were untenable, regardless of optimal long-term objectives. Many Middle Eastern experts have further said that no long-term objectives can be achieved, at all, without addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Coleman, 29 July 2006). In an article in the New Republic, Lawrence Kaplan declared that Bush has spent many more hours encouraging Israel than constraining it. This could be analyzed as the US government seems has no more use for Hezbollah than Israel does. â€Å"And, while the organization may not pose the existential threat to the United States that it does to Israel, the administration views it as a crucial proxy for Iran. Critics delight in faulting the Bush administration for viewing the international scene through a ‘state-centric’ lens. But, when it comes to Hezbollah—which boasts verifiable return addresses in Tehran and Damascus—what other lens is there? † In my opinion, the Israeli government is doing more harm than good. Rescuing two soldiers, while endangering hundreds of lives is really irrational. They should have sought the U. N.’s help rather than waging a war that intruded the normal living conditions of innocent Lebanese civilians. War should be the last option rather than an initial response. Now, Israel is seemingly suffering the brunt of all of its actions because of the retaliatory attempts that the Hezbollah troops are waging in Israel’s areas. The U. N. , on the other hand, as well as countries like the U. S. , should have taken proactive measures to put a stop in these conflicts. As stated above, long-term solutions should be delineated from their mediation to avoid the further destruction of both countries. As we all know, there is no long term solution that could be resolved through bombs and guns. We cannot, of course, repeat history by neglecting these conflicts that are costing the lives of many people. Countries cannot repeat the errors in history, where wars had lost not only lives, but properties and the freedom of people. War could not fully reconstruct people’s experiences. We certainly cannot feel other people’s sufferings, although we can empathize with them because we have general knowledge, and many unfortunately have some experience of suffering. The suffering of the victims, especially the innocent ones, is enough reason why Israel and Hezbollah should hold a ceasefire and negotiate about their scuffles. If they cannot understand the destruction they are causing, people around the globe should knock some sense out of these leaders who cannot feel the suffering of the victims. Works Cited Al Jazeera Website. â€Å"Hezbollah Captures Israeli Soldiers,† (July 12, 2006). Acquired 30 July 2006 at http://www. aljazeera. com/me. asp? service_ID=11629 Ciedlo, Anna. â€Å"Entombed† (cover story). New Republic, 235. 5 (July 31, 2006): 13-15. Coleman, Denise Youngblood. â€Å"Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah Mired in Violent Conflict,† CountryWatch Forecast, (July 29, 2006). Acquired 30 July 2006 at http://forecast. countrywatch. com/fc_moreon. aspx Hoveyda, Fereydoun. The Broken Crescent: The â€Å"Threat† of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998. Kaplan, Lawrence F. â€Å"Other Means,† New Republic, 235. 5 (July 31, 2006): 12-13, Zunes, Stephen. â€Å"U. S. Rhetoric about Hezbollah Blurs Reality. † National Catholic Reporter, 41. 33 (July 1, 2005): 21-21.

Should Rich Countries Help the Poor Countries

Should  Ã‚  rich countries help the poor countries? There is so much debate surrounding the issue of rich countries should help the poor countries. Proponents think that rich countries should help the poor countries because loaning money to developing countries aids can helping them improvement the situation from poverty and disease. Opponents,  think that  the money doesn't go for  the place  where  they needs and the debt is  a lot of pressure for the poor countries. In my opinion, that rich countries should help the poor countries.The responsibility of richer countries  help the poor countries  should more than they did it before, it can be throught in health, education,economy and policy. One of the strongest reason for people who against the rich countries should help the poor countries is the aid doesn't work. Foreign aid   usually considered too much for poor countries, or useless on inability governments. Africa has received over US$1 trillion in internati onal aid over the past 50 years, intended for health care, education, infrastructure and agriculture, among other things. Between 1970 and 1995 aid to Africa increased rapidly and aid dependency (measured as the aid-to-GDP ratio) stood at nearly 20% in the early 1990s. Measured differently, the mean value of aid as a share of government expenditures in African countries was well above 50% between 1975 and 1995†³ (Why Aid Doesn't Work). â€Å"The total amount of international development aid is now more than $100 billion a year to Africa. In 2008, rich countries gave $119. billion in foreign aid. This is over 10% more than in 2007 and is the highest amount ever given† (Statistics on International Development Aid). In the same period, the per capita GDP growth in Africa to reduce, for many years has been negative. Unfortunately, although good intentions from donor countries, the aid work has been useless in against poverty and promote the economic continued growth. The fac t is that most African countries are poorer today.This is because the most foreign aid provided in ineffective way and usually wasted, but also it can be influenced the negative way to the enconomic. The reason of the people who oppose rich countries should help the poor countries are one side. There are not perfect things in the world. Every human being is given same right to live and equal. The people live in poor countries usually suffering from extremely difficult conditions, such as disease,  turbulence, poverty, unemployment, lack of food and education, inefficiency and corrupt government.The devastating consequences of the epidemic, upheaval, poverty, and the lack of education and food, lead to the highest mortality rate, inefficiency work, illiteracy, but  this can be improvement through foreign aid, the money from rich countries can bring enough food and medicine. Also,  the rich countries' aid can developing   infrastructure and basic education to those poor countr ies, such as roads and pipelines efficiently, high school and university. â€Å"The public health successes can be seen on many fronts. Around 12 million children under five years old died in 1990.By 2010, this number had declined to around 7. 6 million – still far too high, but definitely an historic improvement. Malaria deaths in children in Africa were cut from a peak of around 1 million in 2004 to around 700,000 by 2010, and, worldwide, deaths of pregnant women declined by almost half between 1990 and 2010, from an estimated 543,000 to 287,000†³ (Foreign aid works – it saves lives). â€Å"In Liberia, nine years after the fact, the population of just four million people still bears the scars of a country where a vicious war has raged.Here, UNICEF funds a remarkable cash transfer scheme for households headed by children which has so far helped 2,000 youngsters. The fund gives out $60,000 a month in total, which equates to $25 a month for the most vulnerable ch ildren. Ninety-seven per cent of the families benefiting from the scheme take their child to a health center when they are ill and 90 per cent have increased food security† (Does aid work? ). All those number shows the foreign aid helps to save lives in needy countries. This is very important for those people who are suffering from starvation, poverty or contagious diseases in poor countries.We can't because of a little bit negative impact of economic, then deny the huge influence that foreign aid works in poor countries to help, and survival people's life. Furthermore, in the background  of economic globalization, the world is getting more and more close contact. The   people from different countries have  a great personnel flow frequency and the world trade is becoming greater more than before. However, there still have a   lot of people live in poverty in many places, the gap between rich countries and poor countries are expanding.The rich countries have huge income and outcome by world trade and high productivity. But, if the rich countries want to get benefit of economy in the future, they need to take care of people who will be enormous consumers in the future. Unless rich countries help the poor countries, economy of world will face unhealthy situation. In this case, rich countries should help the poor countries. Final, the most of poor countries governments are inexperience and inefficiency when they make a decision or face enmorgency. For this reason, the governments of poor countries need rich countries' help.Through rich countries help, poor countires can get solution of the problem they are facing. This can make the government of poor countries complete their policy, and gain their experience for emergency ability. The most problems which poor countries right now have, are similaring that rich countries already had and solved it before, and they have enough experiences to teach and help them to figure out the problems. In conclusion, the rich countries should to help poor countries in many ways including education, medical, health, economy and policy, because with great power comes great responsibility.Work cited: Ashdown, Paddy, Does aid work, New Statesman, 2012, 27-28. Accessed 8/25/2012. Fredrik Erixon, Why Aid Doesn't Work, 2005, 48. Accessed 8/25/2012. Foreign aid works – it saves lives, Accessed 8/25/2012 http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/economics-blog/2012/may/30/foreign-aid-works-saves-lives Statistics on International Development Aid. Accessed 8/25/2012. http://filipspagnoli. wordpress. com/stats-on-human-rights/statistics-on-poverty/statistics-on-international-development-aid/

