Modern technology is enhancing social life

Technology is indispensable in solving modern problems, enhancing social life and ensuring a better future (Diamond 240). Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to reach among others industrial and commercial objectives of an organization or a society. It has cultural, organizational and technical aspects (Freeman and Francisco 142). Technology has become a powerful tool that is being used to improve social life and solve human problems like poverty and deceases. In addition, technology has increased the power of human beings to control and manipulate nature thereby enhancing our ability to adapt to the environment (Global Scenario Group Report 19).Despite all the benefits of technology, it has negative side effects like unemployment. It is therefore important to assess dangers and promises of a technology in order to formulate safeguards to eliminate its negative impacts or its misuse. It is also important to put limits on some technologies like biotechnology so as to harness their full potential without lowering the dignity of human beings (Freeman and Francisco 327).DiscussionThere are many areas in which technology impact positively in the society. The globalization of the internet for example, has extended and empowered the human network (Cisco Systems E25). It has changed positively the manner in which social, political, commercial and personal interactions are occurring. The internet presents a platform on which businesses can be run, emergencies can be addressed and individuals can be informed. It is being used to support education, science and government. (Global Scenario Group Report 24).Education has immense impact on a society. It trains the human mind to think and make right decisions. Through education, one acquires knowledge and information which can be used to solve problems like unemployment in a society (Cisco Systems E27). Technology enhances the processes of communication, collaboration and engagement which are fundamental bui lding blocks of education. It supports and enriches students learning experiences.It helps to deliver learning materials like interactive activities, assessments and feedbacks to a larger number of students faster and cheaper. In contrast to traditional learning methods which provide only two sources of expertise, that is, the textbook and the instructor which are limited in format and timing, online courses can contain voice, data and video which enhance understanding (Cisco Systems E30). Technology has thus removed geographical barriers to education and improved students’ learning experiences.Technology has facilitated the formation of global communities through social networks like facebook. This has fostered social interactions independent of geographical location (Global Scenario Group Report 27). The online communities enable sharing of valuable ideas and information capable of increasing productivity and opportunities in a society. For example, one can post to a forum to share health and treatment information with other members of the forum from all over the world. Though this kind of interaction is not physical, people are still able to share their social experiences and values more efficiently with people from diverse backgrounds.Technology has also helped to reduce poverty. Advancement in technology has led to new efficient sources of energy even to poor rural communities. The availability of cheap sources of energy opens up a society to investments and economic activities (Diamond 253). For example, technology has made it possible through genetic engineering to engineer crops that convert solar energy to fuels more efficiently.Governments are thus able to provide cheaper efficient sources of energy even to poor rural communities since solar energy is available virtually anywhere in the world (Freeman and Francisco 307).   Genetic engineering can also be used to create plants that produce valuable products like silicon chips for computers ef ficiently. This can result in improved income and living standards to members of a society. Technology can therefore bring about social revolution by enriching villages thereby attracting people and wealth from cities (Freeman and Francisco 331).Technology enables farms in remote places to function as part of the global economy. Through advancement in technology, agricultural outputs have improved thus ensuring food security. Technology helps farmers to avoid losses caused by natural disasters like drought. For example, a farmer can use a laptop enabled with a Global Positioning System to plant his or her crops with precision and efficiency resulting in high harvests.At harvest time, the farmer can use technology to co-ordinate harvesting with the availability of grain a transporter and storage facilities using mobile wireless technology. This can help to reduce losses caused by delays. The grain transporter can monitor the vehicle in-route to maintain the best fuel efficiency and s afe operation. In addition, through technology changes in status can be relayed to the driver of the vehicle instantly (Cisco Systems E34).   