U.K. Economy Essay -- Economics Fiscal Policy Essays

U.K. Economy The UK government currently has four main macroeconomic aims that it is pursuing. These aims are those of low unemployment, low inflation, and high and stable economic growth as well as a favourable balance of payments current account position. This essay will concentrate on the government’s success in the first three of its aims listed above and how these macroeconomic aims can or have been achieved using fiscal and monetary policy. Fiscal policy is used to affect aggregate demand by altering taxation and government spending; monetary policy also affects aggregate demand by the manipulation of interest rates and the supply of money. Economic growth is the prime measurement of a country’s economy as it reflects improvements in standards of living. It is defined as an increase in the productive potential of the economy and is usually measured in terms of rate of change of real gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of output produced within an economy over 12 months. It must be remembered that for each year, the percentage change in GDP is shown therefore any positive figure will represent a growth in the annual GDP level. The swift growth the UK experienced from 1982 to 1988. This growth in GDP decreased from the 5.2% level experienced in 1988 to 2.2% in 1989 and fell to its lowest in 1991 at –1.4%. This is due to the recession that hit the UK during this period. After the negative year of growth in 1991, the UK economy began its recovery from the recession and consequently there was a healthy growth in GDP from 1992, which lasted up until 2001. In 2000 the GDP growth figure stood at 3%, this is mainly due to the increase in consumer spending and capital investment that occurred during this year. The most satisfying aspect of this economic growth is the fact that at the time it coincided with the achievement of the government’s second macroeconomic aim of low. Last year however the economy grew by just 1.7%, which is the lowest for a decade. This low rate of UK economic growth coincided with the position of the manufacturing sector, which in 2002 was in a deep recession and is to the manufacturing industry to call for a further interest rate cut, to help push the value of the pound down, so that UK manufacturing export demand can increase. Inflation is the general a... ...enting the economy from entering a recession. Nevertheless this is where we can see the difficulties in making these policies due to trade offs that occur, as a rate cut in theory should lead to the rate of inflation to rise even further however this is a risk worth taking to end the current manufacturing recession as well as strengthen consumption even further. Revising an expansionary fiscal policy (fall in taxation, increase in government spending) would also be advisable. This will further boost aggregate demand and as supply side economists may argue, shift aggregate supply to the right effecting growth (a rise) unemployment (a fall), inflation (a fall), thus these goals to be met. It must be remembered that both policies have time lags connected with them, in particular fiscal policy, for which they are greater. A decision to change an instrument must therefore be consistent, as it may not always have the desired effect instantly. Bibliography www.statistics.gov.uk www.bized.ac.uk/ www.hm-treasury.gov.uk http://www.tutor2u.net www.telegraph.co.uk/business http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/economy/default.stm Economics – Sloman.

The Sad Comedy of Really Bad Food

Ms. Moskowitz wants to give her readers a sense of her perspective and her style as she begins this restaurant review. Her opening paragraph shows that she seems to have a casual, common-sense approach to her reviews unlike some stuffy, formal food critics. She also shows that her sense of humor will be a component of her reviews. 2. A good server is an essential component of an enjoyable dining experience. Good service stands out in the mind of the customer, and poor service stands out even more. A good server should be conscientious, polite, friendly and knowledgeable.He should attend to his customers’ needs from the moment the customer is seated. He should never exude an air of pretentiousness or aloofness. He should know the menu thoroughly from cover to cover and he should have several recommendations for specialties of the house. He should visit his tables regularly without ever hinting that the customers need to rush through their meals. If the restaurant has a wine men u, he should know the wines well at all price points. In short, he should take pride in his job and treat his customers with respectful, attentive and friendly service.Service sometimes breaks down when management is not supervising the staff satisfactorily. Also, some servers exhibit an unhelpful, casual attitude about their work. Managers should heed the complaints of customers who receive substandard service and either discipline of fire bad servers. A good restaurant with good food cannot thrive with a poor service staff. 