Informative speech on poverty in africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informative speech on poverty in africa - Essay Example Historically Africa has always been a fertile area and remained rich in mineral deposits. After 1000 AD a number of small African states emerged with eccentric cultural settings (Davison 1966). This period is referred to as the 'late iron age.' Towards the east, the grassland zone emerged as rich in cattle, and gold. In this period an elaborate form of pottery was made. By the 13th century a Great Zimbabwe emerged. In the next three thousand years long distance trade with the word emerged. River Nile (6695 kms long) gave a bounteous opportunity to the millions of African people to build great societies like the Egyptian, Kushite and Meiotic. Africa is the unique region where music, dance, literature, religions, forests and fauna and flora have not only survived almost unblemished but also flourished in consistency and entirety. The world's oldest cultural heritage is preserved in Egypt Today more than 70 % population in Africa lives in the rural areas. This includes the sub-Saharan region. The main agricultural produce and exports of Africa are cassava, banana, cocoa, coffee, tea, rubber, maize and textile. Forest and forest products have also been a main source of livelihood for the African people. The mineral wealth is unprecedented in Africa.

Disease Ebola in Western parts of Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Disease Ebola in Western parts of Africa - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  Genus Ebolavirus is among the three categories of the so called Filoviridae family (filovirus), together with genus Cuevavirus and genus Marburgvirus. Ebola, which is a highly infectious disease and often deadly in human beings was first confirmed in the year 1976. Since then, Ebola has occurred periodically with numeral cases occurring in countries such as Uganda, Sudan, Ivory Coast, and Republic of Congo. Ebola is believed to be caused when an individual is infected with Ebola virus. Ebola virus can be transmitted when an individual has direct contact with another person who is infected with the virus or contact with an infected person’s body fluids. This essay discusses that the symptoms of Ebola start typically abruptly and include sore throat, severe headache, fever, and weakness. There is no cure that exists for Ebola, therefore, treatment of Ebola only involves supportive management of the symptoms of this illness while the body of the patient fights the disease. This virus was first detected in the Republic of Congo in the year 1976. However, there are no cases of Ebola virus reported in America. Cases of Ebola virus disease were first detected in forested regions of the southeastern parts of Guinea. Unfortunately, the outbreak of this killer disease is fast spreading and numerous Conakry and districts have detected cases of it and deaths caused by Ebola virus disease. In addition, scientists have not yet come into terms with Ebola origin, despite the unverified claims that it originated from the bats of the Ebola River found in the Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire.

Digital culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Digital culture - Essay Example On the other hand, the presentations illustrated unbundling and dynamic of self organization. We are able to build upon our pre existing knowledge by interacting with the tools created by the digital culture. For example, using the Google such as Google drive or Samsung digitized products can help an individual learn many things that they previously never knew about. By this we can say that the presentations illustrated beyond doubt how technogenesis, unbundling and self organization is brought about in the process. Question B Several additional factors would have supported my learning. Direct interaction with the outside world that is out of classroom environment would have been great so that to bring the learning more into a reality. The idea of automated and consistent assessment would have helped me to have a more concrete understanding of this course. Moreover, convenience and flexibility would have supported my learning and even make it better. The course ought to have considered the student interests and make it more learner centered, if it were to support the student fully to improve their learning. Lastly, motivation by the instructors, a more direct questioning approach and additional time would have been perfect in making my learning more favorable. The conception of the internet as our most interactive medium today, would have guided us to interact more thus learn more. Instructional designers need to extend and expand the various aspects in order for this course to be more tool complete, and stand alone online expert system. These include developing a broader array of tools for proper communication. They need to understand which communication mediums are best suited for learners of our kind. This will give the course an upper hand over other online expert systems. For this course to be the most outstanding in the whole world, it needs a proper implementation which will guide it throughout. It should also embrace a faster learning experience which will help it to be more competitive when compared with other online expert systems. Furthermore it should be more interactive and student oriented so that to benefit the students and their productivity as well. All these will help the course to be a more complete system. Cheat sheet This course is very important in that we live in the digital age and much has changed. Issues regarding unbundling and its t heme become a major area of interest in this course most probably because of its significance. Another important aspect is technogenesis technology which carry’s the weight of digital culture. The relevant ideas I stipulated in tackling this task is acknowledging the importance of this course and its application in the modern world. List of important areas Disembodiement Technogenesis Digital graphics and interphase Online scholarships through