Technology has thus improved efficiency and effectiveness in the agricultural sector. It has enabled societies to have abundant healthy food.Modern technology is also widely used in the entertainment and travel industries. The internet has enabled people to share and enjoy many forms of recreation, regardless of their location. For example, one can explore different places interactively without having to visit them. Technology has also enabled the creation of new forms of entertainment, such as online games (Cisco Systems E36). Entertainment is important in a society since it reduce stress and problems caused by depression.Fears have been raised about some technologies such as nuclear weapons being used to cause massive destructions in the world (Freeman and Francisco 308). But the global community has the ability to enforce controls and lim its on technology use to ensure that technology is not misused.   A beneficial technology cannot therefore be abandoned when measures can be put in place to shape and direct its use. Moreover, governments in the form of regulatory institutions and professional bodies have the potential to regulate technologies that are susceptible to misuse to ensure that they do not impact negatively on values of the society (Freeman and Francisco 316).ConclusionTechnology is embedded in all aspects of our society and has extensive implications on culture and social activities. Technology has significantly improved health, agriculture, education, transport and communication sectors. These are critical sectors in any society as they contribute to development and improvement of living standards. Although some technologies might have side effects, measures can be put in place by governments and the international community to ensure that all technologies are used for the benefits of the society.Analy sis and evaluation1.The sources I used are qualified on the subject of technology and its social impacts. Cisco Corporation is a leading and credible technology firm. Its products are widely accepted all over the world. In the Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility Report of 2009 the organization outlined its key activities and how they contribute to the social welfare of the community. Cisco also offers certification courses that are very popular world wide.The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a good example of how technology can be used to enhance learning experience. In the program, the instructor provides a syllabus and establishes a preliminary schedule for completing the course content. The expertise of the instructor is supplemented with an interactive curriculum comprising of text, graphics, audio and animations. In addition, a tool called packet tracer is provided to build virtual representations of networks and emulate functions of various networking devices (Cisco Syste ms E31).Freeman and Francisco in their book give a lot of examples of how technology can be used to enhance social life. They also point out some side effects of modern technology and how they can be addressed. In addition, the publisher of this book, Oxford University Press is a credible publisher and the source can thus be relied on.Some social impacts of the modern technology are common in homes and workplaces. For example, the impacts of the internet on commerce are common. Majority of people have embraced electronic commerce and are buying goods and services online from the comfort of their homes. Electronic commerce has thus opened new doors of opportunities that are being exploited in the society.Diamond in his book explores the rise of civilization, discussing the evolution of agriculture and technology and their impact on the society. He gives clear examples of how technology has improved the social welfare of communities especially through improvements in agricultural prod uction. Some of the examples he gives are common and can easily be related to what is going around.The Global Scenario Group report is a credible source. Its main sponsors who include Stockholm Environment Institute, Rockefeller Foundation, the Nippon Foundation, and the United Nations Environment Programme are advocacy organizations in the fields of technology and the environment. The research explored the historical background of technology, the current situation and what the future might look like. It gives clear examples of major scientific discoveries that are driving technology and their potential impacts.If I had adequate time, I would do additional research to find more information on effective measures the international community can take to ensure that technology is not misused. I would particularly focus on tools the international community can employ to protect technology from irresponsible individuals like terrorists. This is because technology itself is not bad, but it is the human beings who in some cases use it irresponsibly. Therefore, if correct measures and controls are put in place technology can be used for the benefit of all in the society. This can eliminate fears and most of the side effects of technology.2a. Technology shapes institutions, values and day to day activities in our society. It affects identities, relationships, social structures and economic activities (Freeman and Francisco 316). Technology is thus inevitable in the modern world. The internet has enhanced our social, political, commercial and personal interactions enabling us to share information and ideas more efficiently. Technology has significantly improved the quality of education. It has enabled learning materials to reach a larger number of students efficiently and cheaply. An improvement in the quality of education enhances the social life of a community since it enables individuals to make creative decisions capable of solving social problems.Technology has faci litated the formation of online communities were members can share their diverse experiences