3. A restaurant customer is within her rights to send poor food back to the kitchen, and it is advisable for the restaurant to satisfy the customer at the expense of preparing her food again.One instance of poor food quality will cause many customers to cease their visits to that restaurant. Moskowitz may have decided to not send back numerous bad dishes because she thought that the chefs were invariably lacking and incapable of correcting their errors. I would not hesitate to send back food that was clearly prepared improperly. For example, if I requested a medium-rare steak and it arrived as well-done, I would send it back with no regrets whatsoever. 4. Ms Moskowitz displays fairness when she lauds the otherwise poor restaurant’s quality offerings.By complimenting their desserts and wines, she proves that she is open-minded, even eager to find any possible positives that might appeal to her readers. Her praise in the midst of many criticisms shows her sense of balance and fair play for the restaurants she reviews. 5. Ms. Moskowitz’s tone in this review is matter-of-fact, casual, vivid and humorous. She does not hesitate to vividly describe the poor service and the poor food. Yet, ironically, she seems to laugh off her mostly inferior, unsatisfying dining experience. She writes in a casual, almost colloquial tone with frequent injections of humor.This tone, in light of the poor dining experience that she endured, is fitting because it gives the reader a reason to read the entire review despite its many negative comments. Marrakech 1. This navvy, or workman, is referred to as â€Å"an employee of the Municipality† because he is so oppressed by his plight that he is incredulous that a man could be casually feeding bread to a gazelle while he and his brethren are perpetually poor and starving. Orwell paints such underprivileged people as helpless, even sub-human, and his pessimistic views of individual opportunity are depressing throughout this short story.2. The average tourist in Marrakech is probably going to be busy and preoccupied with meeting an itinerary. As such, this average observer may not notice the plight of the native citizens. Orwell, with his dark, bleak outlook, searches for and finds victims everywhere he looks. He regularly assumes that the native working people are hapless and helpless to escape their seemingly dire circumstances. Orwell even notes that it took him some time th ere to begin to start noticing the natives in all their wallowing misery. 3.The laborers in Marrakech are â€Å"partly invisible† because they are dark-skinned and tend to blend into the landscape. Tourists and observers there are much more likely to notice the natural scenery than the native workers. Orwell invariably paints these natives as helpless victims and their â€Å"invisibility† adds to that bleak assessment. In the United States, a land of undeniable opportunity, he would probably also paint menial laborers as invisible and pitiful. To the contrary, ordinary, hard-working citizens are the fabric and driving force behind America and its exceptional history of success.Orwell would be in a difficult position if he tried to paint ordinary American citizens as poor victims who have little chance for success and happiness. 4. Orwell’s Marrakech is saturated with political messages. Chief among them is the supposed victimhood of average, working people. His bleak, pessimistic portrayal of their plight is depressing and debatable. His one-sided view does not mention the positive aspects of these natives’ lives. Despite living in very trying conditions, these natives must have some happiness and some opportunity to live, work and provide for their families.It is sad and unrealistic how Orwell seems to always paint ordinary people as helpless, joyless victims of their environment. 5. The storks and â€Å"great white birds† are metaphors for the ruling white class that has power over the helpless Negro soldiers and slaves. The whites are going in a safe direction while the hapless Negros are forced to sacrifice and go in the other direction. His blanket view of white prejudice towards blacks is insulting and demeaning to honorable people who judge others based on their character and their actions.Orwell cannot help himself as he belabors the dubious point of minority victimhood and helplessness. 6. The five sections in Orwell ’s short story are somewhat incongruent, but are not difficult to follow. Invariably, the images of human nature and the strength of the human spirit are stifled and skewed by Orwell’s jaded, dark and pessimistic views. Evidently, he needed to visit and observe some people who had joy and happiness as part of their lives before he deemed most people as oppressed.

The Effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HMPYC80 ASSIGNMENT 02-03 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. AUTHOR: 5888743 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HMPYC80 ASSIGNMENT 02-03 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. AUTHOR: 5888743 Mr P Smith The ANIKA Foundation 234 West Highland Drive Newport 2843 Australia 1 May 2011 Dear Sir, Re: Research Proposal: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. I am currently studying Psychology Honour’s at the University of South Africa. I am a school counsellor at a private school in Sydney where I work with children from Year K through to year 12. I have a keen interest in Adolescent mental health and suicide prevention.The Department of Mental Health at the World Health Organisation states that: â€Å"WHO figures clearly show that by 2030 depression will be the single biggest burden of care on our health care system, exceeding cardio vascular disease and obesity†. It is becoming increasingly more urgent to look at preventative strategies to reduce the number of young people presenting with depression, anxiety and stress. I understand that the ANIKA Foundation was set up in response to the tragic death by suicide of your daughter Anika.The purpose of foundation is to support and promote the prevention of anxiety and depression in young people. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training has been shown to develop the capacity to: †¢Consciously act and respond with awareness and clarity rather than react out of a habitual pattern †¢Bring greater concentration and focus to daily activities †¢Monitor levels of stress and distress, and take effective steps to address them †¢Positi vely take action to renew your energy – physically, emotionally and mentally.It therefore seemed appropriate to contact you with information about my proposed research topic to see if you would be interested in this new area of prevention. I look forward to hearing from you soon Yours Sincerely 5888743 Psychology Honours student and school counsellor. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY HMPYC80 ASSIGNMENT 02-03 RESEARCH PROPOSAL TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING ON ADOLESCENT SELF-AWARENESS AND THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS. AUTHOR: 5888743 IntroductionMy experience as a School Counsellor along with current research coming out of the World Health organization indicates that by 2030 depression will be the single biggest burden of care on our health care system, exceeding cardio vascular disease and obesity. It is becoming increasingly more urgent to look at preventative strategies to reduce the number of young people presenting with depressio n, anxiety and stress. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is part of an exciting new field in psychology that combines ancient wisdom with modern day knowledge. The associated field ofPositive Psychology looks not only at the elimination of negative mental states but also at ways in which we can understand how people grow and flourish. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training has been shown to develop the capacity to: †¢Consciously act and respond with awareness and clarity rather than react out of a habitual pattern †¢Bring greater concentration and focus to daily activities †¢Monitor levels of stress and distress, and take effective steps to address them †¢Positively take action to renew your energy – physically, emotionally and mentally.MBSR strategies based on the ancient Buddhist practice of mindfulness and meditation, seek to give people the tools to develop self-awareness in order to be able to identify the different emotions that present themselves during our lifetime. And then respond to those emotions is a way that is constructive rather than destructive. The way that we think and feel about things profoundly affects the way we act in the world, so it is important to be able to recognize the feelings and thoughts that arise habitually in our lives. Research Problem A literature review indicates that MBSR has been researched quiet extensively in the medical field.The literature shows very promising results with researchers finding significant reductions in stress, anxiety and depression after participants completed MBSR training. 1,2,3, In another study, normal healthy working adults who participated in Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) training, showed improvement in behavioural, psychological, and physiological outcomes measured. This study assessed the effects of a shortened (low-dose [ld]) work-site MBSR intervention (MBSR-ld) on indicators of stress in healthy working adults to determine if results sim ilar to those obtained in traditional MBSR could be demonstrated.Participants were randomized into MBSR-ld and wait-list control groups. Self-reported perceived stress, sleep quality, and mindfulness were measured at the beginning and end of the 6-week intervention. Salivary cortical was assessed weekly. Significant reductions in perceived stress (p = . 