International Monetary Economy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Monetary Economy - Assignment Example PPP and the exchange rate are almost similar, 1 and 1.33. This shows that the value of the Canadian is almost equal to the American dollar. This shows that the Canadian consumers and the American consumers have an equal PPP with their respective currencies. The exchange rate will be stable. PPP= Price in Denmark/Price in U.S=8.08. Comparing the PPP and the exchange rate between Denmark and America is 5.82. The value of the Canadian dollar is undervalued. The Canadian consumers have a loss of the PPP relative to the American consumers. The exchange rate will increase. iTunes price in U.S is 0.99 compared to the price in Euro of 0.99. The PPP between the two countries is 1. The exchange rate between U.S and Euro is $1=0.78 pounds. The value of Euro pound is almost equal with value of the American pound. The Euro and American consumers have almost equal PPP with their respective currencies. The exchange rate between the two countries will be constant (Tanzi and Gupta 145). iTunes price in U.S is 0.99 compared to the price in Japan’s 200 Yen. The PPP between the two nations is 202. The exchange rate of the Japanese Yen compared to the American dollar of 112. There is a loss of PPP of the Japanese consumers relative to the U.S consumers. The exchange rate will increase. iTune price in U.S is 0.99 compared to the price of the iTunes in Sweden of SKr is 9. The PPP of the two countries is 9.10. The PPP of the two countries is almost similar, but not exact. The Sweden consumers and the American consumer have an equal PPP with their respective currencies. However, the exchange will increase between the two countries. iTunes price in U.S is 0.99 compared to the price of the iTune prices in Switzerland SKr is 1.50. The PPP of the two countries is 1.52. The PPP of the two countries is almost similar, but not equal. The exchange rate of the two countries will remain as1.21 or slightly high. iTunes

The universal Declaration of Human Rights and Teaching Essay

The universal Declaration of Human Rights and Teaching - Essay Example Victory for the allied forces precipitated the formation of a new body with world unity and respect for human rights as parts of its primary objectives. it was cardinal to this new world organization for there to be a "universal respect of human rights, sovereignty of the state in all other matters notwithstanding. 'Universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedom for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion."(article 55,United Nations Charter) depicts the importance attached to the human rights issue by the U.N. Consequently a commission on human rights was set up in 1946 to look into the various aspects of human rights. The product of the commissions work are the 30 articles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.The first two articles focus on the equality of all humans in dignity and rights with entitlements to all rights and freedom contained in the declaration irrespective of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property ,birth or other status. Following suit from articles 3-21 are the civil and political rights also seen as fundamental rights of every human. A summary of articles 22-27 of the same document declares the economic, social and cultural rights of all human beings w herever they are found. Entitlement of all humans to social and international order with the motive of being recognized and respected as well as freedom of others and knowledge of an individuals civic obligations are spelt out in the last three articles of the document. U.D.H.R: Why Teachers should be familiar with its content The fact that adoption of the universal declaration of human rights was a major breakthrough in the issue of human rights cannot be overemphasized more so when you consider the fact that it is the foundation upon which all other documents and declarations are rooted. An in-depth knowledge of its content by teachers would inch England closer to the ultimate quest of universal for respect for human rights. As instructors in their various schools teachers in England are in daily contact with the people of diverse cultural and racial heritage that make up present day England. The intentions of the declaration was and still is to correct the societal ills of the Pre-UN era. This noble intention can be achieved by effective awareness and promotion campaigns with the vital tools of information and education highlighting the pivotal role teachers in England. When for instance racism is taken as a case study and making an assumption that given the literacy level in England, everybody has pas sed /is passing through one form of schooling or the other ,it would be right then to submit that teachers are capable of inculcating the values in the document condemning racist tendencies in their pupils/students and by extension tomorrows leaders, if and when they themselves are familiar with its content. It should also be remembered that England was a major constituent of the allied forces that brought the Nazi

Audit and financial statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Audit and financial statements - Essay Example The scope of external auditor's work covers the audit of financial statements, probity in the use of public money and value for money in the use of resources. Internal auditor objectively examines, evaluates and reports on the adequacy of the internal control environment as a contribution to the proper, economic, efficient and effective use of resources. External audit is conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and with the Audit Commission's Code of Audit Practice. Internal audit's strategy and plan is agreed between internal audit and management. It is approved by the Audit Committee and cannot be directed by external auditor. Effective co-operation between external auditor and internal auditor means more than avoiding duplication. An effective framework of co-operation and co-ordination ensures liaison, co-operation on work programmes and the sharing of information. This can be achieved through: The external auditor has various responsibilities when it comes to performing the audit. It is the responsibility of the external auditors to perform audit of financial statements in such a way that they areable to form opinion, including: Auditors have a responsibility to satisfy themselves that the audited body has put in place proper arrangements to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources. While doing so, the auditor must consider and assess the relevant significant business risks. Auditors are not required to report to audited bodies on the accuracy of performance information that the audited bodies publish. Auditor's work is limited to review of the systemsput in place by the audited body to collect, record and publish the information. Nor are auditors required to form a view on the realism and achievability of the assessments published by those audited bodies. The auditor's report should contain a clear written expression of opinion on the financial statements taken as a whole. The auditor's report includes the following basic elements: (a) Title (b) Addressee (c) Opening or introductory paragraph containing (i) Identification of the financial statements audited (ii) A statement of the responsibility of the entity management and the responsibility of the auditor (d) Scope paragraph containing (i) A reference to ISAs or relevant national standards or practices (ii) A description of work performed by auditor (e) Opinion paragraph containing (i) A reference to the financial reporting framework used to prepare the financial statements (ii) An expression of op

Characteristics of Business Leadership Term Paper - 1

Characteristics of Business Leadership - Term Paper Example The Byte shop purchased their first fully assembled computer. It is here that the Apple Corporation became founded. The name was based on Jobs favorite fruit and the logo selected to play on the name of the company and the word byte (Lee, 2001). His highly innovative ideas of personal computers took him into changing the software industry and computer hardware. His invention changed the people idea of a Pc from a huge mass of vacuum tubes used by giant corporations to a small item used by the ordinary people. His development of the software for the Macintosh brought the use of windows interface and use of mouse that set a bar for all interface in software application (Halliday, 2003). One significant challenge Apple faces is Jobs himself. Majority of people believe he is Apple, and he has attracted a devotion of followers better known as the Mac faithful and recently the iphone and iPod fanatics. He is like a secular messiah to his followers and a cult leader to his competitors. The unmatched record of Apple’s products got found under his leadership and whose desire for sleek gadgets is unique in the business world (Halliday, 2003). The markets also are hyper about Jobs. To the world whenever he became faced with sickness the Apple share prices decline. The shares of the company significantly dropped by as much as 10 percent after the announcement of his medical leave. Rumors’ were also said that the company would be sued by its investors, who were unhappy with it’s about face on the health of its chief executive. Investors complained that the company was slow to tell about Steve Job’s honest medical status, and to incorporate a succession plan after his treatment of cancer. This is because of his influential role in vetting the organizations future designs (Lee, 2001). The other challenge was the lack of product blockbusters that will excite Apple lovers. Analysts believe that the company has no announcement to