and ideas. This has the potential of increasing productivity in a society. In addition, technology has helped to reduce poverty. It has resulted in efficient sources of energy even in rural areas thereby opening up rural areas for investments and developments. Modern technology has also improved efficiency in the agricultural sector therefore ensuring food security. Moreover, I discussed how modern technology has been used in the entertainment and travel industries to create new forms of entertainments like online games. Finally, I noted that although some technologies have side effects, governments and the international community have the potential to direct and control the use of technology for the benefit of the society.2b.Some of the evidences I used include the Cisco Networking Academy Program which is an example of how technology can be used to improve quality of education. The second evidence is of a farmer using a laptop enabled with a Global Positioning System to plant his crops with precision and efficiency. The example illustrates how technology can be used to improve agricultural production. The third evidence illustrates how genetic engineering can be used to engineer crops that convert solar energy to fuels more efficiently. The energy can then be used in the rural areas to create wealth and employment opportunities. Finally, I illustrated how technology has been used in the entertainment and travel industry to create new forms of entertainment like online games.2c.The major assumption I made is that the international community has the potential to control and direct the use of technology. This is only possible if there is peace and cooperation among all countries of the world. But this is not the case especially in the Middle East. The instability in countries like Iran and the existence of extremists have increased fears of technology being used to caus e massive destruction.3.Someone might ague that technology is a problem because we rely on it so much and that although it makes us better it also make us worse. My position is that in any human community there must be control and order. It is therefore the responsibility of governments to ensure that the society is protected from negative effects of technology.   Some people might point out the destructive effects of technology on the environment to ague against it. But if correct measures are put in place we will be able to assess the dangers and promises of any technology in order to formulate effective safeguards against its side effects.Works citedCisco Systems, Inc. Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility Report. cisco.com. Cisco Systems, Inc. 2009. Web. 2009.Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel:   The Fates of Human Societies. New York.   W.W. Norton. 1999. Web.Freeman, Chris and Francisco Louca. As Time Goes By:   From the Industrial Revolutions to the Information Re volution. England. Oxford University Press. 2001. Web.Global Scenario Group Report. Great Transition: The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead.     gsg.org. Global Scenario Group. Web. 2002.

Maslow Case Study

Maslow Case Study 15 1) Cindy’s first year of life was a very trying one, and according to Maslow, the primary needs on her hierarchy were not being sufficiently met. The first need is to have physiological needs satisfied for sheer survival purposes, such as receiving adequate food, water, elimination and sleep. Maslow explained that for a person not receiving these things, their idea of a perfect place would be one where there is plenty of food and water and they can sleep and eliminate whenever they want; if they had all of these things they would believe that they would be perfectly content and happy. For many, these needs are easily satisfied, but for Cindy this was not the case. The physician who performed Cindy’s checkups noted that she was not developing at the rate of normal infants her age, so she immediately suspected neglect, which would include not giving Cindy adequate nutrition. Since everyone of her checkups were late and infrequent, the physician began to question the amount of formula Cindy was receiving and learned that it was nowhere near enough for a child her age. Cindy had also developed a sever diaper rash accompanied by a yeast infect by the third check up which the physician was also very concerned about. The need to be physically well would also fall under the physiological needs. Although Cindy’s physiological needs were not fully satisfied, degrees of satisfaction would allow Cindy to have the needs of other stages working at the same time. Safety needs, or the need to feel a sense of structure, order, security and predictability, are next on Maslow’s hierarchy. Cindy’s mother was said to be a 40 year old drug addict who live in a relatively poor neighborhood that housed African Americans and Latinos, mostly. The mother had no home of her own and did not know who the father was, she would move from house to house where her friends would put her up for a little while. The mother would also stay with the grandmother from time to time. This constant moving, with no home of her own, inadequate nutrition, no love or affection shown and no predictability from day to day would definitely show that Cindy’s safety needs were not satisfied. The third need, the need for belongingness and love, was obviously also not satisfied. Her mother neglected her so much that on one occasion Cindy was dehydrated to the point of medical danger. Once she was