0025) and increases in mindfulness (p = . 0149) were obtained for only the MBSR-ld group (n = 22). Scores on the global measure of sleep improved for the MBSR-ld group (p = . 0018) as well as for the control group (p = . 0072; n = 20). There is however at this time no literature available on the effects of teaching MBSR to adolescents, in a school setting as part of the PDHPE curriculum. This research may unlock the door to an exciting field of preventative psychology in youth mental health. What we consider stressful or what causes us to feel ‘mad’, ‘bad’ or ‘sad’ varies from one person to anot her. But any negative state can have a profound effect on the way we function in our day-to-day lives. Left unacknowledged or untreated it can develop into Stress, Anxiety or Depression.Very simply one of the first impacts of practicing mindfulness can be the capacity to move out of an aroused, activated, stressed state into a calmer, reflective more regulated state. This relaxed state – called the parasympathetic state shows in responses such as slowing down of the heart rate, increased expiration, relaxation of the muscles, increased digestive activity and recuperation and rest. Many of us spend time in our sympathetic branch of our nervous system that prepares us for active engagement. It is associated with emotions such as anger, rage and fear as well as joy, excitement and interest.This is commonly known as the fight or flight response, our hard wiring for survival. However ongoing and excessive fight/flight response that is not regulated or modulated can lead to increas ed cortisol levels creating stress and distress. By cultivating in the students an innate capacity to ‘pay attention’ on purpose, in the present moment in a non-judgmental way, we can hopefully decrease overall levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Research Design The study will include both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the efficacy of the MBSR program.The study will include 42 year 9 students, aged 14 -15 years. They will participate in an 8 week program where they will learn techniques of mindfulness and meditation. The course will be taught in conjunction with the personal health and development curriculum (PDHPE). The quantitative part of the research includes two surveys. The surveys will be administered before the training begins, at the completion of the course and then again 6 months later. This methodology is useful as it quantifies variables by making them empirically observable, and makes replication and retesting plausible.Survey 1: The DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire) developed by Peter Lovibond from the University of New South Wales. The DASS is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress. The DASS was constructed not merely as another set of scales to measure conventionally defined emotional states, but to further the process of defining, understanding, and measuring the ubiquitous and clinically significant emotional states usually described as depression, anxiety and stress.The DASS should thus meet the requirements of both researchers and scientist-professional clinicians. 5 Survey 2: The Self-Assessment Questionnaire: The MAAS (Mindfulness Awareness Attention Scale) is a 15-item scale designed to assess a core characteristic of dispositional mindfulness, namely, open or receptive awareness of and attention to what is taking place in the present. The scale shows strong psychometric properties and has been validated w ith college, community, and cancer patient samples.Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies have shown that the MAAS taps a unique quality of consciousness that is related to, and predictive of, a variety of self-regulation and well-being constructs. The measure takes 10 minutes or less to complete. 6 Both surveys will be administered electronically and the student response will be anonymous. Although the data gathered will be intra-personal in nature, the trends being assessed will be more general. The data will be analysed electronically and will give me and overall level of the participating student’s self-awareness, depression, anxiety and stress.This will be compared to the surveys conducted at the end of the 8 weeks as well as those in 6 months’ time. The qualitative aspect of the research will be the weekly small discussion groups. As the students move through the training they will have opportunity to give feedback through semi structured inter views. The qualitative information gathered will give me evidence of trends and patterns emerging. I will rely primarily on interviews and observations. â€Å"the analyses produced by qualitative researchers most often are narratives and are based on words used by informants to describe their life experiences. Royce, 2004. Pg 237) In terms of sampling, it would be ideal if I could have a control group in which I could randomly assign half of the group, however unless the control group could have