Key Reasons for the Depressing Sales and Profit Case Study

Key Reasons for the Depressing Sales and Profit - Case Study Example One of the chief reasons that try to explain the depressing sales and profits of the Cafe Bijoux is the poor advertising and promotion of the restaurant. In accordance to the introduction of the case, study of the Cafe Bijoux, Jennifer the professor of marketing and a marketing consultant drove back and forth the B street in search for the Cafe Bijoux. Jennifer also denotes that she drove along the B Street making several turns without seeing any visible sign of the restaurant1. This implies that the management of the restaurant has failed in making Cafe Bijoux known to the people. Only after making several circling around the street is when Jennifer was capable of seeing a small sign giving direction to the Cafe Bijoux restaurant. In accordance to the description of Jennifer, it is evident that poor promotion and advertisement of the Cafe Bijoux has contributed to the depressing sales and profits. The number of customers visiting a restaurant is determined by the advertisement and p romotions made concerning the services offered. Since the management of the Cafe Bijoux lacks appropriate advertising techniques, it is almost impossible of the customers interested in obtaining food services from the cafe to identify the direction of the cafe2. Since the cafe is poorly advertised to the customers, it explains the reason why the sales and profits are depressing. Fewer customers visiting the Cafe Bijoux contribute little to the management and maintenance of the cafe. An additional reason that explains to the depressing profits and sales of the Cafe Bijoux is fact that the restaurant offers only one meal. The Cafe Bijoux only offers lunch meals to the target customers. Most of the restaurants in the region that aim at increasing the profitable margins aim at serving the customers with breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, serving the customers with only one meal gives a reason why the Cafe Bijoux receives depressing profits and sales. Not all the target customers will eat lunch from the restaurant. Some of the customers will prefer eating breakfast and maybe carry take away dinner to eat with the rest of the family members. However, since the Cafe Bijoux only offers launch meals alone, it discourages the number of the customers willing to eat breakfast and dinner at the same time3. The restaurant ought to increase the number of meals served to attract more customers and increase the sales and profitable returns. 2. Jennifer conducted a quick phone survey to understand the primary customers’ perceptions about Cafe Bijoux. Describe how Jennifer might have conducted the phone survey (based on your knowledge from marketing research). Phone surveys are one of the modern methods of data collection especially in the field of marketing to gather more information concerning the behavior of the customers. In accordance to the case study of the Cafe Bijoux restaurant, Jennifer conducted a quick phone survey to identify the customer’s behavior in relationship to the attitude and perception towards the Cafe Bijoux4. In conducting the phone survey, Jenner also gained additional information concerning the perception of the surrounding resident towards the services offered by the Cafe Bijoux. The phone survey concerning the Cafe Bijoux would also aid in undertaking customers analysis hence discovering the problems affecting the customers willing to acquire services from the restaurant. In Jennifer’s case, the Cafe Bijoux quick phone survey purposefully conducted the quick phone survey to find out the behavior of the City Hall employees who were the key target for the meals served. The phone survey conducted by Jennifer concerning Cafe Bijoux might have been undertaken in diverse ways to get a proper feedback of the

Request for Sponsorship Essay Example for Free

Request for Sponsorship Essay Alcaraz Group Sales Manager-Area 1 Splash Direct Sales Division Splash Corporation Highest Fraternal Greetings! As a part of our fervent campaign in bringing forth excellence from every individual and celebrating the freedom of thought and self-expression of every people, we, the Kappa Sigma Kappa Delta Sigma Confraternity, a duly recognized confraternity in the University of the Philippines, will be holding our annual HIMIGSIKAN on 26th of February 2013, 7pm, at Meanwhile Bar, Balibago Angeles City. HIMIGSIKAN, our confraternity’s major event, is the much-awaited student-oriented musical affair not only for UP students but for the youth and all music lovers as well that highlights a coveted acoustic performance competition from different student organizations in our university. This year’s theme shall be Sarap at Pait ng Pagsasama, Ilalahad sa Awit ng Barkada In line with this, we are cordially asking for your assistance for the success of our event’s endeavor. Rest assured all solicitations will only be used to enhance and to further improve our plans for the event. We are looking forward to you for being a part in this fervent cause. We are hoping to hear from you soon. May God’s richest blessings be unto you! Sincerely Yours, Teddy Calilung Grand Lord Sigman Kenn Carlov Twano Sigman Master Scribe [pic] [pic] University of the Philippines Extension program in Pampanga Claro M. RectoHighway, CSEZ,Pampanga Co. reg. no. CN200618309 Co. TIN 006-532-105 www. kappasigmafraternity. net [emailprotected] com KAPPA SIGMA-KAPPA DELTA SIGMA CONFRATERNITY VDFGCOSFGCONFRATERNITYCONFRATERNITY Council of Masters and Lady Sigmans A. Y 2012-2013 Grand Lord Sigman: Teddy Calilung Deputy Grand Lady Sigman: Jessa Claire Pangilinan Sigman Master of Initiation: Michael John Aguas Sigman Lady of Rites: Ila Bernice Malenab Sigman Master Scribe: Kenn CarlovTwano Sigman Lady Master of Scroll: Monica Del Puerto Sigman Lady Master Bursars: Jhoane Capili Janne Kazel Punzalan Sigman Lady Master Herald: Analyn Pineda Prof. Penelope Nalo Faculty Adviser