finally fostered, her initial foster family was able to provide her with sufficient physiological and safety needs, however, they still did not provide belongingness and love. They showed her little affection and rarely held her or talked to her. By the end of Cindy’s first year, she looked as if she were only 6 months old developmentally. Also, when the family moved to another state they had no desire to adopt her, which also showed how little they cared for her emotionally. The outcome of Cindy’s first trying year of life was severe underdevelopment in which she could barley crawl at one year, an aversion to affection where Cindy would cringe at someone’s touch, and a sense of uncertainty and shyness to her. ) During Cindy’s second year of life, she was placed with a much better foster family would not only fulfilled her needs for survival and safety, they were also very loving. The family had two other daughters, who were trilled to have a baby sister to take care of, the mother stayed at home with the kids during the day and the father was there in the evenings when the mother was working four nights a week inside the home. Cindy had a clean, quiet environment where she was exposed to other chi ldren. She was also shown a lot of affection, which at first she resisted, but eventually she began to become accustom to it and even began seeking it out and developed more rapidly. By the time she was living with this family for six months, she had caught up to the development of children her age. Once Cindy’s biological mother overdosed and died, the option for adoption was there and the new family happily accepted Cindy into there life permanently. The outcome of all of this was that Cindy became a happy, confident child on the same level as other children her age. ) According to Maslow, if Cindy were to actualize, the type of values she would have to embrace would include an acceptance of herself, others and of nature in general, which would allow her not to feel a sense of anxiety, shame or guilt due to her situation as a child. Also, autonomy, appreciation for life events, creativity from an openness to experience and spontaneity, an unhostile sense of humor and a strong ethic al sense would all be values Cindy would have to embrace to be a self-actualizer. There are other characteristics that Maslow listed as belonging to these types o people, but these have a more immediate relationship to Cindy and her upbringing. Her early childhood would defiantly not give Cindy the predisposition to have these values, however, her fortunate situation in which she was later adopted by a loving and providing family would be able to give her the other needs she craves to reach self-actualization.

Organisational Behaviour Essay

I. Introduction An organisation is commonly defined as a group of people who work together in a consciously coordinated social unit for a shared purpose. Management refers to the activity of controlling and organizing people to accomplish its goals. In today’s increasingly global and competitive environment the effective management of people is even more important to the successful performance of the work organisations. Therefore, the managers need to understand the main influences on how people behave in an organisation setting. Mullins (2008, p.4) defined organisation behaviour (OB) as ‘the study and understanding of individual and group behaviour, and patterns of structure in order to help improve organisational performance and effectiveness’. It comprises a synthesis of a variety of different theories and approaches. Therefore, this essay opens by briefly explore a number of interrelated disciplined to the study of organisational behaviour, before examining the relevance of four main approach to the subject in today’s workplace. Finally, it discusses the purpose of organisations. II. Interrelated discipline to the study of organisational behaviour The study of behaviour can be viewed in terms of three main disciplines – psychology, sociology and anthropology. The contribution of all three disciplines has played an important role to studying organisational behaviour. Psychology is the science and art of explaining mental processes and behaviour. The main focus of attention is on the individuals and explores such concepts as perception, motivation, perception and attitudes. It is arguable that McKenna considers psychology as the key discipline in studying organisational behaviour. There are five key areas in Psychology that can impact on organisations; these are: psychological psychology, cognitive psychology, development psychology, social psychology and personality psychology. Psychological aspects are useful to the practical applications such as job analysis, interviewing models or selection, but it provide too narrow view for understanding of organisational behaviour which ‘is not concern with the complex detail of individual differences but with the behaviour and management people of people’ (Mullins, 2008, p. 7). Watson (2008) defined sociology is more concern with the study of social behaviour, relationships among social groups and societies. It focuses on group dynamics, conflict, work teams, power, communication and intergroup behaviour. It is possible that Watson considered sociology to be the key discipline in studying organisations though he also places emphasis on economics. The structuration reflects the dual effect that individuals make society and society makes individuals. Watson (2008, p. 30) presents six strands of thought applied to