the opportunity to participate in the training at a later stage, this would in fact be unethical and unfair. Given the constraints of a school curriculum, this would also be very difficult. If the initial results coming out of the pilot program were promising then it would be prudent to run the program again with a control group. This would enhance the reliability and validity of the initial results.Data Analysis The study will use qualitative and quantitative research methodology. Creswell (1998, pg 15) defines qualitative research as â€Å"an inquiry process of understanding based on distinct methodological traditions of inquiry that explore a social or human problem. The researcher builds a complex holistic picture, analyses words, reports detailed views of informants and conducts the study in a natural setting. † The small weekly discussion groups will give me an opportunity to provide detailed and dynamic feedback on both individual and group process.Terre Blanche, Kelly and Durrheim (2006, pg 273-274) describe this as interpretative research, interested in experiences, feelings and meaning. The interviews will be semi structured, and developed according to data collected from the previous week and current literature. All interviews will be transcribed. The intention behind the analysis of the transcripts will be to extract a common narrative There are no costs associated with my research at this time. Ethics and expected Outcomes The children will be give n permission slips and consent forms to take home to be signed by their parents.At all times the welfare of the children will be monitored and they will have access to the support of the school counsellor and the PDHPE staff. All participants will be given a letter explaining the idea behind the program. The online surveys will be anonymous and data transcribed from the semi structured interviews will be anonymous and made available to the students should they wish to see the transcripts. The students will be re-surveyed in 6 months’ time to assess whether the program has had sustainable effects. There are expected short term and long term outcomes for this research.In the short term we hope that the children will learn to meditate and make meditation and mindfulness part of their everyday routine. Obviously we hope they will also reach the goals they set for themselves on a physical level. In the long term we are hoping that the skill that they learn during this 8 week progr am will be the inoculation and thereby increased resilience that they will need for the upcoming stress associated with their HSC (Matric), and all of the other life stressors going forward. Literature Review 1.Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on sleep, mood, stress and fatigue symptoms in cancer outpatients: Linda E. Carlson and Sheila N. Garland 2. A qualitative study of self-perceived effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in a psychosocial oncology setting: Michael J. Mackenzie1, Linda E. Carlson1,2,*, Marleny Munoz1, Michael Speca1,2 Article first published online 28 NOV 2006 3. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer: Cecile A. Lengacher1, Versie Johnson-Mallard1, Janice Post-White2, Manolete S. Moscoso1, Paul B.Jacobsen3, Thomas W. Klein4, Raymond H. Widen4,5, Shirley G. Fitzgerald1, Melissa M. Shelton1, Michelle Barta1, Matthew Goodman6, Charles E. Cox3,4, Kevin E. Kip1,* Article first published online: 20 FEB 2009ne: 28 NOV 2006 4. Effects of Low-Dose Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR-ld) on Working Adults: Maryanna D. Klatt, PhD. College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, klatt. [email  protected] eduJanet Buckworth, PhD. College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus William B. Malarkey, MD. College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus Scales 5. Lovibond, S. H. Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. (2nd. Ed. ) Sydney: Psychology Foundation. ISBN 7334-1423-0. Lovibond, P. F. & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 335-343. 6. Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) Kirk Warren Brown, Ph. D. & Richard M. Ryan, Ph. D. References 1. Cresswell, J. W. (1998) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among 5 traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publishers 2. Kelly, K. 2006) From encounter to text: collecting data in qualitative research. In Terre Blance, M. , & Durrheim,K. , Painter, D. (Eds), Research in Practise (Second Edition). Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press. 3. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduciton/Mindfulness Based Cognitive therapy Course Book. Open Ground Training and Consultancy. Sydney, Australia 4. Royse, D. (2004) Qualitative Research from Research Methods in Social Work, Fourth Edition, Brookes/Cole-Thomson Learning, Pacific Grove, CA, USA. 5. Terre Blance, M. , & Durrheim,K. , Painter, D. (Eds), Research in Practise (Second Edition). Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press.