The Map Generalization Capabilities Of Arcgis Information Technology Essay

The Map Generalization Capabilities Of Arcgis Information Technology Essay Data processing associated with Geographical Information Systems is so enormous. The information needed from this data actually varies for different applications. Specific details can be extracted, for instance resolution diminished, contours reduced, data redundancy eliminated or features on a map for which application is needed absorbed. This is all aimed at reducing storage space and representing details on a map with a larger scale accurately unto another with a much smaller scale. This paper presents a framework for the Map Generalization tools embedded in ArcGIS (A Geographical Information Systems Software by ESRI) as well as the algorithm each tool uses. Finally, a review of all the tools indicating which is more efficient after thorough analysis of the algorithm used and the desired output result produced. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Definition of Map Generalization As (Goodchild, 1991) points out, Map Generalization is the ability to simplify and show spatial [features with location attached to them] relationships as it is seen on the earths surface modelled into a map. The advantages involved in adopting this process cannot be overemphasized. Some are itemized below (Lima dAlge J.C., 1998) It reduces complexity and the rigours Manual Cartographic Generalization goes through. It conveys information accurately. It preserves the spatial accuracy as drawn from the earths surface when modelling A lot of Software vendors came up with solutions to tackle the problem of manual cartography and this report will be reflecting on ArcGIS 9.3 Map Generalization tools. 1.2 Reasons for Automated Map Generalization In times past, to achieve this level of precision, the service of a skilled cartographer is needed. He is faced with the task of modelling [representation of features on the earths surface] on a large scale map into a smaller scale map. This form of manual cartography is very strenuous because it consumes a lot of time and also a lot of expertise is needed due to the fact that the cartographer will inevitably draw all the features and represent them in a smaller form and also taken into consideration the level of precision required so as not to render the data/graphical representation invalid. The setbacks experienced were the motivating factor for the advent or introduction to Automatic Cartographic Design which is known as Automated Map Generalization. A crucial part of map generalization is information abstraction and not necessarily to compress data. Good generalization technique should be intelligent which takes into consideration the characteristics of the image and not just the ideal geometric properties (Tinghua, 2004). Several algorithms [set of instructions taken to achieve a programming result] have been developed to enable this and this report is critically going to explore each of them 1.3 Process of Automated Map Generalization As Brassel and Weibel (n.d.) Map Generalization can be grouped into five steps. Structure Recognition Process Recognition Process Modelling Process Execution Display The step that will be elaborated upon for the cause of this report will be Process Recognition [types of Generalization procedures] which involves different manipulation on geometry in order to simplify the shape and represent it on a smaller scale (Shea and McMaster, 1989) 2.0 Generalization Tools in ArcGIS 9.3 2.1 Smooth Polygon This is a tool used for cartographic design in ArcGIS 9.3. It involves dividing the polygon into several vertices and each vertice being smoothed when the action is performed (FreePatentOnline, 2004-2010). An experiment is illustrated below to show how Smooth Polygon works. Add the layerfile Polygon which has an attribute name of Huntingdonshire-which is a district selected from England_dt_2001 area shapefile that was downloaded from UKBorders. The next step was I selected the ArcTool Box on the standard toolbar of ArcMap, then I went to Generalization Tools which is under Data Management Tools and afterwards I clicked on Smooth Polygon. Open Smooth Polygon > Select Input feature (which is polygon to be smoothed) in this case Polygon > select the output feature class (which is file location where the output image is to be saved) > select the simplification algorithm (which is PAEK) > select the simplification tolerance. Fig 2.0: Display before Smooth Polygon Fig 2.1: Display after Smooth Polygon The table in Fig 2.1 shows the output when Polynomial Approximation Exponential Kernel (Bodansky, et al, 2002) was used. The other algorithm that can be applied for this procedure is Bezier Interpolation. Algorithm Type Simplification Tolerance(Km) Time Taken (secs) PAEK 4 1 Bezier Interpolation 112 Observation PAEK Algorithm: When this technique was used, as the simplification tolerance value is increased, the weight of each point in the image decreased and the more the image is smoothed. Also, the output curves generated do not pass through the input line vertices however, the endpoints are retained. A significant short coming of PAEK Algorithm is that in a bid to smoothen some rough edges, it eliminates important boundaries, to refrain from such occurrence a buffer is to be applied to a zone of certain width before allowing the PAEK Smooth algorithm to execute. (Amelinckx, 2007) Bezier Interpolation: This is the other algorithm that can be applied to achieve Smoothing technique on polygons. In this case, the parameters are the same as PAEKs except that the tolerance value is greyed out- no value is to be inputed and as a result the output image produced is identical to its source because the tolerance value is responsible for smoothen rough edges and the higher value stated, the more the polygon is smoothed. The output curves passes through the input line vertices. When this experiment was performed, it was noticed that its curves were properly aligned around vertices. Conclusion: After performing both experiments, it was observed that the PAEK Algorithm is better because it allows a tolerance value to be inputted which in turn gives you a more smoothed image around curves and this will be of more importance to cartographers that want to smoothen their image and remove redundant points. 