his framework for analysis. He further presents six substantive areas applied to the six strands of though in a matrix which are work, society and change; work organisations; the changing organisation and the management of work, occupations and society; work experiences, opportunities of meanings; and conflict challenge and resistance in work. This discipline is valuable to the organisation. It helps managers recognise the relationships between large-scale social forces and the actions of individual. However, Mullins (2008, p. 7) argues that the study of organisational behaviour cannot be studied entirely in single discipline. Although each discipline has an important contribution, it just underpins the study of subject. Indeed, Mullins synthesises interrelated disciplines which are psychology with sociology, anthropology that explore culture and behavioural factors; economics that attempts to provide a rational explanatory framework for individual and organisational activity; and political science that is study of power and control between individual and groups; in his framework for analysis of organisational behaviour. III. Four main approaches In Mullins’ framework, the study of organisational behaviour is concerned with not only the behaviour in isolation, but with interaction among the structure and operation of organisations, the process of management and behaviour of people that are affected by external environment. He applies a number of approaches to organisation: 1. Classical  2. Human Relations 3. Systems 4. Contingency 1. Classical Approach The classical writers considered organisation in terms of purpose and formal structure with attention to hierarchy of management and technical requirements of organisation. Frederick Taylor with the Scientific Management had a major contribution to the Classical Approach. Taylor’s theory was based on the psychological discipline that is concerned with the study of individuals’ behavior. He believed that individuals behave rationally toward financial incentive. Worker would be motivated by highest possible wages by doing highest grade of work. Furthermore, his main objective is to find more efficient methods and procedures for the task design and control of work. Combined with training workers, it was always possible to find the one best way to perform each task. It was criticized that since workers passively do repeated task and paid by result, the less human approach can cause a decline in worker morale as well as in skill requirements, reducing flexibility.Nevertheless,massive productioncompanies stilladopt partially Taylor’s theory in order to maintain or increase productivity. For example, Mc Donald uses the payment method of Taylor’s theory to motivate and encourage the workers. The human who work in fast food restaurant are trained to do a limited number of tasks in precisely. 2. Human Relations Approach Human Relations is a managerial approach based on the consideration of and the attention to the social factors at work and the behavior of employees. Attention is paid to the informal organization and the satisfaction of individual’s needs through groups at work. Elton Mayo (1880-1949) conducted Hawthorne tests on organizations to access productivity. He moved away from scientific beliefs on money and discipline towards importance of group belonging (social study). The tests examined effect of group piecework pay system on productivity. The result is that workers did not necessarily seek to maximize production in order to receive enhanced bonuses but social pressure caused them to produce at group norm level. On the other hand, the research was originally intended to examine effects of lighting on productivity. As a consequence, productivity increased regardless of lighting level was due to workers’ receiving attention. The Hawthorne effect adopted in Human relation approach suggested that good supervision and environment increase satisfaction and other variables affect this, such as structure, leadership, and culture. Unlike the classical thought with consideration of improving productivity, human relation approach ‘strove for a greater understanding of people’s psychological and social needs at work as well as improving the process of management. However, Mullins (2008, p. 29) criticized human relations as a ‘unitary frame of reference’ and oversimplified theories. Even today the Hawthorne experiment is still useful for describing the changes in behavior of individuals and groups, and opened the door to more experiments by other sub-division of approach known as neo human relation. 3. Systems Approach The system approach to the study of organizations combines the contrasting position of the classical approach, which emphasized the technical requirements of organization and its needs – ‘organization without people’, and human relations approach, which emphasized the human fulfillments and social aspects – ‘people without organization’. This approach inspires managers to regard organization as an open system interacting with environment and to view total work but not the sum of separate parts. In Figure 2.5 (Boddy, 2008, p.60), the system consists of a number of interrelated subsystems, such as people, power, technology or business processes system; which add complexity and interact with each other and external environment. It is stated that any part of an organization’s activity affects all other parts because there are areas overlap between various subsystems. Therefore, it is the task of management to integrate these interrelated subsystems and direct efforts of members towards the achievement of organizational goals. The system approach, which is components of interrelated subsystems, provides analysis of organizational performance and effectiveness while the socio-technical approach takesorganization as viewed by the individual members and their interpretation of the work situation. In time of increasing globalization, technological change has influenced on the behavior of people and other parts, thus the whole system. It is valuable for manager to manage the total work and coordinate the technical change and the needs of individuals. 