Children’s Literature †an Autobiographical Narrative Essay Essay

Books have been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was taught to read both at home and at school, and was given the freedom to choose whatever genre I decided on. My experiences with books were always positive, which allowed me to develop a love for literature. The reading that I did throughout my childhood helped to shape both the genres I enjoy and the amount I read today. The earliest memory I have containing books involves my mother reading me bedtime stories. She would read to me before bed each night, and I quickly developed favourites. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss was at the top of my list, and I would request this book more often than any other. I loved how the words flowed off the pages and the rhymes stuck in my head, as well as how vibrant the images on the pages were. At this age, primary colors definitely appealed to me. After reading this book to me for what seemed to be the hundredth time, my mother thought she would trick me by skipping pages in the book in order to get through it faster. Unfortunately for her, by this time I had memorized the entire book, word for word. I would throw a fit and refuse to go to bed until she went back and reread the book properly. Throughout kindergarten, grade one, and grade two, my school had a reading program. It was used to positively reinforce books in a child’s life. Each day at the end of class, children had to sign out at least one book to take home and read it with their parents. There were five levels of books, ranging from easy to difficult, and points that were given according to what level of book the child chose. Parents had to sign off that their child had read these books, and both the book and parental signature would be returned the following day. When the points were totaled at the end of each week, the child with the highest amount of points was allowed to choose a prize from a range of small toys or stuffed animals. I would strive to have the most points at the end of each and every week, and was usually able to succeed in doing so. I would sometimes try to take home four or five books a night, just to earn extra points. What I loved most about the reading program was the fact that children were able to choose their own books to take home, rather than being assigned a book. By choosing my own books, IÂ  was able to determine what genres I preferred, and which I would rather not read at all. Another major influence on my reading as a child was my older sister. She was five years older than me, and the books she was reading fascinated me. They involved stories of girls with boyfriends, and girls having their own adventures. I would always ask her to tell me about the newest book she was reading, and would sometimes steal it and pretend I was reading the same book, even if I couldn’t understand the majority of the words. I would push myself to read outside of my own reading level, always asking my parents to explain the meanings of new words. I did this until I too could read The Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew. When my sister started reading books about children with fatal diseases, by the author Lauren McDaniel, I wanted to read these books as well. Their illnesses became my own, their thoughts became my thoughts, and their world became my world. This continued throughout my life, until I reached the age where our reading levels were the same. Today, my sister and I have very similar tastes in books. If I finish a book that I know my sister will enjoy, I will mail it to her home in Ontario so she is able to get the same amount of pleasure out of it as I did, and she always returns the favor. Today, I enjoy reading fantasy, classic literature, and various works of fiction. I was able to develop my specific tastes by experimenting with different genres while I was growing up. By having the freedom to choose what genres I enjoyed both at home and at school, I acquired a love for books. I have read hundreds of titles, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

Spartans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spartans - Essay Example In his career he has published over 65 articles, with 12 forthcoming articles and chapters such as 'Sparta' in The Classical Tradition (Harvard University Press). In 2004, Professor Cartledge was appointed an Honorary Citizen of Sparta. The Spartans is a convincing narrative that explores the culture and civilization of the most famous "warrior people": the Spartans of ancient Greece, by the world's leading specialist in the field. Sparta has often been described as the original Utopia--a remarkably evolved society whose warrior heroes were forbidden any other trade, profession, or business. As a people, the Spartans were the living exemplars of such core values as duty, discipline, the nobility of arms in a cause worth dying for, sacrificing the individual for the greater good of the community (illustrated by their role in the battle of Thermopylae), and the triumph of will over seemingly insuperable obstacles--qualities that today are frequently believed to signify the ultimate heroism. Paul Cartledge is the distinguished scholar and historian who have long been seen as the leading international authority on ancient Sparta. He traces the evolution of Spartan society--the culture and the people, as well as the tre mendous influence they had on their world and even ours. He details throughout the narrative the lives of such illustrious and myth-making figures as Lycurgus, King Leonidas, Helen of Troy (and Sparta), and Lysander, and explains how the Spartans, although they placed a high value on masculine ideals, nevertheless allowed women an unusually dominant and powerful role--unlike Athenian culture with which the Spartans are so often compared. In resurrecting the ancient culture and society of the Spartans, Cartledge delves deep into ancient texts and archeological sources and complements his text with illustrations that depict original Spartan artifacts and drawings, as well as examples of representational paintings from the Renaissance onwards. The Spartans built a warrior culture in ancient Greece unsurpassed for its courage and military prowess. Eminent historian Cartledge (Spartan Reflections) provides a remarkable chronicle of Sparta's rise and fall, from its likely origins around 1100 B.C. to the height of its fame and glory in the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. and its fall in the fourth century B.C. The Spartans built their society through conquest and subjugation, ruling over their subject peoples with an iron hand and putting down revolts with devastating might. Between 490 and 479, Sparta joined Athens in fighting the Persians in three key wars-Thermopylae, Plataea and Mycale-that contributed to the demise of Persian power and the rise of Hellenistic power on the Mediterranean. Cartledge punctuates his absorbing tale with brief, engaging biographies of the city-state's kings from Lycurgus, the earliest Spartan leader, who brought constitutional law to the city, to Leonidas, who led the Spartans at Thermopylae. According to