2.2 Smooth Line This is the second tool we will be examining. This is similar to Smooth Polygon technique except that the input feature will have to be a polyline shapefile. The steps are repeated as illustrated in Smooth Polygon but under Generalization Tools; Smooth Line is chosen. Now under input feature (select gower1) which is a dataset provided for use on this report. Specify the output feature > smoothing algorithm selected (PAEK) > smoothing tolerance. Note: All other fields are left as defaults i.e. No_check/Flag Error meaning we do not want it to display any errors if encountered and fixed_Endpoint/Not_fixed which preserves the endpoint of a polygon or line and applies to PAEK Algorithm. Algorithm Type Simplification Tolerance(Km) Time Taken (secs) PAEK 1000 2 Bezier Interpolation 4 Fig 2.2: Display after Smooth Line technique was applied __________ (Before Smoothing Line) __________ (After Smoothing Line) Observation PAEK Algorithm: The tolerance value used here was so high to be able to physically see the changes made. PAEK Algorithm as applied on gower1 smoothed the curves around edges and eliminates unimportant points around the edges. This results in an image with fewer points as the tolerance value is increased. The output line does not pass through the input line vertices. This algorithm uses a syntax where the average of all the points is taken and for a particular vertex, which is substituted with the average coordinates of the next vertex. This is done sequentially for each vertex but displacement of the shape is averted by giving priority to the weighting of the central point than that of its neighbouring vertex. Bezier Interpolation: Just like in Smoothing Polygon, a tolerance value is not required and when this technique was performed in this illustration, points around edges were partially retained resulting in drawing smooth curves around the vertices. The output line passes across the input line vertices. Conclusion: From both illustrations just as in Smooth Polygon, PAEK Algorithm was considered most effective because it generates smoother curves around the edges as the tolerance value is increased. However, the true shape of the image can be gradually lost as this value is increased but with Bezier Interpolation; curves around the vertices are preserved but just smoothed and vertices maintained to as well. Simplify Polygon: This method is aimed at removing awkward bends around vertices while preserving its shape. There are two algorithms involved; Point Remove and Bend Simplify. The shapefile used for this illustration is the polygon (Huntingdonshire) district of England. Select Simplify Polygon (under generalization tools, which is under Data Management tools > then input feature as polygon > output feature> simplification algorithm> smoothing tolerance. Algorithm Type Simplification Tolerance(Km) Time Taken (secs) Point Remove 2 4 Bend Simplify 2 9 Fig 2.3: Display before Simplify Polygon Fig 2.4: Display after Simplify Polygon Point Remove Algorithm: This is a metamorphosis of the Douglas-Peucker algorithm and it applies the area/perimeter quotient which was first used in Wang algorithm (Wang, 1999, cited in ESRI, 2007). From the above experiment, as the tolerance value is increased, more vertices in the polygon were eliminated. This technique simplifies the polygon by reducing lots of vertices and by so doing it loses the original shape as the tolerance value is increased gradually. Bend Simplify Algorithm: This algorithm was pioneered by Wang and Muller and it is aimed at simplifying shapes through detections around bent surfaces. It does this by eliminating insignificant vertices and the resultant output has better geometry preservation. Observation: After applying both algorithms to the polygon above, it was seen that for point remove, the vertices reduced dramatically as the tolerance value was increased in multiples of 2km. This amounts to about 95% reduction while when the same approach was applied to Bend Simplify; there was about 30% reduction in the number of vertices. Bend Simplify also took longer time to execute. Conclusion: It is seen that Bend Simplify is a better option when geometry is to be preserved however when the shape is to be represented on a smaller scale, point remove will be ideal because the shape is reduced significantly thereby appearing as a shrink image of its original. Simplify Line This is a similar procedure to Simplify Polygon except that here the shapefile to be considered is a line or a polygon which contains intersected lines. It is a process that involves reduction in the number of vertices that represent a line feature. This is achieved by reducing the number of vertices, preserving those that are more relevant and expunging those that are redundant such as repeated curves or area partitions without disrupting its original shape (Alves et al, 2010). Two layers are generated when this technique is performed; a line feature class and a point feature class. The former contains the simplified line while the latter contains vertices that have been simplified they can no longer be seen as a line but instead collapsed as a point. This applies to Simplify Polygon too. However, for both exercises no vertex was collapsed to a point feature. To illustrate this, the process is repeated in previous generalization technique, but under Data Management tools > select simplify line > select input feature (gower1) > select output feature > select the algorithm (point remove) > tolerance. Then accept all other defaults because we are not interested in the errors. Algorithm Type Simplification Tolerance(Km) Time Taken (secs) Point Remove 8 7 Bend Simplify 8 12 Fig 2.5: Display after Simplify Line __________ (Before Simplifying Line) __________ (After Simplifying Line) Two algorithms are necessary for performing this operation; Point Remove and Bend Simplify. Observation Point Remove Algorithm: This method has been enumerated in Simplify Polygon. It is observed here that when point remove algorithm was used the lines in gower1 were redrawn such that vertices that occurred redundantly were removed and this became even more evident as the tolerance value increased such that the line had sharp angles around curves and its initial geometry is gradually lost. Bend Simplify Algorithm: This also reduces the number of vertices in a line and the more the tolerance value was increased, the more the number of reduction in the vertices. It takes a longer time to execute than the Point Remove. However the originality of the line feature is preserved. Conclusion: From the two practical exercises, Bend Simplify algorithm is more accurate because it preserves the line feature and its original shape is not too distorted. However, if the feature is to be represented on a much smaller scale and data compression is the factor considered here, then Point Remove will be an option to embrace. Aggregate Polygon: This process involves amalgamating polygons of neighbouring boundaries. It merges separate polygons (both distinct ones and adjacent) and a new perimeter area is obtained which maintains the surface area of all the encompassing polygons that were merged together. To illustrate this, select Data Management Tools > select aggregate polygons > select input feature (which is a selection of several districts from the England_dt_2001 area shapefile I downloaded) > output feature class > aggregation distance (boundary distance between polygons) and then I left other values as default. Fig 2.6: Display before Aggregate Polygon Fig 2.7: Display after Aggregate Polygon Aggregation Distance Used 2km Time Taken 48secs As seen from both