4. Contingency Approach According to Mullins (2008, p. 31), the contingency approach rejects the idea of ‘one best form or structure’ or ‘optimum state’ for organizations. The organizations needs to be flexible to cope with change and managers need to change structure and processes required. This approach influenced many management practices such as market research, PR or strategic planning, which stress response to external conditions. Furthermore, it emphasized that the practice depends on people interpreting events and managers be able to have subjective judgments as much as rational analysis. The contingency approach is relevant to management and organizational behavior. It provides a setting in which to view large number of variables factors that influence on the organizational performance. Hence, it enables process of management to change the structure of organization at the expense of the need for stability and efficiency. IV. The purpose of organizations As defined earlier in this essay, organization is a group of people who work together in a structured way for a shared purpose. It is a task for management to clarify strategy, which tell people how to work, where to go, and what to achieve. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of strategy for the formal organization in order to study organizational behavior. Johnson et al. (cited in Mullins, 2008, p. 350) define the strategy is ‘the direction and scope of an organization over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with aim of fulfilling stake holder expectation’. People dimension of strategy is concerned with people as a resource; people and behavior and organizing people, therefore, influencing behavior of people to achieve success and motivation of individuals are central part of organization’s strategy. Mullins (2008, p. 352) stated that ‘the goals of an organization are the reason for its existence’. It is the desired state for organization to pursue in the future. Therefore, an organization gains its effectiveness and performance through achieving its goal. To be effective, the goals need to be clearly stated and understandable, thus making impossible for people in organization to perceive. It is clearly evident that goal setting promote immediately behavior of people at work and it can be considered as successful tools of increasing work motivation and effectiveness. An organizational goal are likely to achieve when informal goal, which are defined by individual and based on both perception and personal motivation, are compatible with organizational goals. Therefore, it is crucial role for management to integrate the needs of individuals with the overall objective of the organization. Organizational goals are generally translated into objectives that set out more specifically the goals of organization. Drucker (cited in Mullins, 2008) indicated eight key areas for setting objectives, which ‘are needed in every area where performance and results directly and vitally affect the survival and prosperity of the business’. SWOT analysis, which focuses on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the organization, draw out strategic implication.First, Strengths are internal aspects of organization that give it competitive advantage over others in the industry such as size, structure, technology, reputation or staffing. Second, Weaknesses are those negative aspects that place organization at a disadvantage regarding to other. Examples of weaknesses could be operating within narrow market, limited resource, and lack of information. Third, Opportunities are favorable chances arise from external environment which provides potential for the organization to offer new, or to develop existing goods or services. Finally, Threats are external elements in the environment that cause trouble for the organization. For example, change in law, increasing tax or competition from other organizations. SWOT analysis may be used in evaluating any decision-making situation when a desired end results (objectives) has been defined. V. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has been identified the main approaches to the study of organization. In the first section, it provides a discussion on the interrelated disciplines of Organizational behavior, which is Psychology and Sociology. McKenna stated his idea that psychology has the biggest contribution to the study of subject; whereas Watson placed emphasis on sociology. However, the subject is rooted in multidisciplinary and cannot be undertaken in any single discipline. In Mullins’ framework, he examines a broader view, and then presents four main approaches to the study of organizational behavior. In the final section, this essay has defined the strategy that directs to the goal and objective of organization, and commented on the usefulness and relevance of SWOT analysis in evaluating the strategy.