Improving Team Performance Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Improving Team Performance - Article Example e personality indicators, the objectives being given to the teams, the leadership and most commonly the organizational culture that helps in developing competent and effective teams. A person who is professionally well developed might not have the ability to work in collectivist society and might prefer to work alone. Moreover, few of the individuals prefer to act as passive partner regardless of their professional development point of view and this emancipates problems like social loafing. Keeping in view this, personnel selection and development is of critical importance Suman (2009). This is true to an extent because the organizations in an attempt to achieve the competitive advantage and to develop individuals in a way that they can work effectively in teams and can adapt to the changing environment work towards developing such strategies or hiring such agencies that can hunt the talent desired by the organization. This gives rise to the introduction of such training and development modules that aim to develop personnel professionally. Different models have been introduced to highlight the usefulness of personality and behavioral assessment instruments. DISC model is the one that relates that individuals and situations are related in a way that their behavior cannot be predicted and understood without proper understanding of environment Suman (2009). Critically analyzing this one can conclude that employees develop themselves at strategic level only when they understand their organizations’ culture and environment. Employees can work in teams effectively only when there are clear communication channels, the decentralization that enables employees to have their say in organizations’ decision making process and the ability to adapt to the changing organizations’ environment. In addition to this, the MBTI personality type is another assessment instrument that talks about the personality types. They argued that there are 16 types of personalities and all

Indian Negotiation Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Indian Negotiation Styles - Essay Example It is therefore important for business theorists to establish ways of establishing ways through which the synergies of culture, attitudes, and values can be incorporated into business practice. The Problem Background In India, business is considered as a culture and not simply a means towards profits. Success and failure are assessed in terms of the character and ability of agents rather than logical outcomes of strategies and processes (Martin, & Chaney, 2009). In the context of international business, the negotiation process in India is considered, in many circles, as a process of balance of power and an adjustment of equilibriums between the presumed cultural greatness of the west and Indian culture. Cultural balance and cultural universalism acquire more prominence to challenge the negative assumptions resident in theories of cultural relativism as understood in business context. Indian negotiating styles significantly rely on the details (Zubko, & Sahay, 2010). Issues are broken down into their constituent parts and analyzed in accordance with the manner in which they relate to the bigger picture. In essence, the process entails the realization of a range of issues that connect with outcomes. Usually, the focus begins with the bigger picture before attention is given to the driving factors and the specifics of the deal. Clarity and order in the details of the deal becomes necessary for purposes of assessing the feasibility of the deal. Naturally, Indians prefer the guidance of clear data and mathematical procedure towards the attainment of a given goal. This trait is consistent with the cultural attachment to matters of mathematical and scientific importance.... Indian Negotiation Styles A break from socialist policies to a capitalist oriented economic structure has been cited as one of the contributing factors to the country’s economic growth. Western countries have increased their levels of interest in the country for purposes of economic partnership. India’s high population estimated at over a billion has attracted foreign investors who seek market for their products or cheap labor. However engaging with India demands a deeper connection with the culture, attitudes, and philosophies underlying their business practices. The Problem Multinationals and other global business entities that have attempted to establish their businesses in India have been faced with unique challenges that demanded the understanding of the corporate climate. The levels of success or failure in Indian business are directly related to the manner in which international players adjust to the unique character of Indian culture. Studies have established a strong connection between culture and business in the Indian context. Past and recent analyses on Indian negotiating style show that the styles adopted in Indian business environment are largely consistent with their cultural believes, social values, and attitudes towards life in general. Indians embrace family values and respect the aspect of honesty, respect, order, and hierarchy. This study focuses on the negotiation style of India in international business negotiations, with respect to their culture, which greatly shapes their negotiation styles.