figures, the districts in Fig 2.6 were joined together as seen in fig 2.3. As the aggregation distance is increased further, the separate districts are over-merged and the resultant image appears like a plain wide surface area till those hollow parts seen in fig 2.7 disappears. The algorithm used here which is inbuilt into the arcgis software is the Sort Tile Recursive tree. This algorithm computes all the nodes of neighbouring polygons by implementing the middle transversal method in a logical sequence from left to right. When this computation is complete, the result is stored as a referenced node. Now the middle transversal node in the tree is obtained and thereafter a mergence is calculated which spans from the left node to the right node until it get to the root of the tree (Xie, 2010) 2.6 Simplify Building: This process simplifies polygon shapes in form of buildings with the aim of preserving its original structure. To illustrate this, Simplify Building is chosen under Data Management tools. The appropriate fields are chosen; input feature here is a building shape file I extracted from MasterMap download of area code CF37 1TW. a b c d Fig 2.8: Display before Simplify Building Fig 2.9: Display after Simplify Building As shown above, the buildings in (a and b) in fig 2.8 were simplified to (c and d) in fig 2.9 where a tolerance value of 10km was used and the time taken to execute this task was 3secs. As the tolerance value is increased, the more simplified the building is and it loses its shape. The algorithm behind this scene is the recursive approach which was first implemented with C++ programming language but has evolved into DLL (Dynamic Link Library) applications like ArcGIS 9.3 The recursive approach algorithm follows this sequence of steps. Determining the angle of rotation ÃŽÂ ± of the building, computing nodes around a boundary and then enclosing a small rectangular area which contains a set of points The angle of rotation ÃŽÂ ± is set Determining the vertices around edges as regards the recursion used and thereafter to calculate the splitting rate  µ and a recursive decomposition of the edge with respect to those of the new edges. The shortcoming of this algorithm is that L and Z shaped buildings are culprits as they give erroneous shapes while it works perfectly on U and L shaped buildings (Bayer, 2009). 2.7 Eliminate: This technique basically works on an input layer with a selection which can either take the form of Select by Location or Select by Attribute query. The resultant image now chunks off the selection and the remaining composites of the layerfile are now drawn out. To illustrate this, eliminate is chosen under data management tools, the input feature here is England_dt_2001 area shapefile which has some districts selected and the output feature is specified, all other fields left as defaults. From Fig 3.0 after eliminated procedure was taken on the polygon (the green highlights being the selected features), the resultant polygon is shown in Fig 3.1. However the districts in Fig 3.1 now excludes all those selected in Fig 3.0 and this can be seen visually in labels a and b and therefore Fig 3.1 has fewer districts. a b Fig 3.0: Display before Eliminate process Fig 3.1: Display after Eliminate process The time taken for this procedure was 44secs. 2.8 Dissolve: The dissolve tool works similarly to the aggregate polygon except that in dissolve, it is the features of the polygons that are to be aggregated and not the separate polygons themselves. The features are merged together using different statistic types more like an alias performed on them. To illustrate this, click on Dissolve under Data Management tool, select input features- same used for aggregate polygons (features to be aggregated) > the output field (where the result is to be saved) > the dissolve field (fields you want to aggregate together) > statistic type > multi_part > dissolve_lines. The diagram below shows this; Observation: For this exercise, the dissolve field was left as default meaning no field was selected. Also, multi_part was used which denotes that instead of merging smaller fields into a large one-the features becomes so extensive that if this is displayed on a map, there can be loss of performance however the multi_part option makes sure larger features are split into separate smaller ones. Dissolve_line field makes sure lines are dissolved into one feature while unsplit_lines only dissolve lines when two lines have an end node in common. The algorithm for this technique is simply Boolean (like a true or false situation, yes or no). However there are shortcomings with this technique as low virtual memory of the computer can limit the features that are to be dissolved. However, input features can be dissected into parts by an algorithm called adaptive tiling. Fig 3.2: Display before Dissolve process Fig 3.3: Display after Dissolve process Time taken = 10secs 2.9 Collapse Dual Lines: This is useful when centric lines are to be generated among two or more parallel lines with a specific width. This can be very useful when you have to consider large road networks in a block or casing. It enables you to visualize them properly. To illustrate this, open Collapse Dual Lines under data management tools > select input feature (which is gower1) > select the output feature > select maximum width Maximum width (this is the maximum width of the casing allowed that contains the feature to be collapsed e.g. width of a road network) while the minimum width is the minimum value allowed to be able to denote its centric line from. In this exercise, maximum width = 4km Time taken = 4secs Fig 3.4: Display after Collapse Dual Line to Centerline __________ (Before Collapse Dual Line) __________ (After Collapse Dual Line) As seen above, it is observed that when this experiment was performed, those lines in blue are aftermaths of effect of procedure of operation on them because they had a red colour before. However those in red did not change because they did not have a width within the specified maximum width stated. However, this is going to change as the maximum width is increased or a minimum width is set. 3.0 Conclusion From the illustrations shown in this paper, we can see that various forms of generalization tools have their various purposes either in form of shape retention, angular preservation or simply reduction purposes so that a replica image shown on a larger scale can fit in properly on a smaller scale. However depending on the tool chosen, a compromise will have to made on these factors giving preference to what it is we want to be represented after performing the operation. Different algorithms were explored and it is inferred that when polygons or lines are to be simplified, point remove is accurate option when you want to represent them on a smaller scale, however if originality of shape is to be considered then bend simplify algorithm will work best while for Smooth technique on polygons and lines, PAEK Algorithm is better.