Silvio Berlusconi Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Silvio Berlusconi - Research Paper Example These are the personal scandals, but he was also convicted in Italian courts of more serious scandals – tax fraud and wiretapping violations. Yet, Berlusconi managed to always retain power, even after losing power, by regaining it through media manipulation. He virtually owns the media in Italy, so he was able to make the Italian people believe that in his story, the way that he would spin it. Meanwhile, he has tarnished his critics with allegations against them. The media manipulation is apparently still afoot, as Berlusconi, as recently as the February 2013 elections, came within 1% of the popular vote for Prime Minister. This essay will examine Berlusconi’s rise to power, his scandals, and why he still is a popular figure, even after all he has been accused of. Discussion Silvio Berlusconi is one of the most corrupt men to ever assume the mantle of Prime Minister, in Italy or any other place in the world. His origins were humble, however. According to the BBC News (2 013), Berlusconi began his business career selling vacuums and singing on a cruise ship. He graduated from law school in 1961, and, ten years later, he launched a local cable-television outfit, called Telemilano, which grew into Mediaset, which is one of Italy’s biggest media empires. ... not last long, for he lost the 1996 election, amid a collapse of his government, seven months into his term, because, in part, Berlusconi was indicted for tax fraud in a Milan court. He came back into power in 2001, before being defeated again in 2006, then returning to office in 2008 under the People of Freedom party (Profile: Silvio Berlusconi). Berlusconi came to power in 1994 by assuring the Italians that he represented a different kind of leader from what they were accustomed to, according to Donadio & Povoledo (2011). He stated that Italy did not have freedom and was too ruled by the past, in their economics and their social issues. The old political parties, before Berlusconi came to power, were the Christian Democratic Party and the Communist Party, and Berlusconi represented something different than what these two parties were offering. Berlusconi was offering himself as a leader, and his qualifications, according to Donadio & Povoledo (2011) was his immense wealth. He was r e-elected in 2001 because he was able to deliver, to every doorstep, a magazine-sized volume, titled â€Å"An Italian Story† regarding his life. This print offering showcased Berlusconi as a self-made businessman, a family man and a ladies’ man, while showing his love for soccer (Donadio & Povoledo, 2011). Donadio & Povoledo (2011) argue that Berlusconi was popular because he was seen as the sort that the Italian man would admire and want to emulate – somebody who was charismatic, sexually powerful and wealthy. Donadio & Povoledo (2011) state that Berlusconi was able to come to power, and keep power, for another reason – he controlled the media. Because he controlled the media, he controlled how he was portrayed to the people. He began with a broadcasting company, Mediaset, which

Why is 21 the drinking age and is it in fact the the real age limit Essay

Why is 21 the drinking age and is it in fact the the real age limit - Essay Example Plenty of European countries are extremely negligent about it, and 12 year-olds are drinking more responsibly than many 23 year-olds in the States.(Grossman, 2006) When I say drinking responsibly, I mean drinking socially, such as dropping by somewhere and having a few mixed drinks or a couple of beers or something. The irresponsible drinking is drinking just to get drunk, meaning power-hours, taking 13 shots of 151 in half an hour (not fun), and just being, well, irresponsible. The latter type of drinking, from what I've seen, is mostly done by people who have little or no experience in drinking, and the availability of it is just too enticing to pass up, since you can inebriate yourself on a weekly or nightly basis. I have nothing personal against this type of drinking, especially since I partake in it. (Dombroski, 2004) The interesting thing, to me, is that there is no argument about the health effects of alcohol. Nobody is talking about liver and kidney failure, o r mental health problems due to legal alcohol consumption. I haven't seen anyone mention of drunk driving. The only things really being talked about are binge drinking, parental involvement, being old enough to fight for the country, and violence. In order to make this a complete discussion, the topics that are talked about need to be more complete. (Grossman, 2006) A lot more questions need to be asked. ... What I'm trying to point out is that while alcohol is a major contributor to a lot of violent crimes, health problems, and accidents, Federal, State, and local governments maintain that alcohol is still "legal" even if the age limit is kept at 21. (Dobkin, 2007) I have interviewed several university and college students concerning this issue of whether 21 should be the legal drinking age or is it a real age when people should start drinking. This is the report that I collected from four types of data which are relevant to the study of the effects of the increase in the drinking age. The data are from surveys of drinking and drinking problems among high school students; (Flynn, 2007) The 21 year old drinking age is an abridgment of the age of majority. By 18, Americans are legally adults and are entitled to all the rights and responsibilities that come with that role but one; the freedom to choose whether or not to consume alcohol.(Gever, 2006) The 21 year old marginalizes the role of parents in the process of teaching and encouraging responsible decisions about alcohol use. There is clear consensus cross introducing their children to responsible alcohol use. The 21 year old drinking age effectively eliminates this important parental role forcing parents to either break the law by serving their underage.(Grossman, 2006) Drinking isn't only something to do - it's something everyone can do together. It's how freshmen begin meeting people. "You don't know anybody, and then somebody hands you a beer and pretty soon you're hanging out with a bunch of guys," says Simon, a 19-year-old sophomore, remembering his first days in college. Freshmen drink hard early on: A 1995 Harvard study of college

The Jade Peony and The Other Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Jade Peony and The Other Family - Essay Example They are made to feel like outsiders, at times and this can be very humiliating. They have to try to forget the language and way of life that they have been used to since their childhood, if they are to adapt to life in their new homeland. This can be a painful experience, because they have to give up something that is very close to their hearts. It is easier for children and young people to make these changes and to adapt to life in their new homeland. For older people it can be much more difficult to give up a way of life that they have been used to for all their lives. It is even more difficult for parents, who feel rejected, when their children adopt the language and culture of their new homeland. Bannerji, in The Other Family highlights the feeling of insecurity of an immigrant mother, who says to her only daughter "Is this the family you would like to have Don't you want us anymore You want to be a mem sahib, a white girl" (143). She worries that some day her daughter would be ashamed of her and would move out into the world of the residents of their new homeland. She thinks that some day they would be enemies. She is afraid that she will lose her child. She feels that the people in her new homeland have the power to crush little people like her anytime. She exposes her fear of rejection to her daughter.

Technology management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology management - Essay Example It should link to other business processes that the firm supports. In this case, it is called Business Service Catalogue. For it to be considered as a Technical Service Catalogue, it should provide a technical view of services. This view is not provided to the customers, and is linked with the configuration items which are necessary to deliver the service. SCM makes sure that the customers agree with the terms and conditions of the IT services, and understand their usage. Hence, SCM establishes a strong relationship between IT services and the business. Brewster et al. (67) write in their book that SCM makes sure that the service is aligned with business needs â€Å"by providing clear and consistent information on services in a language that the customers will understand and in a format that customers will want to use, thus enabling a constructive dialogue about IT services where all parties have a common understanding of what is being discussed.† This means that SCM is a customer-oriented administration of IT service delivery. A Business Service Catalogue simplifies, for the customers, the ordering of standard services, because it simplifies the terms and conditions so that the customers may be able to understand them; makes the process of ordering easy enough for them; and, offers them a lucid and dependable self-service mechanism, which they can avail for ordering of services. Likewise, a Technical Service Catalogue is an efficient source of all technical knowledge that the service provider needs in order to make the deli very of services well-organized and more reliable. Hence, the service provider can have a better idea of all risks, vulnerabilities, strengths, and weaknesses, of the process of service delivery. This idea is important to make the services better aligned with business needs. Service catalogues need to be managed regularly, so that it is