Top Marks For The Best Employee Awards Management Essay

Top Marks For The Best Employee Awards Management Essay Nowadays an increasing number of organizations employ Best Employee Awards as a means to motivate their employees, and managers believe that best employee awards could encourage employees to reach their goals or accomplish their tasks in an efficient manner. In fact, as the saying every coin has two sides goes, top marks for the best employee awards has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore it is crucial for managers to make full use of the benefits of this kind of motivation while avoiding its negatives. This essay is separated into three parts. The first part shows the structure of the essay while the second part focuses on analyzing the benefits and problems of top marks for the best employee awards. At the same time, views from relevant literature and the examples from the case are used to support the points of the essay. The conclusion of this essay can be found in the last part where several useful suggestions are given for operation of organizations. 2. Analyses and Discussion 2. 1 The scheme of Top Marks for the best employee awards and the motivations of using it The Top Marks for the Best Employee Awards is a method of staff motivation and an annual performance evaluation method. It gives managers a chance to recognize the employees who produce the best-qualify work during month or year of evaluation. Usually organizations will evaluate the best employees according to their performances and then award them with bonus, trips, promotion and so on (Murray, 1982). The purpose is to encourage desirable behaviors by spotlighting role models, so that every employee could set a goal to be the best employee. Consequently, organizations could obtain augmentation in productivity and profitability by rewarding and keeping their top performances. 2.2 Advantages of using Best Employee Awards as staff motivators Different organizations set up different awards; however, these various methods will lead to different effects and results of staff motivation. Hence it is really important for organizations to make right use of staff motivators such as best employee awards. According to the literature reviewed and the case, the advantages of using this scheme are summarized as follows: First of all, best employee awards can generate fierce competition between individuals or teams of employees within an organization. While only a few employees could receive awards based on their individual performance, all the other employees usually would regard those awards owners as role models to inspire themselves and to work harder. (Lloyd, 2009). Needless to say, it is a strong staff motivator. As the case mentioned, Mr. Devine takes the best employee awards as a part of an overall strategy to identify who top performers are so that all the employees try their best to improve their performances. Without the competition, the organization will decrease its productivity and profitability. Secondly, intelligently designed incentives can be a boon to companies that seek to retain excellent employees for the long term. Lucrative awards, whether these are in the form of stock or bonuses, make it worthwhile for employees to stay at their firm, even if a salary offer from a competitor is more attractive (Grote, 2005). Incentives can also make employees feel as if their hard work is appreciated and recognized, thus reflecting well on their managers and the company as a whole. Those persons receiving the awards in the organization will become more loyal and respect the value of the organization. As a result, they will put all their energy into work to contribute the organization. Thirdly, by using positive reinforcement to motivate employees, a manager may build a good relationship with his employee, which fosters a sense of trust (Lindner, 1998). In a good manager-subordinate relationship, employees may feel respected and comfortable in their working environment. Providing rewards, both tangible and in the form of praise, can make employees happier. Happier employees often perform better at work. Just as the example of the case mentioned, Stephen Carella was a team leader at Kwik-Fit Financial Services and he set the best employee awards as a goal at the start of the year. He said the best employee awards was a great incentive and motivated him to do his best at work. According to him, when he was rewarded the great cash prize, it was the best moment of his life. Such rewards could make employees more royal to their organizations and they may regard the organizations as their homes, which, in turn, will benefit the organizations. 2.3 Disadvantages of using Best Employee Awards as staff motivators Although there are so many advantages of Best Employee Awards, we should see the other side of it, the disadvantages of it can be concluded as follows: First of all, employee resentment will be a serious problem in the organization. Because best employee awards can only be awarded to few persons, then some employees who think they work harder than award winners will feel unfair (Kerslake, 2002). In other words, in a perfect scenario, where the employees who work the hardest always reap the most rewards, incentives pose little problem. But no companies operate in an ideal world and thus incentives can breed resentment and discord among teams and employees. So like the example in the case mentioned: its very important that staff believe you have chosen the right person; its vital for the credibility of the scheme. It would be a disaster if the prize is awarded to the wrong people. At the same time, Best Employee Awards will lead to poor teamwork because individual incentive schemes by definition encourage individual rather than team effort (Clemmer, (2004). Some employee will focuses on their personal performance but pay less attentio n to the cooperation of team as well as the whole companys interest. Moreover, while its easy to quantify a salesmans performance, it is harder to quantify a staff writers contribution to the department, even if the writer is adding just as much value to the company. That can cause those under an incentive scheme to feel unappreciated as well as lead to the case of the recipients of unfair treatment. Therefore, using negative enforcement as a form of motivation could cause employees to become dissatisfied with their jobs. Unhappy workers typically produce less quality work, become sluggish or fail entirely to meet deadlines (Podmoroff, 2005). So how to make appropriate rewards troubles all the managers. Good rewards could encourage employees but inappropriate rewards may not. In the case, the salesman was awarded Best Employee but felt embarrassment because of the poor prize. As a result, the most excellent employee left the company. Thirdly, even though the organization executes the ideal scheme of rewards, for the best employee, applying too much motivation or offering too many rewards can also have a negative effect. Employees can become over-confident and they may feel that they are the bosses favorite workers, even if they start to slack off on their projects or test the limits of their working relationship with their supervisors (Messmer, 2001). Best Employee Awards may create reluctance to exert  the  expected level  of  effort: workers may believe that management will progressively increase  the  performance targets required to trigger  the  same bonus payment (Smith, 2004). They may therefore be reluctant to carry on at  the  incentives level  of  performance they have achieved, on  the  grounds that this will only result in higher targets that will make  the  bonus more difficult to obtain. 2.4 Recommendations The analysis of Best Employee Awards will help us to make full use of the staff motivation. As to how to deliver powerful praise and rewards in the organization rightly, there are three primary factors that determine  the  effectiveness of Best Employee Awards. The first one is right time.  Managers should deliver praise and awards at the right time, letting employees feel proud about the awards rather than feel ashamed. If award winners feel ashamed, then such awards would go the opposite way just as the two examples in the case. The second recommendation is right person. Managers are supposed to choose the most excellent employees to award (Bruce, 1998). Then, the right persons will be role models of the organization. If not, other employers will be unsatisfied with the awards so that the staff motivation would fail. The organization should give the prize which is what the employees really want. That way the employees will feel that they are valued by the company and will get motivated. The third one is right praise.  We all know that how you say something is as important as what you say.  The  same principle applies in staff motivation. Praising with energy and enthusiasm is more powerful than being stoical about it. In other words, managers should use high praise to reinforce staff motivation. For example, the general praise such as Good job! contributes very little to its effectiveness. The  more enthusiastically supervisors deliver their praise,  the  more impact it has. Regardless of the level of enthusiasm, it is critical that supervisors deliver  the  feedback sincerely. Managers should never leave their  employees  with the  possible notion that the praise is not sincere. 3. Conclusion This essay discusses the positives and negatives of Best Employee Awards, which is a popular method employed by managers to motivate their staff. It first outlines the basic scheme of Top Marks for the best employee awards and then look at the advantages of using Best Employee Awards as staff motivators in three ways. What Follows is the coins of such means of motivation. Finally three practical recommendations are given to avoid those possible drawbacks of using Best Employee Awards.

Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions Essay

Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions Who would have ever thought the way a radioactive particle decays would relate to whether or not we have bad attitudes towards life? Who would have ever suspected that the structure of space-time would be so closely linked to whether or not we would marry rich wives? And who indeed would have ever expected that the properties of light might affect whether or not we go on homicidal rampages? Perhaps Kurt Vonnegut did. Could it be possible that a writer known more for his pictures of assholes than his knowledge of advanced physics actually centered some of the deepest concepts in his works on the philosophical implications of general relativity and quantum mechanics? Two of his greatest novels, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, both seem to hint at the relationship between modern physics and an idea philosophers call determinism. Vonnegut readers might well scratch their heads and flip through their copies of these books, searching the stories of the fragmented life of a war veteran and the deranged antics of a mad car salesman for a chapter on the Schrà ¶dinger wave equation they may have skipped. I freely admit that their search will be in vain, and that no truly concrete proof exists that Vonnegut based the ideas in these books on the latest discoveries of science. But I also contend that the parallels between Vonnegut’s work and advanced physics are a little too perfect to be a series of very lucky accidents. From this perspective, it seems likely that Vonnegut used ideas based on physics to support the idea of determinism in Slaughterhouse-Five and destroy it in Breakfast of Champions. But perhaps before arguing about the ways Von... ...e and what he saw made him more optimistic. Or maybe it was all due to copious consumption of the â€Å"little pill[s]† he takes to â€Å"cheer up† (Vonnegut, Breakfast of†¦ 4). Even Vonnegut might not know for certain. All that can be said with confidence is that Vonnegut’s idea of truth evolved between Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, just like the theories and concepts of physics do even now. In the end, so too must all human knowledge die and be reborn. As Vonnegut might say (Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse†¦ 34), â€Å"So it goes.† Works Cited Rachels, James. Problems from Philosophy. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2005. Vonnegut, Kurt. Breakfast of Champions. New York: Dell Publishing, 1973. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York: Dell Publishing, 1969. Zukav, Gary. Dancing Wu-Li Masters. New York: William Morrow and Company, inc., 1979.